Canon 50d operating temperature

<p>I really want to be able to take decent photos outdoors in the winter, and struggled with my 400d last year, as temperatures plummeted to -13C where I am. <br>

I am STILL looking to get a 50d (money always ends up being used for something critical just as I have saved up enough!) and wondered what the operating temperatures were like? Can the 50d comfortably operate further below freezing?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The trick to operating any camera that requires batteries in cold weather is to keep the batteries warm. That means carrying two batteries and keeping the spare inside your outer clothing next to your torso where your body heat will keep it warm. When performance of the battery inside the camera starts to drag, swap the batteries and put the cold battery next to your body. Repeat as necessary.</p>

<p>Can't comment on the performance of the 50D in cold temperatures.</p>

<p>I live in Iceland and it can get pretty cold in the wintertime here up in the mountains. The problems I have had with my 40D due to cold seem to fall into two categories - battery life (spare batteries seem to get drained/damaged - I avoid that problem now by keeping them in my shirt pocket), and moisture condensation on lenses (avoided by letting them warm up slowly after coming in from the cold)<br>

What kind of problems has your 400D been giving you?</p>

FWIW: I have shot with 40D (a similar camera in all respects to 50D) at -30C and it did work fine. The battery life is shot so do carry a spare. And keep it warm: I had to replace the battery after perhaps 150 shots but it came back to life for another 50 or so shots after warming up in the pocket close to my body for an hour.

<p>What Fridrick says. Keep the batteries warm, and try to prevent condensation. Both the lens and camera body (mirror, sensor, viewfinder) are prone to fogging. In extreme cold AF may fail and you'll have to focus manually.</p>

<p>I've had no problems shooting with cold batteries, but supposedly they drain faster and reportedly they die of old age much sooner when abused in that manner. So keeping them warm and swapping out a cold one for a warm one is probably a good idea.</p>

<p>I've used a 400D at -30C without problems. I've used it all day when the temp did not exceed -25C. Same for 300D and my skiing buddy's 20D. Last year I took a few shots with my 7D when the temp was south of -35C. </p>

<p>I remember shooting film at those temps and you have to wind very carefully because the film gets brittle.</p>

<p>That's great - thank you. The problems I had were the short battery life! I didn't have a spare at the time so it was really annoying! To avoid condensation, I double-bagged it and allowed it to come up to temperature in the coldest room of the house for a couple of hours, and then moved to a warmer room for a while before debagging and putting away. No probs with that.</p>

<p>Here's what Canon (<a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_50d#Specifications">link</a>) has to say about battery and temperature, anyhow. Overall operation is at <br /> <strong>Working Temperature Range</strong> <br />32-104°F/0-40°C<br /> <strong>Working Humidity Range </strong><br />85% or less<br /> [clearly these are not absolute or we wouldn't be able to use the camera here in Southern Illinois.]<br /> <br /></p>

<p><strong>Number of shots (approx.)</strong></p>

<table border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450">

<tbody>

<tr>

<td colspan="2" rowspan="2" align="center">Temperature</td>

<td colspan="2" align="center">Shooting Conditions</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center">No Flash</td>

<td align="center">50% Flash Use</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td rowspan="2" align="center">Normal Shooting</td>

<td align="center">73°F/23°C</td>

<td align="center">800</td>

<td align="center">640</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center">32°F/0°C</td>

<td align="center">640</td>

<td align="center">540</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td rowspan="2" align="center">Live View Shooting</td>

<td align="center">73°F/23°C</td>

<td align="center">180</td>

<td align="center">170</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center">32°F/0°C</td>

<td align="center">140</td>

<td align="center">130</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>I remember Canon had a 'cold weather pack' or something along those lines for the A-Series cameras. It replaced the PX-28 with a plug in adapter and it was connected to a battery pack worn under your coat to keep warm.</p>

<p>If you Google external BP-511 battery pack, you will get lots of responses including this one: http://theamusing.com/photography/power.html/<br>

You could construct one that will eliminate you power issues.</p>

<p>Just a thought.</p>

<p>Ed</p>

<p>I live in the Canadian Rockies and regularly shoot at -25C and have shot digital down to about -32C. below -25C I try and use film if I can as I know my old F1s can survive -40 without incident. In theory Canon has long claimed that the lubricants break down at low temperatures but I have found the old "New F1s" work fine in -40C. Batteries do suffer in the cold but even here I find that you fail before you need to switch battery. Last year during the Lake Louise world Cup I kept a 7D in my car for over two weeks (the temperatures were very low - as low as -42 at the base and not rising above -25 for the entire two weeks) and while the battery was only about 2 weeks old it held enough change to shoot at least 100 shots after this terrible treatment (indeed it showed around 70% when I turned the camera on). Older batteries suffer a lot more loss of charge than newer ones in extreme cold but my finding is that the shooter loses the ability to shoot long before the camera does.<br>

The local newspaper shooter regularly shoots outdoors with his 1D in extreme cold and is using the same 1DIIN he has shot for several years. The big enemy is condensation - this will kill a DSLR. Fortunately the Canadian Rockies are very dry (especially in extreme temperatures) but you need to be careful to warm the camera carefully ( where I live this is the issue as indoors can be humidified so water will condense on a cold camera). If outdoors is humid and cold (a situation I have only seen in Quebec and Northern New England) then care should be taken as the camera cools down. I have never bothered with an external battery pack - I just keep a spare warm next to my body - that said I generally lose interest in shooting long before my first battery fails (and I can take 300+ shots at a ski race). It is interesting that those of us who live in very cold climates have similar experiences and do not bother with remote battery's etc... If you check with canon professional services they will tell you that you need to send your lenses and body in to have the lubricant's replaced. My New F1s date from the early 1980s and I have never done this and have not had an issue. If you do have a condensation problem do not switch the camera on and leave it a bowl of rice for a day or two.</p>

<p>I've let my 50D sit in the car for a few hours in -20°c temps with a fully charged battery, but the camera would not turn on. I removed the battery and warmed it, but left the body in the cold; warming the battery allowed the camera to function. I've used my 50D in temps down to -32°c without issues, just keep the battery warm.</p>

<p>It does not take too long for the battery to quit in cold temps.</p>