I have seen a number of posts over the last month about people wanting to know if their cameras can be operated in the freezing winter temperatures. For the past five days I was at a ski resort here in Ontario, Canada with a couple of our kids and grandchildren. The temperatures all week in the daytime ranged from -15 to -24 C and with wind chill it felt like -22 to -35C. For quick reference 0 F is -18 C and at -40 both temperature scales are the same VFC (very freakin cold).

I used my Canon 6d with either a Canon 24-105 or a Sigma 150-500 on different occasions throughout the week. Yesterday was the worst of the weather and the ski runs were shut down at 4pm as the wind chills at that time were hitting -40 to -45C. Luckily we had left two hours before that. It was snowing and blowing all day, my camera ended up covered in snow and frost on the LCD screen from me exhaling while using the viewfinder. I stayed out there for about an hour, shot stills and a few minutes of video.

The camera worked flawlessly, the lenses had no trouble with auto focus. The pictures were good (of course!!! they had my grandchildren in them, lol). I did not take a plastic bag out with me to put the camera in before coming back inside so I did have a lot of condensation form on the camera and lens coming back in to the warm chalet. I wiped off the excess and then just let the camera come to room temperature. All is good.

Canon website says the operating range for the camera is 32-104°F/0-40°C. I think that is being really conservative.

I think one time on the hog here MT Shooter posted a picture of a camera with ice hanging off of it in the real cold but can't remember for sure.

Anyway the point of this is go a head put some warm clothes on and go out and shoot.

Home today and it is -29 this morning, March and Florida can't come soon enough.

Took my Mark II out this past Friday the 5th in air temp of -12, with wind chill in the -35 range. Wanted some pictures of the steam rising off the cooling lake for the local power plant, it's spectacular, but has to be no wind. Got there and the wind was coming right at me. Just about froze setting up the tripod, and spent only about 15 minutes taking pictures. Mind you, I'm born and raised Wisconsinite, but it was COLD! Camera worked flawlessly. After removing the camera from the tripod I set it on the back seat of the pickup and drove the 7 minutes home. Took the camera into the house, set it on it's regular spot and walked away; been doing it that way for years. Camera and lens work just fine.

Took my Mark II out this past Friday the 5th in air temp of -12, with wind chill in the -35 range. Wanted some pictures of the steam rising off the cooling lake for the local power plant, it's spectacular, but has to be no wind. Got there and the wind was coming right at me. Just about froze setting up the tripod, and spent only about 15 minutes taking pictures. Mind you, I'm born and raised Wisconsinite, but it was COLD! Camera worked flawlessly. After removing the camera from the tripod I set it on the back seat of the pickup and drove the 7 minutes home. Took the camera into the house, set it on it's regular spot and walked away; been doing it that way for years. Camera and lens work just fine.

I have seen a number of posts over the last month about people wanting to know if their cameras can be operated in the freezing winter temperatures. For the past five days I was at a ski resort here in Ontario, Canada with a couple of our kids and grandchildren. The temperatures all week in the daytime ranged from -15 to -24 C and with wind chill it felt like -22 to -35C. For quick reference 0 F is -18 C and at -40 both temperature scales are the same VFC (very freakin cold).

I used my Canon 6d with either a Canon 24-105 or a Sigma 150-500 on different occasions throughout the week. Yesterday was the worst of the weather and the ski runs were shut down at 4pm as the wind chills at that time were hitting -40 to -45C. Luckily we had left two hours before that. It was snowing and blowing all day, my camera ended up covered in snow and frost on the LCD screen from me exhaling while using the viewfinder. I stayed out there for about an hour, shot stills and a few minutes of video.

The camera worked flawlessly, the lenses had no trouble with auto focus. The pictures were good (of course!!! they had my grandchildren in them, lol). I did not take a plastic bag out with me to put the camera in before coming back inside so I did have a lot of condensation form on the camera and lens coming back in to the warm chalet. I wiped off the excess and then just let the camera come to room temperature. All is good.

Canon website says the operating range for the camera is 32-104°F/0-40°C. I think that is being really conservative.

I think one time on the hog here MT Shooter posted a picture of a camera with ice hanging off of it in the real cold but can't remember for sure.

Anyway the point of this is go a head put some warm clothes on and go out and shoot.

Home today and it is -29 this morning, March and Florida can't come soon enough.