how to permanently keep camera warm in car: i am tired of never having my camera in my car only to see something I would like to have a picture of. I don't want my D7200 with the...

maryo Loc: Santa fe

i am tired of never having my camera in my car only to see something I would like to have a picture of. I don't want my D7200 with the longer lens left in my car because it would be seen (I have a suv. But I do have al cool pix B700 I would be happy leaving in the car. Batteries lose their charge in the cold. Does anyone have a suggestion to keeping it warm.
Thanks, Mary

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Diaper bag???

But that won't help overnight.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

maryo wrote:

i am tired of never having my camera in my car only to see something I would like to have a picture of. I don't want my D7200 with the longer lens left in my car because it would be seen (I have a suv. But I do have al cool pix B700 I would be happy leaving in the car. Batteries lose their charge in the cold. Does anyone have a suggestion to keeping it warm.
Thanks, Mary

Never turn off the car, keep the heater on - the camera will stay warm permanently.
Oh, and never take the camera out of the car.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

maryo wrote:

i am tired of never having my camera in my car only to see something I would like to have a picture of. I don't want my D7200 with the longer lens left in my car because it would be seen (I have a suv. But I do have al cool pix B700 I would be happy leaving in the car. Batteries lose their charge in the cold. Does anyone have a suggestion to keeping it warm.
Thanks, Mary

Mary, your problem is not nrew and we have all faced it at one time. Simply keep the camera in your car and remove the chip and battery when not in use. My CoolPix has never been away from its car in 10 yrs. Chip and battery come inside during cold wx.

Nicholas DeSciose

Why the chip?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

davidrb wrote:

Mary, your problem is not nrew and we have all faced it at one time. Simply keep the camera in your car and remove the chip and battery when not in use. My CoolPix has never been away from its car in 10 yrs. Chip and battery come inside during cold wx.

Yes, why the chip?

Electronics in camera, electronics in chip - no difference.
(Electronics and memory in the car computer and radio also.)
You know there is system memory in the camera, correct?
Same thing.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

You need a geeky RVer....

There are a variety of 12 volt, low wattage warming pads designed to keep motorhome and trailer valves and tanks from freezing. There are also devices that stop batteries from being deeply discharged. Some DIY engineering and you would have a camera warmer to plug into the lighter socket in your car.

The limiting factor is how much "juice" your particular car battery can provide to keep your camera warm and still start your car in the morning. Motorhomers have clever dual battery systems. Where "house power" does not deplete the "engine power" battery.

photosbytw Loc: Blue Ridge Mountains

davidrb wrote:

Mary, your problem is not nrew and we have all faced it at one time. Simply keep the camera in your car and remove the chip and battery when not in use. My CoolPix has never been away from its car in 10 yrs. Chip and battery come inside during cold wx.

although I don't remove the chip.....and it's never been a problem.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

maryo wrote:

i am tired of never having my camera in my car only to see something I would like to have a picture of. I don't want my D7200 with the longer lens left in my car because it would be seen (I have a suv. But I do have al cool pix B700 I would be happy leaving in the car. Batteries lose their charge in the cold. Does anyone have a suggestion to keeping it warm.
Thanks, Mary

Could you keep it inside and take it with you when you go out?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Mac wrote:

Could you keep it inside and take it with you when you go out?

That's what I would do.

Regarding removing the battery and taking the battery inside to keep warm,
why not just take the whole camera?????

Leaving the camera in the car and forgetting the battery does no good.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

bsprague wrote:

You need a geeky RVer.... br br There are a var... (show quote)

The other thing is some power ports are no longer powered when the car is shut off.

maryo Loc: Santa fe

T have a hard enough time remembering to bring mu purse without adding something else to remember. Thanks though.

maryo Loc: Santa fe

If I could just find something to wrap it in that would stop it from getting cold.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

maryo wrote:

If I could just find something to wrap it in that would stop it from getting cold.

Overnight in the car it will get as cold as the rest of the car, no matter what you wrap it in.

User ID

Longshadow wrote:

That's what I would do.

Regarding removing the battery and taking the battery inside to keep warm,
why not just take the whole camera?????

Leaving the camera in the car and forgetting the battery does no good.

Good point. Plus batteries do NOT lose their charge
in the cold. Charge keeps better in the cold. Acoarst
batteries are WEAKER when very cold, but that isn't
a loss of charge. The charge is still there, waiting to
wake up when the battery gets warmer. So, keep a
battery in the camera, and bring a warm spare with
you when you head out !

Just to clarify, a fully charged battery will run down
faster if asked to do its job in the cold. But when it's
just sitting idle in the cold, the cold preserves the
charge. Idle discharge is a chemical event, and like
most any chemical event, it goes slower when cold.

I do not keep a camera in the car. It stays with me,
in a car or elsewhere.