Cold weather camera use (-35 degrees C)

Just noticed this thread, apologies if this reply’s too late to be useful.

I took my Canon 1000D to Lapland last March (Abisko in Sweden), perhaps a bit warmer than this time of year (typically around -12 oC but down to -19 during the day) and had no problems at all photographing out in the snow and the Northern lights. The lens would steam up as soon as I came inside, but outside there were no problems at all.

The Sony mini DV video camera was a different story, but it seems to work after a thorough defrosting.

Have fun, it’s lovely.

Hmm, I may be in the UK at present, it’s Christmas. But I live in Central Eastern Europe these days.
Aah, well, it’s his camera. I know what I do with mine in the “Cold and damp”.

Sorry, disagreeing with this advice. On the 100’s of times I’ve taken my camera from a house or building into the cold of outside (Day or night), one gets condensation on the lens…and therefore on the inside once the cold reaches. For night photography I usually leave it on the tripod for 45 mins before a snap is snapped. The same happens when returning indoors, yes agree that warming her up slowly in the porch is a good idea.

The request was for sub zero Lapland temps, not a cold and damp night out in the UK.

:rolleyes:
A little sicence on the matter.

One of the handiest winter photo tips to know: Cold air has low moisture content. There’s little or no condensation when you go outside into the cold. this becomes a problem when you go back inside.

moisture from the warm inside air condenses on their cold surfaces. The lens can become completely covered with moisture, as can the mechanical and electrical components inside the camera. You don’t want moisture – water! – on your lens or inside the camera. So how can you avoid this problem?

Let your camera warm up slowly. Place it on a cool window sill or an unheated porch for a couple of hours so it can rise slowly to room temperature. Condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic camera. This is where the suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play. The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the camera’s outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate electronics this way. In fact, it’s best if you place the bag on the camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in.

My tip is to keep your bag warmish with the heat pads inside your bag while out, as above takeing your camera out in the freezeing cold with no moisture content is ok. sticking your camera back in the bag with still little or no moisture content will warm your gear up slowly and will help in the transition to going back indoors where moisture content is very high.
Cheers Rich.

Sorry, disagreeing with this advice. On the 100’s of times I’ve taken my camera from a house or building into the cold of outside (Day or night), one gets condensation on the lens…and therefore on the inside once the cold reaches. For night photography I usually leave it on the tripod for 45 mins before a snap is snapped. The same happens when returning indoors, yes agree that warming her up slowly in the porch is a good idea.

The best way you can prepare for the expected loss of battery power in the cold is to take spare batteries when you go outside in cold weather. And keep these spares close to your body like in a shirt pocket where they will benefit from your body heat.

DON’T
This will make a warm camer coming out into V.cold air. Condensation will be a very major problem, it could even happen on the inside..then it will freeze and crack something.

Really looking fwd to pics of the Northern lights. Have you researched the best way to photograph them? I understand it is very difficult to capture sharpness and colour.

:rolleyes:
A little sicence on the matter.

One of the handiest winter photo tips to know: Cold air has low moisture content. There’s little or no condensation when you go outside into the cold. this becomes a problem when you go back inside.

moisture from the warm inside air condenses on their cold surfaces. The lens can become completely covered with moisture, as can the mechanical and electrical components inside the camera. You don’t want moisture – water! – on your lens or inside the camera. So how can you avoid this problem?

Let your camera warm up slowly. Place it on a cool window sill or an unheated porch for a couple of hours so it can rise slowly to room temperature. Condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic camera. This is where the suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play. The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the camera’s outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate electronics this way. In fact, it’s best if you place the bag on the camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in.

My tip is to keep your bag warmish with the heat pads inside your bag while out, as above takeing your camera out in the freezeing cold with no moisture content is ok. sticking your camera back in the bag with still little or no moisture content will warm your gear up slowly and will help in the transition to going back indoors where moisture content is very high.
Cheers Rich.

Buy a few packs of those throw away hand warmers, crack a few open and drop in your camera bag, 2 in the bag should keep the temp up a bit for an hour, so buy a dozen should be fine, they only cost around a £1 for a pack of 2 if you shop around, so the cost should be low.

DON’T
This will make a warm camer coming out into V.cold air. Condensation will be a very major problem, it could even happen on the inside..then it will freeze and crack something.

Really looking fwd to pics of the Northern lights. Have you researched the best way to photograph them? I understand it is very difficult to capture sharpness and colour.

spare batteries and keep en in your undies…….. strange but works

Buy a few packs of those throw away hand warmers, crack a few open and drop in your camera bag, 2 in the bag should keep the temp up a bit for an hour, so buy a dozen should be fine, they only cost around a £1 for a pack of 2 if you shop around, so the cost should be low.

Thanks everyone for your comments. My camera kit is fully insured but I see no point in encountering problems that will render me unable to take photos whilst I am there.

-1 to -10 degrees is far less of a problem as I have used the 5D in such temperatures.

I plan to keep the 24 to 70mm lens on the whole time so that the camera remains sealed.

Day 1 at the Finnish Aircraft Museum in Helsinki sounds as tho it is likely to be straight forward. I guess the tougher conditions to be whilst we are in Lapland.

A bulky housing will make its use rather impractical so I suspect I will rely on a pocket camera for day to day stuff such as the ski slopes and reserve the 5D for the Northern lights and the odd nature shot.

Thanks again, and I will try seeking advice from Andy Rouse as suggested.

Merry Christmas

Day time temperature is likely to be -25 degrees with at least 10 to 15 degrees of wind chill.

The current average day temperatures in Finnish Lapland are not unfortunately in around -25 °C, but ranging from -1 to -10 °C! I have never had problems with a standard Canon DSLR in Finnish winter (during my conscription time I worked as a photographer at the Finnish Air Force) other than decreased battery time for a set due of the cold.

There may be a problem with an underwater housing, when enclosing your camera, your also trapping air inside the housing also. Dont forget the range of lense you need will also be restricted, due to the housing.
Seek local advice first, Oh, may sound silly, but make sure you have Insured your camera,
Have a nice time.
Jim.

Lincoln .7

Invest a few hundred quid in a proper underwater cover unit for the 5D.
Will be rather cumbersome around your neck though!

See if you can contact some wildlife photographers which specialise in frosty animals etc. They are usually OK for a two minute chat. Andy Rouse used to have his phone number on the net, for example.

The only time I visited Helsinki was over 20 years ago and was using an OM 2 in temperatures of -14. The camera was fine but the problem was handling it.
If you wore gloves thick enough to be useful it was difficult to operate the camera. I took off my gloves long enough to take a picture and found my fingers refusing to operate!
Regarding the museum, again this is 20 years out of date, but it is well worth a visit.
John

The Canon 5D MKII is reported to have a very good sealing against moisture, so condensation inside the body should not be a problem. Have you read this report? Click

Like PeeDee I would think the main problem would be condensation, I used my camera last winter in UK and basically kept it in bag as much as could and under coat when using it, also when brought home I left it in bag in a cooler room for a few hours before taking out to download photos. Also while using it outside try and avoid breathing on the camera so no moisture from my breathing got near it.

The temperatures you are talking about are more extreme so I am wondering if possibly you can get the camera wrapped up a bit in something just to protect slightly, use an old coat or something.
Main thing is do not let cmaera get warm too quickly and then it should survive.

I do not know for sure the operating temps of the 5D or any other DSLR but personally, I’d be wary of taking a 5D out. A droplet of moisture inside “Anything” that moves will freeze/expand and possibly cause damage.
The fogging up should not be a problem if you climatise it each time……but that’s how moisture would condense its evil way in there, methinks.