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How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

burningheart
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Last winter I went for a photowalk in my neighbourhood. I took my R5 and Leica Monochrome. Both had fully charged batteries. It was -40 with windchill of -50. Although I wasn't planning on staying out long so Bothe cameras were exposed to the elements. 1 camera around my neck and the other over my shoulder. The R5 after an hour's shooting was functioning fine and still at 50% battery when I stopped shooting about 75 minutes later, the Leica after 1/2 hour.

As Scott mentioned beware of breath on the EVF. It took about 5 minutes to clear off the EVF when some of my breath hit it.

Aug 23, 2024 at 09:17 PM

rscheffler
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

If you're continuously shooting in cold conditions the internals of the camera will likely be fairly warm due to the heat generated by the sensor, processors, card reader, etc. Biggest weakness is probably the battery so always bring extras and keep them warm against your body. But as was mentioned, sometimes things like LCD displays cease to function properly.

Biggest problem I've faced with the R6/6II in cool/cold weather is condensation from my breath inside the viewfinder (directly behind the outside element of the viewfinder). This is certainly a consequence of it being an unsealed body relative to the R3 & 5. Same thing happens with my M240 and the screw-on eyepiece diopter correction lens - condensation between it and the viewfinder optics. Very annoying because it's such a small, fiddly piece to remove to clear the condensation (too easy to drop when wearing gloves). Back when I was using the M9, there was an EXIF reader app that would show the temperature field recorded by the camera. I used it multiple times in below freezing conditions with strong winds and windchill, yet the camera rarely ever recorded lower than -10˚C, probably because of heat generated by the electronics during use.

Edited on Aug 23, 2024 at 09:26 PM · View previous versions

Aug 23, 2024 at 09:21 PM

stanj
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

snegron7 wrote:
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?

A normal bag is fine, and preferred. The camera hates temperature changes, so you want it at "room temperature" even if the room is -20. When we were up north we would have the cameras in a waterproof duffel bag outside for the whole time. We would bring batteries from the warm inside, of course. That way, the camera was at -20 or whatever, and no moisture could get to it (splash on the boat from the ocean etc.), but the whole point was to keep the camera exposed to the bitter cold the whole time.

Aug 23, 2024 at 09:22 PM

rscheffler
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

An advantage of letting the gear acclimate to the below zero ambient conditions is that snow will not melt as much on it and potentially seep in. If it's cold enough the snow will just bounce right off.

The image below was at halftime of a football game back in Dec. 2017 with 1DXII and 200-400. A useful feature of some recent Canon lenses is the fluorine coating on the front element that effectively repels water and other debris. Despite strong winds and snow accumulation inside the hood, nothing stuck to the front element. That said, conditions were so bad the first half it was just silhouettes out on the field anyway.

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.

snegron7 wrote:
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!

Some gloves can be pretty slippery when they are cold and can make it difficult to handle equipment confidently. I kind of prefer gloves with silicone/rubberized finger tips, but it can be hit or miss. For sure, the thicker the insulation, the harder it is to wear the gloves and also use the equipment.

Gloves provide better dexterity but your fingers will get cold faster. The recommendation is often to wear insulated mittens over a pair of thinner gloves for times when you're not manipulating the equipment. Or stick your hands in your coat pockets and/or keep hand warmers in there. I haven't tried heated gloves (the ones that connect to a battery), so not sure how useful those are.

Some like fingerless gloves under mitts. There are also combo gloves/mitts where the mitten part over the fingers will flip back to reveal the gloves/fingerless gloves.

I'm usually out in the cold only for hours and not a full day or more, so tend to go with thinner gloves made with 'wind blocker' material for better dexterity. I'm sure others here can provide recommendations.

Aug 23, 2024 at 09:40 PM

kezeka
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Coldest I’ve shot in was -18F (-27C) in Fairbanks with an R5 and Leica q2. Largely no problems but do recognize that prolonged shooting in the cold will drain the battery very quickly. It’s wise to have a portable battery pack ready to go and kept somewhere warm so you can recharge (or continuously charge) in the field. Intermittently moving the camera into a car can help keep it warm too but then you run into issues with condensation and snow melt (if it’s snowing).

As others noted, make sure you are suited up in good clothing for the conditions. If you are going to be active and moving a lot it’s less of an issue but if you are sitting still then add extra layers, get some good wool socks and insulated shoes if it’s below 0F, make sure you are wearing appropriate gloves. I usually use liners (thin wool gloves) under big thick mittens. Most of the time I don’t have to take my hand out of the mitten once I have the settings adjusted but it can get frustrating trying to smash the tiny buttons with mitts.

