Cold Weather Care

[barryburgard]

It's getting colder here and I have never used a camera much in the cold. I have read about the danger of condensation and to put the camera and lenses in a plastic bag and let them adjust to the cold and then to the warmth when brought back inside. Are there any other tips? Would putting the camera bag inside a zip-up type sports bag work as well as a plastic bag? If you use a bag, what kind of bag?

Thank you

Barry

[Andy_T]

I think the bag would have to be airtight for the full effect.

That would rule out the zip-up sports bag, right?

Best regards,
Andy

[Jon]

I just leave everything in my regular Domke bag. You're only going to get condensation when the warmer air hits the cold surfaces; by keeping the camera in any kind of bag, you're blocking air flow from the room to the equipment, while letting the gear warm up slowly. Now, if I were coming in from sub-zero (Fahrenheit) conditions, I'd think about shoving everything into a large plastic bag before I came in and sealing it up, but for a 70F difference, I don't think it's necessary. But that's because I'm not carrying the camera alone - it's inside something. If I had the camera sans case or bag, I'd shove it in something before coming in (going out's less a problem).