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Author Topic: Cold weather shooting  (Read 3083 times)

cottagehunter

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Cold weather shooting
« on: January 04, 2014, 03:02:28 pm »

How do you prepare your camera for cold weather shooting? I don't mean just keeping the batteries warm but the camera itself so that it will function when on a tripod for more than 20 min in -20c temps.

Thanks in advance
Pierre
   
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DeanChriss

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2014, 03:13:39 pm »

Just keep a couple of extra batteries handy. I've used a Canon 1Ds3 in -10 °F (-23 °C) with no problems at all, but the battery doesn't last very long. The camera was on a tripod, frost formed on the top-facing surfaces of the camera and lens, and the cable release became so rigid that you could hold the release end and the cable would support itself horizontally. But there were no problems at all with the camera functioning. It's also a good idea to use those chemical hand warmers in pockets, boots, and gloves. Otherwise your fingers won't last as long as a battery. Also, be sure not to breathe on anything, especially lenses, as it will form a layer of ice. This can be a real problem with the viewfinder and LCD.
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NancyP

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2014, 01:19:24 pm »

+1 on chemical hand warmers, two-layer glove liners and overmittens, and proper socks and boots. Not to mention, "Fargo hats" with the pulldown ear flaps, or other ear-preserving headgear.
In dry conditions, you can keep the camera with lens cap on tucked under the outer windbreaker jacket in between shooting.

It was minus 8 F this morning, with wind chill likely between minus 15 and minus 20. Unusual weather in Missouri.
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Alan Klein

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2014, 01:44:46 pm »

Before you come back in, put the camera in a Ziplock sealer type bag.   Let it warm up to room temperature before opening the bag.  Otherwise a cold camera could cause the moist air in a warm room to condensate on the interior of the camera.  If you have silica gel packs in the Ziplock, even better.

AreBee

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2014, 02:37:17 pm »

Dean,

Quote
...the cable release became so rigid that you could hold the release end and the cable would support itself horizontally.

;D

Pierre,

In addition to the advise of others, if there is any wind when you set up then I advise keeping the lens front cap on when not actually shooting, otherwise you may find that the lens front element 'frosts' up. The camera exterior will too, but that will not prevent you from shooting, whereas a frosted lens front element will.
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luxborealis

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2014, 05:57:30 pm »

All great advice. Most cameras will outlast most people, provided you have a spare battery or two. Once you've replaced the first battery, warm it up and it can replace the second battery when it looses. That being said, my D800E has been out in -20°C weather for hours and still going strong with the same battery.

Also, be very careful around waterfalls in winter. Yes, you can fall through the ice, but also, the fine mist in the air will ice up a front element in seconds. I use a cloth or towel over my camera as a lens cap is too fiddley with gloves on and a lens hood on the lens. The towel gets iced up, but a quick shake gets rid of it.

Keeping you warm will be more difficult. Think in terms of layers:
  • an under layer to wick moisture away from your skin (not cotton!);
  • a thermal layer of fleece or wool"; and
  • a wind block layer like GoreTex or similar to prevent the wind from penetrating and sapping heat.
These layers are just as important for your upper body (especially a coat with attached hood), your lower body (three layers of pants) and your hands, but that's where you need some dexterity. I use a glove liner plus an insulated/fleece over glove with rubberized fingers and palm to provide grip. Over that goes a GoreTex overmit that I wear when travelling (snowshoeing or Nordic skiing) and comes off (and stuffed into the top of my coat) when setting up. If I need to stand around and wait for the right conditions, I'll pull those overmitts back on as I can operate a shutter release with them.

People look strangely at me when I tell them I love being outside in winter, but it all comes down to clothing. Beware of chemical hand and boot warmers as they can cause burns when next to the skin. Personally, I don't use them as they cause me to be too warm (yes, that's possible; you want to avoid sweating as that creates a whole new set of problems).

Have fun!!
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Terry McDonald - luxBorealis.com

torger

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2014, 09:31:06 am »

It's individual from person to person how they function in the cold. Some have good circulation and can quite easily keep warm, while others struggle with hands getting instantly cold. I'm one of those that easily get cold hands, and that's my major challenge. I also sweat very easily and vary a lot in body core temperature when working and when still, adding to the difficulty of staying warm. I know that I will sweat anyway so I overdress, ie dress for a colder temperature than it is so I can stand still for long periods of time without starting to freeze. If you are one of the lucky ones that don't start to freeze or sweat that easily you can get away with less more balanced clothing.

I've tried various gloves, even costly battery heated ones, but they don't work for me, I must have mittens to keep hands warm, having the fingers together rather than in separate pockets makes a huge difference. I've found a pair of leather mittens with suitable amount of insulation so I still have enough dexterity left to do most camera operations with the DSLR, with the mittens still on. If I need some extra dexterity I temporarily remove the mittens and do it with my bare hands, and as quickly as possible get my mittens back on. Personally I find this to work (using mittens and temporarily remove them when necessary) much better than using gloves that's always on. Being warm in the rest of the body helps keeping hands warm too, so it's important to have proper clothing for the whole body.

