Canon EOS 10D and the cold - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 35mm f/2.0

10/12/2004 10:38:57 AM · #1

Ok, so i'm going snowboarding in Feb in the Alps and I'm obviously going to take my camera with me! Has anyone had any problems with the cold? I know battery life can be affected and I think I heard somewhere that microdrives get all screwed up..... Is this the case??

I have a Microdrive and hope it will be ok (my creative jukebox zen stopped working last time i went).

I don't imagine it will be too cold. Maybe a max of -15C but the camera will be in the bag when i'm not shooting.

Also, should i get lots of silicone crystals for my bag to reduce the chance of condensation from going from cold to hot? Or is there a better method?

Thanks in advance. Anyone got any mountain pics?

jimmythefish

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

10/12/2004 10:44:27 AM · #2

My concern would be condensation in the lenses. I've never been in really cold conditions with the 10D but now that I've moved to Calgary I'm starting to think about it for when winter arrives. The plastic bag method seems to obe the way to go. Put the lens in a ziplock when going from warm to cold and wait until it has been in the cold for a while before removing it. Going from cold to warm should be OK.

aKiwi

Canon EOS-7D

10/12/2004 10:51:06 AM · #3

Originally posted by jimmythefish:

Put the lens in a ziplock when going from warm to cold and wait until it has been in the cold for a while before removing it. Going from cold to warm should be OK.

Shouldn't this be the other way around??
If you walk in from the cold with your sun gleses on, then Whammo!!! they fog up. I'v had the same problem with my camera on ski holidays. If I take it out in a warm hut, with high humidity from the wet floor & cloathing, you have to wait a looong time before you can take a pucture.

soup

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

10/12/2004 10:51:29 AM · #4

i am in northern vermont, and have used my camera in very cold weather with no issues other than very short battery life.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

10/12/2004 10:53:20 AM · #5

More than the cold, watch the elevation with the microdrives. I know there is a maximum altitude that the microdrives are rated for; I don't know off the top of my head what it is, but you may want research it.
The key is, the heads depend on air to float them above the disc. If you take away a large portion of the air, as you do at high altitudes, the heads can crash. That's the reasoning behind the altitude limit. I'd expect that as you go up in altitude, the device may become more sensitive to mechanical shock, since it's got less air cushion to work with.
As far as the 10D, I've shot at -15C with no problems. I try to keep the camera inside my coat when I'm not shooting, and I always carry an extra charged battery in an inside pocket. If the cold battery gives up, it has not lost it's charge, just warm it up and it will recover to the level it was at.

siggi

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/12/2004 10:53:36 AM · #6

a experianced photographer told me once that it would be good to have the camera in the car when its cold so it would not fog up when taking it out, since the car ould already be cold.

lwkimages

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/12/2004 10:54:55 AM · #7

Originally posted by jimmythefish:

... Going from cold to warm should be OK.

Actually, this is when the condensation occurs. I found that out by bringing my camera from a very cool, air conditioned room to the outdoors where the heat and humidity caused moisture to appear on the surface of my lens.

soup

10/12/2004 10:55:46 AM · #8

that's good to know ;}

Originally posted by kirbic:

If the cold battery gives up, it has not lost it's charge, just warm it up and it will recover to the level it was at

biohazard

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon

Canon EF 35mm f/2.0

10/12/2004 10:57:18 AM · #9

That's fantastic guys, thanks for your prompt responses.

Moose101

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

10/12/2004 11:02:24 AM · #10

Here's a link to a good article How Should I Handle My Camera in Cold Weather?" from fotoart magazine.

//www.fotoartmagazine.gr/articles/tips/ColdWeather/

Talks about
- Loss of battery power
- Static Electricity
- Shooting in Snow
- Condensation

Give it a read.

Stay warm!

jimmythefish

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II

10/12/2004 11:15:47 AM · #11

Sorry yeah I had that backwards...

Originally posted by lenkphotos:

Originally posted by jimmythefish:
... Going from cold to warm should be OK.

Actually, this is when the condensation occurs. I found that out by bringing my camera from a very cool, air conditioned room to the outdoors where the heat and humidity caused moisture to appear on the surface of my lens.

debitipton

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/12/2004 11:52:10 AM · #12

I've had my D10 at 14,000 ft and 30 degrees without any problems. Granted it wasn't for an extended amount of time -- a couple hours. I gave up before the camera did.

garlic