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Archive 2017 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience

  
 
AGeoJO
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


I came back yesterday from a 2.5-week trip to Europe. For the most part, the shooting circumstances were not something to write home about but for 4 days I did expose my gear to some cold shooting conditions. I was in Lapland, Finland a few degrees north of the Arctic Circle, where the temperature ranged form -11 to -15 centigrades (up to 5F) and it dipped to -25 centigrades (-13F) during the night.

My gear consisted of 2X Sony A7r II, FE 24-70mm GM, 70-200mm GM, Batis 18mm and CV 12mm. My activities included aurora hunting on a snow mobile, reindeer and husky-sled safari during the day. Plus, I did my own hiking in the boreal forest in between and aurora shooting in the evening. While not used, the gear was stored inside a few Think Tank pouches/bags and carried around on my hip using a TT belt system. When used and carried for short distances between shooting locations, I carried it using a sling strap. It did snow a fair amount during the husky trip. Even when not in used and stored in bags/pouches, the gear did get exposed to the cold temperature all the time I was out for several hours.

Needless to say and expectedly, the low temperature took a toll on the battery charge. But the camera fired up without any issues, each time I put a newly charged battery in. The lenses, all of them functioned without any hitch. The zooming action is as smooth as it was under normal temperature circumstances. The cameras functions were I would say 99%. Both of them developed the same issue. I had the viewfinder on both of them on "Auto" and under cold circumstances, they "Auto" function defaulted to "Viewfinder" only although it showed the setting on "Auto". When brought back inside the cabin under more normal temperature, the "Auto" function reverted back to that "Auto" function again. That's the only issue I encountered during this trip. The AF, exposure, and all other remaining functions worked normally as expected.

The bottom line is although the Sony A7r II or similar cameras of the A7 line appears to be fragile and "toy-like" but they apparently could withstand some harsh shooting conditions. I have found a new level of trust with the A7r II although it was not up to the level I had with my previous Canon gear but it is getting there. I believe that the minor viewfinder "Auto" issue had to do with the fact that the viewfinder is outside the main camera body and that it wasn't fully protected as such for it to function on the "Auto" mode.

Here are a few images from that trip; some of them was cross posted from the big FE thread.

Thank you for looking,
Joshua




© AGeoJO 2017










© AGeoJO 2017





© AGeoJO 2017





© AGeoJO 2017




Mar 05, 2017 at 11:06 AM
xpfloyd
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Awesome trip! And very nice images. Especially like that husky shot. Also good to hear the a7rii is not as fragile as some would have us believe


Mar 05, 2017 at 11:10 AM
bjornthun
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


xpfloyd wrote:
Awesome trip! And very nice images. Especially like that husky shot. Also good to hear the a7rii is not as fragile as some would have us believe


If the Sony A7R II were so fragile, the what about old film SLRs like Olympus OM-1 and Nikon FM2? I never had second thoughts about taking those into the freezing cold.

Joshua, thanks for the nice write-up. Great images!



Mar 05, 2017 at 11:31 AM
jhinkey
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Who ever thought the A7 series camera bodies looked fragile and toy-like?
If so, my FE2, FM2N, etc. were mere toys that were lucky to survive the mountains.



Mar 05, 2017 at 11:51 AM
Vcize
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Just curious, did you have the plastic hot-shoe cover in?

My A7r2 experiences all kinds of problems in temps warmer than you were shooting in (10-20F usually causes the LCD to stop working among other things). However I've heard the hot-shoe is a weak point and I don't have the plastic cover for mine, I'm wondering if that's the difference.



Mar 05, 2017 at 11:53 AM
AGeoJO
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


xpfloyd wrote:
Awesome trip! And very nice images. Especially like that husky shot. Also good to hear the a7rii is not as fragile as some would have us believe



bjornthun wrote:
If the Sony A7R II were so fragile, the what about old film SLRs like Olympus OM-1 and Nikon FM2? I never had second thoughts about taking those into the freezing cold.

Joshua, thanks for the nice write-up. Great images!



jhinkey wrote:
Who ever thought the A7 series camera bodies looked fragile and toy-like?
If so, my FE2, FM2N, etc. were mere toys that were lucky to survive the mountains.


Thank you very much, guys!

Bjorn and John, newer cameras are pretty much computer-like electronic devices in addition to some mechanical parts. The feeling of them being fragile stems from that, I believe. Maybe it is more the stigma of being almost fully electronic than anything else, is what causes us to think that they are more fragile, more prone to failure under those cold shooting circumstances. Cameras of yesteryear are mostly mechanical and as such they seem to be less prone to failure. However, I also couldn't shake the feeling that my previous Canon gear would be less prone to failure but whether it is true or not remains unknown.

