winter photography and gear - yes, it's coming soon enough!

[15sunrises]

This will be my first winter taking pictures, and I was hoping that maybe somebody could provide some advice about

photography in winter, specifically in regards to protecting gear and any adjustments that one would have to make.

 

1) I live in the Czech Republic, where it doesn't get incredibly cold, but to me, the winters definitely seem

damp/humid. I have had continuous problems even with P&S cameras while skiing accumulating dew on the

lens/viewfinder, I'm concerned about the same happening with my DSLR, with possibly damaging effects. I've read

that putting the camera in a ziploc bag before entering a warmer environment can help, but I'm more concerned

about what to do when outdoors, still in the cold. I don't want to miss a shot because of condensation, or ruin my

camera, is this something I need to be worried about?

 

2) Battery storage. Since the battery life is reduced in the cold, I'm assuming that I should probably keep a spare

set 'close to my chest' so that they stay as warm as possible, for as long as possible, while shooting with another

set?

 

3) What kind of temperatures should I try to avoid with my 30D. While it isn't the most weatherproof camera out

there, I'd like to get an idea of when I should know to call it quits before causing any damage.

 

4) Any other recommendations?

[Two23]

3. What temperature should I avoid with my 30D....

 

 

I don't know. I've had my Nikon D80 out when it was 28 F degrees below zero. Not sure what that equals in centigrade temperature, but I bet it's colder than what you get where you are. I don't do anything special. I do make sure my camera gear is kept in a tightly sealed camera bag when I take it indoors, and leave it in the bag for a couple of hours to warm up first. That's about it.

 

 

Kent in SD

[tonybynum]

your camera's should be kept cold. put it in a small backpack and keep the batteries next to your body. The

temps wont hurt the camera, it will however drain the batteries. . . Condensation occurs when the camera is cold

then you put it down your shirt, or in your jacket. Keep it cold in a backpack, on the outside of your body and

things will be fine. . . most manufacturers only support their products if used within their design

specifications. Check the owners manual, most DSLR's only are meant to be used above freezing. While it's clear

that they work below freezing, be aware that the manufacturers do not support the product used outside the

specifications of the model - again check the owners manual just to be sure, but use the camera anyhow. I shoot

in -40 F and the only problems i have are with power and slow lcd's. . .

[kin_lau]

I've had my 20D, 300D and 350D in -10C for 6-8 hours or even in car overnight in winter. No problem. Battery life is shorter, but not bad. Shooting wildlife/birds with lots of AF activity on a long lens will eat batteries much faster than doing landscapes.

 

One thing I have to watch for, is where and when I breath out. I try to hold my breath when the camera is close to my face, or even turn away to catch my breath.

 

Chances are, you'll call it quits before the camera will.

[matthew_newton]

I'll add to what Kin mentioned. Be careful breathing around the viewfinder. It doesn't take much breath when it is very cold to fog up the viewfinder. I generally try to breath out and be breathing in when I move the camera to my eye to compose the shot and then I take it before I exhale or I carefully and slowly exhale through my nose (never my mouth). A little fogging on the viewfinder from your breath can take a long time to clear (don't wipe it!)

[alex_lofquist]

If you're going to be in subfreezing weather, use lithium cells (batteries) if they are available for your camera. They are almost unaffected by the cold.

[tim_klimowicz]

I've used my 30D outdoors in snow, in temperatures around 20-30F, without any problems. The body even got a bit wet with

the snow flakes that melted on it, but I was a bit careful to wipe it with the inside of my jacket occasionally, and to make

sure it wasn't getting too wet around the critical seams (lens mount, battery door, card door, etc).

 

So long as you follow the basic guidelines you mentioned (ziplock bags when changing environments, etc) and don't

expose it to rain or anything more than a light snow, I don't see why you'd run into much trouble.

[john v.]

Condensation only occurs on objects that are COOLER than the surrounding air. That is why a cold beverage will "sweat", but not a hot

cup of coffee. Thus, taking a camera from the warm indoors to the cold outdoors is not a problem; the camera will be warmer than the air

for a while. It's when you take the cold camera indoors (where the air is warmer) that condensation is a problem. This can also occur

when taking a camera from the air conditioned indoors outside on a warm and humid day. Plastic bags will work when moving inside from

the cold. However, I found that just putting the camera into a normal camera bag (as long as the inside of the camera is near outside air

temperature) and closing it before going inside up works just as well.

[alpenglow]

As has already been mentioned... keep the camera cold rather than keeping it next to your warm body. Also try to use prime lenses rather than zooms, as the cold temps will make the lubrication very stiff, and trying to turn a zoom ring in this state can cause damage.

 

Also good advice about watching your breath. I also hold my breath when I'm close to the camera.

 

Mike

[andreasb]

I have several sets of batteries that I keep in my pocket and rotate frequently when it is very cold. When a battery stops working, I put it back in my pocket for a while. It will start working again once it has warmed up. This is really only a concern when temperatures drop below 0 degrees C.

 

Also beware of lenses that suck in air like the 100-400mm Canon. It gets fogged up on the inside and that can take a very long time to clear. As others have mentioned, once the lens is the same temperature as its surroundings, this is no longer a problem. I don't like to think of what that moisture is doing to the inside of my lens but it has not caused any noticeable problems yet other than waiting for the fog to clear.

 

Winter photography is something I enjoy very much and do all the time. We easily reach -20 degrees C where I live and I have never had any significant problems. You mentioned dampness – often when it rains, I put a clear plastic bag around my camera and cut a hole in the front for the lens and then tape it around the lens hood so it will not come off. The back of the bag I leave open so I can operate the camera. This helps keep things dry. It also works fairly well around waterfalls that spray.

 

Happy shooting!

[robert_tan1]

Will the extreme cold freeze the lubricants inside the gears and spoil my telelens?

[robert_tan1]

I was talking about minus 30C in the canadian winter (btw,it ain't the windchill factor i am worried about cos it will be minus 50C if factored in!)