Chelseadaddy

Hi everyone,on holiday in Mauritius and having a fantastic time but a misplaced foot on some wet rocks and my D5100 + 18-270+polerizing filter went for an unexpected swim,as expected it is now dead!!! Any suggestion as which camera to look at next?

skiman Loc: Ventura, CA

I moved up from a D5100 to a D7100, soo glad I did. It depends on where you want to go with photography and what/how you shoot.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Looks like a good time to make the upgrade to either a D7100 crop sensor, or maybe even a D610 full frame if you have ever thought about moving to full frame. Maybe take the opportunity to rent and try something new before committing to a specific camera.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Unfortunate event, but great opportunity to consider full frame.

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

I suggest one that takes to the water better.

OK, enough smart aleck. Sorry for your misfortune.

This might be an opportunity to move to Full Frame.

BTW, how's the lens doing?

ArtzDarkroom Loc: Near Disneyland-Orange County, California

Sorry to hear about your loss. I would suggest you get something with a waterproof case.

I see several suggestions for a full frame camera. Would somebody care to elaborate? Is the change that significant?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

On positive note, at least the filter will be okay.

Here's something you might want to try.

Saving a Wet Camera
March 19, 2013
http://www.redbubble.com/people/peterh111/journal/9049428-how-to-perform-cpr-on-a-drowned-dslr

1. Take the battery out as fast as you can. Yes, it doesn’t take more than a nanosecond to turn the camera OFF (which is the least you should do), but even after doing so there are still volts inside going whereever the water goes. If the charge meets that moisture, your electronics will be fried. End of story.
2. Take the card out. Simple step, but in the panic immediately following the drowning it’s easily forgotten. I know I have.
3. Don’t stand there wiping the exterior of the camera body. You are wasting valuable time. You need to get to a heat source ASAP.
4. Did you drive to your shoot? Get to the car pronto. Now take the lens off and wipe as much water as you can from inside the camera with your lens cloth or an absorbent cloth if you have one, without damaging the mirror or sensor. Tissues are NOT recommended because they will separate and strands will be left inside the body. Even shaking the body while holding it downwards will help. Turn on your car’s engine, turn the car’s airconditioning on full-bore and HOT, and hold the body up to the vents. Keep it there as you drive home or to your hotel, or get your passenger to do it if you have one. (Drive safe but don’t dawdle.)
5. Think as you drive home. How much rice do you have? You’ll need a good 4kgs, so if necessary buy some on the way home, but don’t stop for a Big Mac or a pie. Get long grain, basmati, jasmine, whatever. Just get the damn rice, ok?
6. When you get home, grab a blow dryer and give the body’s interior a good going over. (The camera’s, not yours.) Full blast. Give it a good 15-30 minutes or at least until you can’t see any more water and your camera body is nice and warm.
7. Ideally, whilst you are doing the blow job, someone else is grabbing a pillow slip and putting all the rice in it. Now find an item of clothing. The thinner the fabric the better. The BEST item to grab is a thermal top or thermal pants or similar.
8. Insert the camera body into a sleeve (or pant). This is to prevent rice grains from getting inside the body. Don’t “wrap” the item of clothing around the body because you want as little as possible coming between the moisture-sucking rice and the body. Now immerse the body in the rice. If the body is in a sleeve, you can leave the rest of the item of clothing hanging out, just make sure the body is immersed in rice.
9. Put the bag on a table next to a fan. This will help keep moisture from hanging around.
10. Leave the body in the bag of rice for as long as possible. Note that I haven’t said you can turn the camera on. That is the hardest bit – resisting the temptation. Give it a week. Seriously.
11. When you finally can’t wait any more and turn the camera back on, do not leave it on. Turn it back off and put it back in the bag of rice even if the camera seems to be working. CPR by rice takes time.
As I said, no guarantees any of the above will save your drowned buddy, but hopefully you can give it at least your best chance to survive. Bear in mind that repairing a drowned DSLR, if possible, can end up costing nearly as much as getting a new one, if not more.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Discussion of various Nikon models:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-244820-1.html

This one gets into basic discussion of sensor size:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-244820-1.html

BTW, for the OP, sell it on Craigslist then move out of town. :XD:

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

I have a D5200 right now (really love it!!), and if it were to die on me I would definitely replace it with a D7100. Keep in mind, though, that the D7100 does NOT have the fully articulating LCD screen that the D5100 and the D5200 have. That may or may not be an issue for you.
Also, you may want to consider one of Nikon's FF cameras. If you have DX lenses for your 5100 (that survived the swim), you would NOT be able to use them on a FF with the same effect as an FX lens would have. Right now, I am making certain that any lenses I purchase for my 5200 are FX so I can use them in the future when I purchase a FF. NB: I consider that my purchase of a FF down the road to be for medicinal purposes only. It will temporarily mitigate my G.A.S.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

jerryc41 - many thanks for the info and the link. We are heading for the Galapagos in April/May of next year and I will make sure I am very familiar with this info prior to leaving. I also bookmarked it.
Thanks again. You always have such great info.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There are lots of underwater/tough cameras available for reasonable prices. I don't know if you plan any underwater shooting, but just holding the camera beneath the surface can produce nice results.

I got a refurb Nikon AW100 last year.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Good to know. Many thanks, Jerry.
I do not plan to do any underwater photography - just want to swim around and enjoy! - but my other half plans to. We have a Panasonic something or another (video & point and shoot) that is supposedly waterproof to something like 30 feet. I don't know 'nuthin else 'bout this camera!
Mike

DrWilk Loc: .

Sorry for your loss. But if you think of this as an opportunity its not so bad.

BTW. You must learn to interject your body between any hard or wet surface and your camera. Granted, it is more painful but also less expensive. Bodies heal, cameras don't.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I went from a D5100 to a D7000 and hated it. Several reasons included the lack of articulated screen, the button/unreadable screen for adjustment and non-functional info screen, and the heavier weight.

I'd get a D5300 if it was to be my only camera.

I got a D800 and even though it shares the liabilities of the D7xxx, and then some because it weighs twice as much again and doesn't have infrared inputs and does have a terrible design for remote triggers, it makes up for it in image quality. Then I also got a Sony NEX-7 for hiking and travel that involves any amount of movement. I plan to replace the NEX-7 with a Nikon mirrorless if they ever make a worthwhile one. My dream camera is a mirrorless D5300.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It always surprises me when I pick up my son's D5100. He has a smaller lens on it, too, so it's much lighter than my D7100 with 28-300mm.