Snow Mixing with Camera?

Amy B

Amy B

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Amy
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I know this might sound a stupid question, but with all this snow, i'd love to go out and take some photographs. The thing is, its constantly falling with no chance of it giving up. Its also not the big clumps of snow, its that fine persistent watery kind of snow. I have no wet weather gear, so I take it, its a big no no to take my camera outside and take some pictures?
I dont want to go out and then just ruin my camera.
Sorry if this is a really stupid thing to ask, just didnt know what else to do.
Amy x
 
cover the body with a scarf or something, and it doesnt get a wet as you might think as i've been out today for almost 3 hours and my camera only got a few spots
 
For the light falling snow I'd just put a tea towel over your camera if it's not one of the semi sealed pro models, a filter on the front of the lens should make that easy to wipe clean (a lens hood helps) another option is to make a sort of camera cape out of a plactic bag and a rubber band to hold it to the lens, with a bit of care you should be able to keep pretty much all falling snow/light rain off the camera. Wayne
 
I've been today and found that the snow that does land on your camera, stays put for a few moments, then blows off.

My camera barely got wet depite snow falling on it.
 
Thank you for the replies. Ive put a lens hood on and also a filter on the front to wipe clean easily. Also got an old scarf to wrap it in so fingers crossed it should go ok. Im going to go out in the garden before the light goes.
Thanks again
Amy x
 
I went out this morning and ended up in a blizzard and had forgotten a rain cover, camera (and me) got covered but its still working fine but dont want to chance it to much!
 
Amy B said:
Thank you for the replies. Ive put a lens hood on and also a filter on the front to wipe clean easily. Also got an old scarf to wrap it in so fingers crossed it should go ok. Im going to go out in the garden before the light goes.
Thanks again
Amy x
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If you're at all worried, wrap the camera in a plastic bag.....make sure the lens is sticking out the front though :bonk:
 
Wow, that is cold, my fingers are red as can be and I now have hot aches lol Whether I got any decent pictures is questionable, as I seemed to be shaking all the time even though I had an obscene amount of layers on. It worked with the scarf though, thank you, just had to make sure it wasnt over the lens. Its getting darker and colder, so I gave up and came inside. Will just have to see how the ones I did take came out.
Thanks again
Amy x
 
Same happens to me, I'm sure I shake more when I'm holding the camera!
 
A Large Asda freezer bag & some lacky bands dropped by the postie works for me.
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone. Its quite funny, out of about 50-60 pictures I took, only about 3 are medioka and not blured lol Dont think its helped that I had no energy left as we took the dog for a good long walk this afternoon. If the snow is still there tomorrow, i'll be sure to try and go out and take some more, hopefully better, pictures.
Amy x
 
some tissue, wipe shoot shoot shoot wipe :) i found getting the damn snow off my lens was hard, as it melts it blurs blobs on pictures
 
the real problem (imho) is not when you are outside it is when you go indoors - if the camera gets cold and you take it into the warm it will steam up - on the lens this is a pain but to the electrics it could be death to the camera - so switch off - remove memory card and battery - place in a sealed plastic bag bring into house for an hour then leave in airing cupboard for 24 hours(if the camera got very cold - 1 hour at 0c?) out of the bag

do not put battery in till you are sure the camera is dry
 
Took plenty of pics of the snow today but took them with the Fuji compact. Didn't fancy falling over with D300 and smashing £1000 of camera!
 
condensation - as long as your lens is attached, and your camera and lens will be fine, cos the air in there is pretty much sealed. ie very low humidity, it got its air from outside. thus it won't steam up. but your front element will do as generally in door where the air is warm it carries more humidity. (that is why a warm front meets a cold front, it rains, cos the warm front's vapour cools and condenses and forms droplet and rains, same principle here, but your cold front is your lens front element or your filter if you do have one :))

and also with regard to take battery out and all that, not essential. again, no much hot humid air get into those compartments as they dun have enough space.

So science beats myth :)
 
I used a carrier bag today. Before that though just put my arm/hand across the body

I was once given the tip (for shooting in the rain) to use disposable shower caps. I believe you can buy them cheaply from Boots :)
 
Autumn said:
I used a carrier bag today. Before that though just put my arm/hand across the body

I was once given the tip (for shooting in the rain) to use disposable shower caps. I believe you can buy them cheaply from Boots :)
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That's a good tip. I use those proper rain covers. Last a few uses and cost around 2-3 quid each. Pro-tech i think is the brand...
 
hepburn said:
That's a good tip. I use those proper rain covers. Last a few uses and cost around 2-3 quid each. Pro-tech i think is the brand...
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Well given the forecast and the fact it's still coming down steadily here I think I'm going to have to find something myself! I love the snow and have had a ball out there today but was forever watching my camera which can put a dampener (quite literally) on shooting!
 
