Cold exposure tips (no pun intended)
Posted 01/12/2009 - 23:33
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Many years back I took my Super-A to the Arctic where temperatures went down to -40 F/C.
I had to manage moving it from the accommodation at 15 to 20 C to the outside at below zero and during the working day it was in an area at around 0 to 5 C.
The camera performed well - no exposure or condensation problems and it was not weather sealed.
Just be aware of the operational temperature limits of the body and try to avoid large sudden temperature changes.
Have a spare battery and keep it in an inside pocket next to your body. The battery will loose performance in the cold, but swap it for a warm one and it will recover.
I had to manage moving it from the accommodation at 15 to 20 C to the outside at below zero and during the working day it was in an area at around 0 to 5 C.
The camera performed well - no exposure or condensation problems and it was not weather sealed.
Just be aware of the operational temperature limits of the body and try to avoid large sudden temperature changes.
Have a spare battery and keep it in an inside pocket next to your body. The battery will loose performance in the cold, but swap it for a warm one and it will recover.
.
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
Posted 01/12/2009 - 23:55
Link
The K-7 is "cold resistant" and is designed to be operated at temperatures as low as -10°C.
See www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/
My fingers would have dropped off by time it got to -20 anyway. The camera would be the least of my worries!
See www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/
My fingers would have dropped off by time it got to -20 anyway. The camera would be the least of my worries!
~Pete
Posted 02/12/2009 - 00:02
Link
iceblinker wrote:
The K-7 is "cold resistant" and is designed to be operated at temperatures as low as -10°C.
See www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/
It maybe - but try taking it from a nice warm hotel room at 20C straight out into the -10C cold snowy weather. Condensation on the lens/filter and viewfinder.The K-7 is "cold resistant" and is designed to be operated at temperatures as low as -10°C.
See www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/
Keep it in -10 for a few hours and the battery will be sluggish and not able to provide its full capacity.
.
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
Posted 02/12/2009 - 07:48
Link
You get condensation when going from cold to warm too suddenly, such as entering a tropical greenhouse.
Going from the house outdoors should be fine.
Going from the house outdoors should be fine.
Best regards, John
Posted 02/12/2009 - 09:00
Link
I'm not so sure about that. Warm air when suddenly chilled will condense water. So the warm air inside your camera body and behind the lens filter, nicely warmed up from being inside the house, will condense water if suddenly chilled. It might not be much water due to the limited amount of air in there, but there must be some.
Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
Flickr • Fluidr • PPG • Street • Portfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
Flickr • Fluidr • PPG • Street • Portfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!
Posted 02/12/2009 - 09:08
Link
thoughton wrote:
I'm not so sure about that. Warm air when suddenly chilled will condense water. So the warm air inside your camera body and behind the lens filter, nicely warmed up from being inside the house, will condense water if suddenly chilled. It might not be much water due to the limited amount of air in there, but there must be some.
Exactly what I said and there can easily be enough moisture in the trapped air behind the filter. I'm not so sure about that. Warm air when suddenly chilled will condense water. So the warm air inside your camera body and behind the lens filter, nicely warmed up from being inside the house, will condense water if suddenly chilled. It might not be much water due to the limited amount of air in there, but there must be some.
The viewfinder will suffer from warm breath too.
.
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...
Posted 02/12/2009 - 11:03
Link
Hi there,
One of the reasons I purchased the K7 was cold-resistance and size/weight for mountaineering.
I would not worry about condensation as long as you don't have the camera exposed during the temp change (either way - hot to cold, cold to hot). As long as in these transitions your camera is in a bag and "covered" you are mostly ok as the cover acts as gradual insulation and helps stops condensation. It all needs to be dry though, even if the outside of your bag is wet it can be a problem.
The risk is you walk outside, see a great shot and rip out that camera - always the way!... Best if you can leave it in the bag until has naturally cooled down. And with skiing especially a problem the other way round! - you take some good shots, walk into the cafe, and rip out the camera to see your handiwork = big mistake.
Battery life, as mentioned, is the other problem. Expect 1/4 the performance and sluggish recharge if you are using fill flash. I always take another battery and leave this in an inside pocket. Saying that though (as the "official line", I am hugely impressed by the K7's resistance to cold. A matterhorn trip earlier this year it was fine; battery life included, in fact you would not have known it was even chilly in terms of the camera performance (about -9 plus wind chill?)
The case is important, and I've not found the best answer yet! Still looking for that compromise of easy access versus safety versus warmth.
Avoid changing lenses when one lens is a different temp than the other. All your gear should be "at the same temp". I don't have any weather-sealed lens, but have NEVER had a problem with moisture if you are careful. Then again, even after trying/looking I never change lens when outside on the mountain, so end up using a Tamron 18-250 for it all. It's the best compromise for my needs.
Gloves - before you go make sure you can use the camera, and get it out of the bag with your gloves on. Again, taking gloves on and off if the very thing that results in temp differences and moisture on fingers etc..
Don't worry about it too much - I think everything will work fine as long as you avoid temp-change or differential and take a bit of care. From my experience it is really the case and carrying that is the hard thing to get right, and I have missed a lot of shots because of this (or at high altitude when exhausted and could not be bothered with "the hassle"). Everything is a struggle up high, even swinging off a backpack sometimes. I have the same issue of ease-of-access versus safety versus comfort on the motorbike.
Ideally a chest harness, out of the way of movement, reinforced against crushing, waterproof, and insulated!...
