Related Links:
Cold Weather Test
Hand Warmers [01/2001]
PHOTONET on Penguins and
Cold Weather Tent Photography...
Photography Under Arctic Conditions (Kodak pub) [11/2002]
Temp Converter (Java)
Battery packs are available that can be carried in jacket or coat and
used with wire connections to provide power to camera.
See also Modern Photography, February 1982, p. 76-7 for more weather tips.
From: two23@aol.com (Two23)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: cold weather photography
Date: 22 Oct 1998
Does anyone have any advice re care of cameras in extreme cold,
I tend to leave my camera gear in my truck, outdoors, during the
Winter.
When I do bring it inside, I leave it in its well padded (and
therefore insulated) closed bag for 3 to 4 hours before opening the bag.
This allows the temp to equalize slowly, preventing condesation which can
eventually ruin the camera and lenses.
If you spend much time at minus 25 F or colder, I would recommend a
manual camera like the Nikon FM2n for two reasons. The first is that
batteries die quickly (like after 2 rolls) in something like my N90s, and
second when it gets really cold the film can become too brittle for
anything but a manual lever to crank reliably without shattering the film.
I sometimes rubberband one of those chemical handwarmers to the back of my
camera. The grease in the AF lenses can also thicken noticeably and slow
things down, further draining batteries and straining the little motor.
There are remote battery packs available for most cameras that would allow
you to keep the battery next to your body and connect to the camera via
cable and help a great deal.
I like to wear those thin Thermax or
Thermastat liner gloves when handling the camera when it's below zero (F).
Taking a camera from a warm house into the cold does not seem to cause any
problems, but taking a cold camera into a warm room will instantly fog
every surface of glass from the eyepiece on through to the filter on the
lens, making the camera useless as well as very wet.
Also, when using the
camera's meter in the Winter, keep in mind that you may have to do some
exposure compensation as camera meters are designed to interpret
everything as 18% gray. On bright sunny days out in the snow, I often add
+2 stops to what the camera suggests.
Kent in South Dakota
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: danksta@ns.sympatico.ca (Terry Danks)
[1] Re: Extreme cold weather shooting
Date: Sat Oct 31 1998
>[Strenholm] > >> Yes, your film will react slower. how much I don't know but I have >> run into reciprocity failure at about 10F degrees. [snip}
I don't believe this to be true. In fact amateur astronomers
actually chill film to INCREASE its sensitivity. I do not
believe cold causes reciprocity failure. Certainly I noticed
no such effect in my experience . . see below.
I used to photograph in the Yukon at temperatures
of minus 40 C. Had no problems however it was with
a manual Nikon F2 where the battery only operated
the meter. I feel sure such temperatures would quickly
kill a camera relying on battery power to operate the
mechanics. Moisture was not a problem in that RH's
were so low even indoors . . . obviously you don't
expose a chilled camera to a moist kitchen environment.
Also I don't suppose I was ever out in the cold so long
that the camera actually chilled to the minus 40 C of the
ambient air but the thing certainly was, well, COLD!
I did have problems with the film shattering. Advancing
the film "normally" would tear the film along the spocket
holes. I learned to advance the film VERY slowly and it
seemed to work. Again a modern camera with motorized
advance might not work well under these conditions. . .
the motor, if it functions as all, might tear the sprocketed
edges of the film all to heck.
Terry Danks
Nova Scotia
CANADA
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/danksta/home.htm
From: strenholm@aol.com (Strenholm)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Extreme cold weather shooting
Date: 29 Oct 1998
Yes, your film will react slower. how much I don't know but I have run
into reciprocity failure at about 10F degrees. film will also become
brittle and actually break when advanced. but that is when it is
extremely cold. Keep the camera warm and if you can't do that overexpose
a little bit good luck and say hi to all my reletives
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: jcaywood@my-dejanews.com
[1] Re: Extreme cold weather shooting
Date: Sat Nov 21 1998
I've used a medical heat pack called thermo-pad in by camera case. It is an
instant pad that's reusable. I found their web site at thermo-pad.com
> >> Keep the camera warm and if you can't do that > >temperature, because what really can cause problems is temperature > >changes. That is, an increase in temperature causes condensation and > >there's a risk of ice forming on the camera as well as inside it. > > Actually, it's not an increase in temperature that causes > condensation, but exposure to warm, humid air. If you have a > heat source that isn't humid, it can help prevent condensation. > > Sticking a cold camera under your jacket is probably a bad idea, > I use a small glove-warmer heat pack in my camera bag -- not all > > In cold weather I'll usually put my camera in a plastic bag > before bringing it in from the cold -- that prevents condensation > from forming in the first place. But it does also slightly > extend the warming-up time, too.
rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: jchow@atom.isl.melco.co.jp (James Chow)
[1] Re: Medium-format and wild-life / nature
Date: Mon Nov 23 1998
> Since people usually take a bunch of manual cameras with them to the > arctic (Olympus and Leica M's come to mind) then I would assume they > would work best there. However, it can get rather cold in outer space and > if the Hasselblad can work up there, then I would assume it could take > the arctic cold. However, if you are going up there, regardless of your > equipment, the first thing you should do is take your cameras and lenses > in a repair place and have them change all the lubricants in each one of > them. From what I heard if you don't change it the lubricants get all > thick and gummy in the cold.
This is a very important point. If you're going to be shooting around zero
or colder, you need the lubricants in your lenses changed, especially if
they're leaf shutter lenses. An electronic camera will work, too, but you
need one of those battery attachments to keep the battery warm in your
pocket.
As noted above, you can put an Olympus, Leica M, or even a Nikon in your
pocket/parka until the moment you shoot, but you can't do that with a MF or
LF camera. Don't be worried about the mechnical vs electronic thing as long
as you keep the batteries warm (or use cold weather lithiums, or those
batteries made for ice climbing helmet lights, etc.). After all,
communications satellites in outer space are all electronic and are
subject to extreme temperature changes, so electronics can definitely
handle cold temps.I'd imagine you're going to have problems shooting a 4x5
monorail in strong winds.
--Jim
From: Tony and Arlene Sanchez tonyarl@ix.netcom.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Camera in the Cold
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998
> > What are the usual precautions to take when going from inside to > outside? I plan to do some winter photography, and I don't like the > idea of damaging my equipment. > > Richard
Hello:
Well, the most common is to put your equipment in a sealed bag (usually
a zip-lock) and then bring it in from the cold. Remove it from the bag
once the equipment's temp matches the inside temp. Going from inside to
the cold outside doesn't require anything special.
- Tony
From: snowshoe@xyz.net (Jan Flora)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Texas Winter
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998
jpad@flash.net wrote:
>I live in the north east part of Texas next door to Dallas. When we >have winter here it is cold rainy, wet and nasty. We don't get a nice >little snowfall we get ICE and lots of of it usually, but really just >rain all of the time. Ok now to my question :) I want to continue to >use my camera a Canon Rebel G, outdoors and in even if it is raining. >Is there something special as far as equipment need. I read of using a >clear plastic bag with a hole in it. Any help is appreciated. > >Jeff >TEXAS
You have actual *winters* in Texas? I find that hard to believe...
How about wearing a duster and a big hat, to keep the rain off your
camera? When it's snowing like crazy up here in Alaska, I keep my
camera tucked under my jacket until I shoot. But when it's snowing
that hard, I always wear a big hat (usually a Bailey cowboy hat)
and that protects my camera from snowflakes. Or shoot your underwater
camera when it's weathering out there on you. That works well too :)
The idea of winter in Texas still cracks me up. We've gotten over a foot
of snow here in the last 20 hours, and there's another storm on the
way. The local cops are telling everyone to stay home, unless it's an
emergency, since the road crews can't plow the roads as fast as the
snow is filling them up. (I think they would call this a blizzard anywhere
else. In Alaska, we just call it heavy snow with wind.) I know 40oF.
and rain isn't funny, but son, it ain't winter either...
Best fishes,
Jan in Homer, Alaska
(FIL and all neighbors are ex-pat Texans, from the Panhandle)
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "Michael K. Davis" zilch0@primenet.com
[1] Re: protecting camera in winter
Date: Fri Jan 15 1999
Hi!
zalfot@my-dejanews.com wrote:
: What is the best way to protect the camera from condensation when going back : indoors after shooting outside in cold temperatures(below zero Celsius) ? : I'd greatly appreciate your opinions. : Thanks! : Zalman Lasker
While still outdoors, put the camera in a large Ziploc bag. Zip it shut
except for the last inch. Use the thumb and forefinger of each hand to
pucker the unzipped portion, forcing it to open wide where unzipped. Put
your mouth to the hole and suck all the air out, collapsing the Ziploc bag
around the camera. You don't need to establish a strong vacuum. The goal
is to evacuate the potentially moist air. Close the zipper. Watch the
bag for just a few seconds. If it starts expanding, it has a hole in it
and you'll have to get another one. I have found this to be pretty rare
when using new bags. Take the camera indoors and allow it to reach the
ambient temperature before opening. This takes longer than you would
think since the innards stay cold longer than the surface of the camera.
Be patient.
Drawing the air out of the bag before closing it is not necessary at all
if the outside temperature is at or less than -3 degrees C or about 26
degrees F. The outside air will be so dry that no moisture will condense
on the camera as long as the bag is sealed, whether loose or tight.
Even if you can't pull a vacuum on the bag, because it leaks a little, the
majority of the threat which comes from the moisture laden indoor air
outside the bag will be sufficiently blocked as long as the bag is closed
and not opened prematurely.
Mike Davis
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "Tony and Arlene Sanchez" tonyarl@ix.netcom.com
[1] Re: protecting camera in winter
Date: Sat Jan 16 1999
Hello:
I just came back from the cold - I also live in Minnesota. I wrapped my
N90s with lens attached in a plastic bag and wrapped 2 other lenses (I
figure there's some electronic chips in them) in another bag and put them
in my camera bag.
You are probably correct that for the most part, it is not necessary.
However, I don't want to take any chances because I had a F3HP that was
damaged due to condensation about 4 years ago. It cost me $220 to fix - all
the electronics had to be replaced. Prior to that, I never had any problems
with the F3HP going from cold to hot. You'll never know when it'll hit.
Even if I had a manual camera such as an FM2n, I would still take the above
precaution to protect the electronics for the meter. For a totally manual
camera, such as my Rolleiflex TLR, I don't do anything special for it when
bringing it in from the cold.
- Tony
stafford@wind.winona.msus.edu wrote
>zalfot@my-dejanews.com wrote: >> What is the best way to protect the camera from condensation when going back >> indoors after shooting outside in cold temperatures(below zero Celsius) ? >> I'd greatly appreciate your opinions. > >Forgive my ignorance, but is it a REAL problem? I use only manual >cameras, I live in Minnesota and I've never had a problem with winter >conditions (other than the usual stiff lens focusing). When I bring >the hardware inside, I merely remove the lens and back and let it warm >normally. Unless you have the highly unlikely condition of high >humidity indoors in the winter, that's all you really need to do.
From: "Jim MacKenzie" dusyk&barlow;@cableregina.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Camera in the Cold
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998
David Forsyth wrote
>When I go out in the cold with my cam I keep it inside my jacket most >of the time. Thus the camera is too warm to get condensation on it >when I take it out briefly for use. A zip front jaclet worksnicely >for this, and a nice neck strap. >However, I will admit 'im not going out in snow conditions, generally >no lower than 5 degrees Celcius....this is subtropical Africa after >all...
(When we prairie Canadians hear of a 5-degree forecast in mid-winter, we get
out our swim trunks!) :)
I don't think this is such a great idea, unless it's snowing or raining.
Condensation occurs because of the temperature difference between
camera/lens and air, not because of cold.
I let my cameras out into the cold and use them normally (keeping them in my
camera bag when not in use, around my neck or on the tripod when they are in
use). I keep the camera bag in my car trunk so that they cool off slowly as
I get to my photographic destination, and stay cold. When I am done
shooting, I return the gear to the bag, put it back in the trunk, go home,
and bring in the bag. I don't open the bag for a few hours until the gear
is back up to room temperature.
The big problem with cold weather is battery power. You need good, fresh
batteries to work in the cold (and I'm talking about real cold, not wimpy
South African cold *grin*). Have a spare set in your pocket or inside your
jacket, so you can swap batteries if the one in use needs a rest. Warm the
old one back up again and you should be able to use it again.
I have shot in temperatures down to -25 C or so with good success.
In conditions like these, there is some incentive to use a less-automated
camera because of the need of new cameras for battery power. I have an old
Nikkormat FTn (fully mechanical body) which I use in all conditions but
purchased primarily for use in extreme cold weather. If changing batteries
frequently would be a hardship, consider such a plan. If you're shooting
landscapes and scenics and the conditions aren't changing too quickly, or
you really need fast film advance and automated exposure / autofocus, you'll
just have to change batteries from time to time.
One other thing: in extremely cold, dry weather (as we get in the
prairies), you can get little lightning bolt marks from winding or rewinding
rapidly. With a manual camera, you can wind slowly and rewind carefully,
but with an autofocus body, the camera is doing this work for you. Set your
motor drive to the slowest practical speed (which may not help; sometimes
the motor still advances at full speed, but it pauses before advancing to
the next frame), and if you have a slow-speed rewind (or even better, manual
rewind - like the Nikon F4 and F5 have), use it.