Autumn said:
Well given the forecast and the fact it's still coming down steadily here I think I'm going to have to find something myself! I love the snow and have had a ball out there today but was forever watching my camera which can put a dampener (quite literally) on shooting!
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Me thinks you're in for a lot more than we got in Suffolk. Will have to give my family in Sheffield a shout and see if any of them have been brave enough to venture out like I did yesterday. And thanks to those covers my camera stayed all nice and dry, albeit a bit cold.

Stay warm ;)
 
hepburn said:
Me thinks you're in for a lot more than we got in Suffolk. Will have to give my family in Sheffield a shout and see if any of them have been brave enough to venture out like I did yesterday. And thanks to those covers my camera stayed all nice and dry, albeit a bit cold.

Stay warm ;)
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Thats where I am. Snowy Sheffield. It hasn't stopped since about 2pm :eek:
 
Autumn said:
Thats where I am. Snowy Sheffield. It hasn't stopped since about 2pm :eek:
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Well you're in a nice part of the country. Some of my family have lived there for around 35 years, so i've visited often and know it moderately well. :)

In deepest Suffolk, well Ipswich actually, it snowed all day but didn't really settle. I doubt we saw more than an inch or two generally speaking. By the evening the snow had turned to rain and was mostly gone. That said, Colchester, a mere 15 miles down the road, was under 6 inches or more... Maybe you had to be a bit more inland before you got it bad? :shrug:

So are we going to see any of your shots through the carrier bag, and was it a "quality" bag? :lol:
 
hepburn said:
Well you're in a nice part of the country. Some of my family have lived there for around 35 years, so i've visited often and know it moderately well. :)

In deepest Suffolk, well Ipswich actually, it snowed all day but didn't really settle. I doubt we saw more than an inch or two generally speaking. By the evening the snow had turned to rain and was mostly gone. That said, Colchester, a mere 15 miles down the road, was under 6 inches or more... Maybe you had to be a bit more inland before you got it bad? :shrug:

So are we going to see any of your shots through the carrier bag, and was it a "quality" bag? :lol:
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There are some on my Flickr stream (username gigglejuice) but mainly just random snaps in low light. Still enjoyed it :) I need to upload some more to my gallery here. Just need to resize them first. They were too big when I tried yesterday Ooops
 
ricky1980 said:
condensation - as long as your lens is attached, and your camera and lens will be fine, cos the air in there is pretty much sealed. ie very low humidity, it got its air from outside. thus it won't steam up. but your front element will do as generally in door where the air is warm it carries more humidity. (that is why a warm front meets a cold front, it rains, cos the warm front's vapour cools and condenses and forms droplet and rains, same principle here, but your cold front is your lens front element or your filter if you do have one :))

and also with regard to take battery out and all that, not essential. again, no much hot humid air get into those compartments as they dun have enough space.

So science beats myth :)
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I love science, it can explain everything, and the logic above is good and there is nothing that I can say to disprove the above using science, other then two experiences that I have:

1) new year a few years ago I went out with a fuji 602zoom (fixed lens bridge camera ) on new year really late - very very cold for about an hour to take photos of snow and fireworks - one week later the camera failed - sent for repair under insurance - a strip down revealed water in the camera and corrosions caused by the water – nearly 3 months later I did get the money for the camera…

2) took some photos at a swimming pool - the INSIDE of the rear lens(the bit you cant get to with the lens removed) steamed up on a “L” lens attached to a 1d body....the lens was attached to the body all the time


if anyone can explain what happened above – please do
 
Falling snow, should be fine. Most consumer bodies may not be weather sealed but they can take a hit of light snow fall. Ive taken my 5D with various non weather sealed lenses out in severe cold, windy and hard rain and everything still performs, not to say its going to be 100% for you too.
 
sportysnaps said:
i have also had condensation behind the front filter of a lens - on 2 different L lenses and on video cameras in the rain - I'm interested to know the science behind this - as i know from practical experience it does happen
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It can happen. Rain vs air are different temperatures so taking your body from a cold to hot or hot to cold environments can cause this.

I left my 5D + 24-70L in an air conditioned hotel room straight out of its bag on a beach in Mexico and everything instantly fogged up, even with a filter on the front of the lens.

Its just a reaction to temperature much in the same way as if you wore glasses and came indoors from a terribly cold day outside.
 
I was out in a snow storm yesterday, I looked like a snowman and the camera was covered. Gave it a good wipedown before alowing it to warm up slowly in the car, it came to no harm.... no point in having a camera if you are so protective of it that you don't get the pic you want (scarfs a good idea or even a plastic 'aldi' bag with a hole for the lens, looks daft but its gives some protection) Get out and shoot....:thumbs:
 
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