Camera Care in Cold Weather?

[MrAmeche]

Recently I received a Kodak Z7590 as a wedding present, and being my first digital camera, I absolutely love it. It's been with me on a few hikes this past September, and it seems to be a sturdy and reliable camera.

However, on a recent trip to Garfield three weeks ago in two to three feet of snow, I had a difficult time enjoying the hike because I was so worried about my camera. I was constantly moving it between my pack and my jacket, but nothing seemed to work. It didn't come with a case, but the case I bought for it is too awkward and cumbersome for hiking. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for camera care while hiking in the winter? Should I keep it warm and close to my body, where moisture could damage it, or in my pack, where it could freeze? My backup camera uses film, but somehow the lens got horribly scratched while on Adams a few months ago, and I'd rather not take it unless I have to. I did a search and nothing seemed to come up regarding this topic specifically.

 

[dr_wu002]

Recently I received a Kodak Z7590 as a wedding present, and being my first digital camera, I absolutely love it. It's been with me on a few hikes this past September, and it seems to be a sturdy and reliable camera.

However, on a recent trip to Garfield three weeks ago in two to three feet of snow, I had a difficult time enjoying the hike because I was so worried about my camera. I was constantly moving it between my pack and my jacket, but nothing seemed to work. It didn't come with a case, but the case I bought for it is too awkward and cumbersome for hiking. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for camera care while hiking in the winter? Should I keep it warm and close to my body, where moisture could damage it, or in my pack, where it could freeze? My backup camera uses film, but somehow the lens got horribly scratched while on Adams a few months ago, and I'd rather not take it unless I have to. I did a search and nothing seemed to come up regarding this topic specifically.

I put my camera in a plastic ziploc bag. I leave the camera in the trunk of my car during the drive up so it has a chance to get cold slowly instead of pulling it out into the elements when I get to the hike. Also, the plastic bag helps keep a lot of condensation off the camera which can make some of the internal parts freeze in winter. I generally will take the batteries out and put them with my handwarmers or in my pockets or something on very cold days as battery life can be an issue in the cold. My camera seems to work fine though in the cold, so long as it has no condensation on it. The plastic bag will also protect fairly well against rain and wet conditions.

-Dr. Wu

 

[David Metsky]

Camera cold. Batteries warm.

If your camera uses AA batteries get NiMH rechargables now, backed with a set of Lithiums for really cold weather use. If your camera uses Li-Ion they work pretty well in cold weather. I just keep my camera case attached to my sternum strap in all but the absolute coldest weather. Then it'll go in an outside pocket for easy access.

Keep an extra set of batteries or battery in your inside pocket to keep it warm and ready for use.

Cold won't hurt a digital camera. Moisture will, so don't let the camera go from very cold to warm and vice-versa. I use mine all winter and it's been fine. Take pictures, enjoy.

-dave-

 

[dr_wu002]

If you keep the camera warm you run the risk of condensation forming on it when you take the pictures.

That's why I leave my camera in the trunk of my car during the drive up to the mountains instead of in the part where I'm sleeping eerrrrr.... driving. That way it's cold if I want to take pictures of the trailhead or something.

-Dr. Wu

 

[percious]

I keep my camera in a separate case, and I throw a hand warmer in there if it gets really cold. The hand warmer rests against the battery to keep it warm. Hard part is keeping the lense from fogging up when you touch the camera.

-percious

 

[bobandgeri]

Follow Dave Metsky's advice on batteries and carry spares kept against your body for warmth.

I shoot with a Nikon D100 and use a LowePro Top Loading bag that I attach to my pack at my shoulders and let hit hang just below my chest so Have easy access to it. Keep the camera dry and protected even in snow.

Hiker Bob and others use a simlar design to make access easy.

 

[DougPaul]

Re condensation:
A warm camera is not a problem because water moves from warm to cold. (So you do not need to cool your camera down slowly or protect it from being warm.) The problem is a cold camera a warm/high humidity environment. Bringing a cold camera into a warm (humid) building, warming it in your clothing/sleeping bag, breathing on it, or just holding it next to your skin for any length of time will deposit moisture on/in it. (Ask any glasses wearer...) A case or ziplock bag can protect the camera from the external humidity.

I carry my camera cold in a case in my pack or outside my insulation. If there is any precip or fog, then the camera goes in my pack. When I use it, I wear windblocking fleece gloves and work fairly quickly so moisture from my face does not get a chance to condense. (Most of such condensation will be on the back and viewfinder rather than inside or on the lens.) Many digital cameras have a viewscreen on the back which allows one to take a picture with the camera away from one's face. Don't recall ever losing a shot to a frozen camera.

Re batteries in digital cameras:
* Alkalines are poor in the cold (and, for other reasons, a poor choice in the warm too).
* NiMH and NiCad are pretty good in the cold.
* Lithium-ion rechargables are pretty good in the cold.
* Lithiums (non-rechargable) are very good in the cold. If it is too cold for lithiums, you may not want to be out there either...

If your camera does get frozen, you need to warm it up to evaporate the moisture/ice. Sunlight, chemical hand warmers, or hot water in a sealed bottle are sources of dry heat. (A long slow mild heat is better than a quick high heat.) The other practical source of heat--your body--is heat plus moisture. (I have never had to do this, so what follows is my best guess...) The game with moist heat would be to heat the camera while protecting it from the moisture. Remove the batteries, put the camera in a ziplock bag and put it in a place warmed by your body. (Overnight in a sleeping bag is probably best. Outside a VBL if you are using one.) The camera will warm up slowly (hopfully protected by the plastic bag). Once it is warmed up, moisture will need to escape so it may be necessary to open the ziplock. (Moisture can also diffuse slowly through a plastic bag.) Note you can drive moisture inside the camera from warm parts to cold parts.