Jim
P.S. - It's +2 C today but the forecast is calling for a cold front to roll
through today, with temperatures dropping down to about -30 C by Saturday
night / Sunday morning, so if you want to test it, come on down. :)
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: Stafford@wind.winona.msus.edu (John J Stafford)
[1] Cold Weather
Date: Fri Feb 12 1999
I've been using mechanical, no-battery cameras forever, and the greatest
difficulty I've ever had in cold weather was stiff focusing. I can handle
that.
But last weekend I tried a Canon EOS Elan, auto-everything for shooting
some races on the ice. It screwed up totally. Stuck, stopped. Then the
owner told me that "30 degrees F" was the lowest recommended operating
temp.
For real? What do you all do when shooting in cold weather (say, 20
degrees and colder)?
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "J. S. Oppenheim" commart@smart.net
[1] Re: Cold Weather
Date: Fri Feb 12 1999
For the FM2, Nikon, which doesn't need batteries to shoot, only for
metering, Nikon nonetheless makes an external battery pack that stays on
the photographer's body and transmits electricity through a thin wire to
the camera. I don't own the device. What I do own is a Sekonic meter
with sensitive photochemical cell, thereby eliminating the need for
batteries altogether for shooting.
Jim
rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "Eric Edelman" ericedelman@earthlink.net
[1] Re: Cold Weather
Date: Fri Feb 12 1999
You can keep your camera warm by keeping it under your jacket, or keeping
your batteries in your pocket.
Several of the manufacturers offer auxiliary battery packs designed to go
under your jacket and be plugged into the camera. Batteries just don't seem
to perform well in the cold.
--
Eric Edelman
EricEdelman@*nospam*earthlink.net
From: "James A. Tarantino" visions@premier1.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Cold weather shooting
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998
> Hi group - Happy New Year. > I'm heading to New England tomorrow, and will be doing some shooting in cold > winter temperatures. I will be bringing a Nikon FE and F3HP; do I need to know > anything before I start shooting outdoors? I'm concerned about how my cameras > and lenses will handle the temperature change from indoors to out (and > vice-versa); is there a proper way to let your camera warm back up again, other > than just put it on the counter and forget about it? > > I apologize if this sounds incredibly stupid; since I live in the upper > midwest, I'd like to start doing lots of outdoor photography year-round. > > Thanks for the help, > Jeff Gillan
Jeff,
From in to out won't be a problem it is the versa you need to be careful
of. If you have a camera bag leave it in the bag for a couple of hours
and let it gradually get back to room temp. Also I put the camera and
lenses in plastic zip lock bags before I bring them back into the house
to help with this also. If you don't take any precautions you will get
condensation on the inside of the camera and lens which is not good.
Also I carry a couple of extra batteries in an inside pocket so they
stay warm and switch to one of these when the one in the camera gets
cold and dies. Put the cold one in your pocket for awhile and it will
work again. IF you will be in a vehicle and stopping frequently to shoot
(in and out etc...) I leave the heat off in the vehicle (you should be
dressed for the cold weather anyway) till done. My vehicle doesn't have
a trunk (it's a baby blazer) if yours does you can put your equipment in
there so it doesn't do the freeze thaw routine. be careful when bringing
the camera towards your eye also.
If you breath on the viewfinder it
will fog up and you won't be able to see through it till it clears. Same
goes for lenses if you breath on them they will take a long time to
clear. And try not to clean lenses etc outside do it before hand and be
careful so you won't need to clean them in the field. Most lens cleaners
have some alcohol in them but are largely water and it can freeze onto
lenses etc...
If you wear layers of clothes (which seems to work best
when it gets really cold) try and keep the camera in the outer most
layer when not shooting this will keep it somewhat warm without worry of
condensation and will help the batteries last longer and keep the
shutter working smoothly.
Be careful with the film as it gets brittle in
cold weather so rewind it slowly. If you rewind it to fast it can create
static electricity in the cold weather and you will get what looks like
lighting across the film, basically the film records the light from the
static. Basically try to keep all the equipment at the same temp
including the film.
I hope this doesn't scare you away from shooting
just use your common sense and by all means have fun.
Good Luck and
Merry Happy. -JT-
From Nikon Mailing List Digest:
Date: Sat, 03 Jul 1999
From: Bill Malloch north@ssimicro.com
Subject: [NIKON] Re: nikon - How Cold
here in Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories I use my Nikon
gear for possibly 8 months of the year. After a half hour at -30 or
colder the displays in my F90X and F801s disappear regardless of how
warm or fresh your batteries are. The smallest amount of lubricant in
the body becomes as hard as congealed grease. The auto-wind, shutter and
anything with a mechanical movement slows down or stops altogether. I
needed a body (for northern lights shots) that would sit on a tripod at
temps as low as -45 degrees for 3 to 5 hours at a time and still not
freeze up. My solution was to get a like new Konica T3N body, a
28mm/f1.8 Konica Hexanon lens and send both to Konica Canada for
complete degreasing and re-lubing with synthetic low temp grease/oil. I
believe Nikon used to do this with their manual bodies but I do not know
if this service is still offered or not. I do know that at -45 degrees
for 4 hours the Konica does not even slow down and has a shutter release
like silk. At one time the Copal Square shutter (used in Konica's) was
the best cold weather shutter around. I may be wrong but I think the
early Nikons had this shutter. Anyways, our latest auto everything tools
are not always the best in temperature extremes. cheers
------------------------------
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 3 Jul 1999
From: "Evan Mathison" camraman@direct.ca
Subject: Re: [NIKON] Re: nikon - How Cold
Hi Bill. As an EX Yukoner, I sympathize with your cold weather problems
don't miss 'em either ) You will find in using the Konica that not only is
it a very fine machine, but the lenses are superb! I would not hesitate to
shoot the Hexanons right along side my Nikkors.
I'm afraid that the newer generation of electronic cameras, regardless of
make or cost are not going to prove to be useable in the kinds of extreme
environments as mentioned.
A winterized Nikon F2AS ( still haven't been able to let go of my
mechanical masterpiece despite having gone to an F4 ) however would give you
the opportunity to use your Nikkors and would survive the rigors ( you
would still have to use a "cold weather" battery pack ) Happy shooting,
Evan...
From: "JP" cruguel@dms.umontreal.ca
Subject: Re: Photography at very cold temperatures
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm,sci.astro.amateur
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999
Hi Ignacio,
I shot quite a lot in winter here in Quebec. The best thing I found was to
keep the camera in your jacket (big and warm one) as much as you can. It
keeps the camera a lot warmer that outside.
If it stops working completely (it can happen). Storing it for a while a
warm environment (room or jacket) should get it back up in less than 1/2
hour.
Working with a tripod is penible. Metal tripod are recomended (new plastics
may be looked at, but cheap ones are very likely to break at such temp).
AF won't work long. It will hide all the time anyway. Mechanical camera are
recommended but not compulsary. There is less to be attacked by the cold.
For gloves, that's the most important thing I think. I used ones with the
tops removed, like suggested by someone. But I would not recommend those.
When fingers are cold, there is nothing you can do to get them warm. It's
very very long. I usually put them around my neck, that's the best. Don't
squize to much;).
I 'd rather have complete gloves. Probably 2 pairs, a big one to be removed
easily and a light polar one.
Batteries may be a problem. I would work as manual as possible. I never
used flash, I would be careful about it. it may drains your batteries very
quickly. Get a lot of film and spare batteries.
Have a ggod time.
JP
Ignacio Taboada itaboada@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu wrote
> Hello, > > > This comming November I'll have the rare oportunity to travel to the > South pole. I've been wondering what effects the cold temperature could > have on my camera and on the film. What precautions may I take? > > During late spring the typical temperature in the South Pole goes > from -20 C ( -4F) to -50 C (-58F). I'll be there for a month, so I can > wait for a 'good wheather day'. > > My camera is nikon N70 (F70 outside US) and it does need battery for > everything. I've heard that the batteries used by the N70 (cr 123) are > better than usual at cold temperatures. My N70 manual says that at 20 C > ( 68 F ) a new pair of batteries lasts about 120 rolls (no flash) and at > -20 C (-4F) they last about 80 rolls. Does anybody have experience with > this? > Keeping my camera inside my clothing to keep it warm is probably out > of the question. > > What about film sensitivity? Will it increase with low temperatures? > Do I have to compensate the exposure because of this? > > Sorry for crossposting to sci.astro.amateur (It's sligthly off > topic), but I now that astrophotography frequently involves cold > temperatures. > > Other advise regarding photography at cold temperatures is very > wellcome. > > > Cheers, > > Ignacio Taboada >
From: two23@aol.comSPAMnot (Two23)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Photography at very cold temperatures
Date: 27 Jul 1999
When fingers are cold, there is nothing you can do to get them
warm.
While it doesn't get extremely cold here in South Dakota, I do commonly
go out taking photo's when it is minus 32 F, and the coldest I've ever
been in was minus 43F. Those chemical handwarmers work well at warming
fingers as well as getting a frozen camera working again. I tape (masking
tape) the handwarmer across the camera back and stick it in a bag or an
inside pocket.
Batteries don't last long in my N90s, but do last longer when I turn
off the AF. I have the best luck with my Bronica ETRS and my wife's old
Minolta SRT. If I were going on such a trip, I would buy a used Nikon FM2
to use as a back up to my N90s, then sell the FM2 when I got home. Test
film before you go--stick a few different brands in your freezer and crank
the temp way down. Take the film out and see how brittle it is by pulling
some out. You can also test your camera and gear this way. Be sure to
put you camera/lens into a big plastic bag as you pull it out of the
freezer or it will get condensation all over it. In the Winter, I just
leave my camera out in my truck all the time. BTW, I've had good luck with
Fuji Reala print film in the cold. Many films have a "warm" bias and
color the snow, so watch out. Same with Skylight filters (but not UV
filters.) I often shoot Kodak E100S slide film in the Winter, although it
will go blue in the shade. I think Fuji makes a film that gives clean
whites too, but can't remember which.
Kent in SD
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999
From: Pierlucio Pellissier ppellissier@cegep-st-laurent.qc.ca
Subject: [NIKON] Re:how cold is cold
Hello soon-t-be-frozen canadian fellows
sure we know how cold is cold and how colder shooting outside in
canadian winter can get. I froze my left hand joints in Mt-Tremblant
(Qu‚) in -54øC weather while skiing and taking off the gloves to shoot
with an FE (I knew I shouldn't do it, I come from a familly of mountain
guides and we have some lore about those things, but stupid me is stupid ;-).
That's one of the reasons I tend to prefer mechanical bodies.
I shot with an Exacta in the sixties while mountaineering in the Alps,
never got a problem (the camera was lost in a rubble chute!) since then
I always used Nikons mechanical and I hated the couple of times I had to
use Minoltas and Canon, flimsy things!
Few words of advice :
a) in cold weather the film becomes brittle so advance the lever slowly;
b) the camera becomes cold (of course) so it will get condensation (in
and out) when entering a warm place. That's the same effect you get when
you take a beer out of the fridge - thus try to warm up the camera
gradually or put it inside a plastic sealed bag - of the kind you use
for fridged items
When going out this condensation will freeze instantly - result you can
have mechanical failures and you'll surely get a frosted lens surface (
nice effects BTW)
c) as someone on the list kindly pointed out to me some years ago, get a
soft release (AR-1 I think) mushroom kind of contraption that screws on
the release button ang makes it larger. It worked fot the older F, I
don't know for the new models
Otherways use a cable release so you can keep your gloves on ;-) (Once
bitten twice shy!!)
d) Changing films can become a problem because of the brittleness of the
film - be slow and careful
Jeff's suggestions about batteries are sensible, try to get the
batteries in a warm place as soon as you can.
Generally, try to avoid being in Canada in winter ;-)
Ciao, Pierlucio in Montreal
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000
From: Zoran Nenezic zodne@beotel.yu
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: cold weather shooting
The film speed does not change in cold weather, but when using long
exposure times reciprocity law failure is less important than with normal
temperatures. This effect was used in astronomical cameras tht have cooled
film up to -100 C to shorten exposure times.
From Leica User Group
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999
From: "Alan Hull" hull@telia.com
Subject: Re: [Leica] Cold camera cold film
Thank you very much for the information and the hints and tips about
operating a camera in cold weather. It appears that I have been
following the wrong advice for years.
This is what I have learned from the posts both on-list and off-list.
1. Carry the camera exposed to ambient air.
2. Pay attention to persperation that can cause condensation.
3. Be thankfull that I have a mechanical M as they work down to -20C.
4. No special winterizing on a mechanical M.
5. Use the right eye and direct breath away from the camera.
6. The focussing ring will be the first to seize, set hypefocal
distance before it happens.
7. Film and lens changing is a problem use a second body if possible.
8. Protect the camera when returning to a warm room to prevent camera
damage.
