I will be shooting a trip this fall or next spring (TBD) on Alaska's Brooks Range. Temperatures can be expected to be around -30 deg F.
I don't have any experience shooting in such cold weather.
What options do I have regarding how to power my cameras?
Will my cameras/lenses work in those temperatures?
Any considerations on how to handle the equipment at -30F (gloves to use, viewfinder condensation due to breath, etc, etc?
Any other advice/suggestions?
I plan on using either a 5d and a 1DII or two 5d's and possibly a 15mm fisheye, 24-105IS, 50mm 1.4 and perhaps the 135 2.0L and the 100-400 IS that I would have to purchase for this trip.
Thank you in advance.
Raul.
Visit COLORRIGHT to get the colors right in your digital slr.
Ok. If you talk to Canon they will warn you about suing anything other than a Mark series body do to the body sealing and such. Thats one reason I upgraded from my 5D to the Mark 3, and am so glad I did, with the much lower noise.
First rule of thumb, is to keep all your spare batteries warm, IE inside your parka. Also I have found a hand warmer taped to the bottom of the camera can help, or else even just taking the battery out and keeping it warm when not in use.
Gloves will be a must at that temp. The wool / neoprene fishing gloves with the flip back fingertips is helpful, but a cable release for the camera anytime you are on a tripod is even better. Also not, carbon fiber tripods can break or shatter when below 0 deg according to most the Manufactures. Not to mention the issues with the different rates of expansion/contraction in the joints for them as well often causing glue bonding to break down. I would also suggest not using anything over 4 gig cards, and dont fill it up, incase you have a failure, if you are using a Mark, you can use the write to both card feature to help prevent that risk. If you do take a 5D, I suggest the battery grip and make sure to have some AA batteries with just in case! Anything else, please let me know, Ill be happy to help anyway I can. Exactly where are you going? what are you planning to shoot? Northern Lights I assume... what else?
I had not thought about the carbon fiber tripod issue, actually I was planning on taking one with me.
I am going to the Brooks Range, ANWR. We are going either skiing or snow shoeing, with dogs with sleds carrying our gear and camping out for about a week or 10 days. I am going to document the trip with my photos. I'll need to be ready to shoot at any time so I would like to avoid to have to be taking in and out the batteries to and from the camera, because that takes time and I'll miss a lot of shots. I had in mind maybe one of those battery packs that you carry inside your coat and plug to the camera with a cable but I have never used one of those and don't know how practical is to use them. Any experience with those?
The hand warmer solution sounds like a good idea. How long do they last and at what temperature could they keep the batteries if I put one on the bottom of the camera (i have never even seen one of those so I am not sure how I would attach them to the camera).
I might be buying a MarkIII but have not decided yet. I might use a Mark (either II or III) and a 5d.
I have a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod that is very light and portable that I was planning on taking to the trip but you brought up a very good point. Any advice on a metal light portable tripod?
Weight is an issue because most likely each person is going to be limited to a total of 50 lbs of gear so a light tripod is a must. Camera gear is appart since I'll be carrying it with me (the other gear including thetripod will go in the sled).
I also assume based on your response that digital cameras do work at those temperatures.
Anyone out there with experience shooting digital at around -30F for about a week, without being able to charge the batteries for that whole week and having the camera ready most of the time (documentary style photography)?
I need to find out what is the best option to have my camera/s powered & ready to shoot under those conditions.
Re: Low temperature (-30F) digital photography (Chuck Westfall?)
Chuck et all,
I am trying to get a set up that will allow me to photograph for extended periods of time at -30/-40F.
First issue for me is to learn which DSLR (if any) can take about 8 hours of shooting at those temperatures for about 10 days. Will de 5d handle it? Will the 1Dxx handle it? Do I have to winterize them? If yes, what does that mean? what about the lenses, will they take it?
Second issue is the batteries. What is the best option for such an scenario? Please bear in mind that I need to have the camera/s ready to shoot at all times since it is documentary style photography. For this reason I don't see to carry the batteries in my coat's pocket as an option. I guess this last question is for all of you guys with experience in this kind of climate. I am thinking of using a battery pack carried under my coat and plugged to the camera. Is this option practical? Are there better options?
Raul, there is no "magic solution" that's going to save you if you can't keep your digital cameras or your batteries warm when you're not using them. Here is my standard advice for cold weather shooting with EOS:
As noted in the instruction books, the limit for guaranteed low temperature operation with any EOS digital camera is 0 degrees Celsius. However, a lot of people have been successful using our cameras in sub-freezing temperatures, as long as they observe the following precautions against condensation and poor battery performance. Here's some background info on cold weather operation:
SHUTTER LUBRICATION: Older cameras like the Canon F-1 had heavy-duty shutter mechanisms that required special modifications in lubrication for cold weather use. Today's digital SLRs do not require any special lubrication, because their shutters use newer designs with high-performance, lightweight blades and smaller magnets. In terms of shutter performance, no special modifications are necessary for cold-weather use.
CONDENSATION: Even though EOS-1 class digital SLRs are well protected against moisture in the form of rain and snow, etc., they are vulnerable to severe internal damage from condensation, like all other digital cameras. That's the main reason why we recommend placing cameras, including but not limited to EOS Digital SLRs, in airtight plastic bags before bringing them from a cold environment to a significantly warmer one. This allows the condensation to form on the bag, thus protecting the equipment as much as possible.
BATTERY PERFORMANCE: Battery performance drops off as the temperature falls below freezing. Nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion battery packs are better than alkaline batteries in this situation, but even the lithium-ions will eventually stop working once they've chilled long enough. By now, at least one 3rd-party developer (Digital Camera Battery) has produced an external battery that can connect to the EOS-1 class digital SLRs through the supplied DC Coupler, but I don't expect Canon Inc. to either condone this or to make one of their own. In the meantime, the best strategy is to carry a few fully charged spare NP-E3 packs inside your coat, where they can be kept warm and exchanged for the cold batteries from time to time as necessary.
Memory cards are another potential weak link. Canon doesn't make its own, so it's best to check with the card manufacturers and other photographers to get a cold weather rating.
As with current film-based electronic cameras, items such as LCD data displays are the only means available to indicate camera settings such as shutter speeds, apertures, frame count, etc. Digital cameras add another type of LCD for use as a playback monitor. The information normally seen on these displays tends to disappear when temperatures drop below -20 degrees Celsius. LCDs usually start working again when the temperature goes above freezing, but that won't do you much good out in the cold.
Bottom line, it’s certainly possible to use professional digital SLRs in freezing conditions, as long as they are handled correctly. The main issues are condensation and adequate battery power, but with a bit of advance planning these obstacles are not insurmountable.
However, there's not much that can be done with existing technology to ensure consistent digital camera performance in severely cold conditions for the reasons outlined above. You are welcome to try EOS digital SLRs in sub-freezing temps, but keep in mind that you're bound to run into some limitations eventually.
__________________ Chuck Westfall
Technical Advisor
Professional Engineering & Solutions Division
Consumer Imaging Group/Canon U.S.A., Inc.
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