This was all done with a K5 and outside with morning temperatures approaching -32. http://vimeo.com/20354916

Condensation is not a problem at -30, really it's not. As no water is liquid, it's all frozen (including the stuff on your beard...).

Bret

-15? in February? Err... no. Try -35, heading towards -40. It's the coldest time of year.

We hit -32 once this year here in Southern Finland. It was around there for several weeks. And yes, K10ds still work in those conditions, as do K5s. However, battery life will be minimal.

It's also cold enough that you do not want to go out - below -25, skin freezes and it's plain uncomfortable - and if you're far enough up north, you will have a max of 1-2 hours daylight; a listing of the "kaamos" and midnight sun dates for various locations is available here: http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jakoskis/aurko.html . Think it through, do not assume that there are (for example) large quantities of stores etc. available - by UK standards, Lapland is enormous and no-one lives there. People think nothing of driving 200km / 120 miles to get to the next bank... and you will also have at least 5feet of snow. Driving is another world.

What exactly did you have planned?

Bret

I heard about a friend who was in Saudi recently and was asked by a woman what it was like to drive a car - "oh, it must be wonderful"....


and now for something completely different; http://youtu.be/LNpwBpZUrzk

^^ very impressed with the musical talent shown there....

Bret

200 is big enough for a k10D with grip, ef-500, 50-200 and I can't remember what else I stuffed in there - I suspect at least one more lens. I liked mine for the fact I could drop it into my overnight bag for European trips and I had most of the stuff I wanted with.
Now I'm looking at a passport sling because I want to be able to add other bits in, too, and I could throw a lens case into that.

A 200 with lens cases is also an option, I'm sure, as there should be Sliplock attachment points on the outside....

Bret

back from the German badlands - my, but it's nice to cruise on the Autobahn at 180km/h when you're in a hurry...and still get overtaken by a Porsche as if you're standing still.....

Bret

1 is the only one I don't really appreciate, the rest - especially the dog - are excellent.

Bret

No, adjusting RAW curves, saturation etc is *not* manipulation. Allowing that which was taken to shine is very different from 'shopping trees out, cloning and general tidy-up.

Besides, you don't really know what filters were used - I'd also say that the only one of that bunch that I'm not happy with is the bluebells. Everything else I can understand completely where it came from - and it's a combination of location and light.

Bret

all natural light...




And I'd be interested to hear the explanation of what this actually is!

Bret

I spoke to him this morning, and he also suggested I check over the possibility of focus-bracketing. Well, using LV, I can get perfect sharpness at around 20m (that's from the 5th floor or so) directly down to the asphalt. As soon as I try the trees across the road, they're awful. Aperture makes also zero difference - stopping down to f/22 still doesn't really help. At distances of 3-4m, everything is really sharp and perfectly OK to this 15m or so, but after that it's awful. I'll give him a call again in the morning.

Bret

UFRaw I think, but I have the combination on all machines anyway.....

Bret