The camera I just keep in the bag, usually it takes an hour or so until I'm at the shooting location and then the temperature inside the bag has lowered enough to not be a shock to the camera. I keep spare battery in my pocket close to the body. When getting back inside I have the camera inside the closed bag for an hour or more so it heats up slowly, then no problem with moisture etc. I remove the CF card from the camera before I get in so I can start to work with the images right away.

These days I shoot medium format with a view camera a lot (Linhof Techno), and that adds extra difficulty in the cold. The manual copal shutters is hard to operate with mittens, the whole camera is cold metal (not nice to touch with bare hands), and the oil in the gears get stiff from cold making it difficult to use shift and tilt. It works fine down to about -15C, but colder than that it becomes very cumbersome to work with, and then I prefer shooting with the DSLR.
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Alan Klein

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2014, 10:42:10 am »

I just got these so I don't know how well they will work in keeping me warm.  But the magnetic fingertips work well. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/704117-REG/Freehands_11121ML_Men_s_Stretch_Thinsulate_Gloves.html

I also have a pair of woolen mittens where the mitt over the four fingers folds back and is heold in place by a small velcro strip as does the thumb for setting up the camera settings.

NancyP

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2014, 03:02:09 pm »

My two sets of liner glove plus over-mitt work for my occasional annoying Raynaud spasm in one finger and generally cold hands. Set#1 for ordinary cold weather has spandex liners with silicone palm and finger grips, and a not-very-windproof fleece overglove with fold-back thumbtip and four-finger mitten tip, held by small magnets. Bass Pro Shop, women's hunting clothing section, sold as set. On the men's side one can find flip-tip gloves and mittens, but not liner-plus-mitten sets. For seriously cold or cold-and-windy weather (like now, with minus 8 F actual temperature and winds of 5 to 15 mph), I use a thicker liner glove with silicone grip, plus a heavy nylon-shelled Thinsulate-lined double mitten with long adjustable cuffs. These nylon-shelled mittens need to be removed entirely, which is fine, because any flip-top mitten is inherently not too warm, and most of my time is spent getting to the location of the photograph, not in actual photography. This heavy-duty combo was found at REI, intended as snowsports gloves.

Clothing. Layers over layers over layers, with lots of zippers for venting. Base layer (aka long underwear) is ordinary synthetic runners' tights and extra-long sleeved turtleneck . Mid layers according to need: Down sweater. Additional down vest. Top layer: windproof waterproof long jacket, not insulated. Socks: merino wool, mid or heavy weight. Leg gaiters. Nylon windbreaker pants, mid or heavy weight. Beanie, extra ear cuffs, jacket hood. Neck gaiter.
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Alan Klein

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2014, 06:52:58 pm »

You sound classy.

ErikKaffehr

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2014, 02:39:27 pm »

Hi,

All my cameras worked at any temperature they have been subjected, sometimes under -20 C, never had a problem.

Best regards
Erik

How do you prepare your camera for cold weather shooting? I don't mean just keeping the batteries warm but the camera itself so that it will function when on a tripod for more than 20 min in -20c temps.

Thanks in advance
Pierre
   
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Erik Kaffehr
 

NancyP

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2014, 08:34:01 pm »

How classy can you look in camouflage?   ;D   Or better yet, in Hunter's Orange? (fluorescent orange hat or neck gaiter or vest, on the theory that deer can't see that color very well but other hunters can see you and not shoot).
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Alan Klein

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2014, 08:56:47 pm »

I looked past the camo.  Anyone who can describe mittens, turtlenecks and down the way you do is classy in my book.

TomBowling

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2014, 08:30:41 pm »

The coldest I've been out with a camera is -13c and I needed gloves AND mittens. People who can work in that environment regularly have my respect. But a word of warning - I have twice had expensive electronic problems after having to leave a camera in a car in low temperatures. I avoid it now.
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cottagehunter

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2014, 08:49:55 pm »

Thanks guys for all your cold weather advice. Seeing as how I live in Canada and use to live near Algonquin Park I know how to keep myself warm. I was more interested in keeping the camera warm in sub zero temps or at least so it still operated. I don't think it was the camera that wasn't operating correctly but the zeiss 24-70 auto focus mechanism.

Thanks again

Pierre
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mjrichardson

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Re: Cold weather shooting
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2014, 09:38:46 am »

Hi

I regularly shoot in pretty cold temperatures and as has been mentioned, I find that the limiting factor is pretty much always me! Down in the Antarctic over winter, in very cold temperatures I had issues with batteries but that was a few years ago now and battery tech has moved on. A couple of days ago it was -35c here and I took a D800 out for a couple of hours and a few hundred shots with no battery issues.

I always find that if the camera has had time to acclimatise properly then I get no problems, I only use manual focus and these days I often use live view when it's really cold along with a wireless remote, that way I'm not breathing on the camera or getting it stuck to my nose!

I have a blog post written here, it covers what I do to stay warm and use the camera. It's a little long to copy here http://www.matrichardson.com/blog/2014/1/cold-weather-photography

Enjoy and keep warm!

Mat
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