p.1 #1 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
We'll be in 0-30 degrees (F) this next week at a ski area. I'll have my Canon 5D3 with 24-105 and 70-300 lenses. I've not used this camera in this low temp…anything I need to be aware of?
Plastic Bag to acclimate to in/out temps
Keep battery(s) warm (in jacket)
p.1 #2 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
The camera body and lenses will get ridiculously cold. I use a glove/mitt combination when cold weather shooting to give myself the agility to be able to manipulate the camera while not freezing my hands. A thin set of gloves inside some mitts that offer the folding top to expose the fingers is a great combination.
A second battery is highly recommended. You will be surprised how quickly the cold drains them.
p.1 #3 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
If you will go in/out (hot/cold) lot keep it in plastic bag. Also snow melts into water, so keep it clean before you will go inside if snow is on top. Otherwise you should be fine. I am going Quebec myself on New Year, last time I did so it was -25C there and my 1D3 survived. I hope my current 5D3 will be OK as well I will take weathersealed lenses only with me.
p.1 #4 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
I've had no problem using my 350D and 5D in the cold. Mine get regularly dropped in the snow etc and haven't suffered for it. Remember that snow is "dry" and can be easily blown/wiped off. I am much more careful in the rain...
On handling, i would also suggest thin cotton gloves inside mittens with fold-over finger ends.
When you go inside you need to watch for condensation. Its best to let the camera warm up a way that doesn't allow condensation. Though contrary to popular opinion it isn't actually a disaster to walk inside with the camera open - condensation can only occur where the warm air touches the cold camera/lens, and this will be on the outside which is easy to dry off (especially on a weather sealed 5D3/L-lens combo). Taking off the lens or pulling out the CF card is probably a bad idea though.
Just to clear up a misconception - batteries do not drain in the cold. They simply suffer slower reaction kinetics, which results in an apparent voltage drop when current is drawn. This will be especially pronounced when pulling a lot of power from the battery - using a flash or firing bursts. Once they warm up the full capability should be available again. I know i'm being pedantic, before anyone comments
p.1 #5 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Regarding warming up…I was considering using my Lowepro backpack camera bag to put the camera inside of for a more slow warmup/cooldown. Is this better than the old plastic bag? Or should I do both at these temps?
Yes, have my second battery.
p.1 #6 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Janmcn,
I’ll give you my two cents - it’s free so take it for what it’s worth.
The biggest problem is going from the cold to warm. I wear glasses and often when I shoveled the driveway, coming back in the house I can literally scrape off the frost on my glasses, this is what is going to happen to your camera/lens. You mentioned plastic bags, my suggestion would be to use a camera bag instead. Place the camera/lens in the camera bag before heading indoors and don’t open it until it has acclimated to the indoor temps. If you are going in and out of the indoors just keep it in bag. Pop the CF/SD card prior to coming indoors if you need to view the images. Also avoid breathing on the camera/lens in cold temps this can be a killer.
>batteries do not drain in the cold.
From my own personal experience I would disagree. My camera batteries in the cold definably drained faster. This is based on freezing my arse off taking eagle shots on the Mississippi river in the middle of the winter.
p.1 #7 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
The batteries don't really drain in the cold, the chemical reaction slows in cold temps, so when they warm up, they still will have power. Keep some in a pocket and rotate. I would also suggest so good quality gloves-as it has been said your hands will get cold. Also keep the rest of you warm and dress in layers. I would suggest having filters on your lenses if you don't already. I've shot in -30ish before and the biggest problem I had was cold hands/fingers and then just the instantly freezing of any exposed skin. Goggles are nice to have for your eyes also if there is any wind so you can limit any exposure. I live in N Dakota so used to the cold-you might be in for a real surprise if you are from Texas.
p.1 #8 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
A colleague of mine here in Fairbanks just did some cold weather testing with one of his 5 D IIIs. Put the camera on a tripod and left it outside his office in -20 degree weather. Hooked up a remote release and touched off a shot every 30 seconds for ten hours. No problems except some of the buttons didn't want to work so he changed settings with the LCD. Did a battery test as well on a - 35 day and the battery was losing it after 2.5 hours with a trip of the shutter every 30 seconds.
p.1 #9 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Keep in mind that the long lens may suffer some problems if the air inside hasn't cooled down to ambient; warm air inside the optical tube can form convection currents when cooling, which can degrade the image, so try to let the lens cool down before using it.
