Cold weather shoot with P67- battery question.

[thomas_k.]

I'm planning to use my Pentax 67 this winter outdoors. Place:

Lake Michigan shores; duration: 3-4 hours, several days during

winter; expected weather: strong winds, temperature down to 0 degrees.

Now the questions:

How long will last Kodak 28A 6V battery in my P67?

Is cold weather remote batery cord any good?

Is this accesory practical when mounting camera on bogen 3047 head?

Any other P67 winter trouble to expect?

Thank You!!!

Thomas A. Kiss

[cjtower]

I have done photography on the U.P. of Michigan. The battery remote cord is a decent accessory, and is DOES work - though as I suspect you suspect, it doesn't allow for totally free movement. That said, I wouldn't purchase it for a one time shoot, or perhaps not even for a once a year outings. If you expect winds, and are out surrounded by the white snow, possibly with sun, your exposures probably wont be that long (you said days right, not night shots?). I would just go with your standard setup, which hopefully includes 2 spare batteries just in case. I have not expereinced any special winter trouble with the P6x7, though my shots usually involved 20-30 minutes on the street (or frozen lake) followed by 20-30 in the car, back on the lake, back in the car, repeat, repeat, repeat. There are at least two other people on this forum, sometimes, who would know more -- one up on Lake Superior, and another up in Hancock Michigan. They take the P6x7 on snowshoes and such, and hopefully they will post with info on EXTENDED cold. But, I wouldn't worry about it, unless for some reason it will be well below zero (you can always rotate batteries once or tiwce over the 4 hours, keeping the spare warm in your shirt pocket).

[allan_jamieson2]

I've used a Pentax 67 in temperatures well below freezing without any

significant battery problems; but I was using a plain prism and a separate light

meter. On one occasion I used the camera outside all day in temperatures of

minus twenty ( which is about as cold as it gets in Scotland, although I'm sure

that there will be some people who would regard that as mild! ), the camera

was fine. However, you would probably be using a lot more battery power if

you were using a TTL prism.

 

The main thing to watch out for is that when the battery does fail, it will

normally do so without any prior warning during an exposure and it might be

a bit fiddly trying to change the battery in really low temperatures and re-set

the little button to release the mirror again. You'd be best to start off with a

fresh battery in cold conditions, with at least 2 spares ready just in case you

need them. Try to keep the spares somewhere warm though, it does help.

 

By the way I've seen a few of these remote battery cords advertised on ebay;

might be worth a look at from time to time if you really want to get one.

[edsel_adams]

If Im not mistaken,the 6V Lithium cells have better cold weather functioning.The remote batt is the only way to go if you are out in cold for long periods of time.

[cjtower]

I justed wanted to "revise" what I said above to reflect the fact that sometimes I, too, was NOT using a metered prism. I was using the waste-level, and an old Gossen. However, even though the m-prism would be an added drain, I would just go with a few batteries. It is a good idea to start with a fresh one, and half-way through, when you are changing film or something, swap them out.

[jeff_drew4]

Small, chemical hand-warmer packets will work somewhat. A rubberband + packet will add some warmth. If the rubberband breaks in the cold , it's time to go inside! ;-)

[photomark]

I spent a month camping in and around Yellowstone in January

with a P67. It was in the cold (sometimes really cold) 24/7 and I

never needed to change the battery. I also never use the metered

prism--I'm not sure if that makes any difference. The remote cord

can interfere with quick release plates. The plate Kirk makes to

mount the 67 on an arca style head has a little grove for the cord.

[thomas_k.]

Thank you everybody for advice. Now I have to figure out how to keep snow and sand away from camera when changing film and lenses and how to keep my hands and fingers warm.

[mark-j]

Thomas: I have the remote battery cord, and the plate that was made to go along with it. The plate has a pin to locate on the underside of the body and a place for the cord from the remote cord to exit without pinching it. I do not know if it is still abailable, but it would be an easy item to make. I have not done much cold weather shooting with my P6x7, but have it for when needed. The remote battery cord has about a 1 meter cord on it, and the battery can be placed in your pocket while shooting handheld.