9. Sight the lens in ambient air for fog.
10. Keep your long underwear on.
All this is really excellent advice and I am very grateful for luggers
taking the time to share their experience. In particular I want to
point out that a lot of the above information arrived off-list and I
hope the posters don't mind if I included it in this summary. Emanual
Lowi also gave some great advice on protecting the camera when
returning home, which will probably save me some repair bills. Again,
many thanks.
Alan
From Leica User Group
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999
From: Ted Grant tedgrant@islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Leica] Cold camera cold film
Carl Socolow wrote:
>That being said, I would put my camera and lens in plastic prior to >taking inside so that any condensation forms on this outer barrier >rather than on cold camera surfaces. Once camera temp has equilibrated >to room temp then you can remove it.>>>>
Hi Carl,
Excellent advice puttting the camera in a zip lock freezer bag ...BEFORE
GOING INSIDE.... otherwise the camera and lens become soaking wet with
condensation.
And if you find you have to return outdoors....your camera is toast. oops I
mean "frozen solid!!!":)
Along the line of workig out doors in the cold then having to go inside to
shoot before everything warms up......keep another lens of similar focal
length inside your jacket/parka to keep as warm as your body, then if you
do need to shoot as soon as going indoors, pop the inner lens on and it
wont fog and you can acrry right on shooting,
Yep the body will be wet on the outside but it wont affect the picture
taking as it's the lens you need to worry about more than anything else.
Besides a dry hanky can clear the condensation off the view finder window
as it will for sure become immpossible to see through.
used this system many times as a news photographer in Ottawa. Even on plain
ordinary fall cold days.
ted
From: "Jim Covill" covill@istar.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: cold weather camera (and wind chill)
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999
Growing up in Canada, with the windchill factor quoted in most winter
weather reports, I've read most of this thread with both awe and
disbelief.
To that end please go to the following web site for info on the windchill
factor and windchill
http://www1.tor.ec.gc.ca/cd/windchill/pg2_e.cfm
In university, we discussed the windchill factor in an oceanography course
I took. It caused a great discussion then as now.
Jim
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000
From: steelhead steelhead@Ihatespam.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: Big Lenses, How do you do it??
A good sport shop has many types of gloves for fishing. Some have
fingers that may be bent back and held there with velcro so you can
feel the line etc. Many lightweight styles to choose from. Perfect for
photography in veryu cold weather.
steelhead
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1999
From: A. Server alant@bdm.local.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: 40 frames out of 60 rolls, only 5 really that good?
I have lived in Alaska and visited the high arctic in winter and
summer. One should consider:
o it is colder than a well digger's day off
o the wind blows a much of the time, making it seem colder and
visibility to go straight to hell
o to deal with the first two, you are bundled up like the offspring
of the Michelin tire man and the Pillsbury dough boy
o it is mostly dark to twilight
o the subject is white to yellow-white and ALL of the background
is...
o the subject has an annoying habit of seeing everything as food or
potential amusement (then food)
o Murphy works overtime in the arctic
o Pro's who have to make a living in a competitive world are much,
much more critical of photos than most of the posters on this
newsgroup; -such as those who insist that they get good results
handholding 300mm lenses at 1/125 or less...
The National Geographic short film on T. Mangelsen's work around
Churchill Bay illustrated some of the problems for even a relatively
affluent, very experienced and well prepared photographer. (He had
been working on a film on Polar Bears for over 10 YEARS) He still has
(IMO) some of the best images from Churchill Bay.
raul_lithgo@my-deja.com wrote:
>I was reading an issue of Photo Life magazine for an article on >wildlife photography by Daryl Benson. In it he talks about visiting >Churchhill Manitoba to shoot polar bears. He says was was able to only >get 40 good images from over 60 rolls of shot film. He then adds that >only five "could stand on their own withough any digital 'massaging'". > > >I have not shot at Churchill, but can getting publication quality >photos really be that hard?
[Ed. note: Many Thanks! to Dennis for sharing these handy tips!!]
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000
From: Dennis Anderson auroraak@pti.net
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: photography in the cold
I have been enjoying aurora and astronomical photography
for many years in cold country.
Films do not slow down in the cold (reciprocity failure
decreases on many films- increasing their recording ability on long
exposures- but not until extremes of 100 below or more). Cameras do
however slow down (perhaps this can explain some of the reports of irratic
film speeds).
I shoot manual cameras only. (Olympus, Nikon, Cannon)
Condensation is less of a factor at minus 40 than closer
to freezing or above zero as the air is usually very dry at extreme low
tempuratures. Freezing my beard to the camera/tripod is a bigger problem.
A couple factors that contribute to cold fingers are
smoking and drinking alcohol, which both decrease circulation to the
extremities.
Proper clothing from head to toes is essential. 100-below
boots are no good if you don't have a good hat.
Lubrication is a problem. My 25 year-old OM1 still runs
like a champ (never been lubed) but a newer freshly lubricated one freezes
up at below zero.
Film is brittle. Some more than others. Wind slowly and
manually.
Re-wind equally slowly as not only can the film break but
the low dry tempuratures are more prone to static discharges.
Never try to squeeze that "extra shot" off the end of the
roll. It will break for sure.
I prefer to use short rolls as opposed to long ones since
this seems to ease some of the stress of advancing and re-winding film.
Sometimes I attempt very long shots- up to 12 or more
hours- and this can result in ice cristals forming on the lens. I have
used a can of compressed air warmed under my coat to get rid of these
during the exposure.
Do not warm your camera inside your clothing as your
persperation will condense on a cold camera. If you have to, only warm the
batteries in this fashion or keep extras this way.
Don't expect a cable release to work properly at 40
below. I havn't found one yet that will and I have had dozens in all price
ranges. They get too stiff. Instead rely on a massive tripod and hold
still. Mirror lock-up and self timers help.
Recently I shot outside all night with tempuratures that
ranged from minus 37 to minus 44 (with some wind thrown in for good
measure) and didn't expirience any major difficulties with my camera
equipment (although a piece of cast aluminum on one of my Bogen tripods
snapped when I was setting the legs). However, I almost drove into the
ditch as I was turning into a gas station in the morning because my
steering had become impossibly stiff in the cold.
Make sure you have a reliable vehicle and survival gear.
(Bring matches because lighters do not function in this kind of cold.)
Remember this as some folks pay with their lives every winter up here.
Hope this helps someone and happy shooting.
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999
From: "Pauer" pauer@@spamEcide.ils.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: sub zero temperature country
Condensation occurs when transitioning from cold to warm.
Once my cameras gets cold, they stay out until ready to come indoors.
Here are some quick points to help you.
The Camera and shooting:
1) yes the battery will die fairly quickly at -20c or so , keep warm
spares in your inside pocket and rotate them when one gets slow. It will
recover as it warms.
2) How old is your cameras, the new plastic wonders do not require
lubrication, the old metal ones did need to have the lubricants removed
before shooting in subzero conditions, and replaced afterwards. EXPENSIVE
operation.
3) Rapid winding in dry cold can produce internal static discharges that
show up on film.
4) Cold film is brittle and can break in the camera, I have not had this
happen since moving up to the new self winding cameras, It happened more
often than I would like with my old manual wind canon f- series. (operator
heavy thumb fault).
The Operator:
1) cover your tripod with foam pads, the metal will freeze your *** off.
2) Use warm layered cloths and thin gloves for shooting under heavy mitts,
keep fingers covered as much as possible,
3) Watch your breath, when viewing through the finder your breath will
rise and condense in the finder window.
Camera: returning indoors.
1)Place camera, lenses, film in large ZipLock bags and squeeze out the air
then seal them. Then take indoors and do not open until equipment is up to
room temperature, the condensation will occur on the outside of the
ziplock bags. You might want to throw some silica gel packets in with the
equipment.
2)Or I place all my equipment in a Pelican airtight case that has been out
and is as cold as the equipment, seal and take in same effect as the bags.
Have fun shooting, and watch your exposure, all that white will fool your
meter.
Peter Pauer
Silver Wind Studio
......
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999
From: "Owen P. Evans" opevans@istar.ca
Subject: [NIKON] F5 Cold Weather
Hi Joseph, I live in Canada and I have had my F5 in temperatures of minus
30 C. with a wind chill factor pushing this to minus 40 C. Keep the
battery pack or MN-30 inside your coat to keep it warm until your going to
shoot. At these temperatures you should rewind the film manually because
the static from a power rewind can ruin the film and the batteries are
stressed at these temperatures too. Be careful with the lenses because the
grease can congeal or freeze. Be careful changing film; warm film from
your coat to a freezing camera body makes for condensation and ice
crystals.
Be careful with moisture on your hands from perspiration as your fingers
can freeze to the metal of the camera or lens. If I was going to the
Arctic or Antarctic, I'd bring an FM2n and leave the F5 at home.
Regards,
Owen
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999
From: Rob Stapleton foto@greatland.net
Subject: Re: [NIKON] F5 Cold Weather
Owen,
Below is good advice but, if you plan to use your gear in below OF
temps then have them winterized, grease out of lenses and cameras too.
Rob Stapleton
Anchorage Alaska
- -
Owen P. Evans wrote:
> Hi Joseph, > I live in Canada and I have had my F5 in temperatures of minus 30 C. with a
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1999
From: Chris McKernan chrismck10@home.com
Subject: Re: [NIKON] Best film for cold weather (was F5 in the cold)
I'll agree on this Rob. There is no substitution for Kodachrome when
shooting in extreme cold. The film tend to be more flexible, when other
become brittle.
Stay away from Fuji and Ektachrome, especially Elite chrome.
I was talking with Pall Stefansson (Iceland Photographer - although all he
talked about was Leica) regarding this exact problem, as he shoots in
these conditions very often.
He wasn't aware of this, tended to simply be very careful with his film.
Are there any other Extreme Cold 'safe' films out there?
Chris
Rob Stapleton wrote:
> Ditto on the FM2, but not the FE. I used one this weekend in Fairbanks in > 0 F weather and after two hours it locked up. FM's are good in the cold > too. > As for the film, Kodachrome is the only film that I have found that can > be > used in cold and high altitude with a motordrive or winder. I have tested > several films and cameras and found that K-64 works with a motor at 20,000 > feet down to -40C. The batteries didn't work well in the motor but the > film didn't rip at the sprokets like Fuji and Ektachrome E6 films. > Rob Stapleton
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999
From: "Hornford, Dave" Dave.Hornford@compaq.com
Subject: [NIKON] RE: Film in Cold
Rob,
What films have you looked at, and did you notice a difference between
just cold and altitude rather than both.
regards Dave
As for the film, Kodachrome is the only film that I have found that can be
used in cold and high altitude with a motordrive or winder. I have tested
several films and cameras and found that K-64 works with a motor at 20,000
feet down to -40C. The batteries didn't work well in the motor but the
film didn't rip at the sprokets like Fuji and Ektachrome E6 films.
From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000
From: Gabriel Barton gabriel@weh.rwth-aachen.de
Subject: [CONTAX] Aria in cold weather
Hello Contax-group,
as some of you know I have spent a vacation in the Swedish "Sarek"
Nationalpark, where I did some cross-country skiing.
I used a half year old Aria with a variety of lenses from 25 to 135 mm
focal length. The camera was supplied with electrical power by a
external battery case, which was kept warm in my pockets.
The temperatures encountered during the 8 days hike were between -11
degrees centigrade and -25 degrees centigrade. There was no chance to
store the camera in warmer temperatures, because we had to sleep in a
tent and due to the lack of space in the tent we have left all our
equipment outside. So all the photo equipment was always kept in these
low temperatures.
In all the temperatures the camera worked fine, but the built in
LCD-displays became very slow as the motor drive did. As I can see from
the slides, the eqposure meeter worked fine, as well as the shutter did.
(As a precautionary measure I have not used shutter speeds faster than
1/500 of a second, as I expect the fast speeds to become the first ones
not working properly).
If somebody is interested which film I used: It was Fuji Provia 100 F.
Hope this report was of some interest.
Gabriel
Date: 4 Apr 2000
From: mhuang@bu.edu (maohai huang)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: High Altitude Photo Tips/Equipment?
keith (bogus-email@i-hate-spam.com) wrote:
: but I found that at about minus 5C and : colder the aperature blades on one of my zoom lenses will stick.
this is really a problem of the lens than a mechnical vs AF camera issue.
I think you should get the oil off the blades. I have used my
un-winterized FM2n, n6006, and n8008s at -35C for hours (keep them in the
parka as much as i could) without problems. the LCD on the 6006 would turn
black. but it is temporary and doesn't affect other functions. The
Alkaline batteries in the 8008s would die first (actually NiCads would die
even earlier), the Lithium batteries last longer. The 8008s would
sometimes get so cold that the back wouldn't open when I wanted to change
film.
Generally speaking, metal cameras cool down faster than the plastic ones.
That actually makes noticeable difference in very cold weather. OTOH with
a mecanical camera you can manually advance/rewind the film slowly. This
is good since at that kind of temperature film breaking/cracking is often
a bigger problem than camera/battery stopping working. It sucks if you
open your camera and find the film has broken in the middle and half of
the roll is still in the open spool.
: If I put it : inside my coat for a few minutes to warm up, it works great, but then you : have to worry about condensation on lenses.
A nice suprise I find in waring a vapor barrier shirt is that the camera
in my parka won't fog up.
