Cold weather shooting with digital

[gordo5]

I'm looking for tips or opinions on shooting in the cold.  The manual for my Canon dSLR specifies a minimum operating temperature of zero degrees Celcius and with winter soon approaching the temperature will frequently be well below zero.

Is this limit real?  Is there a mechanical reason the camera can't or shouldn't be operated below this threshold or is it simply because the batteries won't hold up long?  I do know that lenses need to be cooled and warmed slowly to avoid fogging.

Am I going to have to pull out my old OM1 for the wintertime?  I'm hoping there is some other solution.

TIA

[Tim Gray]

It's mostly the batteries.  I've shot up to minus 15C with no issues other than shortened battery life - you can rotate them via an inner pocket to keep one warm then reuse.

Cooling the camera isn't an issue - if you want to bring it into a warm environment, take along a ziplock bag big enough and seal it in that.

Even bigger issue than battery life is keeping the fingers  not-numb - layer for the hands, just like you would for the rest of you.  I have 3 layers shooting when it's cold and a 4th overmit when I'm not shooting.

[BernardLanguillier]

I have been shooting a lot in the cold during the past winter (using a D2x), and the following points might help:

- don't use a micro-drive. They end up freezing after staying in -10C for a few hours, sometimes faster,

- control your breath, a frozen layer of frost on top of the LCD screen makes the verification of the histogram even more difficult,

- keep you spare batteries in a warm place (inside your jacket if you don't exercice too violently, sweat on the battery will not be too good),

For the rest, I have never had any problem with my d2x, and Canon DSLR should be the same, but I have never shot in temperatures lower than -15 C for a prolonged amount of time.

In theory, low temperatures should contribute to lower noise levels in the images, but I have never really noticed a difference in actual images.

For the rest, DSLR are a lot easier to use in the cold than film bodies because of the additional autonomy, no need to change a film every 36 images anymore, this is real good for your hands since you will be able to operate 99% of the time with your gloves on (depending on the ergonomics of the body of course).

Cheers,
Bernard

[Peter McLennan]

The LCD panel on my D70 quit at -20C but returned to normal once I warmed the camera back up.

Peter

[Kenneth Sky]

A tip that Michael should appreciate. I was at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto last week and picked up a pair of cold weather riding gloves which are flexible and allow dexterity as well as have those little rubber grippers for 12 bucks! You can get them at any saddlery for at least half what  an inferior product will cost in a camera store.

[gordo5]

Thanks everyone.

It would seem everyone's limit is about -15C which would be fine as I'm sure it's approaching my personal limits for any length of time. ;-)

[francois]

Thanks everyone.

It would seem everyone's limit is about -15C which would be fine as I'm sure it's approaching my personal limits for any length of time. ;-)
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I've done it at -32°c (elev. 3500m) without any problem except short battery life. On the other hand, my fingers didn't fare that well.

[dbell]

Is this limit real?  Is there a mechanical reason the camera can't or shouldn't be operated below this threshold or is it simply because the batteries won't hold up long?  I do know that lenses need to be cooled and warmed slowly to avoid fogging.

Am I going to have to pull out my old OM1 for the wintertime?  I'm hoping there is some other solution.
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My DSLRs are at least as reliable (and more pleasant to use) than my fiilm cameras in the cold. As others have already said,  your battery life will be shorter but you won't get to savor the joy of trying to change sharp, brittle films with numb fingers.

On last winter's day hikes, it took less work to keep the cameras going than it did to protect my hands, face and feet from the cold.

[boku]

I had a Lexar Pro CF card take a permanent crap last winter in 20F (what's that, like -9C?) weather after 10 minutes out of the car. Might just be a coincidence.

[AndyF2]

How short is "short" battery life?  At around -15C or -20C are you able to get around 200 shots, or can the battery only provide 50 - 100?  For my case, I'm thinking of the Canon NB-2LH battery (in the XTi and others).

Swapping batteries between the camera and an inner pocket would help, but putting a warm battery into a -20C camera body will chill it pretty quickly!

Thanks,
Andy

[Jonathan Wienke]

A few hints:

As mentioned, carry several spare batteries in an inner pocket where your body will warm them. Swap as needed.

Carry your camera inside your coat when not actually shooting, to keep it as warm as possible.

Ziploc bags are great for bringing the camera and lenses inside to reduce fogging.

