some questions about g6

Hi all

I have some questions about my new G6

1. How safe is it to use it in winter (about -15C to -30C .. i live in Latvia - it's a bit could in there in winter .. much of buautiful snow to photograph ) ? In manual there is said that you should put camera in plastic bag when moving it from cold to warm, but what plastic bag ? how can i be sure that plastic bag will save my camera from condensation ? And how long i have to keep my camera in that plastic bag to be sure ?

2. From what material is made LA-DC58D adapter ? Metallic ?

3. Is it safe to use my camera in deep fog ? Isn't humidity (humidity? wet fog bad for camera ? )

PS. sorry for language if bad
PPS. more questions to come for sure

AndrisP wrote:
Hi all

I have some questions about my new G6

1. How safe is it to use it in winter (about -15C to -30C .. i live in Latvia - it's a bit could in there in winter .. much of buautiful snow to photograph ) ? In manual there is said that you should put camera in plastic bag when moving it from cold to warm, but what plastic bag ? how can i be sure that plastic bag will save my camera from condensation ? And how long i have to keep my camera in that plastic bag to be sure ?

2. From what material is made LA-DC58D adapter ? Metallic ?

3. Is it safe to use my camera in deep fog ? Isn't humidity (humidity? wet fog bad for camera ? )

PS. sorry for language if bad
PPS. more questions to come for sure

The LA-DC58D is metal, I have one. Sorry I don't have answers to your other questions.

thanks, but doesn't this adapter block AF less or more ? and how much does it block builtin flash ?

Blocks builtin flash at wide angle. I have added a Speedlite 420ex

but AF? is it ok with this adapter ?

yes, I have not noticed a problem with it.

one more question - does 420ex builtin AF asist beam help G6 to AF better ? i'm asking this because i'm bit upset about G6 AF in low light condition..

AndrisP wrote:
one more question - does 420ex builtin AF asist beam help G6 to AF better ? i'm asking this because i'm bit upset about G6 AF in low light condition..

I beleive the AF on the 420ex doesn't work with the G6 at all, only the G6 AF works. Mine seems to work very well in low light.

To the best of my knowledge, the flash only determines flash output and doesn't report back to the camera for adjustments. Even with a 420EX indoors you can still get some really blurry pictures unless you force the shutter speed to 1/160 or 1/200. The camara loves 1/60 even if it ambiant light dictates the ability to go higher, it will still go all the way down to 1/60 causing blurry pictures in auto or P modes.

Overall it takes good pictures if you know what you are doing and learn how to work through this issues. but handing this camera off to someone who doesn't know how to use it will result in deleting 95% of your indoor photo's and the remaining 5% are really only good for 4x6 pictures.

every now and then I do get wow'd by an indoor pic, but most of the time it's dissapointing.

AndrisP wrote:
1. How safe is it to use it in winter (about -15C to -30C .. i live in Latvia - it's a bit could in there in winter .. much of buautiful snow to photograph ) ? In manual there is said that you should put camera in plastic bag when moving it from cold to warm, but what plastic bag ? how can i be sure that plastic bag will save my camera from condensation ? And how long i have to keep my camera in that plastic bag to be sure ?

From the manual:
Operating temperature 0-40 C (32-104 F)
Operating humidity: 0-90%

They say the battery can be used in the same range, but it's best to use (10-30) (50-86 F).

I just got my G6 in the spring so I haven't used it in the winter yet, but my old camera had about the same ratings. It used 2 rechargeable AA batteries, and the closer you got to freezing, the shorter the battery life, at 0°C, they didn't work at all.

I'd imagine just about any digital camera is the same, below freezing, aside from the battery problem you have the condensation problem and maybe mechanical problems as well (the oil and grease on the gears could freeze)

B

Of the cold-related issues, condensation has the most potential to damage your camera. How humid is your area in the winter? Indoors, would a glass of cold water/beer/milk form droplets of water all over the outside, and drip down onto the table? If so, then bringing your cold camera indoors could cause the same condensation inside the camera. The idea with using a plastic bag is to seal the camera in a zip-lock type bag (one that you provide) before taking it to any place with a very different temperature. That way, the camera can adjust to the new temperature without being exposed to the different humidity in that new place. Once the camera is at the same temperature, it will no longer be a magnet to any moisture in the air.
But reduced battery life is certainly annoying in cold weather. You can try to keep the camera close to your body as much as possible to warm it up between shots.

Fog could be a problem too. If it's making you damp, it's probably making your camera more damp. Major concerns are exposing the electronics to water, and also corrosion on the battery contacts. Consider an inexpensive bag-type underwater housing for the camera, like those from Ewa-Marine and Aquapaq. Basically, these are super-strong ziplock bags--some with an optical lens embedded in them.
www.ewa-marine.de
www.aquapac.net