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000
From: Anders Svensson Anders.-.Eivor.Svensson@swipnet.se
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: High Altitude Photo Tips/Equipment?
keith skrev:
> actually, cold temperatures mean you have to worry about more than battery > life. You dont need to get really cold before things start to act funny. My > good old Canon AE-1 works great, but I found that at about minus 5C and > colder the aperature blades on one of my zoom lenses will stick. If I put it > inside my coat for a few minutes to warm up, it works great, but then you > have to worry about condensation on lenses.
Can't tell about old Canons - just my Nikons and Minoltas. I have used
these cameras (SRT101, SR1, Nikkormat and F60) in temperatures
occasionally as low as -30C and quite often in temperatures around and
lower than -15C.
A sticky diaphragm (oily blades) is probably going to make problems in
cold weather, just like you say, and generally, a non serviced, non tested
camera on a expedition above 6.200 meters is never a good idea. A zoom may
be useful, but given the involvment of the mechanism and the many
interacting moving parts, I would prefer primes.
> The best way to test before you actually get out there is to put your camera > and lens(es) in the freezer for a while, and then see what problems occur > (dead batteries, sticky shutter, condensation, whatever)
I don't think that is a really good idea, even if it sounds like a way to
proof test the lenses. The relative humidity (relative water content) of
indoor air can (will) be high in humid climates, and a force freezing of a
camera may cause more bad than good. If the innards of the freezer is
frost and ice free, it can probably be done relatively safe. Count on
condensation water drops freezing solid inside the camera - wich is not
recommended. Note that in the real world, going from humid +20C to dry
-20C isn't going to happen often or at all.
Anders
From Hasselblad Mailing List;
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000
From: Peter Klosky Peter.Klosky@trw.com
Subject: Re: 201 F Body
I see what you are saying, that vibration damage is not visible. Another
"camera killer" is heat damage, from very hot car interiors and trunks.
Dries out the oil and foam, but can be difficult to see over Ebay or even
at the camera show.
[Ed.note: the other side - some hot film data...]
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: inthewry@yahoo.com (Just Joey)
Subject: Re: Effects of Temperature on Film
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999
A cheap and effective way to keep film fairly cool in hot weather is to
put the film in a zip-lock bag, and then wrap the bag up in a damp towel.
The evaporation process with keep the bag cool, and you can almost always
find water somewhere during the course of the day to re-moisten the towel.
Even in very hot conditions you probably won't need to do this more than
once or twice a day. I've used this method when traveling through the
American southwest in the summer, putting the towel and film on the floor
of the car behind my seat, and it never ceases to amaze me how effective
it is, even when the car sits in the sun for hours while I'm exploring
some great museum....
kenton_moore@baylor.edu wrote:
>What are the effects of temperature on film? I know that if film is to >be stored for some time it should be refrigerated, but I have some film >that has been around for a few months in a house that when the air >conditioning is off may be 90 or so degrees. Is the film ruined or has >it just lost some of its brilliance? How long would film need to be in >90 degree weather to be noticeably less good? Thanks a lot, Kent
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000
From: "Mitch Winkle" winklem@attglobal.net
Subject: Re: FG and batteries in the cold
There is a similar product (to the battery pack for your light) for your
FG. What you are searching for is a DB-2 battery pack. It holds AA's in a
little housing that you carry in your pocket to keep warm. There is a
wire attached to it with an adapter on the other end which replaces the
battery and battery cover on most of the SLR's of this era (F3,FM2,
FE2,FA,FG...). Not sure if it is still in production or not.
Mitch Winkle
winklem@attglobal.net
AC4IY
> The only problem I've > had with it is, while taking it along on outdoor winter activities, > the shutter has locked up when the battery gets too cold. For this > reason alone I was contemplating replacing the FG with a fully > mechanical FM2n. I realize there are batteries that function at > lower temperatures, for example NiMH, but do not know what the lowest > operating temperatures are for various batteries, or even if any are > recommended if at all available for the FG. BTW, I do not have a MD. > Suggestions?
[Ed. note: pelletier device coolers can also be converted to heat things
up, simply by swapping the leads ;-) see your cooler/heater's
instructions...]
From: "Scott Bacon" sbacon@naturalorderphoto.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000
Subject: Re: Keeping camera and film cool while camping
Shawn Grant ngc457@icx.net wrote
> I will be going camping in a few weeks. I am wondering if there are any tips > or advice on how to keep the camera cool and the film cool while camping. I > will be roughing it. I won't have the luxury of an RV. Instead I will be in > a tent. I will be bringing a few coolers. > Any advice would be appreciated.
Since you'll be car camping (not backpacking with a few coolers, I hope
:-) you may want to check out Coleman's cooler which plugs into a car
cigarette lighter. I borrowed one for a 2 week California road trip and it
worked like a charm. The price is a little steep at around $110. If you're
only going for a few days, I'd suggest an extra cooler with a block of ice
in a small garbage bag (or two) and keeping your film in ziploc freezer
bags. Hope this helps.
--
Scott Bacon
Natural Order Photography
http://www.naturalorderphoto.com
From: "B.B." dralicia@cheerful.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000
Subject: Re: -60C and a Hasselblad
Hello;
I live in the N.W.T. and do a lot of wildlife photography and I would
never use my 500 CM in temps under - 25 C for more the 30 min at a time.
I have used my Leicas in -35 C -40C without problems.
You didn't mention on what time of year you are coming to the great white
north. We now have 24 hours of daylight and in winter we have 24 hours of
darkness.
Hannibal.
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000
From: Derek Klein lycius@gmx.net
Subject: [NIKON] Re: low ambient temperatures
>Did anybody has also such experiance, working with cameras >at such extremy low temperature without technical problems ?
I regularly shot with my F70, and now my F90x, in temperatures between -
-20C and -30C in northern Ontario. Other than having to frequently switch
batteries (lithium AAs) between an inside coat pocket and the camera (the
MB-10 battery trays are esential for this) I've had no problems
whatsoever. I even took some photographs of the Christmas lights on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa two years ago during drizzling freezing rain. My
F70 was coated with ice by the time we were finished and showed no ill
effects once it had thawed (although I did try my best to cover it, it
proved futile). I remember once returning from a shoot with my dad in the
Yukon that was so cold that when we went inside I unthinkingly grabbed my
Manfrotto tripod leg with my bare hand and...I learned to never, never do
that again. :)
Derek
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000
From: "Larry Fasnacht" lfasnach@monarch.papillion.ne.us
Subject: Re: [NIKON] F5, low ambient temperatures
Thomas,
In my work I use my cameras in cold weather. Two years ago my all manual
camera quit on me and I bought an F90x as a replacement. I have used the
camera system at -11 degrees f. It worked fine as long as I had lithium
batteries in it. Also the SB-28 was still functioning.
One of the things I noticed was that the LCD displays were responding
rather slowly. Also you have to watch out that your breath doesn't come
in contact with some of the cold surfaces, such as the lens elements, as
it will cause them to ice over very quickly. I also noticed that when I
brought the camera back into the car, the entire unit iced over due to the
warm, more humid, interior of the vehicle. A large zip lock bag might be
a good idea. For now I keep the camera bag and all outside while I am
shooting. That way the bag gets cold too. When I am done I put the
camera back in the bag and bag back in the car. That way the gear inside
warms up more slowly.
On the back of the package for the lithium batteries I bought, there was a
statement about them being useful down to -40 f. The camera would stop
working fairly soon with alkaline batteries. It has been my experience
with other devices that NiCADs don't last long either.
I got an F5 this spring and have not been able to test its low temperature
performance yet. I would be very interested to know what kind of power
source they used in the tests you mentioned.
I have the NiMH battery for the F5 and was curious as to its low temp
performance.
As far as shutter times and such, I don't know. I have never had a
noticeable problem, but then I don't shoot slides so if the shutter was
off a little I probably wouldn't notice.
Larry f
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Otterbein" thomas@otterbein-inet.de
To: nikon@photo.cis.to
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000
Subject: [NIKON] F5, low ambient temperatures
> Hi all.... > > I got a magazine 'Nikon pro' during my visit at the > Nikon Service. > In the magazine are several reports about professionals > and their work and equipment. > > Two reports are from Ralf Hirschberger (session in Finland) > and David Tipling (session in Antarctic). > Both work with their F5 down to -35 deg.C. > > Tipling reported about the F801, F4 and F5. > The F801 stopped working, the F4 has some problems and the > F5 works without any problems at this temperatures. The used > accu were sufficiant for about 30 films. > From 175 films only 2 films were demaged (broken) due to the > cold. > > I heard and read from several 'mechanical camaras enthusiast' > that the 'electronic toys' will stop working at such temperatures. > > And now I'm positivley supprised, to read that even at such > low temperatures the F5 did their job. > One of the main problem of Hirschberger was, that the his nose > freeze to the camara body :-)) > > Did anybody has also such experiance, working with cameras > at such extremy low temperature without technical problems ? > > Bye.. > Thomas > -- > thomas@otterbein-inet.de
From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000
From: "arttie gonzo" gonzoj_98@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [NIKON] F5, low ambient temperatures
.....
I have used my n90s out to about 5-10(F) below zero and not had any
trouble with it, even with alkalines. I was not out very long though.
My FM2 on the other hand has been out in -65(F) a number of times. I just
let the whole camera/bag get cold and warm up slowly without opening it
once it was back inside. I always shoot with glasses/sunglasses on between
me and the eyepiece. Get a bare eye too close at that temp and the
eyepiece is instantly frozen over. Also, no motor drive, manual advance
gently and at a constant speed. Extra film was kept in it's plastic
containers, in my inner pocket and it never broke on me but I always tried
to shoot a roll pretty quickly and get it out of the camera. Although I
have had pretty good experiences with photography in the cold I always
have a changing bag handy just in case a roll does break in the camera.
I know a guy that shot pics at the south pole at 110 (f) below with a wind
chill of -190 (f) and his film survived, with a few static strikes on some
of the frames. His camera was a manual rangefinder of some sort (been too
many years to recall the exact brand). Somewhere I read that the shutter
on the FM2 was supposed to be accurate to 70 (f) below and I can attest to
it's performance near that temp. If I ever move back to Alaska I might
let you all know. It just does not get that cold in Wisconsin.
- -Robert
From Hasselblad Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000
From: Peter Klosky Peter.Klosky@trw.com
Subject: Re: film and heat
Tom,
I've conducted tests of baking film to see if it would generate a
color/density shift. I simply baked a roll of 35mm Kodak Vericolor color
negative film in my home oven overnight, then developed it. My best
recall is that it was about ten hours at 325 degrees F. I was looking for
some variation across the width of the film, but saw none. The film came
out just fine.
The motivation for this test was a problem with uneven density across the
film width I was having. My lab at the time was delivering inconsistent
results, in which there was often a red cast over the center of the film
width, and the edges where normal. Turns out they were already aware that
their KISS dip and dunk minilab was always having this trouble once the
number of cycles (rolls developed) went past a certain number. They tried
to blame the problem on my film handling. After some discussion with
other photographers, the chemistry freshness came into question. Those
chemicals cost money, and the lab was not getting the number of cycles
they expected. It was explained to me that the operator failed to rinse
the reels before putting them back through, the the bleach was weakening
the developer. My understanding is that so much as a drop of bleach can
have a significant effect on the developer.
Peter
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000
From: James Robinson wascana@my-deja.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: need tips for COLD region photography!
Brat wrote:
> I'm going to canada for a few weeks this december, and > expect some way-below-zero temperatures there, so i would be > grateful for any tips about equipment-related stuff. I'm > planning to do a lot of outdoor photography and i'm taking > my canon eos 50e and eos 1 plus 20-35L and 80-200L with me. > thanks alot for any help,
I have taken many photographs in winter weather, and haven't had many
problems. Temperatures down to -10C are not difficult to contend with,
but difficulties increase as the temperature drops lower. Depending on
where you are going, there is a good chance that the temperatures will
be mild in December, as it really doesn't get bitterly cold until
January thru February. As with all things related to weather, nothing
is guaranteed, however.
Here are some of the problems you might find:
- Loss of battery power. Your batteries will not be as effective in
cold weather as in warm. I typically use good condition nickle-cadmium
batteries for things like autowinders, as these batteries have quite low
internal resistance, and will function fairly well even in -30
temperatures. Note that you should also warm up the batteries before
recharging if they have cooled outside in below freezing temperatures.
This will help the batteries last longer. If you can, keep your camera
under your coat when you aren't shooting photos, as this will warm it up
somewhat.
- Moisture collecting on lens elements. If your camera has been outside
for an extended period, you might have condensation develop on the
lenses, and other parts of the camera for that matter, when you bring it
into a warmer, humid environment. This can happen, for example, when
you get back into an automobile after having been outside for an
extended period. I have had success in avoiding the worst of this by
carrying my camera under my coat, which also helps battery life, as
noted above. If is does occur, the moisture will typically evaporate
within a few minutes, but you should be aware of the problem to avoid
losing pictures to fuzzy focus, or having problems with delicate parts
in your camera. You can easily see if moisture is a problem, as it will
look like a fog deposited near the center of your lens elements. You
can also put your camera in a plastic bag before going into a warmer
place, if you don't need to get at the camera to change batteries or
film. The bag will keep away moisture while your camera warms up.
- Thickening lubricants. I have noticed this with older lenses, where
the lubricant would thicken up and make zooming and focusing a bit more
difficult, but not impossible. I don't use AF lenses on my still
camera, but I haven't had any problems with motor-driven focus system on
my video camera at -35C, so I wouldn't think it should be a problem with
similar lenses on still cameras.
- Static electricity. In very cold, dry weather, you might have
problems with static electricity affecting your exposures if the film is
wound too quickly. By very cold weather, I mean in the area of -30C or
colder. This can be a problem with motor drives that move the film
quickly: A static charge builds up in the film backing, and the
discharge can make lightning-like images on your exposures. I haven't
had a problem with my auto-winder, which isn't as fast as some motor
drives. As a side problem, some older film bases would become more
brittle in cold weather, and rapid motor drives could rip the sprocket
holes out of the film. This doesn't seem to be a problem with current
film products.
Date: 05 Oct 2000
From: Philip Stripling phil_stripling@cieux.zzn.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: need tips for COLD region photography!
"Brat" brat@home.nl writes:
> I'm going to canada for a few weeks this december, and > expect some way-below-zero temperatures there, so i would be > gratefull for any tips about equipment-related stuff. I'm >SNIP
I used to do some photography in North Dakota in below zero (Fahrenheit
and Celcius). The lubricant in the camera starts to freeze, so whatever is
lubricated starts to grind and resist movement -- focusing, zooming,
aperture. You may be able to tell that the shutter is slowing down, even
though the battery is still in good condition. My camera has a little
extension cord for the battery, so I can keep the battery warm in my
pocket while the camera is outdoors, but whenever the camera itself starts
to freeze, I'm out of luck. If you have motorized zoom or autofocus,
listen for the change in noise.
Be careful of static electricity and frozen film. Fast rewinding can cause
static electricity flashes in the camera body which show up on the film,
and if the film freezes, winding and rewinding can break it in the camera.
(Got a changing bag?) If winding and rewinding are manual on your camera,
go slow and pay attention to resistance, snags while winding. If they are
automatic, pay attention to how it sounds midroll so you catch it if the
film breaks. Take your changing bag out in the field with you so you can
check up on film if you think it broke.
Keep your film warm. :-> How often do you get _that_ advice?
--
Philip Stripling
http://www.PhilipStripling.com/
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000
From: Chris Friesen cbf123@mail.usask.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: need tips for COLD region photography!
....
I live here in Canada, so I've got a bit of experience with this. Here
are some tips:
--keep spare batteries in your jacket, as close to your skin as possible
--keep film inside your jacket, as close to skin as possible to keep it
from freezing and getting brittle
--don't breath on the eyepiece or lens elements, they'll fog instantly and
take forever to clear
--if you have a slow rewind, use it--I've never broken film, but better
safe than sorry
--before coming back inside, make sure that the body and lenses are in
individual airtight containers (I just put each one in a plastic bag).
Then, leave them out in the open (not in the padded bag) to warm up. The
plastic bags on each keep the dry outside air next to the lenses and
cameras, so that you don't get any condensation. Once they're up to room
temperature, then you can put them away as normal.
--remember to overexpose by a stop or two from what your camera says--all
that snow causes huge amounts of glare and the camera wants to make it all
18% grey
Chris
rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Thu Nov 02 2000
From: natureimgmkr@my-deja.com
[1] Re: Desert photography TIPS please!
Use a photovest so you don't have to lay anything down on the sand.
Don't use lens chamois to clean lenses as it may pick up a grain of
sand. Make sure your tripod leg locks stay out of the sand. Take
pliers for cactus- some can go right through a boot.
Good luck
George
rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Thu Nov 02 2000
From: jjstafford@my-deja.com
[1] Re: Desert photography TIPS please!
You probably have the information you need regarding photo equipment,
but let me add my modest experience having lived and worked in the High
Plains Desert. This is High Plains SW NM area. I cannot be
comprehensive regarding low deserts.
Wear a hat. Wear light colored 100% cotton clothing. Long sleeves are
good. Walking boots, (not stylish riding-heel coyboy boots) or high-top
shoes - any lightweight type that breathes. Plenty of water. If you are
new to the desert climate be aware that except for protection from
wind, you will not find adequate respite from bad choices in personal
protection from heat by using your vehicle for shelter. Critters in the
High Plains Desert flatland - snakes not a problem. Scorpions - nasty
little critters. Stings really hurt! (If you find a Vinegaroon (Whip
Tail Scorpion), get some pictures of it. You might smell it before you
see it. Harmless.) Tarantulas - wonderful things. Harmless.
Oddly enough, the most deadly thing I've ever encountered in the desert
was a rainstorm. Again, this is the NM High Plains. Certain terrain
that offers shade (banks of an arroyo) can be flash-flood channels.
Otherwise enjoy. The earth explodes as insect life emerges from the
sand and low growth when rain hits. (It can almost freak you out the
first time you experience it.) You should be so lucky to have your
camera set up for a desert rainstorm. I hope to live long enough to
experience it again. (but I live in the Frozen North, now.)
Enjoy.
Date: Wed, 08 Nov 2000
From: Stephen Ratzlaff ratzlaff@ticnet.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: A R C T I C Weather and MEDIUM FORMAT
David,
Usually, the best thing to do is to have the camera and lens(es)
winterized. This is expensive as it requires almost a complete overhaul,
replacing lubricants with lighter weight/viscosity lubricants. If the gear
is to be exposed to cold weather for a long period of time (a couple of
hours) any parts requiring lubrication (i.e. mechanical shutter mechanism,
wind/rewind mechanism, lens focusing, etc. may encounter problems if the
normal lubricant isn't replaced with something lighter in weight.
Of course, if you take this route, you'll have to get the gear weatherized
for normal temperatures when you return, at again, additional cost to you.
I'm not sure how a cloth shutter would work at those temperatures (i.e.
Pentax 67).
A couple of others things to be aware of are:
1.) static electricity building up on the film when winding/rewinding. You
should perform these functions as slowly as possible to help avoid static
build up. Hence, no rapid auto rewind.
2.) film becomes quite brittle at extremely low temperatures (check with
Kodak. Fuji. etc. for additional film handling techniques in cold
weather.)
3.) as you've already mentioned, carry plenty of spare batteries, close to
your body core as the body heat will keep the batteries functioning
properly. This works best if you put them in a small bag (like a marble
bag, if you can find something like this nowadays) with a neck strap, so
you don't have to unbutton/unzip all your layers of clothing to get to
them. You merely pull the neck strap to get to the batteries.
4.) wear gloves, since flesh touching metal parts at extreme cold
temperatures presents a few problems of its own. Bear this in mind when
putting your nose against the rear of the camera as well. Waist level
finders come in pretty handy here.
That's about all I can think of. You may want to scour the net for
additional info by searching for mountaineering tips, etc.
Regards
SR
...
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2000
From: Jeff S 4season@boulder.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: A R C T I C Weather and MEDIUM FORMAT
djphoto@meganet.net wrote:
> Hello To everyone, > I am going to the top of Mt Washington in New Hampshire in Febuary > to photograph the mountain. Temps will probably be 0 to -50. I have > a variety of cameras to choose from. Does anyone have any experience > with arctic temps and cameras? Specifically Pentax 6x7's or Bronica > ETR or ETRS ? I also have mechanical or electronic 35mm's but think > the big negative will be key. I will hope to print a seriese of 20x30 > prints from this trip. > Any tips besides keep plenty of extra batteries inside my clothes to > keep them warm until shooting? Any guarantees if I buy some other > camera system? > David
There are no guarantees of course, David ;-)
Don't make a mistake I did which was to put a relatively warm piece of
equpment down onto the snow: Some melted and immediately refroze,
knocking out my battery and seizing up the battery door. Hasselblad,
Mamiya, Bronica--they all have miserable little battery covers that are
tough to deal with when your fingers are numb from the cold, and if you
drop one into 6" of fresh powder, kiss it goodbye until the next thaw.
I've been thinking about getting an ETRSi for myself but be warned that
access to it's battery compartment is fussy under the best of conditions
and there aren't many rollfilm cameras that I feel I could easily load
with gloves on (damned paper band is tough to remove cleanly from the
film and gummed paper doesn't adhere real well under cold, dry
conditions) One particularly cold winter's morning, I hiked out carrying
an electronic Hasselblad and a couple of lenses and managed to slip on
the ice a few times, usually landing atop my my bag of gear. The cameras
and lenses were just fine, though the filter holders on the lenses were
destroyed. Never had an actual problem with the electronics or
mechanicals failing (I don't leave them exposed to the cold longer than
necessary) though my tripod and ballhead get kind of balky and I wish my
tripod had spikes on the ends because the combination of lightweight
carbon-fiber tripod with blunt legs doesn't make for the firmest of
footings.
Wind chills in the -25F range are about as tough as I've encountered and
that's plenty harsh for me.
Jeff S
As we are approaching cold weather and even California is getting frost.
Here is a suggestion for cold weather medium format photography-
I recently read a reprint of the Bronica instructions for the electronic
EC model.
There was an indication that cold weather would cause some effect on the
camera's battery and affect shutter speeds. I think that is true of all
battery run shutters.
My suggestion is in very cold weather to use completely mechanical cameras
that do not use batteries to control electronic shutters.
Photographers shooting models in snow backgrounds with exacting
transparency films will benefit from this advice.
I further suggest using the old mechanical Bronica S2A cameras for very
cold weather. One of these cameras that has been properly cleaned and
lubed by a Bronica professional repairman will work fine in this weather.
I have used these cameras myself in such freezing temperatures shooting
transparency film with no problems.
-Sam Sherman
rec.photo.technique.nature
From: "Daniel H" danielh@loginnovation.com
[1] Re: photographing in the cold
Date: Thu Dec 14 2000
For camera and batteries, many answers but for the photograph?? The
greatest problem I have, are my hands. One pair of very thin glove
(polypropilene), one pair in wool (with thinsulate) with half finger and a
cover (like mitt) over the half fingers, a pair of overmitt wind
resistant.
Daniel H
[Ed. note: Mr. Shell is a well known former camera repairtech and glamour
photographer and photo author plus editor of Shutterbug and...]
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Slow speed escapement question
....
> Buy the way; which kind of oil is best to use for me here where it can get > cold during the winter (Sometimes down to -40 F)?
The general recommendation for "winterizing" cameras for use in very cold
places is to remove all lubricants, since just about anything thickens up
when it gets that cold. Also, for extreme cold, the grease is removed from
helicoids in lenses so that they won't become impossible to focus.
Where do you live, anyway??
Bob
From Photography Teachers List:
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001
From: tony roof troof@mosquitonet.com
Subject: cold weather tips
Hey I put together a homepage with some cold weather tips, I would be
happy to add to it, if you have something to put on it!
enjoy
tony
http://www.mosquitonet.com/~troof/coldweather.html
From: jjs john@stafford.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000
Subject: Re: Pentax 67 and the Cold
Mark Schretlen mark_schretlen@telusplanet.net wrote:
> [...] > Tip 3: > > I know it's tempting, but avoid licking a cold camera.
LOL! Good one. But does the Pentax 67 really look good enough to eat?
> Advice from a Frozen Canuck.
My advice is from a not-so-frozen Minnesotan were at the moment it is a
balmy -5F.
Every day for the last two weeks I have had to walk about a mile into a
location for indoor shooting. (interiors). At -5F that can really delay
the job while you wait for the camera to warm up. So, I use Igloo
sholder bags originally intended to carry cold drinks (maybe a 6-pack
with ice) in hot weather. They have a rigid polyethelyne-like liner,
and more insulation around that, with an insulated 'space blanket' type
lid. Even on a windy, -5F day, the hardware stays reasonably warm (just
barely cool to the touch.) The particular model I use has an insulated
external pouch which is great for exposed film, and it has a see-
through 'net' on the front to hold flat things like filters, lens
paper, cable releases, and soforth.
And they were only $12US each, on sale. If Leica, Nikon or Hasselblad
distributed these with their own logo, I bet they would be a 'cool'
$100US each.
From Hasselblad Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001
From: Peter Klosky Peter.Klosky@marcgs.com
Subject: Re: storing batteries and cold weather
Jim,
Thanks for the very nice explanation of the effect of cold weather on
batteries. One comment I wanted to add is that different battery
technologies perform differently at very low temperatures. My
understanding is that there is a preference between alkaline and ni-cad
for cold weather applications, though I do not recall which one is
preferred. I expect that other technologies, such as NiMh, Carbon-Zinc,
Lead-liquid acid, Gel-cell and Lithium all have there own particular
performance in terms of their maximum discharge rate and capacity in cold
waether.
Peter
...
From Hasselblad Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001
From: ULF_SJOGREN ulf.sjogren@mbox310.swipnet.se
Subject: SV: batteries with cold weater
I must admit that I have not so much experience of travelling to cold
climates but many years of experience living in it. Lithium yes. Spare
batteries not in your parka, not in your backpack but "close to your
heart". I.e. under your sweater. If below -25C dont have any batteries at
all in your equipment but when taking pictures. If you expect a longer
visit in tempearure below -30 let the workshop check your camera first and
remov oil/change it for other types of lubricants. Don't avoid touching
your tripod but prepare it for the winter. I use a kind of adhesive
plastic isolation (foamtype) originally made for pipe isol. Then I can
hold and change my tripod with bare hands. Most important:
Never kiss your camera when below -35C, even if it does a marvellous job.
Wait until you get home......;-)
Ulf
...
[Ed. note: for your info only; no guarantees...]
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001
From: Shel Belinkoff belinkoff@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [RF List] wet camera
Was it fresh or salt water? Salt water is much more corrosive and
will require a different technique. Let's talk about salt water
first.
Take the lens off the camera. Take both the lens and the camera and
dunk them into a pail of fresh water. Rinse and drain the camera, and
then do it again. This will remove as much salt water as possible.
If the camera took a bath in fresh water, just one cleansing rinse
should be enough.
Now, put the camera and lenses in the oven. Set the temp for about
110-degrees F ... you can actually go a bit higher, but don't go much
over 120-degrees. Your gear can take it. The temp is no higher, and
probably a bit less, than that found in a car parked in the sun on a
hot day.
Leave the oven door open a bit so moisture can escape. bake the
camera for a couple of hours, and it'll be as good as it can be.
CAVEAT: with all the electrical components and circuits in these new
cameras, it's possible that they'll never work properly again,
especially if it took a bath in salt water. However, this technique
may save the camera and lenses. It's certainly worth while if you
don't have insurance, for the gear may be a total loss otherwise.
--
Shel Belinkoff
mailto:belinkoff@earthlink.net
polak187@aol.com wrote:
> OK to make a long story short. My dog flipped my boat. My camera bag went > into the water. Good thing most of my gear was a nikonos set up. Bad thing is > I had a Ricoh GR1 in there (all electronic 28TI wanna be). I had a choice of > saving my camera or my dog and my father. Father came first than dog and than > I fished out the camera from 10 feet of water after 5 minutes submersion. > When I opened up the film chamber and than closed it again it still worked. > What is the recommended way to dry it out? Any particular procedures I should > follow?
From Leica Topica Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001
From: "David H. Enzel" dhenzel@vei.net
Subject: Rattlesnake Spit (Was Cool film)
Kirk,
I am afraid to ask but feeling brave: How do you know it is worse than
rattlesnake spit?
David
-----Original Message-----
From: kirk tuck [mailto:kirktuck@kirktuck.com]
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001
To: leica@topica.com
Subject: RE: Cool film
Double dare you to do that in Austin Texas today. 103 degrees where I'm
standing. The condensation sticks the emulsion to the base and
the film sticks to the insides of the camera and the pressure plate and
you'll have a whole poke of problems. Nasty stuff that condensation.
High temps with high humidity is the worst. Seen grown men cry into
their ten gallon hats over missed shots. Worse than rattlesnake spit.
Kirk
Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2001
From: "eMeL" badbatz99@hotmail.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Heat on Lens elements
Dee deemur@ix.netcom.com wrote
> Hello, and I have a question. > > In your opiniong - is it bad for 35mm camera lenses - manual and/or auto > focus to be left in the camera bag in the trunk of a car when the temps are > high as 90 degrees or more? > > I fear it must be a problem for lens elements, filters, etc. > What do you all think???? > > Thankx for opinions, answers, > Dee
Yes, it is too hot not only for cameras but for the film as well.
Solution? Good ole' (and large!) picnic cooler with some blue ice. Must
be large enough to hold your equipment bag(s) film, etc. Try not to mix
food and cameras because (at least in my experience) beer and photographic
emulsions do not coexist well - just get another cooler for snacks and a
liquid poison of your choice.
And of course you need a car with a decent trunk, not a
sub-mini-micro-compact...
Michael
From: riceman riceman@home.com>
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Cold Weather And Auto Focus Electronics
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001
I have a Canon Elan IIE and it was useless at -20. The auto focus
wouldn't work and the batteries kept dying one after another (new batteries
10 shots each) I gave up and tried a digital. It didn't even make it out of
the case before dying. next time I'll use my Pentax K1000 it always works.
I've had it out in -40 deg temps for half an hour at a time. After that I
was to cold to be out there any more.
Regards, Jeremy
Jim Mueller wrote:
> Living here in Wisconsin, I decided to start off with an all manual
> camera for outdoor photography. It gets coooold here in winter! At the
> same time I am becoming intrigued with auto focus/auto exposure cameras
> such as the Nikon N80 and Canon Elan 7.
>
> How do the LCD displays and other electronics of these cameras hold up
> in cold weather. It can get down to -20F here for several days in a row
> during a cold snap. What is a safe operating temp for a modern
> electronic/programmable camera?
>
> --
> jim mueller
> Photography With Zuiko Lenses
> http://home.earthlink.net/~worldsoft/
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002
Subject: Re: [HUG] hot film
From: "Peter G. Walker" peter@peterwalker.com>
To: Akhil Lal akhil.lal@bcc.cuny.edu>, hasselblad@kelvin.net>
Akhil,
I live in Thailand and most of my photography is done "on the road" around
South-east Asia. Temperature is usually 33 to 36 degrees Celsius, quite
humid and often much hotter inside a parked car.
I do my best to keep film cool. I keep only a small number of rolls in my
camera backpack and the rest, used and unused, I wrap in clothes and bury
deep into my luggage in the car trunk. It'd probably be better to keep it
in the body of the car but when you leave the car, you don't want luggage in
plain sight, for obvious reasons. I keep unused film in their original
boxes. I seal used rolls of film in snap-lock bags (humidity protection) and
then wrap the bags of 10 x 120 films in heavy-duty aluminium foil (heat
protection). In the evenings, I move the bulk of the film into the hotel
room and into the mini-bar fridge if there is one.
Many years ago I did have some problems with some 120 Kodachrome that I
thought might be heat damage because there was a purple cast through some
films that I know became quite hot for a while.
But, then Kodachrome disappeared in the 120 format in Asia, and I switched
to Fujichrome.
With my procedure above and the more robust nature of Fujichrome, I have
never had any noticeable heat problems since.
The biggest problem is long term storage of processed film. In the
tropical humidity, fungus abounds and just loves to eat emulsion (must be
the animal gelatin in the emulsion layer). I have some early film with
spidery fungus lines and black fungus dots. You can not clean it because
the fungus has eaten the emulsion so you'd simply replace a black line with
a clear line.
The answer is prevention. Fungus can not survive below 45 to 50% humidity.
Many years ago, once I figured out what was happening, I invested in some
"Toyo Living" dehumidifying cabinets
(http://www.toyoliving.co.jp/e/index.html). Now, all my film archives and
main camera equipment live in 35% humidity (but I still live in 60 to 90%
humidity).
On the topic of humidity, last weekend I visited some caves in the jungles
of western Thailand, near the Burmese border. It was a cool mountain
morning, with early morning temperature about 20 degrees Celsius and quite
low humidity. But, deep inside the cave, I reckon that the humidity was as
close to 100% as it can get, and hot. Everything, including me and my
camera, immediately became soaking wet. I waited for 30 minutes before I
could see through the lens to take a shot of the beautiful stalactites and
stalagmites. I've yet to get the results back from the processor but I would
not be surprised if they are all ruined by condensation on the film. The
humidity was so high that it was hard to breathe. Amazing Thailand...
Regards
Peter
Email: peter@peterwalker.com
URL: http://www.peterwalker.com
----------------------------------
Akhil Lal at akhil.lal@bcc.cuny.edu wrote:
> Yes, I agree this is a problem.
>
> I have dozens of rolls of K25 & 64 with this greenish cast. They still
> look nice, though.
>
> I wonder if other colour slide films react the same way to heat and
> humidity ?
>
> Any HUG'ers in the tropics care to comment ?
>
> Regards,
> Akhil
> Oliver Bryk wrote:
>>
>> About 15 years ago I was in Northwest India and the western Himalaya for
>> several weeks, partly during the monsoon season. The climate was hot and
>> humid. All my exposed Kodachrome had a greenish cast.
>> Oliver Bryk
>>
From: bigler@ens2m.fr
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT selenium cells, no batteries
To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002
From Richard K.:
> ....also makes Selenium meters...a very useful meter, BTW, either as
> a main or as a backup. Needs no batteries.
... and a selenium meter, at least according to Megatron, works fine
even in extreme cold weather ; my understanding is that the
current/voltage characteristics does not change so much that the meter
becomes useless in a polar expedition. However modern lithium cells
also work fine in cold weather.
--
Emmanuel BIGLER
bigler@ens2m.fr>
From: "Alan Justice" alanjustice@earthlink.net>
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: Underwater camera housings for surface photography
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001
Try:
http://www.marinecamera.com/
http://www.marinecamera.com/olympus_digital.html
http://www.ikelite.com/index.html
http://www.uwphoto.com/
-Alan Justice
"Don French" french_don@yahoo.com> wrote...
> I am interested in doing ocean surface photography, as compared to
> underwater. The equipment will still get wet but, barring incident,
> will not go deep. I want to do digital photography for this job and
> have an Olympus C-2100 and a Minolta Diamge 5 but I cannot find
> underwater housings for these cameras. Anyone have any suggestions
> either for housings or for dedicated underwater digital cameras or
> combinations of existing digital cameras and appropriate housings?
>
Subject: Re: [HUG] hot film
To: "hasselblad@kelvin.net" hasselblad@kelvin.net>
From: "Charlie Goodwin" cgoodwin@conknet.com>
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002
Hi all,
On questions of color cast from hot conditions, my experience was with a ro=
ll of, I think, EPY, stored through my mindlessness in a brutally hot attic=
. With it I shot a still life that came out much better than I had any ri=
ght to, in a gorgeous coral reddish hue, perfect for a antique look.
Sometime, I'm going to try to make up a filter to reproduce that look. My=
proposed scheme, a resin filter blank brought to an eyeglasses store where=
they can custom tint plastic sunglasses to order. I'l bet their sunglass=
es are the same resin as Hitech or Lee blanks. Now I just need to find a
willing store and a couple of hours.
Charlie
".....dozens of rolls of K25 & 64 with this greenish cast....... I wonder if other colour slide films react the same way to heat and humidity?"
"About 15 years ago...in Northwest India and the western Himalaya for several weeks, partly during the monsoon season. The climate was hot and humid.
All my exposed Kodachrome had a greenish cast."
From Nikon MF Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001
From: "Thom Hogan" thom_hogan@msn.com
Subject: re: Battery life in cold
> I'm looking for approximate battery life expectancy at low temperature.
Batteries hold their charge just as long in cold as they do in normal
temperatures (actually, they hold it slightly better in the cold). The
reason that many perform poorly has to do with changes to internal
resistance in the cold. More resistance = less power.
The usual methodology of cold weather practitioners like myself is
threefold:
1. Battery swap. You use one set in the camera while another is kept
snuggly in an inside pocket of, say, your down mountaineering jacket (in
really bad conditions, I keep a heat pack in my pocket, but you have to
keep the batteries from getting too near the pack, since these sometimes
generate 140 degree or more surface temps). When batteries get low on the
camera, swap sets. By the time the set in the camera gets cold, the ones
in your pocket have gotten warm again.
2. Use battery types that are more cold-friendly. In descending order:
lithium, NimH, Nicad, alkaline.
3. Have a mechanical backup. That's an FM2n or FM3a these days, both of
which can operate without battery (assuming you have some way to figure
exposure).
For what it's worth, at zero degrees F, you're going to have a whole host
of problems, including conductive heat loss from your hands as you handle
the camera. And condensation is going to be a significant issue with
something even as simple as putting the camera in and out of a case
(don't!).
Thom Hogan, writer/photographer
author, Nikon Field Guide (Silver Pixel Press)
author, Nikon Flash Guide (Silver Pixel Press)
author, Complete Guide to the Nikon D1 (byThom Press)
From: "Tony Spadaro" tspadaro@ncmaps.rr.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camera
Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002
Here are three links to people with a lot of cold weather experience
http://www.mountainlight.com/
http://www.franzfoto.com/
http://www.leppphoto.com/index2.html
--
http://home.nc.rr.com/tspadaro/
The Camera-ist's Manifesto
From: Lassi lahippel@ieee.org
Newsgroups:
rec.photo.equipment,rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.equipment.medium-format,r
ec.photo.equipment.misc
Subject: Re: Travelling with TOO MUCH equipment ... to Antartica
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002
(Having just completed my Sunday walk with a Rollei TLR in a nice winter
weather, -10 C and moderate wind, this part of the question caught my
eye:)
Dave Cattell wrote:
> ... BUT this time I will be going
> to some very photogenic places eg Antartica so I'm keen to take my
> medium format camera kit (Rollei 6008 ie large, heavy and expensive)
> and some larger lenses for the 35mm body (eg 300mm f4, 80-200 f2.8).
In Antartica, there isn't that much special to photograph, except the
scenery. You'd probably need a normal or wide angle lens. Even the
penguins are tame enough to shoot [sic] from close range. No need for
tele. A polarizer might be nice, to control the shade of the sky.