Honestly as long as the camera is running the whole time the heat from basic functions is pretty good at avoiding a lot of cold problems causing battery stress. Otherwise I’ve never had any major problems shooting in the cold. Shooting in the 10-20F range is fine, a lot less problems to worry about frankly and I’ve never had to adjust my shooting style in that range despite going for walks with my camera out in blizzards. I still remember shooting a music festival with a 1D3 and 70-200 IS II with sleet and snow falling heavily. At one point I had to break the ice off the 70-200 that had accumulated and it did fine. Cameras and the L lenses are pretty hearty these days, even compared to then!

Aug 23, 2024 at 10:28 PM

Grenache
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

a1 works at -40F, no problem, just cycle batteries by warming

Aug 23, 2024 at 11:00 PM

Outstanding
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

We in western Canada had a cold snap in January 2024, temps dipped as low as -20c in Vancouver, my A7R5 had no issues whatsover.

I have photos of frozen lakes, marinas and rivers in lower mainland.

Also I realized that temp alone is no worry, I would take -20c dry cold anyday over 0c with wet weather any day. When it's cold and wet in Vancouver, it will chill you to the bone. That made me confident that I would survive Calgary or Edmonton.

Aug 23, 2024 at 11:53 PM

Mike_5D
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Outstanding wrote:
Also I realized that temp alone is no worry, I would take -20c dry cold anyday over 0c with wet weather any day. When it's cold and wet in Vancouver, it will chill you to the bone. That made me confident that I would survive Calgary or Edmonton.

I live in Souther California where it never really gets cold. I spend a week in Denver in February where temps ranged from maybe 18-40F. Came back to rain to SoCal with temps in the 50's and it felt colder than Denver. It's amazing the difference humidity makes even at lower temps.

Aug 24, 2024 at 12:00 AM

q-w-z
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

With A7RIII I shot last January in -30C (with manual focus lens mostly, but wih AF fixed-focal too).
Kept it hanged on sling strap. Main problem were to close it (in a bag) from condensation when I walked in warmer place.
Battery worked well (I have A7II and smaller FW50 battery went not so good even at -20C) but I have spare battery under my gown jacket (swapped it back and forth, after being warmed 'depleted' battery appears to keep most of its charge).

Aug 24, 2024 at 12:23 AM

Slalom
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

snegron7 wrote:
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!

Hmmm, Ski Gloves, but to use the A7RIII, I will get it out of the back pack. Then take off a ski glove, lens cap, frame the shot and take an image, Quick check on result, adjust, repeat. When Image seems correct, lens cap on, stow in bag ski glove on. Double check everything is ok. Ski off.

Ski Gloves come in all sorts of Qualities. Some with lots of padding soft or a bit more resistant to compression. Probably ski in -5C->-26C. When its coldest you don't stop for pictures. But lift stops, refreshment breaks and sunny corners may provoke me to take some images.

Aug 24, 2024 at 02:55 AM

Uarctos
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Cold&dry is not an issue with Canon. Temperature variation can, however, affect any camera. If your camera is below freezing and condensation occurs, then you can get ice on buttons, screens and even inside camera/lens. Dry, cold air is much more forgiving.

Aug 24, 2024 at 04:36 AM

Hathaway
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

I have shot down to -40F (about the same C) with the R5. I am not going to jump through hoops to post a picture of my camera but trust me when I say it was covered in frost on the back of the camera due to my breath. I was out shooting for about 3 hours in the cold. It performed like a champ and only stopped shooting when the battery died. I was out shooting aurora in Alaska in late December when I experienced those conditions.

I was also out there with a number of other shooters. The Nikon and Canon shooters all did fine. Sony struggled and most of them locked up after an hour or so with the shooters having to return to the car to try to warm the cameras. Fuji was a no go. It couldn’t handle temperatures much below freezing.

Other considerations in these conditions. It is all about footwear and gloves. Very well insulated boots and socks are a must as you will be standing around a lot and your feet are the first to get cold. I wore glove liners and mittens and found that to be the best option. I could use my hand with liner to manipulate the camera and quickly get it back in the mitten to warm back up. At -40F metal on a camera or bracket will get so cold that it will burn bare skin. You will not be able to touch metal surfaces on a camera without a glove. Same goes with tripod heads, etc. Carbon fiber, plastic or rubber surfaces are fine.

