DSLR Out In Sub Zero Temps ?

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Mark
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Hi All,

I was due to go out last night taking some shots with a few fellow togs but it suddenly occurred to me I would be taking several thousands of pounds worth of kit out of a nice warm home into some of the most extreme cold we have had for many a year.

This got me wondering what risks this presented to the kit and what precautions I should take to protect it.

Ignoring the obvious risk of slipping on the ice and smashing a lens/camera I am more referring to the risks from the cold, risks of condensation etc..

Any Thoughts?

Mark
 
Hi Mark. Good news! You dont have to worry at all. I've been using my 5d mkII in Poland when it was almost -20C. I dont think you have that cold where you live. You will experience shorter battery life. remember to keep your kit dry and when you come back home, switch your camera off and dont switch it on for few hours due to temperature differenc causing condensation. Enjoy winter scenery!
 
Keep you battery(ies) in a pocket close to your body before you start shooting. They tend to fade in the cold.

On return to your house, keep your gear in your bag, and in an entranceway for a couple of hours to avoid condensation. Have seen heavy condensation under artificial "weather" after using a camera at an indoor ski slope.
 
first insurance is always a must when you have lots of nice kit and carry it out and about for lots of reasons,
all as said dont worry about the cold, just remeber when brining it back into warm if its in a bag leave it in the to come back up to room temprature else it will all condensate, if its not in a bag put it in before you get in also some silica gel helps.
i use a big zip lock folder with silica gel in.
 
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Had mine out in -7 today and all is still well. Put the bag by the back door where its drafty for a bit to get back to room temp, which was only 7 degrees inside my house anyway!!
 
Cheers Guys, great advice as usual. I have a spare room I don’t heat so whilst its not sub zero its always very very cool so an ideal place to put the bag on return.

M.
 
Out on a shoot all day today car said -5˚ but it seemed a lot colder. Spent several hours watching a guy not catching fish then has to do a fly tying sequence in a nice warm log cabin so went from one extreme to another.... 10 minutes of equalising in which my 14mm looked more like a snow dome, and it's was back to work.

Never really had a problem with weather when I'm shooting, other than water getting everywhere. I've taken my gear out to the alps for snowboarding and aside from the obvious stacking it on the slopes (did that and the gear survived me ragdolling down a black run), the main worry is something slipping out of gloved or cold hands into the snow. It's a case of taking things easy and being a tad more careful....
 
I took my new 7D out for a couple of hours today whilst walking the dog.

I left the camera bag in the hall way for a couple of hours, then put it up stairs in the office for an hour. When I got the camera out it was completely condensation.
 
:D
 
Just got back from Lapland and the -20C temperatures didn't even play havoc with the batteries as I'd expected (I'd kept two fully charged spares in my inner trouser pocket)

the biggest challenge I found was the lens cap steaming up when moving through different temperature zones so have a cloth or two handy at all times!
 
I went on a polar bear watching trip in Northern Canada last month where temperatures were somewhat lower than those we've been experiencing in the UK recently. Both my EOS 7D and 60D behaved without incident, and I didn't need any of the four spare batteries I took. The only slight drama was having to clear ice from the filter on the end of my lens, but the Canons were fine even in snow.
 
Used various DSLRs in Scotland many times in temperatures lower than -20 and never had any issues.

As others have said - keep your batteries warm and let the camera aclimatise between extremes.
 
I'm in Lapland Right now. -10 to-15. 7d hot shoe pack in on day 1. It reckons the external the external flash is on. G12 has lasted all week on one charge. The camcorder ate batteries as did the daughter's point and shoot.
 
I've used my humble 400d in -30c in Eastern Europe and never had a problem.

The main things to watch out for are condensation (moving from an very hot apartment straight into the freezing street) and battery life.

The cameras can take the punishment fine but the biggest problem I find is staying upright in the icy streets.
 
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