You can take the batteries out (thermal mass) and heat/dry them separately in an internal pocket. Moisture will condense on them until they warm up--just make sure they are dry before putting them back in the camera. And one other note--never put NiMH, NiCad, or lithium batteries in your pocket with metallic objects--people have been burned from the heat generated by short circuits.

Doug

 

[Quietman]

Doug's not kidding with his last advice. Dropped 4 freshly charged NiMH AA's in my pocket that contained a couple of coins and boy was I surprised. I was walking through the office at the time and co-workers were treated to me yelling, jumping around and, throwing the contents of my pockets out as fast as possible. Had a minor on my leg but they thought it was hilarious. Never again.

 

[KevCon223]

I use an Olympus Stylus camera with the Li-Ion battery. I keep it in a Rip-Offs pouch on My strap. Never any problems with the cold, but if I'm breathing hard, I have to be careful not to fog the lens.

 

[forestgnome]

Agreed that the camera should be kept dry and at air temp., however cold that may be. Keep the battery warm and most definately bring a back up. Make sure the batteries are both/all fully charged.

I shoot with the Canon Digital Rebel (I believe similar to yours) which has the Li-ion rechargable battery. Below is a picture I took last January at midnight in Tuckerman Ravine (looking south over Boott Spur). Everything worked fine and it was damn cold!

 

[MrAmeche]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! Bob, I'm going out to pick up one of those LowePro bags today.

Again, much appreciated.

 

[jbrown]

I was fully annoyed with my camera last year when doing Marcy from the Loj in April. I kept it inside my jacket thinking that the warmth would be better for the batteries, but the downside was that every time I pulled it out and turned it on, the lens would immediately fog up. Eventually I left it in the case on my belt and my el-cheapo batteries died and I didn't feel like changing them in -5 degree weather. Luckily one of my hiking buddies had a great camera with great batteries and got lots of (notice the theme...) GREAT shots.

Moral of the story. If you keep it warm, keep it dry too. And don't use crappy batteries.

 

[JohnL]

Doug's advice is very comprehensive and spot on. I carry my camera in a small fanny pack turned so it is in front of me and when it is really cold, I remove the battery and keep it in my mitt with my hand. The main thing I have to watch out for is not getting any snow, ice or my breath inside the camera when I reload and unload the battery. I have had no problems with this camera (Canon S30) on several hikes where it was below zero; lowest was -20.

JohnL

 

[ski_adk]

Wow forestnome, nice shot at Tucks. I'm terribly relieved that the Rebel is up to the cold weather challenge. What exposure did you use for that shot...I love it!

 

[forestgnome]

Thanks much!

Exposure was f/3.5, 20 seconds, ISO 800. It was taken with the lens that comes with the body.

Below is a vertical shot, concentrated more on Orion and that nice chute that runs down the wall from right to left. This was taken with a Sigma lens at f/2.8, 20 seconds, ISO 800.

 

[KevCon223]

Thanks much!

Exposure was f/3.5, 20 seconds, ISO 800. It was taken with the lens that comes with the body.

Below is a vertical shot, concentrated more on Orion and that nice chute that runs down the wall from right to left. This was taken with a Sigma lens at f/2.8, 20 seconds, ISO 800.

Don't know what Your saying, but I SEE what You mean!!!

 

[MichaelJ]

I just want to give extra emphasis to something Doug lightly touched on.

When the hike is over, put the camera away in its case while both are still out in the cold; close up the case. The entire drive home, leave it in the case. Don't open it. When you get home, bring the case inside but continue to keep it closed for at least several hours; I leave mine overnight.

This will allow the camera to very slowly warm up and not suffer any condensation problem. Plus, the air around the camera will be warming at the same rate (as long as you leave that case *closed*).

 

[Neil]

I just want to give extra emphasis to something Doug lightly touched on.

When the hike is over, put the camera away in its case while both are still out in the cold; close up the case. The entire drive home, leave it in the case. Don't open it. When you get home, bring the case inside but continue to keep it closed for at least several hours; I leave mine overnight.

This will allow the camera to very slowly warm up and not suffer any condensation problem. Plus, the air around the camera will be warming at the same rate (as long as you leave that case *closed*).

Michael, what about this?
I have a small Lowe case that goes on my hip belt and those things are definitely not waterproof. Over the course of a rather wet day my camera became useless due the lens being all fogged over. The body of the camera was wet. I was a little worried about what the moisture would do to it. Anyway, back at the car I removed it from the wet case and put it over the defrost vent to dry out. Note that the temp was above freezing. Is that what you would have recommended?

 

[MichaelJ]

The camera was already wet, so in this case your needs are different - you want to dry it out. The closed-up case won't allow that to easily happen.

You have two points to note here - your car started out cold and dry, and the air coming out of your defrosters is also nice and dry.

So in the scenario you describe, as long as you're not putting air *too hot* directly onto the camera case (lots of plastic parts, and heat can damage electronic circuit boards) I think that's the right thing to have done.

 

[BorealChickadee]

A little safety tip for carrying small cameras in those easily opened cases on our shoulder and chest straps: I have a small cheapo carabiner through the wrist strap of the camera and then attached to the D loop on my shoulder strap. I can take a quick shot without unclipping the carabiner.

I now use lithiium batteries year round in my digital camera. I used to use alkalines and it as an ever continual process of changing batteries. Now I'm surprised when I have to change them.