Coldest DSLR conditions

[Mike Hollingshead]

Surely a subjective post and question, but what is the coldest you'd trust using your DSLR in? I've never placed some limit on mine and haven't had any problems. I've used the last couple at -25F. The lcd just slows down big time. I think they list the working condition guidelines for them down to just freezing.

Just wondering if anyone else has created problems on theirs by too cold. I never worried much with a digital rebel. Just guessing that degree of expanding and contracting might prove problematic on things of that nature. When it is below zero much it doesn't seem you'd be able to do much to keep the cold out/off. I know the answer is if it is a concern don't use it in the cold lol. The current betting man in me will use it in anything though, unless maybe I heard of any actual bad stories. As many tiny dots/pixels they smash into those sensors, it just seems bad to deep freeze that and rewarm it very much. I'm sure the make something for cameras to keep them warm in those conditions. But hell I know they make coolers for some cams since the noise is supposedly less then.

 

[Lanny Dean]

Mike,

When I first switched to digital I went with Nikon D50 since 99% of my film cams were Nikon anyways. I used the D50 on the 2007 western KS blizzard (the first one) and IMO that was one of the coldest blizzards I have personally been in and subjected any real equipment to (-10 to -14 wind chills) Certainly not as cold as you have had yours in but cold enough.
The D50 camera itself did pretty well, at least at first. It was the battery that I had the most trouble with however; a few days after the event I began to have some issues with the dreaded round (sometimes) dark spots.
After a trip to the local camera shop I finally found out that it was moisture on the sensor that had basically glued itself. A good wet and dry cleaning cleared the spots but the camera never really worked good after that....LCD was so slow anytime I would try to use it in temps in the 30s-40s.

The following year I upgraded to the D70 and then the D70s and finally to the D80.
I have used the D80 in temps in the single digits with no problems at all.

I will be upgrading to the D90 or D300 soon and hope that either one of those cams will work as good as the D80 in cold weather.....hope so anyways

 

[Wesley Luginbyhl]

My D90 has handle below freezing pretty well when I have been out night photos this winter. Never really slows down in the cold, but you also wont find me anywhere it is close to negative temps either.

 

[Andrew Ryan]

I never thought that the sensor would be one of the bigger problems when working in extreme cold. From what I've heard, and somewhat experienced, the biggest problem is that the cold tends to shorten battery life. But sensor issue will definitely be in the back of my mind now when I'm shooting in the cold. I would have to imagine that Nikon and Canon, I shoot with the D300, has made the sensor and other components durable in semi pro/pro cameras. Pros are going to have deal with extremes on a pretty regular basis. I'm not a pro and have to deal with it pretty frequently (especially when chasing).

 

[John Vandehei]

I won't go as far to say that your camera will work in subzero temperatures with no problems. However, it has been my experience that the limiting factor when using a camera in cold weather is how long the fingers can tolerate the cold. Usually the fingers give out before the camera or battery does. Now, keep in mind, I almost always shoot without gloves, since it's nearly impossible to work the camera with them on.

 

[Patrick Boomer]

Lots of time spent in well below freezing temps, never had a single problem with A DSLR in the cold other than reduced battery life. Perhaps they generate just enough heat around the critical parts to keep them from destruction?
I have noticed the LCD slowdown on earlier units, but the new 920k display doesn't seem to care.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Thanks for the thoughts and experiences. I've pretty much never stopped shooting something because of anything weather related. And I've yet to have any problems. They even do better with batteries than in the past it seems. Heck I don't even feel concerned in say 10-32F. Barely in the 0-10F. It's those few times below that I just think, boy as fast as this cold is making it through my layers, rubber boots and shoes and thick socks inside that...it has to be trying to do a number inside the cam. I guess the saving thing might just be ourselves, not really being able to sit out there anyway. The -20F instead of 0F is just so massively different it isn't funny.

With the prospects of possible solar activity causing geo storming, and cold, and new cam....trying to sort this out a bit more than I bothered in the past. Lovely 5F above zero here this afternoon. One can't shoot from a heated car either, thanks to severe heat wave distortion as it leaves the open window. Hmmm, maybe windex the hell out of the front window and do it that way lol. Course just heat off the car does that too. But then again over a longer'ish shutter maybe all that doesn't matter anyway. I don't know why I bother wondering. I know once it is happening I will throw caution out the window. Sort of like trying to not ding up a new car with hail. That is the idea till you are on a storm, then the screw it mindset arrives.

 

[brandongreen]

I was taking some shot during our first snowfall last month, (cant remember the temp but it was very cold) and with in 8 shots it depleted my battery life.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

I have done some really cold stuff with my Pentax but as far as I know it has been rated the best for extreme cold but even then the battery will be the biggest issue I think with any camera.

 

[Chris Allington]

I was taking some shot during our first snowfall last month, (cant remember the temp but it was very cold) and with in 8 shots it depleted my battery life.

You might want to think about picking up a new battery... I've had my slr out in temps close too, but not quite as cold as Mike's and while there was a noted decrease in battery life I definately still got well more than 8 frames. I had a problem with an XTi battery pack after taking it out in temps close to zero where it would no longer hold a charge... but it was also a 2-3 year old battery. This year was the first year I've really tried any extreme cold weather photography and I had my cam out in the teens below on a couple different days.

 

[Patrick Boomer]

Lovely 5F above zero here this afternoon. One can't shoot from a heated car either, thanks to severe heat wave distortion as it leaves the open window. Hmmm, maybe windex the hell out of the front window and do it that way lol. Course just heat off the car does that too. But then again over a longer'ish shutter maybe all that doesn't matter anyway. I don't know why I bother wondering. I know once it is happening I will throw caution out the window. Sort of like trying to not ding up a new car with hail. That is the idea till you are on a storm, then the screw it mindset arrives.

Mike have you tried out the canon remote capture software that comes with the camera?
I snagged a nice long USB cable that lets a person sit in the car and shoot from the laptop with the camera outside on the tripod.
Pretty nice with the new live view cams, you can live view in warmth after you get your comp and focus set up.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

That does sound like a great idea, camera concerns aside. I was actually just watching a youtube video that showed them doing that. Looked nifty as hell. Even running focus control and showing the live view image on the laptop itself. I do things the hard way though and would just get really cold and whine a lot as I take the shots.

 

[Patrick Boomer]

One of my fav features of the remote software is continuous shooting. I've set the cam outside the house attached to the laptop inside and let it shoot 20 sec exposures one after another till the camera battery croaks. Makes for nice mega resolution timelapse.

 

[Chris Sokol]

OK, this may sound odd...but it also might work. Would it be possible to place the camera into one of the waterproof bags that are made for DSLRs, and put a small chemical handwarmer into the bag with it to keep the temperature elevated? Seems like this would help quite a bit...if it is workable.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

OK, this may sound odd...but it also might work. Would it be possible to place the camera into one of the waterproof bags that are made for DSLRs, and put a small chemical handwarmer into the bag with it to keep the temperature elevated? Seems like this would help quite a bit...if it is workable.

Yeah a friend suggested those hand warmers attached somehow. It is all I can think of that might help. Not sure I know what the bags are, but seems something one could rig up with those would certainly help.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Keep-Warm-Camera-Protector-Cover-Nikon-Canon-Sony-Dslr/190363348307

Like those I guess, if you can still use the back worth a darn.