Tips needed for shooting in the cold
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You have two temperatures to worry about.... minimum operating temperature and minimum temperature before damage.
Most electronics can operate down to 0C with no problems, some as low as -40C... but that's getting a bit rare now... Things like LCD displays will stop working around 0C, but will not start to suffer permanant damage until -15C ( lots af variation between units here)... Then there is the question of what happens to your lens as the parts contract in the cold.... they can deform if they get too cold and suffer permanant damage.
When your camera goes outside it cools off.... the less insulation around it, the faster it cools. Lens sleves will slow down the process, sticking it into an insulated box REALLY slows down the process.
I use a pelican case when shooting in the cold. When it is time for the shot the camera comes out... CLICK... and back in the case. Before I come inside I take the gear out of the case and put it into individual plastic bags, go in, and let things stabilize for an hour or so before opening the bags up.
If you are in a ski hut, there is a lot of moisture tracked in with snow, and more from cooking. Try to find a bedroom or something far away from the moist rooms to let your gear finish warming up and drying out.
and gloves.... get a light pair of gloves for shooting and a really warm pair of mittens to use afterwards. Holding a camera in the cold is very hard on the fingers.
Hope this helps....
NOTE: Picture shot near Resolute, Cornwallis Island, in the Canadian Artic Islands at -60C
Most electronics can operate down to 0C with no problems, some as low as -40C... but that's getting a bit rare now... Things like LCD displays will stop working around 0C, but will not start to suffer permanant damage until -15C ( lots af variation between units here)... Then there is the question of what happens to your lens as the parts contract in the cold.... they can deform if they get too cold and suffer permanant damage.
When your camera goes outside it cools off.... the less insulation around it, the faster it cools. Lens sleves will slow down the process, sticking it into an insulated box REALLY slows down the process.
I use a pelican case when shooting in the cold. When it is time for the shot the camera comes out... CLICK... and back in the case. Before I come inside I take the gear out of the case and put it into individual plastic bags, go in, and let things stabilize for an hour or so before opening the bags up.
If you are in a ski hut, there is a lot of moisture tracked in with snow, and more from cooking. Try to find a bedroom or something far away from the moist rooms to let your gear finish warming up and drying out.
and gloves.... get a light pair of gloves for shooting and a really warm pair of mittens to use afterwards. Holding a camera in the cold is very hard on the fingers.
Hope this helps....
NOTE: Picture shot near Resolute, Cornwallis Island, in the Canadian Artic Islands at -60C
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I live in Finland so I have been photographing quite much in cold environments (-5.8 Fahrenheit at the moment). It's been already said here that going from (cold) outside to inside there are something you need to know.
Hot air can hold more humidity than cold air and in practice it really is about the room temperature vs. outside temperature. The bigger the temperature difference is the more your equipment will get condense water on it.
When you go from inside to outside, there are no problems. Changing lenses outside is not a problems (but in inside it is if your camera/lens is cold). BEFORE you go inside, put lens caps on. You can leave the lens on camera if you like, but you can also take it to it's own case if you like. If it is very cold you can put your equipment to a plastic bag BEFORE you go in, but usually your camera bag is just fine if you close it BEFORE you go in.
Once you go inside, your cold equipment will get condense water on it. If your equipment is inside a plastic bag, condense water will not go inside the bag and your lens/camera.
Hot air can hold more humidity than cold air and in practice it really is about the room temperature vs. outside temperature. The bigger the temperature difference is the more your equipment will get condense water on it.
When you go from inside to outside, there are no problems. Changing lenses outside is not a problems (but in inside it is if your camera/lens is cold). BEFORE you go inside, put lens caps on. You can leave the lens on camera if you like, but you can also take it to it's own case if you like. If it is very cold you can put your equipment to a plastic bag BEFORE you go in, but usually your camera bag is just fine if you close it BEFORE you go in.
Once you go inside, your cold equipment will get condense water on it. If your equipment is inside a plastic bag, condense water will not go inside the bag and your lens/camera.
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