Lastly, strongly consider your face and headwear. I wore a beanie, and balaclava. The challenge with the balaclava in very cold conditions is it will trap your breath and freeze it on the outside. Or if you pull it down to look at the back of your camera it will frost it up. I ended up using my screen to frame shots versus the EVF as when I got close to the camera to look through the EVF it frosted the entire back of the camera due to my breath. Keep your mouth covered and try to hold your breath if you use the EVF to frame shots. That’s what I found worked best. Not sure when that effect kicks in but it was a major annoyance below about -20F.

Good luck and enjoy! There is nothing like shooting in very cold conditions. Can’t wait to do it again.

Aug 24, 2024 at 09:43 AM

Hathaway
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

For your hands, as I mentioned in my other post, I went with liners and mitten combination. I used a wool liner glove and if you can find them with the rubberized fingertips that could be helpful manipulating the LCD functions. I think mine were from Smartwool but didn’t have the fingertips. If you are going to be in really cold temps then the fingerless gloves present challenges. You lose a lot of protection and the metal can burn your skin if it is too cold.

As for mittens, I went with Outdoor Research. They are pretty big and bulky but you can strap them to your sleeves so you don’t lose them when you take them off and on. They are also big enough to easily slip your hand in and out of quickly.

Aug 24, 2024 at 09:58 AM

jcolwell
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Typical winter day in Nova Scotia.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II with Mamiya 645 200mm f/2.8 APO

Aug 24, 2024 at 10:01 AM

johnvanr
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

I’ve seen people use power banks to get maximum battery capacity. You need the right kind.

Never shot in extreme cold myself, but I assume a major challenge is preventing condensation as you take the gear from hot to cold areas.

Aug 24, 2024 at 10:16 AM

SpecFoto
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

Here is a link to a video about photographing in cold weather by a guy who runs photo tour trips to cold weather spots in Iceland, Greenland and the Arctic. Numerous general tips and a brief mention about photographing the Northen Lights.

Aug 24, 2024 at 10:45 AM

mitesh
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1841343/

Aug 24, 2024 at 11:44 AM

snegron7
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

SpecFoto wrote:
Here is a link to a video about photographing in cold weather by a guy who runs photo tour trips to cold weather spots in Iceland, Greenland and the Arctic. Numerous general tips and a brief mention about photographing the Northen Lights.

Thank you for the link! Very informative!

Aug 24, 2024 at 12:02 PM

OntheRez
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

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

Parroting Gary, first film then digital. Having grown up ranching at 10,250 feet I experiencing -35ºF with 20+mph winds. It actually can kill. (And of course the d*mn cows still have to be fed.) My first camera was a Leica(II?) my uncle 'brought back from the war.' Down to zero it worked okay. Below that the film could get crackly, so unpredictable.

Since digital cameras, I haven't been that cold but have approached 0ºF. Can't detect any difference in performance compared to higher temps. As Gary noted, cold can really impact battery life. The colder it is, the faster it loses charge.

This is all with a DSLR. No experience with the mirrorless word.

Aug 24, 2024 at 01:03 PM

Scott Stoness
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · How Cold Can You Really Shoot At?

snegron7 wrote:
I'm looking at the possibility of going to Iceland. If that doesn't pan out, then maybe Alaska.

If Iceland or Alaska don't work (Fairbanks is best for Aurora - Anchorage not as good) , best places in Canada for northern lights are:

Yellowknife - it's really cold (-40c at night most days), but there are ice roads everywhere for 100's of km. You can drive on the cleared ice highways to find great spots without any risk of human lights. And it's within the centre of the aurora band. Fantastic place that's 2 hours from Calgary with regular flights - if you can take the cold.

Whitehorse - it's usually 5c warmer than Yellowknife and 1/3 hour north of Whitehorse (regular 2 hours flight from Calgary) at LeBerg Lake campground, it has a great NE view for aurora. It's also in close to the centre of Aurora band.

Churchill - if you go in last week of Oct or first week in Nov, you can get northern lights and polar bears - and only -15c ish. About 3 hours regular scheduled flight from Winnipeg. Just don't plan on standing outside without a lookout because the polar bears will get you.

But Fantastic polar bear / aurora prospect.

Aug 24, 2024 at 01:49 PM

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