Oh - do not follow through with your idea of a heater-pack in your bag - will just cause temp-change and not do much good. More insulation is ok, but more insulation could also mean greater "acclimatisation" time. Even at -20 and 4500m+ I only have a cheap "zoom bag" that has standard padding, semi-waterproof, and this is inside the top of my pack which is one layer of gortex.
One of the reasons I purchased the K7 was cold-resistance and size/weight for mountaineering.
I would not worry about condensation as long as you don't have the camera exposed during the temp change (either way - hot to cold, cold to hot). As long as in these transitions your camera is in a bag and "covered" you are mostly ok as the cover acts as gradual insulation and helps stops condensation. It all needs to be dry though, even if the outside of your bag is wet it can be a problem.
The risk is you walk outside, see a great shot and rip out that camera - always the way!... Best if you can leave it in the bag until has naturally cooled down. And with skiing especially a problem the other way round! - you take some good shots, walk into the cafe, and rip out the camera to see your handiwork = big mistake.
Battery life, as mentioned, is the other problem. Expect 1/4 the performance and sluggish recharge if you are using fill flash. I always take another battery and leave this in an inside pocket. Saying that though (as the "official line", I am hugely impressed by the K7's resistance to cold. A matterhorn trip earlier this year it was fine; battery life included, in fact you would not have known it was even chilly in terms of the camera performance (about -9 plus wind chill?)
The case is important, and I've not found the best answer yet! Still looking for that compromise of easy access versus safety versus warmth.
Avoid changing lenses when one lens is a different temp than the other. All your gear should be "at the same temp". I don't have any weather-sealed lens, but have NEVER had a problem with moisture if you are careful. Then again, even after trying/looking I never change lens when outside on the mountain, so end up using a Tamron 18-250 for it all. It's the best compromise for my needs.
Gloves - before you go make sure you can use the camera, and get it out of the bag with your gloves on. Again, taking gloves on and off if the very thing that results in temp differences and moisture on fingers etc..
Don't worry about it too much - I think everything will work fine as long as you avoid temp-change or differential and take a bit of care. From my experience it is really the case and carrying that is the hard thing to get right, and I have missed a lot of shots because of this (or at high altitude when exhausted and could not be bothered with "the hassle"). Everything is a struggle up high, even swinging off a backpack sometimes. I have the same issue of ease-of-access versus safety versus comfort on the motorbike.
Ideally a chest harness, out of the way of movement, reinforced against crushing, waterproof, and insulated!...
Oh - do not follow through with your idea of a heater-pack in your bag - will just cause temp-change and not do much good. More insulation is ok, but more insulation could also mean greater "acclimatisation" time. Even at -20 and 4500m+ I only have a cheap "zoom bag" that has standard padding, semi-waterproof, and this is inside the top of my pack which is one layer of gortex.
Posted 02/12/2009 - 11:09
Link
I should have read Don's post before posting - he is right on the nail (about Whiskey!) and other things. This is great advice, but a little more "planned" than you can be when hanging off a mountain 5 days from anywhere!
[quote:3496ace15f"Don"]one involves ziploc freezer baggies, & taping/velcroing a Hotshot )or other brand) chemical handwarmer to the battery compartment, while shooting, Then you throw the sucker into a freezer baggie and suck out the air BEFORE bringing the camera inside. good for extended outdoor use. once your camera is cold, keep it cold till the shoot's done, no "in and out" to warm it up..condensation is your real enemy, not cold.
the other is to keep the camera in a hip pak under your jacket, take your gloves off, pull your camera out, fire your shot and put everything away before your hands get too cold. keep dessicant packs in your bag. get the shot and put it away before anything gets cold, and leave it somwhere warm and dry afterwards.
use everything on manual.I don't know how hard the cold really is on the lcd's, af motors, lubricants etc. (could be shortening the life of my equipment...)
but it does affect battery power and if mechanical things get to stiffening up, don't push your luck...everything breaks easier when frozen.[/quote]
[quote:3496ace15f"Don"]one involves ziploc freezer baggies, & taping/velcroing a Hotshot )or other brand) chemical handwarmer to the battery compartment, while shooting, Then you throw the sucker into a freezer baggie and suck out the air BEFORE bringing the camera inside. good for extended outdoor use. once your camera is cold, keep it cold till the shoot's done, no "in and out" to warm it up..condensation is your real enemy, not cold.
the other is to keep the camera in a hip pak under your jacket, take your gloves off, pull your camera out, fire your shot and put everything away before your hands get too cold. keep dessicant packs in your bag. get the shot and put it away before anything gets cold, and leave it somwhere warm and dry afterwards.
use everything on manual.I don't know how hard the cold really is on the lcd's, af motors, lubricants etc. (could be shortening the life of my equipment...)
but it does affect battery power and if mechanical things get to stiffening up, don't push your luck...everything breaks easier when frozen.[/quote]
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1474 posts
17 years
West London,
UK
I have a K-7 and would take only a couple of lenses - probably DA* 16-50 (for landscape) and maybe sigma 70-300mm (for action). I would anticipate getting a small(ish) padded camera bag to go into my back-pack which would hold the camera + spare lens and maybe put a hand warmer pad (or similar) in there with the camera to try and stop it getting freezing cold. However, I have been in the Rockies before at sub-minus-20 temperatures and am am certain this is well below the design envelope of the camera and kit. I would also be concerned about it getting cold/wet and then getting condensation or similar...
Any tips appreciated!
Many thanks
Mat W
My Flickr: link