Hi all,

Now into month 2 of solid cold in the northeast with temps staying in the teens and windchills of 0'-10'(you know it's bad when the dogs refuse to go out.) But there are some great shots to be had especially with the snow and frozen rivers and lakes we have.

My concern is the best way(s) to get the camera ready for these photo excursions. I'm thinking of how best to avoid lens fog and should I keep the battery in my pocket until ready to use, etc. I like to carry my camera in a case (Lowepro Pro 70) whenever I bring it outside to keep the camera and extra lens protected from the elements and then set up when I get to a place where there is interesting stuff. Since my equipment is stored in the house and the case also retains both temp and humidity, I'd welcome any suggestions you have based on personal experience.

As always, thanks!

Hi all,

Now into month 2 of solid cold in the northeast with temps staying in the teens and windchills of 0'-10'(you know it's bad when the dogs refuse to go out.) But there are some great shots to be had especially with the snow and frozen rivers and lakes we have.

My concern is the best way(s) to get the camera ready for these photo excursions. I'm thinking of how best to avoid lens fog and should I keep the battery in my pocket until ready to use, etc. I like to carry my camera in a case (Lowepro Pro 70) whenever I bring it outside to keep the camera and extra lens protected from the elements and then set up when I get to a place where there is interesting stuff. Since my equipment is stored in the house and the case also retains both temp and humidity, I'd welcome any suggestions you have based on personal experience.

As always, thanks!

I was out in 15 degree weather for 4 hours. I did nothing special - other than wearing a lot of clothing and keeping chemical hand warmers in my gloves and in my pockets, and foot bed warmers in my boots. Other than the battery not lasting as long, shooting was no different than on a summer day - at least as far as the camera was concerned. I did have an extra battery in my pocket, but never got to use it. I still had 3 bars at the end of 4 hours. See attached images.

FYI - wind chill is meaningless to dry, cold metal and plastic. If it is 15 degrees out with a -5 wind chill, the camera only "feels" the 15 degrees. Wind chill is the action of air movement to accelerate the loss of temperature. In a human or animal, the response is to try and produce more heat to counteract the heat loss, so you will "feel" colder. In the -5 wind chill example the camera will never get to be -5, but if it is warmer than 15 degrees, it will get to 15 much faster in a stiff wind than if there was no wind. The -5 wind chill number has more meaning to a human, who will feel just as uncomfortable at 15 degrees with a -5 wind chill breeze, as he/she would at -5 actual degrees without any wind.

Just be careful when you bring the camera back into the car, or if you put it in the trunk, and you bring the camera from a cold trunk into a warm house. You will get condensation on stuff. Putting your gear - I do the entire camera bag - in a large garbage bag - before you come into the house, will ensure that any moisture will condense on the bag and not in your gear. Once the gear is warm, condensation is no longer an issue.

Hi all,

Now into month 2 of solid cold in the northeast with temps staying in the teens and windchills of 0'-10'(you know it's bad when the dogs refuse to go out.) But there are some great shots to be had especially with the snow and frozen rivers and lakes we have.

My concern is the best way(s) to get the camera ready for these photo excursions. I'm thinking of how best to avoid lens fog and should I keep the battery in my pocket until ready to use, etc. I like to carry my camera in a case (Lowepro Pro 70) whenever I bring it outside to keep the camera and extra lens protected from the elements and then set up when I get to a place where there is interesting stuff. Since my equipment is stored in the house and the case also retains both temp and humidity, I'd welcome any suggestions you have based on personal experience.

As always, thanks!

Hi all,

Now into month 2 of solid cold in the northeast with temps staying in the teens and windchills of 0'-10'(you know it's bad when the dogs refuse to go out.) But there are some great shots to be had especially with the snow and frozen rivers and lakes we have.

My concern is the best way(s) to get the camera ready for these photo excursions. I'm thinking of how best to avoid lens fog and should I keep the battery in my pocket until ready to use, etc. I like to carry my camera in a case (Lowepro Pro 70) whenever I bring it outside to keep the camera and extra lens protected from the elements and then set up when I get to a place where there is interesting stuff. Since my equipment is stored in the house and the case also retains both temp and humidity, I'd welcome any suggestions you have based on personal experience.

As always, thanks!