The camera has to work in *cold* places. The summer over there is about
as nice as the winter over here in Helsinki. I.e. it has to be a
mechanical camera. A Fuji rangefinder, like GW690. IMHO, a Rollei 6000
system is better in a studio. I haven't heard of any nature
photographers who use one.
-- Lassi
P.S. Rollei TLR is small enough to fit in the pocket of a wintercoat :-)
From: "Sherman Dunnam" sherman@dunnam.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002
Subject: Re: First impressions of MF / 501CM
"Mxsmanic" mxsmanic@hotmail.com wrote ...
> "r.emmanuelli" rae52@boo.net wrote ...
>
> > I am a bit afraid to take it out in rainny
> > weather ...
>
> I never take any of my good cameras out in rain. My Yashica is slightly
> rain-resistant and if I'm careful I can take that out, but that's it.
> Additionally, since I live in a climate where unpredictable showers are
> not uncommon, I always have at least one sturdy plastic bag in a pocket
> somewhere that I can use to fully enclose the camera I have with me if I
> get stuck in a rainstorm or a drizzle. In fact, I used the bag to
> protect the 501 on the very first day I took the camera out.
I carry some of those plastic bag things with elastic in them (they are made
to cover pots and pans when you put them in the fridge) to use as rain
covers. They look sort of like shower caps. The smaller size is good for
35mm and MF and the larger size easily covers my 4x5. With the elastic they
don't blow off either.
I just used one yesterday as a matter of fact. I had the tripod set up and
the film holder in when it started to drizzle suddenly. I slipped the cover
over the camera, zipped up the backpack and pulled the hood of my jacket
over my head. When the rain stopped 5 minutes later I pulled off the cover,
double-checked the exposure and made the shot. Before using those things I
might have covered the camera with my darkcloth or put the whole thing away.
Sherman
From: "Alan Justice" a.justice@worldnet.att.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: working in the rain?
Date: Tue, 22 May 2001
The lens usually has an 81A filter and/or a polarizer. I keep a shower cap
on the camera on the tripod. A large plastic bag goes over this for
carrying it over my shoulder. When I start to set up for a shot, I remove
the plastic bag. When I'm ready for the final composition, I take a
collapsible reflector out (it hangs from my belt) and hold it over the
camera. I then remove the shower cap and make the final adjustments
(one-handed, as I'm holding the reflector/umbrella with the other). A
poncho covers me and my photo backpack. I keep as much handy as possible by
putting it on my belt , such as a filter pouch and another lens. I seek
shelter if I have to get into my pack. Changing film and lenses is done
with the reflector over the camera. This can get a little tricky when I
need both hands. But it's all worth it, because I love forest shots in the
rain.
-Alan Justice
"Bruce Chrustie" anemailaddress@somewhereinhell.com wrote
> Hi gang,
>
> What do y'all do for taking pics in the rain? My roadtrip thoughout
> Oregon was a blast and I will post pics to a website once developed. But
> the few days it rained made it very difficult to keep things dry. I am
> thinking back to seeing the movie Inspector Gadget with my little
> brother. Gadget had an umbrella that attached to his head, are they
> available?
>
> Bruce,
From: "Klaus Schleicher" Klaus.D.Schleicher@t-online.de
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: working in the rain?
Date: Tue, 22 May 2001
Bruce,
i have fit a velcro fastener ( right in english?) on all my lens hoods. On a
refuse bag i have fit the opposite side of the velcro fastener and slice the
bag in the middle. In the field i can the mount the refuse bag at the hood
and mantle it over the lens, body and me. It works great if you use a
tripod.
Hope the will help
Klaus
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
From: "harrywaldvogel" harrywaldvogel@email.msn.com
Subject: Re: working in the rain?
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001
I have an umbrella holder that was sold to attach to the handle of a golf
cart, the kink you drag behind not ride. It was from some mailorder
catalog, Lillian Verdon i think.
I attach it to the bottom of my tripods center post and put a large golf
umbrella in it Unless it is fairly windy this keeps the camera equipment and
me dry. If there is any breeze I lift the umbrella from the holder before
the exposure to prevent vibration.
Harry
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002
From: Richard Schneider richard.schneider@nara.gov
To: panorama-l@sci.monash.edu.au
Subject: Re: freezing film
Be forewarned that as the temperature decreases, the humidity will actually
increase. Industrial-grade freezers will likely have a method for removing this
excess humidity (which of course, forms as ice) in order to keep freezer
contents frost-free and the environment in a 35% humidity range. Consumer-grade
freezers, even those advertised as frost-free, may not work as well as you
might expect. Also, consider that film would need some kind of acclimation
before being used at room temperature. In other words, you would need to move
it from the freezer to the refrigerator first, and then to room environment.
Otherwise you'd get condensation.
Richard
...
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002
From: James Young jamiehy@globaldialog.com
To: panorama-l@sci.monash.edu.au
Subject: Re: freezing film
...(quoting postings above..)
The other important thing is that you seal it in a couple layers of
plastic bags with as little air space as possible. When you later
remove the film do NOT remove the plastic bags for a while-until
after the film has come back up to room temp. Condensation will tend
to form on to outside of the container- the plastic bag surface.It's
the same thing that happens on your car windows in the winter time (
at least it does in wisconsin)
Jamie Young in Madison, WI
From hasselblad mailing list:
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002
From: Jim Brick jbrick@elesys.net
Subject: Re: [HUG] Temp restriction on lenses
Ken Martin wrote:
>Is there any reason that different lubricants should be used at higher
>temperatures? If not it seems that all lens's should be "winterized."
>
>Ken
Winterizing is the removal of most lubricants. Which is not good for the
longevity of the product.
Jim
From hasselblad mailing list:
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002
From: "Dr. Robert Young" rcyoung@aliconsultants.com
Subject: [HUG] Temp restriction on lenses
The comment of not using the lenses below 0 deg C refers to the "standard"
lubricant used in the lenses/cameras. It is not designed for low temp work.
This is esp true of older equipment that have not been serviced since "the
dawn of time" when the lubricants were even less forgiving. Hasselblad
service centers can "winterize" equipment which is going to be used at
lower temperatures regularly.
From: Lisa Horton Lisa@lisahorton.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: How do you protect your camera and lense from rain in the field
Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002
I often keep a large garbage bag folded up in my bag. It's useful for
a variety of things. It makes an impromptu ground cover, keeps the
rain off, provides shade when none is available, and folded it takes
almost no space at all.
Lisa
gll wrote:
>
> Got caught in a cold rain last week with a 500mm f4 lens and camera
> attached to a tripod . I only had on a jacket so I ended up sticking lens
> and camera inside my jacket, didn't fit well. heading back to the truck, I
> thought I would be better prepared next time, but not sure what would work
> best ? just a trash bag would have been nice, any one have a more durable
> idea than a plastic bag ? once heard about a shower cap but don't think it
> would fit a 500mm.
> thanks
> Gary
>
> --
> Wildlife & Nature Photography of Gary & Debbie Langley
> http://www.xit.net/gll
From: "Tom Davis" tomrdavis@earthlink.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: How do you protect your camera and lense from rain in the field
Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002
And even better than a large garbage bag is a standard
trash-compactor bag. They are made of 2.5mil plastic
and are very tough to tear. I know that you can
fit a 600mm f/4 plus camera inside. I always carry
a couple, and even when it doesn't rain it seems like
there's always some good use for them.
The guy that told me about this called them "camera
condoms".
Tom Davis
www.geometer.org
...
From: bhilton665@aol.comedy (Bill Hilton)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Date: 05 Oct 2002
Subject: Re: How do you protect your camera and lense from rain in the field
>From: "gll" gll@xit.net
>Got caught in a cold rain last week with a 500mm f4 lens and camera
>attached to a tripod . I only had on a jacket so I ended up sticking lens
>and camera inside my jacket, didn't fit well. heading back to the truck, I
>thought I would be better prepared next time, but not sure what would work
>best ?
I was just in Alaska with my 500 f/4 and got rained on almost every day at some
point or other, from quick sprinkles to 5 hour rain storms. I always use a
heavy duty shower cap to put over the lens hood to keep out dust, the dew, or
the initial rain drops or whatever. To protect from the heavier rain I use a
waterproof poncho with two bungee cords. Just put the poncho around the lens
and body while it's still on the tripod and tighten it with the bungees or the
wind can pull it off. The poncho folds flat to about the size of a sandwich.
If you want to keep shooting in the rain there are products by Tenba and
someone else (Laird rain hood?) that allow you to cover everything but still
work the controls.
Bill
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002
From: Tom Just Olsen tjols@online.no
To: hasselblad@kelvin.net
Subject: Re: [HUG] Hasselblads and cold weather
Anthony.
Although Hasselblad warns of use below a certain temperature leven
(can't remember which and I don't have the manual available) my
Hasselblad gear has been used 'under the most extreme conditions'. I
have used my Hasselblad 500/C/M repeatedly below minus 10 degees
Celsius. (Also my Canon EOS3 which shows a flat battery after only a few
minutes in low temperaure) The mechanical shutter moves more slowly. To
compensate for the low temerature you sellect half the exposure time.
I have on a few occations used my Hasselblad below minus 20 degrees, but
then only on long exposures (night scenes). It worked all right, but
you possibly have to compensate further for an even slower shutter.
I regard the use in extreme temperatures to be one of Hasselblad's best
features.
Tom of Oslo
Atkielski wrote:
>
> With this being my first winter using MF gear, I am wondering how sensitive
> Hasselblad equipment is to cold weather. Is it safe to assume that it will
> tolerate low temperatures at least as well as high-end 35mm SLR equipment
> (Nikon and Leica)? Anything specific to Hasselblad that I need to know?
>
> Temperatures around here rarely go much below freezing, even in the dead of
> winter, so the weather is not severe; but I would like to know of any
> adjustments or precautions I should keep in mind.
From: sog@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Steve Gombosi)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Hasselblad Rain Casing?
Date: 27 Oct 2002
Chun Chih Chen duckychen@telus.net wrote:
>Buongiorno~
>
>I was wondering do anybody use any rain casing for Hasselblads? I want to
>take my Hasselblad out in rain but I do not know of any suitable rain casing
>for it. I don't need something heavy duty. Just rain casing. Please help...
>=::::(
Personally, I use a one gallon ziploc bag with a hole cut in the front for the
lens and a hole in the back for the prism finder. It may not be
elegant, but it works quite well.
Steve
Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2002
From: stan visarts@mc.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.technique.nature
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Photography: SLR 35mm & Digital in Antarctica
George Lewycky wrote:
> Cold Weather Photography: SLR 35mm & Digital in Antarctica
>
> I will be in Antarctica in early December (which is their summer -20C
> & above).
> I having a crash course with this camera I have used it for sports
> photography, nature
> and general stuff. But this opportunity is coming soon and I really
> want to make the most
> of it and would appreciate any assistance, advice or suggestions.
> thank you
> I will have the following cameras with me:
> Canon EOS A2 28-105mm
> Canon Powershot S30 Digital
> Konica Z-up 80 35mm
>
>
> What film(s) work the best for this type of environment for wildlife
> (penguins) & icebergs???
> Which Brands (Fuji, Kodak) ?
> Which Speeds ?
> What about for slides and black and white ??????
>
> What filters are needed besides Polarizing ????
>
> Can I use UV and Polarizing together ??
>
> How good or bad do digital cameras work in this environment ???????
>
> Im reading that 100/200 speed is the normal but what
> if I want to capture animals moving wont I need 800+ ??
>
> Will batteries go very fast ???? I will be using
> Canon NB-2L lithium for the S30 and 2CR5 for the EOS A2.....
> I have a battery pack for the EOS A2 but im not sure how to use it ?
>
> What about photography from moving ship. From experience what
> has the best results ?
>
> Any special tips, suggestions, etc would be appreciated alot
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> George Lewycky
> lewycky@yahoo.com
>
> http://georgenet.net
The answer to most of your questions have been pretty well answered. i
have spent long periods of time shooting at -20 to 0 with no problems.
TAKE EXTRA BATTERIES. Keep them in you vest pocket. You will need to
change them often. Don't warm and cool the camera. If you want leave it
out of your coat. Once you get it warm not only the elements might get
foggy but the film could possibly get damp as well. If you really need to
use 800 speed film (and I doubt you will) you can push 200 2x (yes results
depend on the film which is why you should never experiment ON the trip.
Do this in advance.) If you don't how how to use something learn fast or
leave it home. Also static can and does build up on film that is cold (and
-20 is cold!!) fast rewinds may cause discharge on the film (and possible
breaking I have done this one with a motor drive). If you have a motor
drive turn it off and use hand advancing. Do it slow and sure, then you
will have no problems.
The vibrations and bouncing of a ship will not be in your favor, however i
have seen some very nice shots taken in alaska on a cruise. Results will
depend on shutter speed and focal length of lens.
(This message has not been cross posted to the other groups)
Stan
Visual Arts Photography
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002
From: Peter Rosenthal petroffski@mac.com
To: hasselblad@kelvin.net
Subject: Re: [HUG] Hasselblad Hard Case
fritz olenberger wrote:
> How about a Pelican case? (www.pelican.com) Many camera stores (at
> least in
> the US) stock them. They are very rugged, quite light, waterproof,
> and come
> in many sizes. I have a small one that holds my camera with 80mm lens
> and
> back, plus a 50mm and 180mm lens.
