Black Cameras and Lenses: I was recently in the desert where the temperature was 98 and there was no shade. My dslr froze. Removed first the battery then the lens. No joy. Wife had...

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

I was recently in the desert where the temperature was 98 and there was no shade. My dslr froze. Removed first the battery then the lens. No joy. Wife had same camera brand that is white with white lens. Hers functioned fine. We all know black absorbs and retains heat better than any color. Yes some of my longer pro lenses are silver. I wonder why more camera bodies are not more reflective in color?

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Who knows, they've been black for years. I've on the ATV with camera in 105 Deg with no problem.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The temperature here is well above 98F for months. I've had my camera out for hours and never a problem. Well, except for atmospheric heat waves. Those are a problem.
--Bob

bedouin wrote:

I was recently in the desert where the temperature was 98 and there was no shade. My dslr froze. Removed first the battery then the lens. No joy. Wife had same camera brand that is white with white lens. Hers functioned fine. We all know black absorbs and retains heat better than any color. Yes some of my longer pro lenses are silver. I wonder why more camera bodies are not more reflective in color?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bedouin wrote:

I was recently in the desert where the temperature was 98 and there was no shade. My dslr froze. Removed first the battery then the lens. No joy. Wife had same camera brand that is white with white lens. Hers functioned fine. We all know black absorbs and retains heat better than any color. Yes some of my longer pro lenses are silver. I wonder why more camera bodies are not more reflective in color?

Probably not an ambient temperature problem. People use cameras all over the world in hot conditions.

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

I often had my camera in the sun, like at my grandsons baseball games, and if I leave the camera in the direct sun, it gets very hot in a few minutes. I use the white telephoto lenses which helps, but the camera body gets hot. I pay a lot of attention to where I set the camera, keep it in the shade. It's not hard to do if you simply make it a point to keep it out of direct sun. But as others have said, how many times have cameras failed due to heat. Don't know.

Jupiter Creek

I'm in South Australia. 98F is 36C, quite cool. We often have 40-45C. My cameras have no issues at those temps. I think that there is a problem with your camera!

dreamon

The camera makers have done some testing and found that the temperature difference internally isn't that great, unless you intentionally leave the lens out in the sun. Even a white lens (one with a high albedo) will overheat.

The best answer is to use a cooler (without the ice) and take along a white towel to drape over the lens/camera combo.

I used to live in Phoenix, and that's how I handled it. Oh, yeah, never stow your photo gear in your trunk without some kind of thermal protection.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Black cameras are far more stealthy which is a key reason war reporters, photojournalist and wildlife photographers began using them way back.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

My D7100 over heated while I was doing video and using LV continuously. It shut down and I had to remove the battery and reinsert it to get it to respond. After it cooled, it worked fine. I later found in the manual that too much use of LV can cause it to over head. I would suggest taking a small light colored cloth or towel and keeping it over the camera until you are ready to use it. When we go into places that push the limits it is smart to make a few adjustments to lessen the impact.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

rmalarz wrote:

The temperature here is well above 98F for months. I've had my camera out for hours and never a problem. Well, except for atmospheric heat waves. Those are a problem.
--Bob

And the occasional tumbleweed...Lol🤠

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

I carry all my dslrs on a Herringbone hand strap.The day I mentioned above I had it plus my Nikon, one in each hand held down by my sides. It was noon in a blazing sun and in a rocky canyon. I covered my main camera by sitting down and leaning forward to shade it. In just a few minutes it functioned fully. The Nikon performed perfectly, and it was all black; my wife's white Pentax K-50 never skipped a beat. Thus my question- why are not more cameras either white or silver? Tradition, more costly to produce?

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

If I remember correctly, I read a response on the color of cameras a month or two back. The writer explained that they first made the camera in a metal, silver color and many of the professionals started putting black tape on them to keep down any flash or glare from the sun during photo opts. The companies took note and made cameras in a black non-reflective material and that caught on.

Naptown Gaijin

Jupiter Creek wrote:

I'm in South Australia. 98F is 36C, quite cool. We often have 40-45C. My cameras have no issues at those temps. I think that there is a problem with your camera!

MOVE TO PERTH !!!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

jerryc41 wrote:

Probably not an ambient temperature problem. People use cameras all over the world in hot conditions.

nison777 Loc: illinois u.s.a.

Sounds like a possible troll question...
If I am wrong I apologize...