Several years ago, I took my Canon gear to Hokkaido, Japan in the winter, too. The shooting temperatures were similar and I exposed both gear to roughly the same conditions. Both fared well under those shooting conditions but again, it was probably more the feeling or more MY feeling that the Sony would be more prone to failure. But now, after the trip, I developed a newly found level of trust with my gear.


Vcize wrote:
Just curious, did you have the plastic hot-shoe cover in?

My A7r2 experiences all kinds of problems in temps warmer than you were shooting in (10-20F usually causes the LCD to stop working among other things). However I've heard the hot-shoe is a weak point and I don't have the plastic cover for mine, I'm wondering if that's the difference.


Yes, I did have the plastic hot-shoe cover on both of them. I could see that that indeed could cause some issues.



Mar 05, 2017 at 11:56 AM
philbaum
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Vcize wrote:
Just curious, did you have the plastic hot-shoe cover in?

My A7r2 experiences all kinds of problems in temps warmer than you were shooting in (10-20F usually causes the LCD to stop working among other things). However I've heard the hot-shoe is a weak point and I don't have the plastic cover for mine, I'm wondering if that's the difference.


I applaud the efforts of the OP and consider the images awesome as well.

I had a recent experience with the A7r2 hot-shoe. Under light rain/snowshower conditions, I started getting a "Device not compatible with camera" warning" and this was with 2 different FE lenses. If i ignored it and continued to operate the camera - it would still work. When i got home, warming the top of the camera slowly with a hot air dryer on low heat solved the problem.

Come to find out that there is that row of copper connecters at the front end of the hot shoe for use with the Sony flashes. If water gets in there, the incompatible device warning i mentioned is fairly common. There is no easy way to clean those connectors of corrosion, dirt, etc. without a complex repair, i was informed.

So i went back and found my black plastic cover and now have it installed. I plan on covering it with a bit of gaffer's tape when the hot shoe is not in use to prevent water from being sucked in via capillary action. The bit of gaffer's tape will probably also help me not lose that plastic cover when i store it in my camera bag when the hot shoe is being used for flash.




Mar 05, 2017 at 12:58 PM
maestrofilms
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Stunning images!
I always worry about taking my stuff out in bad weather. I should be more brave.



Mar 05, 2017 at 01:08 PM
darbo
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Amazing captures Joshua...24-70mm GM looks incredible.


Mar 05, 2017 at 01:46 PM
GMPhotography
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Gear is meant to be used, if it goes down that's par for the course. That's the credo at least but cover your ass.

Nice shots bud



Mar 05, 2017 at 02:04 PM
rhawidantas
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Great photos I have to say! Where exactly in Lapland did you visit (city/village)? My wife is from the North and I have lived in Finland myself for 9 years. Lovely country side the Finnish one.

Also to add to the conversation about durability: I have used Sony cameras since the A7r came out (before that was an OM-D) passing through an A7II and now A7rII, and they never failed me even once when going to the Finnish Lapland, or when using them in the less cold but more windy conditions of the Southern of Finland.

While I do take care of the cameras, making sure they dont condensate when returning in doors, after using the cameras for so long in those conditions I never thought twice in taking them outside when it was Christmas time or for the national parks after a big snow storm.



Mar 05, 2017 at 03:02 PM
virtualrain
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Beautiful shots.

Last year before I switched to Sony, I took my Canon 5D3 to Quebec City at Christmas time and the weather there was around -15 deg-C. My 4 year old Canon really struggled. It would shut down after about 5 min outside making it a very frustrating outing. It was the first and only time I took that gear into such cold temperatures so I don't know if it was age, a factory defect, or what, but it was very disappointing.

I'm happy to hear the A7RII performed well in the cold.



Mar 05, 2017 at 03:11 PM
AGeoJO
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


philbaum wrote:
I applaud the efforts of the OP and consider the images awesome as well.

I had a recent experience with the A7r2 hot-shoe. Under light rain/snowshower conditions, I started getting a "Device not compatible with camera" warning" and this was with 2 different FE lenses. If i ignored it and continued to operate the camera - it would still work. When i got home, warming the top of the camera slowly with a hot air dryer on low heat solved the problem.

Come to find out that there is that row of copper connecters at the front end of the hot shoe
...Show more

Thank you, Phil! The hot shoe cover fits snugly enough in its place that I wouldn't bother taping that without any fear of losing it during normal usage. But it wouldn't hurt to do so, of course.


maestrofilms wrote:
Stunning images!
I always worry about taking my stuff out in bad weather. I should be more brave.