You will be damaged by the cold before tha camera will. Dress appropriately.

[BryanHansel]

How short is "short" battery life? 

I just finished running a winter photo workshop in some pretty cold temps. We were down to - 20 F and -36 to -45 F wind chills for the days of the workshop. These are my overall observations from all the cameras from the 10 participants and myself and the winter guide.

Pocket sized point and shoots held up pretty well, because the cameras would be put into a pocket between shots. Most never had to change a battery. Some got about 1/2 of the life. When used on a tripod, battery life was worse.

In the extreme wind, cameras were getting about 20 shots per battery. The sunset one day was worst. We stood directly in the wind on the shore of Lake Superior. I got 10 to 20 shots out of one of my batteries. And about 25 out of another before I bailed back to the van.

On participant had a D200 with the extended hand grip. On a -20ish F morning we took pictures at sunrise for two hours. He never had to change batteries. I was shooting with my D200 without the grip and I had to change batteries multiple time. Even just leaving the camera on a tripod without shooting would quickly drain the batteries in the wind.

In temps that hover around 0 F, I find I get between 1/2 to 1/4 of the battery life that I normally get in my D200.

[AndyF2]

Hmm, carry several several sets of batteries - at Cdn$90 each!!  Motivation for a better solution  

I certainly agree with the use of ziploc bags; resist the tempation to bring the camera inside at lunch to review the images.  

If the shots per battery can go as low as 20, a solution I was considering may be worthwhile.  One could get the AC adaptor kit (or more precisely, just the dummy battery shell it uses) to provide an external DC connection for the camera.  Then run a power wire to a battery pack kept in an inside pocket.  The camera can be whatever temperature it is, while the battery is always warm.

There are some operational details to solve/be aware of while working, such as needing a power connector near the camera as a break-away disconnect instead of being torn, being cautious of not accidentally unplugging the camera while a memory write is in progress and corrupting the memory card, and not being able to walk away from the camera.  This inside-jacket battery pack might be a workable solution though.  

A moderately protected external battery pack could be done with the battery plus an uncooled hot/cold "freezer pack" inside a Thermos.  This would stall the temperature drop near zero, until the pack actually froze.  (Don't try a chemical handwarmer in a Thermos though, that may severely overheat).

Andy

[dobson]

I saw a guy videoing an ice climbing test and using chemical warmers taped to the battery pack to extend the charge. Video cameras seem to have a worse time in the cold than DSLRs. My Canon has operated in -30C without an unacceptabe loss of battery life. I have more trouble getting my tripod (aluminum) to work properly in the cold than my camera.

Phillip

[slt]

i used my canon350D in antarctica- this is what i found: as soon as i turned the camera on, the battery sign went to half but it was ableto shoot all i could (i think 224 photos and more). i kept the spare battery w me but i didnt need to change it as soon as i thought- apparently the second half of the battery takes a lot longer to run down! i'm sorry i cant remember what battery it was- the canon one worked just as well as a generic one that fit, at a cost of about Au $40

[AndyF2]

Thanks - the battery seems surprisingly durable.  The half power indication may have been that the voltage at cold was similar to a partially used battery at room temp, but in fact had nearly all it's charge.
Sounds good!
Andy

[BryanHansel]

i used my canon350D in antarctica-

What was the temperature when you were shooting?

[coyotesareus]

The coldest I have used my Canon 30D is +10 degrees F.  I use generic BP511 equivelent batteries and have had no problem with battery life.  I did around 100 exposures at 20 degrees during the day and then 50 or so night, tripod exposures (15-30 second) and still have plenty of juice.

The 30D has been way more efficient than the Digital Rebel I used in the past.

[BobShram]

My only real problem has been with lenses with a barrel adjustable ball clutch ie 100-400L. Even slight moisture if it gets on the balls in the clutch will freeze and tend to make the barrel lock at certain points up or down the stroke of the barrel. Not much can be done to over come this.

[GentleGiant]

The aperture of my Sigma 400/5.6 HSM got stuck in the stopped down position on a morning of bird shooting at ~ -5c at the Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge.   I stuck it back in my jacket for a bit then remounted it and only shot wide open for the rest of the day.

I think the camera shutters must be lubricated with synthetic miracle grease, because I've not heard of a shutter locking up in the same way.