Toronto, CA
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Cameras made by Nikon are described variously as weather-sealed and weather resistant. To understand what that means, it's probably important to examine how the cameras are built to justify that sort of description.
Nikon uses a variety of edge gaskets (around compartments edges - battery, SD/CF card slot - or around the door that seals a compartment), complex compartment edge and door designs which are sometimes used to create a complicated path for moisture to travel, and a variety of different internal membranes which create a barrier between the external button you press and the actuating electrical contact or potentiometer.
The problem is, none of the gaskets, complex edge designs or barrier membranes are pressurized, glued or caulked in place, though some are fitted very tightly into mounting grooves. All of the weather resistance is based on how well the protective measures function under the normal sealing pressure exerted by a plastic spring door latch, the screw-assembled camera body keeping a membrane in place, friction fits and so on.
Effectively, the weather resistance of the D7000 is quite good for practical photography in mist, fog, very light rain (which is defined by meterologists as approximately 2.5 millimetres/0.098" per hour) and light snow. The best rule of thumb I've found - and the one that has never gotten me into repair trouble with any so-called weather resistant Nikon DSLR - is that if I can't walk in the light rain without feeling the need to break out my rain shell to remain comfortable, it's best to either properly protect the camera with a rain sleeve of its own or shoot from shelter or simply put the camera in the bag. Comfort in the rain, for me, means that my shirt/vest/jacket shoulders are getting wet because the rain or snow is falling hard enough to prevent evaporation from getting ahead of the precipitation that's landing on me.
That all goes for weather resistant Nikkor lenses too. I don't have technical specifications to back me up on this, but I nonetheless have always treated Nikkor lenses (including the 16-85 VRII which is almost always on my D7000) more sensitively than Nikon camera bodies (including my D7000) when out & about in any sort of weather. When my camera is out of the bag, I always carry it on my shoulder hanging from an UpStrap, with my right hand gripping one side of the strap mount and my wrist resting on top of the camera, lens pointed slightly downward. That walkabout position generally exposes the lens to only a bit less downward falling rain or snow than the camera body which is partly protected by my hand. When there's any sort of wind driving precipitation at my face and/or sideways at the camera/lens, the camera goes into the bag right away.
Basically, on any walkabout while I'm exploring any city, when it starts raining or snowing (despite the occasional great subject I find and shoot in either of those conditions), I start thinking coffee shop/Kindle/read/relax until the weather passes.
For my occasional excursions to places such as Algonquin Park in northern Ontario, conservation areas and other wilderness locations, I always have a set of protective rain gear for my photography equipment specifically so I can continue shooting during severe-ish weather.
Hope this helps.
My Nikonians Gallery
Howard Carson, Managing Editor
Kickstartnews Inc. - http://www.kickstartnews.com
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