Thank you! Yes, you should, I would say but I shared your hesitation in the beginning though .



darbo wrote:
Amazing captures Joshua...24-70mm GM looks incredible.


Thank you, David! Yes, the 24-70mm was my most used lens on that trip to Lapland.



Mar 05, 2017 at 03:34 PM
AGeoJO
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


GMPhotography wrote:
Gear is meant to be used, if it goes down that's par for the course. That's the credo at least but cover your ass.

Nice shots bud


I agree with you, Guy! And thank you for your kind words.



rhawidantas wrote:
Great photos I have to say! Where exactly in Lapland did you visit (city/village)? My wife is from the North and I have lived in Finland myself for 9 years. Lovely country side the Finnish one.

Also to add to the conversation about durability: I have used Sony cameras since the A7r came out (before that was an OM-D) passing through an A7II and now A7rII, and they never failed me even once when going to the Finnish Lapland, or when using them in the less cold but more windy conditions of the Southern of Finland.

While I do take care of
...Show more

Thank you! The name of the village is Kakslauttanen. I am posting a few more images of the actual village below. We flew in to Ivalo airport from Helsinki. The flight duration was approximately 2 hours between the two airports.


virtualrain wrote:
Beautiful shots.

Last year before I switched to Sony, I took my Canon 5D3 to Quebec City at Christmas time and the weather there was around -15 deg-C. My 4 year old Canon really struggled. It would shut down after about 5 min outside making it a very frustrating outing. It was the first and only time I took that gear into such cold temperatures so I don't know if it was age, a factory defect, or what, but it was very disappointing.

I'm happy to hear the A7RII performed well in the cold.


Thank you, Chris! I am not sure what to make out of the issues you experienced with your Canon but I never encountered any with mine back then.




© AGeoJO 2017

Glass igloo village of Kakslauttanen





© AGeoJO 2017

From inside the "igloo" portion of our cabin





© AGeoJO 2017

Our cabin from outside showing the glass "igloo" portion





© AGeoJO 2017





© AGeoJO 2017




Mar 05, 2017 at 03:52 PM
Matt Kerby
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Wow, fantastic set...Those are some pretty cool cabin/igloo's...I take my 6300 up on hikes in the snow with my batis 25 all the time...never an issue...


Mar 05, 2017 at 04:04 PM
stevesanacore
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


philbaum wrote:
I applaud the efforts of the OP and consider the images awesome as well.

I had a recent experience with the A7r2 hot-shoe. Under light rain/snowshower conditions, I started getting a "Device not compatible with camera" warning" and this was with 2 different FE lenses. If i ignored it and continued to operate the camera - it would still work. When i got home, warming the top of the camera slowly with a hot air dryer on low heat solved the problem.

Come to find out that there is that row of copper connecters at the front end of the hot shoe
...Show more

That seems like a real weakness in the design for a pro camera. I have no idea where those silly plastic covers are. I guess I'll have to replace them if it will cause an issue. I was recently out in a snow storm but didn't have an issue. Guess I was lucky.



Mar 05, 2017 at 04:43 PM
Alfredo Mora
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Thanks for sharing Joshua. Awesome photos. Looks like a great trip. The 24-70GM looks fantastic. I'm sure it came in handy so you wouldn't be changing lenses too often in rough conditions. Glad to read that our cameras are tougher than many people think.


Mar 05, 2017 at 04:43 PM
stevesanacore
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Great shots Joshua! Excellent tones with the snow and sky.


Mar 05, 2017 at 04:45 PM
dgurtch
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


Fabulous images and technique! Thank you for sharing.
Dave



Mar 05, 2017 at 05:06 PM
Vcize
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Using Sony A7r II at cold temperatures - a real life experience


philbaum wrote:
I applaud the efforts of the OP and consider the images awesome as well.

I had a recent experience with the A7r2 hot-shoe. Under light rain/snowshower conditions, I started getting a "Device not compatible with camera" warning" and this was with 2 different FE lenses. If i ignored it and continued to operate the camera - it would still work. When i got home, warming the top of the camera slowly with a hot air dryer on low heat solved the problem.

Come to find out that there is that row of copper connecters at the front end of the hot shoe
...Show more

Thanks, I have also seen that error in weather, as well as an error that my memory card was corrupted no matter how many different memory cards I swapped out.

Is there a place to get one of the plastic covers as a replacement? Mine is long gone.




Mar 05, 2017 at 06:01 PM
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