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12/05/2007 12:20:44 PM · #1 |
Winter weather / cold temperature photography tips
Disclaimer: Please see your camera manual for recommended temperature ratings. Although many photographers say it is safe to shoot in colder conditions, this advice is anecdotal and not a substitute for your own judgement.
Condensation
Probably the most important thing to consider is condensation when you bring the camera inside.
When you enter a warm car or house, put the camera in a sealed plastic bag (e.g., a one-gallon ziploc bag) until it warms up. It may take an hour or two, so consider taking the memory card out first. On the Oly website they state to place the camera with lens into an air tight bag and set it down at room temperature and let it warm up naturally. It's like putting fish into a new tank by letting them sit in the water in the plastic bag before dumping them in so that their water turns the same temp as the surrounding water they will be living in.
(Some people will bag the camera when going from inside to outside as well, so that it cools more slowly, too.)
At the very least, once finished, put the camera in your camera bag (which should also be cold by that point) so both can adjust slowly to the warmer inside temperature.
Some recommend keeping dessicant (also known as silica gel -- those white packets you find in electronics boxes that says "Do Not Eat") in the camera bag as a precaution as well.
Wear the camera out, that is, beware keeping your camera under your clothes or coat -- it can be warm and moist there.
Equipment
You may wish to avoid changing lenses when the camera and lens are at different temps - the lenses will fog, especially if they are cooler. Don't add a warm lens to a cold camera, or vice versa.
Focusing motors may slow. Depending on how cold it is, you will notice that telescopic lenses will tend to stiffen up a bit, so don't force them.
Your breath will fog the view finder.
Start with a fresh battery. Have spare batteries and keep spares warm. Battery output will diminish quickly in the cold. Your battery may indicate low if it gets too cold, or it may just not operate properly (also, some memory cards do better in lower temperatures than others, or so it has been said).
Use lens hoods; taking a lens cap off in the cold is a hassle.
Clothing
Battery life is not as much a issue as is frost bite. Your winter attire should be layered. If you have snow you might want to get some good boots and flannel lined jeans. Shooting pics of ice is a lot of fun so waterproof boots are nice :-)
You might want to spring for some thin but well insulated gloves so that you can operate the controls without taking the gloves off. Or get a pair of high end mitts, ones that open in the center of the palm (when you want to take a photo simply push your fingers out, make adjustments, take the shot, then bring your finger back nice and warm).
Wear the camera strap constantly around neck because numb fingers (or gloves/mittens for that matter) don't hold cameras well.
If you have a metal tripod it helps if you have a rubber/foam grips on the legs of it. Metal conducts cold very quickly...
Photography
Finally, don't forget, if you are taking pictures of a bright white snowy scene, any camera will attempt to expose it as middle gray resulting in a dreary image. Set your exposure compensation (e.g., up to +1) to get those whites truly white. You may have to go a bit higher, but make sure you don't clip the highlights.
Make sure your white balance is set for sunny or cloudy conditions as appropriate, otherwise the holiday blues could affect your photos as well.
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Most of the above was taken from discussion forums at DPChallenge and and DPReview. I've done only partial editing, so apologies for errors or repetitious advice. Thanks to everyone who contributed. |
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12/05/2007 12:56:09 PM · #2 |
Why would you need waterproof boots to shoot if there's ice? Traction is a bigger concern on ice. Get some of those strap on cleats for walking on ice. They do wonders.
For snow, a good pair of waterproof boots, warm socks and a pair of waterproof gaiters can make the difference between staying comfortable and suffering through cold, wet feet while slogging back to the car. Snowshoes are great fun if the snow is really deep. If you can walk, you can snowshoe and take your camera along.
Also, for clothing, flannel lined jeans might be nice for a while, just don't get them wet, unlike wool or synthetic fabrics, cotton becomes useless at keeping you warm if it gets wet. That can be an uncomfortable inconvenience if you're out on a short hike, but lethal if you're far from a warm spot. It's best to start with a synthetic/wicking base layer and go from there.
If you're going to be hiking and you're toasty warm standing still, you're overdressed. Take off a layer. |
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06/04/2009 09:24:51 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Winter weather / cold temperature photography tips
(...)
When you enter a warm car or house, put the camera in a sealed plastic bag (e.g., a one-gallon ziploc bag) until it warms up. It may take an hour or two, so consider taking the memory card out first.
(...)
Use lens hoods; taking a lens cap off in the cold is a hassle.
(...)
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OK... Im going to Argentina on the next month... I live in a hot place (here the minimum temperature on winter is about +12º Celsius), and I never went to really cold temperatures or snowy places... I´ve read lots of advice on the forums, and have a few questions...
Regarding the condensation issues, the point is to avoid the humidity of the warm environment to turn into water while in contact with the camera, right? So doesnt matter if I bag the camera or all the equipement togheter... The point is to isolate all the cold equipment until it warms, right?
Do I NEED a lens hood? I have three lenses but just one of them has a hood... should I buy them now (for one snowy trip) or its OK to shoot without the hood?
What do you mean with "taking a lens cap off in the cold is a hassle"?
Any aditional advice for a guy who lives in a hot place going to shoot in snow? |
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06/04/2009 11:13:16 AM · #4 |
Hey you all,
Am I right about the condensation issue?
Why use the hood? I think that is because of the falling snow on the lens... but the "take the lens cap" part of the sentence got me confused... BTW... Why it is a hassle to take the lens cap off in the cold?
Any other advice? |
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06/04/2009 03:04:58 PM · #5 |
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06/04/2009 03:38:54 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by jotaga:
BTW... Why it is a hassle to take the lens cap off in the cold? |
Like most things it will shrink when its temperature is lowered; if it shrinks more than the end of the lens itself it may not have anough "slack" to slip off normally. If the temperature is cold enough, and if there's any moisture trapped in the gap between lens and cap, they could conceivably freeze together. |
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06/04/2009 04:49:26 PM · #7 |
Thanks Paul!!
Wow... freezing caps!! I´m starting to feel cold... |
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06/04/2009 04:57:38 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by jotaga:
... but the "take the lens cap" part of the sentence got me confused... BTW... Why it is a hassle to take the lens cap off in the cold?
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You have to take your gloves off. Try putting on some gloves and taking your lens cap off.
Message edited by author 2009-06-04 16:58:04. |
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06/05/2009 08:28:57 AM · #9 |
If you keep any filters on the front of your camera, I would recommend taking them off and putting them back on when you are out in the cold. The cold air cannot hold as much water as warmer air, and will keep the space between filter and lens element from fogging up instantly every time you take the camera out. You only need to do this once.
Keeping lots of dessicant in your bag helps things a bit too. Higher altitudes mean there is less humidity as well anyway, so you won't have to worry about things as much up high (not sure where in Argentina you're going). Batteries lose their charge when they get cold, so you can keep one as a backup in a pocket on your person to ensure you don't run out. |
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