I'm posting this on both the Canon and Sony forums because I would like to know about the cold weather performance on both cameras I own; Canon R6II and Sony A7c.
Both cameras have the exact same operating temperatures of 32° to 104° / 0°-40° C.
I'm looking into planning a possible trip to visit a very cold place, possibly 14°F (-10°C). This is cold by my standards (I live in Florida, and the temperature here is usually between 80° and 93°F). I have read that the charge on my batteries will die down faster in colder weather. However, I'd like to know which of my two cameras will not freeze up completely and fail me. My goal is to get a picture of the northern lights, so I will be outdoors in cold weather, and I would be really bummed out if my camera failed me. For the sake of weight, I can only take one of the two cameras.
Anyone here have experience shooting in cold weather? At what point does your camera fail completely?
I shoot western US in the winter all the time- like Bosque and Yellowstone.
Frequently see below 0. Coldest that I can remember was a reading of -27F.
Never had a problem with a camera.
Batteries do take a hit-- I keep 2 in inside pockets. You will go through 2-3 batteries in a full day, when 1 battery will do me in warmer weather.
Don't worry about your gear- it will be fine.
Now on the other hand- my fingers freeze no matter what gloves I use.
gary
I haven't shot in really cold since going digital but you might get a new battery or 3. Got really cold for here earlier this year and 21-23° F didn't cause any battery problems but I had a good battery, I'm sure it didnt last as long though. My old BP-511's, probably over a decade old, doubt they'd have done too much although they're fine now in 80-90+°
Some of the places having auroras can be a lot colder than 14°F if you don't mind me asking I'd be curious what your destination is.
Not a bad idea to be careful going from cold outside to inside.
I did some shooting at 0F on Sony a7Rv. The camera had no issues, my gloves was another story. I think it's safe to say the camera can tolerate colder weather than I can.
I have shot my r5 (r8, 5dsr, 5diii, 7dii, 7d) down to -40c for hours. It works well and the batteries work well. The only issue I have had was
- the dslrs' would groan a bit but work with mechanical shutter
- that I need to be careful not to breath on the back and it will freeze over making it hard to see the lcd/evf. Lens too.
- that I had to be careful to keep it in my back pack when warming or leave it outside or the condensation would form and then if I took it out to soon, freeze. If you bring it in, bring it in in a camera case and leave it to warm for an hour or so
- Near water, there can be condensation - bring a elastic band and chemical heat warmer and put it on the lens.
- I have frozen the tip of my nose on the lcd. Don't use the EVF.
- bring more batteries and full batteries and put them in your jacket. Not a lot more.
I once had a a7rv1 and with it - the batteries would fade fast. And even worse the lcd would just stop working after 15m and the camera would have to be warmed for 1/2 hour before coming back. I am not sure whether newer sony's work in the cold because I stopped using it in the winter and I did not like the dust control.
For caution, I would take the Canon. Shoot in lcd but keep your face back.
-10C is hardly very cold. I have shot in -30 to -40C many times with no camera problems. Keep the camera inside your parka until ready to shoot. If you have to shoot long exposures off a tripod, you can always attach Little Hotties around the base of the camera.
I love shooting photos in the snow -- during and just after. We only get a couple of 3'+ accumulations per year so nothing wild. But I'll be out shooting 2-3 hours in 20 degree (F) weather. Battery drains a bit faster, but no issues with the R5 (in ES). I do keep it in a sling bag when walking around and nothing interesting to shoot. Usually after a few hours my fingers are frozen (thin gloves so I can still feel and press the camera buttons), but not the camera.
AmbientMike wrote:
I haven't shot in really cold since going digital but you might get a new battery or 3. Got really cold for here earlier this year and 21-23° F didn't cause any battery problems but I had a good battery, I'm sure it didnt last as long though. My old BP-511's, probably over a decade old, doubt they'd have done too much although they're fine now in 80-90+°
Some of the places having auroras can be a lot colder than 14°F if you don't mind me asking I'd be curious what your destination is.
Not a bad idea to be careful going from cold outside to inside. ...Show more →
I'm looking at the possibility of going to Iceland. If that doesn't pan out, then maybe Alaska.
gchappel wrote:
I shoot western US in the winter all the time- like Bosque and Yellowstone.
Frequently see below 0. Coldest that I can remember was a reading of -27F.
Never had a problem with a camera.
Batteries do take a hit-- I keep 2 in inside pockets. You will go through 2-3 batteries in a full day, when 1 battery will do me in warmer weather.
Don't worry about your gear- it will be fine.
Now on the other hand- my fingers freeze no matter what gloves I use.
gary
Thanks! That brings me to my next question; what gloves should I get? I own a cheap pair of gloves (because I'm in Florida), so I have very little experience shooting in cold weather (went to New Mexico once and it snowed, but it really didn't feel insanely cold). My biggest weather threat in Florida is humidity, which is always high.
Slalom wrote:
I ski, merino liners in your gloves are magic. They tend to wick away moisture and consequently can feel dry,
But weather proofed gloves mean the wicking of moisture is blocked.
This is a whole new science for me! What gloves would you recommend for shooting? I'm assuming that weather proofed gloves are probably thicker, so feeling the camera might not be possible? Again, I don't have a clue!
I've shot for hours in temps -20C to -25C, sometimes colder. Just have lots of batteries (or a USB power bank under your jacket, and a dummy-battery). For me, in these temps, the most important piece of gear is my Baffin Boots.
In Talkeetna Alaska there's a professional photographer called Aurora Dora, she specializes in northern light photos. In speaking with her, she has been out in -50 degree temperatures. She uses some larger format digital gear for resolution and also for larger control buttons to be able to operate with protective gloves and mittens. She has some beautiful shots with very effective light painting technics. You might be able to contact her through the net and see if she can help with your questions.
Scott Stoness wrote:
I have shot my r5 (r8, 5dsr, 5diii, 7dii, 7d) down to -40c for hours. It works well and the batteries work well. The only issue I have had was
- the dslrs' would groan a bit but work with mechanical shutter
- that I need to be careful not to breath on the back and it will freeze over making it hard to see the lcd/evf. Lens too.
- that I had to be careful to keep it in my back pack when warming or leave it outside or the condensation would form and then if I took it out to soon, freeze. If you bring it in, bring it in in a camera case and leave it to warm for an hour or so
- Near water, there can be condensation - bring a elastic band and chemical heat warmer and put it on the lens.
- I have frozen the tip of my nose on the lcd. Don't use the EVF.
- bring more batteries and full batteries and put them in your jacket. Not a lot more.
I once had a a7rv1 and with it - the batteries would fade fast. And even worse the lcd would just stop working after 15m and the camera would have to be warmed for 1/2 hour before coming back. I am not sure whether newer sony's work in the cold because I stopped using it in the winter and I did not like the dust control.
For caution, I would take the Canon. Shoot in lcd but keep your face back....Show more →
Thank you for the detailed feedback!! I will definitely be following your suggestions! In terms of camera bag, do I need to use some sort of insulation for it, or would the regular padding do?
-10C is hardly very cold. I have shot in -30 to -40C many times with no camera problems. Keep the camera inside your parka until ready to shoot. If you have to shoot long exposures off a tripod, you can always attach Little Hotties around the base of the camera.