Cold Weather Shooting Advice

[Mad Aussie]

I need some. And who better than to ask than a bunch of Canadians, Poms and Yanks right??

In July (the dead of winter here), my wife and I will be spending a week in Tasmania, specifically the Hobart region.

We can expect temperatures as low as -8 C (17 F) in the mountains we will visit, but probably more likely around the 0 C (32 F) through to about 10 C (50 F) days.

So ... my question(s) are, is this cold enough to be ...

a) worried about battery life and therefore need to take steps to keep the batteries warm?

b) worried about condensation issues when taking the camera out or returning to the warmth of the car or accommodation?

What advice can you give me?

[casil403]

MY tips:

Spare batteries are essential. Keep them in an internal pocket close to you where they can maintain body heat. This has been a photo saving bit of knowledge in my past winter when I was out shooting in -20C Sometimes when it gets seriously cold up here a fresh set of batteries only last about 1/2 hour. Sometimes I will use disposable heat packs as well to keep them and me warm.
Keep the stuff in your bag and try to avoid temperature extremes. If you have a place to store your stuff that is in a bit of a cooler area then that is great. Some folks use ziploc bags to store their camera equip in, but I generally don't. I keep my gear in the spare room by the cold door in the bag. I take out the card prior to bringing my gear in the house and then I just leave it in so it can gradually acclimatize. I figure Calgary has such dry air it really sin't a biggie...being in a place like Tasmania where it is a bit more humid then you might want to reconsider this last paragraph.


Great info found here:

Marko did a podcast or two a while ago on the subject I believe.....
Cold weather photography - Article on Photography.ca

78 – Winter photography gear
Snow photography - rain photography - Article on Photography.ca

I also know of a great resource on flickr for you to check out!
Flickr: Discussing Winter Photography Tips - Part Two - Coping with Cold; Carrying your Gear in Photo News Gallery

Hope that helps....Lisa

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks Lisa. I remember Marko's podcast now you mention it.
And I've read a bit about not bringing the camera gear directly into a heated environment after being in very cold temps etc.

It's interesting to hear from people like yourself that have actually put this stuff into practice.

I like that dudes thermometer trick he uses in that Flickr link

[Greg_Nuspel]

I thought you wanted cold weather advice not nice weather advice. In Canada cold starts at -20c.

Condensation would be my main concern, one word Ziplock.

[casil403]

I also have a few silica gels tossed in my camera backpack. I save them whenever I get something that has them and I toss them in the pack to absorb any moisture/humidity.
Figure it can't hurt and is another layer of protection.
You can also buy zipper thermometers and attach them to the camera bag zipper and just fold the zipper into the camera bag when you bring the bag in. That way no muss-no fuss.

Oh and don't forget the wind briefs to keep the junk protected!

[casil403]

And I dunno if you can get them down in Tasmania, but if you see them and it is cold, I can't recommend disposable toe warmers enough. I swear by them in the cold to keep my feet warm! I used them all the time when I was out at FCP last year shooting the river ice and snow.
They look like this: