Cold weather ops (Page 3): That is really interesting. Why don't you tell us more about the things you have no idea about.

srg

Bigmike1 wrote:

I personally have no idea. I have never had my camera out for a long period of time in cold weather so I have never had a problem.

That is really interesting. Why don't you tell us more about the things you have no idea about.

photoman43

Along the Texas Gulf Coast going out in fall and winter is when you may have the biggest problem as the "cold" air is full of humidity and your camera and lens is subject to getting condensation on it when it leaves the comfort of inside space. As others have said, it all depends on where you live and what conditions exist at the time you move inside or outside.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

davidrb wrote:

"Weather sealed" will stop liquid moisture from getting inside a closed body. "Weather seals" stop liquid moisture but cannot prevent condensation. Yeah, plastic bags aid in controlling moisture build-up.

yes, 👍👍 Having lived in Northern Michigan and Alaska, This is correct.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

davidrb wrote:

"Weather sealed" will stop liquid moisture from getting inside a closed body. "Weather seals" stop liquid moisture but cannot prevent condensation. Yeah, plastic bags aid in controlling moisture build-up.

👍

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

HRoss wrote:

If you are planning to take the camera from a warm place (your house as an examples) into cold weather, it was also my understanding that taking the camera and lens is put them in a cold area well before you plan to use them will acclimate the camera to the cold. it's the sudden change in temperature that causes the condensation. All the other ideas, especially the silica gel packets for moisture, are good ideas.

Condensation will only happen when the item is colder than the air. This does NOT happen going from warm indoors to cold outside, but from cold outside to in. It CAN happen going from air conditioned inside to hot outside.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Jimmy T wrote:

While I don't have first-hand experience with the ... (show quote)

. . . .Look at the info I have provided above and then try to imagine bringing a really cold glass of tea, or Camera body & lens in from the cold into a warm and moist room of your house.
Now, just like the glass of iced tea on a summer day your glass, or Camera body & lens, will immediately start to "sweat"!
That is because the glass of iced tea is much colder than the surrounding warm and moist(er) air.
Now the warm(er) moist(er) air will condense on the glass of iced tea, or the Camera body & lens.
Simple, right?!?

To keep this from happening, place the Camera body & lens inside a zip-loc or "Stay-Dri Bag".
Cindy, the "Silica Gel Packs" will absorb most of the errant moisture.
I hope that this helps,
JimmyT Sends

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

dbrugger25 wrote:

I sometimes use astronomy telescopes on cold nights because the air contains less humidity and the seeing is better.

At the end of the session i simply bring them into my house and allow them to dry-off. Telescopes are not weather sealed like some cameras.

Some of my scopes are over 20 years old and there has been absolutely no damage.

I avoid wiping the optics when ther have moisture on them because atmospheric dust can be in the water and acts like a grinding media.

Thank you.

nealbralley Loc: Kansas

My most pronounced experience with a cold camera and condensation was during a winter visit to the Topeka Zoo, and specifically to their heated and humidity controlled exotic bird building. I walked inside, and my camera instantly condensed the moisture out of the air and on to the cold glass of my camera. I bet I was in there 45 minutes before my lens warmed up enough that the condensation disappeared. It was a nuisance more than anything in my opinion.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

starlifter wrote:

I was just wondering. If your camera body and lens are both "weather sealed". Is it still necessary to take cold weather precautions such as putting your gear in a plastic bag before coming back in?

“Weather sealed” means no moisture will get inside your baby. I keep large plastic zip-lock bag to keep condensation down. I also have desiccants that I will throw in from time to time.

johnblenko Loc: Pittsburgh

PHRubin wrote:

Condensation will only happen when the item is colder than the air. This does NOT happen going from warm indoors to cold outside, but from cold outside to in. It CAN happen going from air conditioned inside to hot outside.

Agree. Think of filling a glass with ice cubes and iced tea and going out on your deck on a warm day. Condensation forms on the outside of your glass. Your glass “camera” is colder than the air. Now take a glass with deck temperature tea in it and put it in your refrigerator. No condensation forms.

Seabastes

This thread reminded me about getting cameras wet.

When I was a young (and in this case stupid ) newspaper photographer in Eureka, California in the early 1960's I tried to make a photograph of Eureka Bay during a heavy rainstorm and with a 70 mile an hour wind buffeting the scene. I backed into the scene wanting to make an image , set my Yashica 2/1/4 camera at 1/500th of a second then turned quickly and pressed the shutter of the prefocused camera.

My camera was immediately soaked with the wind whipped rain and of course I didn't not get a usable photo. The camera was so wet, I took it home and put it in our kitchen oven and baked it overnight at a low temperature until it was dried. Being a completely mechanical camera, my baked camera was completely dry the next morning and I was using it on assignments the following morning after running a test roll of trip-x and developing it before I went on any assignments.

That couldn't be done with today's electronic laden cameras.

Beenthere

davidrb wrote:

"Weather sealed" will stop liquid moisture from getting inside a closed body. "Weather seals" stop liquid moisture but cannot prevent condensation. Yeah, plastic bags aid in controlling moisture build-up.

And lets not forget that most modern digital cameras develop a little heat as a byproduct of normal use. This can help equalize, and evaporate moisture from condensation, due to cold air, that might affect operation.

wkocken Loc: McGregor, MN

While still outside, take the memory card out, seal the camera and lens in an airtight plastic bag and wrap it up in your coat. After inside, and set the wrapped up camera aside. Download and work on your photos while camera warms up slowly.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

wkocken wrote:

While still outside, take the memory card out, seal the camera and lens in an airtight plastic bag and wrap it up in your coat. After inside, and set the wrapped up camera aside. Download and work on your photos while camera warms up slowly.

Great advice!

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

I do about 50% of my photography at night, where camera & lens are left out for up to 48 hours (rocket launch pads). The equipment has a cover to protect it from the elements, but in addition, I use a dew heater around the lens, connected to an external 40,000 mAh battery which will go for about 2 days to minimize any possibility of metal or plastic issues in lens barrel contracting.