How to prevent the battery flat easily during winter?

[snoopy198520]

I have ask around. Some say after shooting put the camera under the jacket and some say put back into the bag. Which one is the best or another way to do it to prevent? or can i put heat pack into the bag as not direct on the camera will it works or will cause the camera to condensate because of the weather is cold and the bag is warm??? Any one have experience going holiday to cold weather using dslr?? can give me some tips as this is my first time bringing dslr out from warm weather

[jeppoy]

I went to Austria during winter last year and it was freezing cold to the point I can't feel my toes and fingers but the camera survived with no problem. So I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just bring extra battery, heck I didn't even bring one and it lasted the whole day/night.

[RDKirk]

How cold and for how long? Until you get down to freezing for several hours, you're not going to notice that much difference.

[snoopy198520]

so cold but your battery did not freeze? how do you do it?

[snoopy198520]

from range 5 to -2 during the day. i going for tour to china yunan night time back to hotel.

[jeppoy]

Let say I was out and about holding my camera snapping away for a good 2-3 hours at a time then I'd put back my camera to the bag...go for some hot drinks...warm myself up and then go out and start shooting again....Unless you put water on your battery, thats the only thing I can think of that you can freeze your battery and believe me it is cold in Austria during the winter season.

[scepticswe]

It is important to realize that the battery does not drain faster because of cold temperatures. Actually, it's quite the opposite; the battery has a hard time delivering the power when its cold and all the electrochemical processes run slower. If the battery "dies" when its cold it simply means that it cannot deliver power, not that the power has run out. By heating the battery (inside your glove or a pocket close to your body, where it's warm) the battery should work fine again. Then again, it's never a bad idea to carry a spare battery with you, preferrably stored someplace warm, such as a pocket inside your jacket.

[jeppoy]

Tell you what, I'm going to Bavaria in the next couple of weeks and climb up the Zugspitze and I will do exactly the same.

[snoopy198520]

ok that means i dont have to worry so much on the battery but what about your lens when you back to hotel or to those heated indoor? Put in the bag for few hours to let the camera warm up before taking it out?

[snoopy198520]

oh i see so i just have to let the battery to be warm and nothing will happen to it. so there no point to put the heat pack in the bag to let the battery warm.

[snoopy198520]

the only worries is the lens and the camera alot of them i have ask. they ask me to prevent the lens from condensation. how do i prevent it when i get into outdoor to indoor and indoor to outdoor what i have to look out for?

[jeppoy]

I didnt have that problem either, It's not like your hotel is going to be freaking hot. Humidity is the reason why you have lens fog, not from winter cold temperature and hotel temperature. I only experience lens fog when I was in the desert coming from cold to humid hot weather. But humid to inside aircondition temperature, no problem. When it's humid I put all my stuff in a ziplock bag then acclamate it for about 20 mins max.

[snoopy198520]

ok so as long as its cold and not that humid i don't have to worry so much about humidity as it is low am i right to say that even at hotel or restaurant? so it that means i still can take out my camera straight when i enter into the indoor and outdoor? :)

[jeppoy]

yes, I've taken my camera from outside to the hotel without putting in the bag.

[snoopy198520]

hey thanks alot. i have ask alot of sales people in my country and they tell me alot of things have to use towel to wrap the camera when entering the hotel and restaurant or put in the ziplog bag then have to let it warm up before shooting and when going out to outdoor have to let it cool down before shooting again.that is why make me more worry of my camera getting condensation.

[jeppoy]

np.

[RDKirk]

It is important to realize that the battery does not drain faster because of cold temperatures. Actually, it's quite the opposite; the battery has a hard time delivering the power when its cold and all the electrochemical processes run slower. If the battery "dies" when its cold it simply means that it cannot deliver power, not that the power has run out. By heating the battery (inside your glove or a pocket close to your body, where it's warm) the battery should work fine again. Then again, it's never a bad idea to carry a spare battery with you, preferrably stored someplace warm, such as a pocket inside your jacket.

Yes, this is the ticket. Take more than one battery, all of them fully charged each day. Put one in the camera, keep the others in a pocket close to your skin. When one battery starts to show signs of the cold, swap it with one from your pocket. When the chilled battery has warmed again, you will be able to use it again. You can swap two or three batteries like that all day, until each finally exhausts its full charge.

[RDKirk]

the only worries is the lens and the camera alot of them i have ask. they ask me to prevent the lens from condensation. how do i prevent it when i get into outdoor to indoor and indoor to outdoor what i have to look out for?

You only have to worry about going indoors, which is where any condensation will occur. If you don't expect to do any shooting indoors for a while (or you plan to go immediately back outside), just put the camera in your bag before you enter and keep it in the bag. I will warm by conduction without condensation.

[jack lumber]

I have shot all day in -25 temps on 1 battery, the cold just isnt an issue, well for me it was but not my gear!

[r.morales]

The age of your batteries has a lot to do with it The older and more cycles a battery has , the more cold or /heat effects it / them . I would buy a new battery [ 2 if gripped ] before you go .
A lens filter wallet , compact flash card wallet will both hold spare batteries [ I use the bright yellow compact flash card holder - easy to find because of color and fits into pocket . ]
BTW- if you use filters , take at least 2 of each you take . easier to replace than clean - but have had them stick when below freezing - so get a plastic filter wrench [ less than $10 ]