How much do temperature extremes affect digital cameras?

[tanbark]

And what extremes have to be reached to begin to impair their performance?

[Lazuka]

Start at the bottom of a volcano, and get closer, try it out, and get closer. See how far you can get inside of the volcano before it stops working.

[Thalagyrt]

Start at the bottom of a volcano, and get closer, try it out, and get closer. See how far you can get inside of the volcano before it stops working.

I don't have an official stamp of approval, but if I had one, it would be placed here. :D

[silvrr]

I have noticed that when its cold out battery life goes way down. If you can while your not shooting take it out and keep it in your glove or somewhere near to your body.

On the other end of the spectrum when shooting an airshow last year in 90ish temps I noticed a little more noise. Not bad unless you zoom in but seemed a little more then normal.

[Mark_Cohran]

Within the normal ranges of temperatures in which most of us are likely to be shooting, you're not likely to run into any problems. With regards to heat, I've shot in both Death Valley (dry) and Key West) moist at the height of summer with no issues. I've also shot in sub-freezing temperatures with little problem except shortened battery life. There are reports, however, of failures in extreme cold conditions such as Antarctica - I read an article last year about a expedition during which quite a number of digital cameras did experience failure.

[20droger]

Trust me. In extreme cold, film doesn't do so well either. I've had emulsion crack when cranking.

Come to think of it, in extreme cold people don't do so well!

[RDKirk]

There are reports, however, of failures in extreme cold conditions such as Antarctica - I read an article last year about a expedition during which quite a number of digital cameras did experience failure.

That wasn't extreme cold, but it was a matter of salt spray. A couple of the people whose cameras failed reported that the service center blamed corrosion within the shutter release.

I don't see any reason why extreme dry cold would hamper a digital camera any more than it would bother an electronic film camera. As has been mentioned, it doesn't even have the problem of film freezing and cracking. But it does still have the same cold battery problem that an electronic film camera would have.

Back in the days of fully manual and mechanical cameras, photographers would have their cameras de-lubed or lubed with an extremely light oil to prevent them from gumming at very low temperatures. Of course, that increased wear, but, not by a great deal before they got back and had them re-lubed.

Modern lenses have much less lubricant than lenses of days past, and prime lenses especially should be able to shrug off cold.

[Mark_Cohran]

That wasn't extreme cold, but it was a matter of salt spray. A couple of the people whose cameras failed reported that the service center blamed corrosion within the shutter release.

You're right. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml

[tanbark]

Guys; thanks for the comebacks. A little mind ease, down here in hot, humid, S.C., is a good thing. :o)

[sued5320]

I know people have mentioned that they keep their camera bag in the car (trunk) in the summer, but what if you don't have a trunk? I have an extended cab truck. Is it bad for the camera to leave it in the cab (in the bag, on the floor)?

(Hot and humid here, too...102F today.)