Assuredd Loc: Hot Springs village Arkansas

Hello everyone. I have experienced some problems recently with my Canon Power Shot SX 510 HS.

For the second time in six months, I shot between 200 and 300 photographs in cold temperatures. I.e. 17°F

Everything seemed to be fine, and I always view the photograph after I snap it, before taking the next photo. When I say I view the photograph, I mean that I am able to review it for three seconds before moving on.

After shooting 330 photographs Thursday evening (January 8, 2015) I returned home. I immediately uploaded them onto my computer. When I started my reports, I went to retrieve the photographs and discovered 18 photographs missing from a group of 40 photographs.

This is the second time to experience missing photographs. My question is this: is it the freezing temperatures causing my problem? I have the best memory cards I can afford: SanDisk Extreme Pro 8 GB, with a recording speed of 95 MB per second.

Any tips to help me deal with this issue would be appreciated. First, I would like someone to confirm that freezing temperatures will affect the camera's ability to record the photograph onto the memory card.

Thanks in advance, and God bless you all.

Bruce M Loc: Northern Utah

What temperatures are you talking about? Batteries seem to exhaust faster in cold temperatures. Bruce M.

hettmoe Loc: Rural ND

I use my Nikons in sub-zero weather every Winter, with no ill effects.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

maybe its the card. I shoot in cold weather and prior to my 1d bodies the cameras were temperamental about working in the weather. But the images were always on the card when I got home.

TucsonCoyote Loc: Tucson AZ

Off the top of my head I would say it is very likely the temperature is slowing down the recording rate, not because the card doesn't like the cold but probably because the battery is losing power in that cold temp....and you are shooting away at quite a high rate there!!
Other people have experienced battery problems in the cold, some were complaining of being able to take just a few pictures before the camera would quit altogether!

You are actually doing pretty well in those weather conditions I would say ! :thumbup:

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Its is caused by the efficiency of the battery in cold temperatures. Your camera and memory card are ok.

Take a spare battery with you and keep it warm. Switch every so often.

I routinely leave my cameras out in freezing temps and experience this with some cameras. It seems the higher end cameras are less prone to be affected. The age and amount of charge in the battery affects this also.

skywolf

If you're below about 25 degrees,keep all spare batteries in a pocket, close to your body. When power starts dropping, change batteries and put the old battery in your pocket. If you are short on batteries, you may get more out of the one you took out of the camera to get you through.

spdmn54 Loc: Avon Lake, Ohio

It is the cold causing your problem. Most likely some condensation causing the contacts on the card to malfunction from time to time. I have had a similar problem with my Nikon, the faster you shoot in cold weather the more this will happen.

Wallbanger Loc: Madison, WI

Yes. Odd things will happen in the cold. Condensation is just one of them.

Your camera:
Operating Temperature
32-104°F/0-40°C

That said, your best bet is to keep warm batteries handy as others have mentioned.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

Wait till the card warms up, then try the download again to a new file. Maybe condensation formed on the cold contacts when the card entered your warm home. Worth a try.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Or, you could move to a warmer climate.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Page 162 of your camera's manual says (This is for both the battery pack and the battery charger):
"Operating Temperatures: 0-40ºC (32-104ºF)"
Your 17ºF is of course well below 32ºF.
Having said that, I have taken photos with the cameras I owned in temperatures that were well below the listed operating temps, but always "take out the camera, quickly take a photo, put the camera back into its warmer environment"
If you have a spare battery, you could try keeping the spare in an inside coat pocket, or somewhere close to your body to keep it warm, then every few photos, switch the batteries.
It will slow things down considerably, and putting a warm battery into a cold camera, will cool it off very quickly.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

I routinely shoot at minus thirty Celsius with no problem.

First of all I keep my camera and lens in a zip lock bag until it's cooled when I go out, or until its warmed up again when I return to a warm environment. That prevents condensations problems inside the camera and/or the lens.

Secondly I carry at least two spare batteries in my parka and as battery efficiency drops in the camera I swap out the cold one for a warm one. With three I just keep swapping and often I can go all day that way.

If you've got a point and shoot camera, you could also keep that inside your parka to keep it warm and take it out only when you want to take a picture. It's an awkward fix but that also works.

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Try a new card.
Move and and take a few shot and go back and review the photos and see if they are still there. If not there, re-shoot. Kinda of tedious but at least you will not have missed the photo.
In reviewing I do not know if the camera reads the card or it show what should appear one the card (what is in the memory). Good question.

Pkfish Loc: Wilson Wy

I went out last year at-30 and had my canon dslr outside my coat and was traveling at 50 mph on a snow machine and shot 400 pics and didn't lose a shot and didn't have to change batts. Didn't go go so well for me with frostbit cheeks,nose and a finger. But I did get some nice shots of a dogsled race. Hope it's warmer this year!