I have a few options , I have a two part system from the Heat Company ( They were originally designed for special forces in cold weather ) . https://www.theheatcompany.com/en-ca? They have specific suggestions for photographers.
I use a pair of liner gloves (several options ) depending how cold they have pouches on the back you can add heat packs if required. If extremely cold use their leather liners that also have pouches for eat packs. The system works very well
Just a suggestion - Look at the gloves available for gun enthusiasts at sporting goods suppliers. I have purchased some in the past, and was quite happy with them when using them for photography. I now live where extreme cold is quite infrequent, so no longer have gloves.
I've used Vallerret for a few years now and use a few different pairs of their gloves depending on the weather conditions and how cold my fingers will be. I'll have to say though the most comfortable pair I reach for the most often are made by The Heat Company. It's what they call the Durable Liner Pro and do not have the flip down fingers like the Vallerret style so if I'm removing a card from a camera, I usually take off the gloves.
I learned a long time ago that if my hands and toes are comfortable, no matter the environment, that I can have a much better day in the outdoors and make better photos despite any weather conditions.
I use a glove liner from heat compnay with a fingerless polartec wind stopper glove most of the time. You used to be able to get these as a climbing glove but now I just buy a glove and cut the fingers off. I put a chemical heat pack between the two gloves on the back of my hand when I need extra warmth. Used this for over 20 years and it is rare to get into conditions where it is a problem. Lately I've put electric hand warmers in my pocket to have a place to warm my hands and batteries. Not necessary but a nice luxury. I carry a spare liner in case one gets wet. Klim's glove liner 3 is also a windstopper glove liner which I've used but pretty much settled now on the heat company. I also use non-windstopper liners (synthetic, marino wool etc.) from rei, heat company, Klim, etc if conditions allow as they give me a little more dexterity.
For an over glove, I think I like the swany (opens on side not tip) a little better than heat company (without built in liner as I'm worried about what you do if it gets wet) but I've not used either enough to have a solid opinion. May have not been exposed to the super cold temperatures needed to appreciate them. I've used various gloves with the flip over part that turns it into a mit. Not a big fan of those. Not a fan of vallerret but I've limited use of them. Maybe an acquired taste. Again tried but keep going back to old reliable. Another over glove is to get a down glove like RAB (thin nylon not over stuffed) and press your finger through the down (finger compresses down until you have solid contact with camera). Not much experience but saw BBC using this once.
Another thing I do is cover the areas of the camera my right hand fingers contact when holding the camera with Dr. Scholls self adhesive mole foam. It was a trick Galen Rowell mentioned. It does help a lot and I've never had camera finish damage when I remove in spring. After all it is designed to go on your skin. I would not leave it on camera more than a couple of months as adhesive gets harder to remove.
Flowernut wrote:
I use a glove liner from heat compnay with a fingerless polartec wind stopper glove most of the time. You used to be able to get these as a climbing glove but now I just buy a glove and cut the fingers off. I put a chemical heat pack between the two gloves on the back of my hand when I need extra warmth. Used this for over 20 years and it is rare to get into conditions where it is a problem. Lately I've put electric hand warmers in my pocket to have a place to warm my hands and batteries. Not necessary but a nice luxury. I carry a spare liner in case one gets wet. Klim's glove liner 3 is also a windstopper glove liner which I've used but pretty much settled now on the heat company. I also use non-windstopper liners (synthetic, marino wool etc.) from rei, heat company, Klim, etc if conditions allow as they give me a little more dexterity.
For an over glove, I think I like the swany (opens on side not tip) a little better than heat company (without built in liner as I'm worried about what you do if it gets wet) but I've not used either enough to have a solid opinion. May have not been exposed to the super cold temperatures needed to appreciate them. I've used various gloves with the flip over part that turns it into a mit. Not a big fan of those. Not a fan of vallerret but I've limited use of them. Maybe an acquired taste. Again tried but keep going back to old reliable. Another over glove is to get a down glove like RAB (thin nylon not over stuffed) and press your finger through the down (finger compresses down until you have solid contact with camera). Not much experience but saw BBC using this once.
Another thing I do is cover the areas of the camera my right hand fingers contact it when holding the camera with Dr. Scholls self adhesive mole foam. It was a trick Galen Rowell mentioned. It does help a lot and I've never had camera finish damage when I remove in spring. After all it is designed to go on your skin. I would not leave it on camera more than a couple of months as adhesive gets harder to remove....Show more →
I've had my eye on Heat Company liner gloves for average NYC winters (ie. not arctic conditions) but I'm curious how warm their "liner" gloves like the polartec ones you mention actually are. I'm big fan of chemical heat packs (my hands are always cold whatever the glove) so I'm specifically after gloves that have pouches for those.
p.1 #10 · Best winter gloves for outdoor shooting?
In mild conditions, I've used the heat company wind stopper liner alone. Usually fall or about town. I've always gone to adding the fingerless glove first before adding a chemical heat pack. in winter or prolonged exposure in cold fall, I generally go straight to the liner with the fingerless glove immediately as I see no advantage of just the liner.
p.1 #11 · Best winter gloves for outdoor shooting?
I like the Setwear Stealth gloves that are designed to minimize handling noise with sound equipment. They help to block wind and my hands are warmer as a result.
Important to realize that when the trunk of the body is cold the body will automatically reduce blood flow to the hands and feet to minimize loss. Adding more insulation, as with another layer for the chest or insulated pants will keep your hands much warmer.
I experienced this with my scuba diving after I switched from a thick wetsuit to a drysuit. Same gloves with both but my hands stayed much warmer with the drysuit.
They were under MH Absolute Zero Down mittens. My fingers would easily be comfortable for 2-3 minutes at -40F, after which they went for 2-3 minutes either in pockets with chemical packs or back in the mittens which also had chemical packs. Excellent dexterity, surprisingly warm, excellent touch screen capabilities. They oile easily and heavily though. Ease tally one trip item, but worth it IMO.
p.1 #13 · Best winter gloves for outdoor shooting?
I don’t think that there is one best solution. At least I’ve never found it.
My first line gloves are a pair of what I might call “convertible mittens,” that I think came from Marmot. They are fingerless gloves (except that thumb is full coverage) with a “mitten” section that flips down to cover my fingers. I usually shoot with the finger tips exposed, but flip the mittens down when my fingers get too cold.
I also like the “two pairs” option in colder weather — some not-too-thick light gloves that go inside some much warmer regular mittens. I can’t shoot with the thick mittens on, but I can remove them long enough to operate the camera and then put them back on.
p.1 #16 · Best winter gloves for outdoor shooting?
To add to my post above, for the past couple of weeks I’ve been photographing in Germany (Heidelberg and Nürnberg) and France (Alsace). It has generally been cold — around or below freezing at night and freezing to 40s mostly in the daytime. (Had one 60 degree day in Alsace.0
Here I’ve been using a pair of cheap Head-brand gloves with the special finger patch that works on my smartphone. I’ve been able to use them while shooting street photography with my Fujifilm XT5 with pretty decent success.
2) Vallerret Tinden Gloves with the Vallerret Power Stretch Pro Liner Photography Gloves - combo allows me to take the Tinden off when I need to. Tinden also has flip up fingers with magnets so if it is really cold I don't have to take off the tinden gloves, but there are still times when it's necessary, like pulling out my Kase 4x6 filters, or change filters, or operate controls. If it's below -5c with wind chill, or anytime it's below -10c, I will allow put hand warmers inside the power stretch gloves.
I've used this setup when it was -35c. With hand warmers, it allowed me to shoot for 2-3 hrs starting at dawn. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1632313-REG/vallerret_22tdn_bk_xl_tinden_black.html https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1532131-REG/vallerret_20pspl_bk_xl_power_stretch_pro_liner.html
p.1 #19 · Best winter gloves for outdoor shooting?
Photo gloves are like camera bags.... The one you buy will make you buy another, and another, and another until you figure out, there is no perfect solution to the problem all the time.