> -Fritz
The Pelican case is a good case. No doubt about it. Just beware of the
"waterproof" thing tho. All summer long I pull wet, rusted, ruined
equipment from pelican cases that went on river-trips through the Grand
Canyon. "They said it was waterproof". I hear that a lot. They can't
legally call a watch waterproof but they can call a large, flexible
plastic cases waterproof. Sand in the seals. Not good. Still a good
case tho.
Peter
Peter Rosenthal
PR Camera Repair
111 E. Aspen #1
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(928) 779-5263
Tuesday-Friday 9-12/1-5
From: "sympatic" tim@KairosPhoto.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Subject: Re: Any hints about LF in cold weather?
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002
> Shutter speeds tend to slow down. Bellows tend to crack if there extended
> too far.
>
Older shutters especially, with older lubrication, can slow down (or stop).
Bellows - depends a lot on what kind - modern synthetics like on the Toyos
or those made by Camera Bellows (now on my Deardorff) are fine. Old leather
or old sythetic can crack like heck.
BTZS focus cloths, as a nice as they are, are useless below zero - many
others have some kind of waterproof layer, which freezes. plain old cloth
works fine
Dependong on how cold, film can shatter when you put the darkslide in. 8x10
film especailly, but 4x5 too can bow in the cold and you can get the
darkslide back in.
More often than not, the cold effects the photographer before it does the
camera!
I've shot down to -40c/f, and regualarly shoot at - 20c or so, so contact
me offlist if you want more info.
From: two23@aol.com (Two23)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Date: 05 Nov 2002
Subject: Re: Any hints about LF in cold weather?
Besides the obvious ones of making sure you don't take your equipment from
somewhere warm to somewhere cold too quickly (condensation, etc.)
Actually, it's the opposite. Going from warm to cold doesn't seem to affect
gear any. Going from cold to warm is where you get your condensation. I
typically leave my stuff out in my truck in the winter and rarely bring it
inside.
I shoot more in the winter than any other time of year. I haven't had any
problems with LF photography yet, but have only shot in --24 (F) temps so far.
(Winters have been warm here since I bought the LF a couple of years ago.) If
you breathe on the ground glass and it fogs, you can generally get it back off
by holding one of those chemical handwarmers on the glass. I only hold there
just long enough to clear the part of the glass I need for focussing. I don't
want to risk cracking the glass from the uneven heating. May not be likely,
but I don't want to find out!
BTW, I once asked a Kodak chem engineer about exposure comp in temps around
40 below. He said not needed. He said that the chem reaction takes place at
near the speed of light anyway. I've never noticed any changes when took
shots at minus 30 to minus 42 (F). Roll film can shatter or build up static
charges which cause streaking though.
Kent in SD
From: slberfuchs@aol.com (Ted Harris)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Date: 17 Jan 2003
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Re: Cold Weather LF'ing advice.....
All the advice you have gotten so far is god and i would a few more points that
apply specifically to LF:
1) Use Quickloads or Readyloads as you have fewer problems with static and cold
than with regular filmholders.
2) Test the camera you are going to use and be sure you make adjustments while
wearing gloves or mittens (I am assuming you are talking about low enough
temperatures that these are necessary). For example, I usually use a Horseman
FA in the filed but when it gets down around zero it stays in the house and I
work with my Phillips which is both easy to set up and adjust while wearing
mittens.
3) Think about a wood tripod. Much easier to adjust and less chance of it
seizing up and freezing in place on you.
As a matter of course I try to put lenses and shutters back into a pocket in my
parka when not in use.
Ted Harris
Resource Strategy
Henniker, New Hampshire
From: "Sherman" sherman-remove_this@dunnam.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Subject: Re: Cold Weather LF'ing advice.....
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003
"DuganFoto" duganfoto@aol.com wrote
> Can anybody give me some recommendations/advice for cold-weather LF
> photography?
>
> I'm concerned with such issues as:
>
> 1. Condensation and the freezing thereof, regarding lenses, ground glass, and
> film going from indoors to outdoors and vice-versa.(including "Don't breathe on
> the ground glass").
>
> 2. Shutter lube freezing.
>
> 3. Static from pulling the dark slide.
>
> 4. Film shrinkage. (and possible sensitivity change?)
>
> Any other concerns I'm not aware of...???
>
> I'm seeing a lot of potential "winter wonderland" photos, but I don't want to
> put my photo equipment at risk. I'm weighing the options of buying a pinhole
> camera to use ...no moving parts, no optics..but concerns #3 and 4 still apply.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Doug Allen
> DuganFoto@aol.com
Doug,
I think everyone has contributed something here but I'll throw in my two
cents. My tripod is metal and miserably cold to handle even with temps in
the 40s. I went to the hardware store and bought some of the foam
insulation tubes made for insulating water pipes. I wrapped them around the
upper legs of my tripod. It is now very comfortable to handle even in the
coldest weather and is *much* easier on my body when I carry the tripod over
my shoulder.
Sherman
http://www.dunnamphoto.com
From: flexaret2@aol.com (FLEXARET2)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: 31 Jan 2003
Subject: Re: Doing my homework on Bronica S2/S2a
Bob,
On Delphi/Kiev Report-
We spoke about our very cold winter and successful
photography with Kiev 88 cameras in sub-zero temperatures. Mechanical cameras
like Bronica S2A (I have used them in very cold weather) can work very well.
Digital and other battery-dependent cameras can fail horribly
in really cold weather. Yes I know you can have tethered batetries in your
pocket and who wants that? Yuck!
- Sam Sherman
From: "doug duthie" dnduthie@sympatico.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Subject: Re: Cold Weather LF'ing advice.....
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003
John's warning is right on the mark. Be especially careful with older
shutters:
> For large format, the air inside your lens and
> shutter may not ventilate promptly enough. If you chill it quickly, you
> could experience condensation, or even freezing, inside...where you cannot
> see it, but where it can do great harm
A number of years ago I had two shutter blades on an old ILEX #4 shutter cut
into each other on the first exposure of the day with the temperature
approx. -20 F. Luckily it wasn't fatal to the shutter. The camera repair
tech fixed it and explained the combination of wear, dirt, and, frozen
condensation made one of the blades lag in closing. I had taken the lens
from warm house to warm car to very cold setup.
Doug, (in eastern Canada)
From: "John Hughes" jhughes@surfglobal.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.large-format
Subject: Re: Cold Weather LF'ing advice.....
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003
> It does no harm to take gear from warm into cold. The problem is taking it
> from cold into warm.
Be careful about this. It is true that condensatin will not form on
exterior surfaces when the camera is taken from warm to cold dry air.
However, interior places where warm moist air is trapped could still be
problematic as the camera cools down. For 35 mm medium format, this
includes the entire camera. For large format, the air inside your lens and
shutter may not ventilate promptly enough. If you chill it quickly, you
could experience condensation, or even freezing, inside...where you cannot
see it, but where it can do great harm
The only safe answer is to buffer temperature changes, in both directions.
I have a three season sun porch that is ideal for this, and store my cameras
there in winter. The trunk of my Subaru station wagon (the official Vermont
state car) parked in the garage is also good. The porch temperature stays
around 38-44 most days, the garage is a bit colder, maybe low to mid
thirties. Having it in a padded bag helps when I go out (usually low
teens-twenties, although the past few days it has been colder). If I need
to take things inside quickly, I warp them in plastic bags for a few hours.
When it gets as cold as South Dakota, I work in the darkroom.
> Leave it in its bag for a couple of hours, otherwise you
> will get massive condensation, which will later cause rust.
Not to mention damage to electronics for smaller format, or ice damage to
shutter mechanisms in LF.
Keep your light meter in your pocket, if you can. The batteries like body
heat. Exhaling through a straw is an interesting idea I may try, even at
the risk of looking rather odd. I had previously considered a diving
snorkel, but that would be too strange, even for photographers.
From: Henry Posner [henryp@bhphotovideo.com]
Sent: Fri 6/13/2003
To: hasselblad@kelvin.net
Subject: [HUG] Re: film in the oven
you wrote:
>A year or so ago, Ctein did an article in Photo Techniques where he found
>that film is much less sensitive to heat than was previously thought.
With color neg film, you do more damage to the image with half-a-stop of
underexposure, than with a little temperature.
-- -
regards,
Henry Posner
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com
From: jlpitcher@professionalphotography.com (jlpitcher)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Photography
Date: 6 Aug 2003
I'm only posting this to the medium format group, pass it on if you
want. I have shot in northern Alasaka in temperatures of -40. Two
cameras, a Nikon F5 and a Bronica ETRSI. Three of the pictures are on
my website www.dynamicmoment.com look under arctic industry.
I don't have any special lube in the cameras, but I do use Lithiums in
the F5. I advance the film slowly to reduce the chance of discharge
and tearing the film. The F5 has no shutter problems, but I suspect
the bronica may drift with extreame temperature. Condensation is not
an issue, as I keep the cameras cold, well below any dewpoint. In
exteame areas humidity is very low, so condensation rarely gets a
chance to form.
If anyone has any specific questions, please contact me directly.
From: "Joseph Meehan" sligojoeSPAM2@hotmail.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.digital,rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Photography
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003
You have three main problems with cold weather photography, other than
those of being cold yourself.
First most equipment is battery dependent and when cold batteries don't
do well.
Many cameras use oil and lubes for moving parts that when cold prevent
proper function.
Last film moving through the camera in extreme cold can suffer from
static discharges.
I will also add that in cold weather gloves and other cold weather gear
make using a camera more difficult.
True professional equipment have batteries or auxiliary battery packs
that address the first issue, are designed and built with special lubes that
avoid the second and slow film advance handles the third. They also tend to
be designed to mitigate the glove use as well.
You still have all the problems, but they are lessened.
In some cases you can avoid problems by trying to keep the camera
equipment warm i.e. keeping it under your coat until needed. This is
usually good advice when practical, but it is generally less practical for
the professional.
I would not recommend digital. Most digital cameras rely very heavily
on batteries, which are a problem in cold weather, often they have small
controls that are difficult or impossible to use with gloves or cold numb
fingers and some (I don't know about the current crop) of sensor performance
may be degraded by the cold. All of these issues may be addressed, but I am
not aware of digitals that have addressed these issues yet.
--
Joseph E. Meehan
...
From minolta mailing list:
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003
From: Fred St. John fstjohn@covad.net
Subject: Re: Goin' Retro - Best Minolta Manual Camera & Why
Dave Moorman dmoorman4@comcast.net wrote:
>Maybe others can contribute cold weather experience with batteries.
>You might be able to use a grip with a big battery pack to maintain
>voltage when it's cold.
>
>Dave
I spent two years in the arctic taking pictures like a madman. I had
a Canon FT at the time.. (this was in the late 60's) very much like
the SRT in that it was all manual with the battery only for the meter.
We used to keep our cameras inside our parkas as much as possible and
just take them out when ready to shoot. That way not only the
batteries kept working, but the shutter didn't freeze up and the film
maintained its speed rating. Anything above about 25 degrees
farenheit was no problem for either batteries or camera, especially if
you didn't stay out too long. Keep a spare set of batteries in an
inside pocket and swap them out if the ones in the camera start to
fail. Once warmed up, the cold batteries will regain their power.
Condensation can be a problem when coming indoors with a cold camera.
Fred
From: nicholas t 123@abc.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Winter performance?
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003
Michael wrote:
> Bob, thanks for your reply. I've talked to a couple of repair shops
> and they have little to say. Few, here and elsewhere, seem to know
> what the story is behind the lubricants they use. I have gone to your
> site and read the posts on cold weather use; that was very interesting
> and may be the best compilation of this material available. I also
> read Kodak's tech brochure on cold weather use and found it somewhat
> humorous - put the dang thing under your coat...
Hi, I recently got my Rolleicord winterised. My camera guy tested
various lubricants in the freezer before deciding on what to use on my
camera. I think, in the end he used a combination of some sort of oil
and a special type of grease as well, but I can't remember exactly what.
To do this, he had to clean all of the interior of the shutter and
working parts to the bare metal. And finally I think he used a minimum
of this stuff actually on the camera. The whole job cost a bomb and took
awhile to get done. He says I can use the camera in normal weather -
sparely (buy that he means less than several hundred rolls a year, I
think).
From what I know the major thing is keeping the camera from warming up
too quicky (condensation on all of the glass surfaces).
I hope I haven't repeated anything as I don't have the rest of the
messages from this post....
From: john@xyzzy.stafford.net (jjs)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Medium Format in Antarctica?
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004
Just how cold will it be while you are there? It's important. I've worked
at a mere -40F (-40C) with Nikon F, Leica M2, M4 and early Hasselblad SWC.
The only liability in particular was the lens focusing which was pretty
stiff with some lenses, but tolerable. But that was before batteries. If
you are using a battery-dependent camera, look into remote battery
holders.
Exposures? Same old same old, but you really should consider bringing
warming filters for color. See B&W;'s catalog.
How to get close to a Penguin? Sheesh. Keeping them from being underfoot
is a larger problem.
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