As for gloves, some outdoors stores have fingerless gloves, which keep most of your hand warm, while giving you full dexterity; some even have a flap that you can flip over the fingers, turning it into a mitten when you don't need the dexterity. They work very well for cold weather photography.
p.1 #10 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
I live in MN and shoot throughout the winter. I am a wildlife/landscape photographer and am out in -15 degree weather. You've received good advice... keep a spare set of batteries near your body so they stay warm and allow your camera to acclimate when you go from the cold into the warmth. Condensation is hard on the electronics and optics.
I think the biggest problem with cold-weather photography is the wear and tear on your fingers. Buy some warm mittens so you can manipulate the buttons and focus on your photography.
p.1 #11 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Thanks, Jim…sounds like the camera worked fine! And battery power sounded pretty good too…I won't be out that long each time I shoot. It's been a long time since I've been in this type of cold! ;-)
p.1 #13 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Wrap a Grabber foot warmer around the battery door on the camera body. It has an adhesive, but leaves no trace on the camera when you remove it. It will significantly extend your battery life in the cold. Alternatively, when the indicator shows low battery, take the battery out and put it in an inside (warm) pocket in your parka and install replacement. In real cold temps, I will put a Grabber hand warmer in the pocket with the battery. In about 20 minutes, the battery in your parka will be warm and when you reinstall it, the indicator will show it has substantially more power than when you removed it - as if it had been recharged.
With respect to bringing a camera and lenses in from the cold, I put my bodies and lenses inside large zip-lock baggies with desiccant packets. The bags are very heavy duty and large enough to hold a 500mm lens. If I can, I'll leave the equipment in a location warmer than outside, but cooler than indoors for a while before bringing it indoors (e.g., on an uninsulated porch).
p.1 #14 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
The biggest problem you are likely to encounter is your fingers freezing. Holding a metal body even with gloves can become a painful experience. I use the glove mitten combination mentioned above with light gloves underneath but in really cold weather ( 15 below and lower ) I use a remote release inside a warm mitten. Also, aside from the advice given in this thread, be careful about breathing on your viewfinder. It will ice up and you won't see anything. Finally, get some of those chemical heat packs. Shove a couple in your gloves and keep some in your pockets.
p.1 #15 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Nobody mentioned chemical hand warmers. When it is below 20 degrees, I use them and feet warmers along with light gloves and finger less mittens. The hand warmers fit into the pouch on the finger less mittens or in a coat pocket. Even then my fingers get so cold I sometimes can't press the shutter. This was for eagles at Lake Coeur d' Alene Id.
I agree, a battery that goes dead in the cold will rejuvenate in a warm shirt pocket. I keep my gear in the back of the truck canopy where it can get cold gradually on the way to the shoot.
1DS-mk3 batteries just go and go, but 50D batteries last 1/2 hour or so when doing burst mode AI servo.
p.1 #16 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Like the thought of putting my remote release INSIDE my mitten! (yes I've got a couple pair of "glove/mittens" in various weights.
Ah…breathing on the viewfinder…hadn't thought about THAT problem…shall hold my breath!
I've got a case of the chemical packs…sent them to the family that is driving up…so should have plenty.
p.1 #18 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Sure, be concerned about the camera not working correctly in the frigid cold, but I left one thing out of my earlier post that is perhaps even more important than your camera working. Make sure your car/truck will start after the photo session is over!
A FWIW, it has warmed up today from a balmy -40 to a "toasty" +14! Weather is a fickle thing 'round these parts.
p.1 #19 · Cold Weather Shooting Tips with Canon 5D3
Oh, Jim…see you are in Fairbanks…had a great time there this Fall, but now I see why everyone has hookups for engine block heaters! :-) Just going to Brian Head, UT, so not bad…10000 feet. No snow predicted for the week…just got a foot, so I'll be fine. Hope to be out New Year's Eve getting photos of the fireworks and torch parade…that will be "cool" in more ways than one…single digits! Merry Christmas to all!
I will take weathersealed lenses only with me.
