Shooting sub zero

great info, it's -10 here today and with windchill it's pushing -20 to -30.

muskyhunter wrote in post #11452413
great info, it's -10 here today and with windchill it's pushing -20 to -30.

To compliment local photographer I would add one more tip for winter photography around GTA.
If you are on foot and getting closer to rivers’ banks and waterfalls during local winters the only huge advantage and safety equipment would be cheap shoe winter cleats.
I have one pair for 8CAD it is “rubber ring – chain ring – rubber ring”. They are the best compare to more expensive and fancy ones.

Yeah really the only thing I have noticed is battery life. But as I always have extra batteries with me I have never run out of juice whilst shooting. Usually my first pair will work all day long. One thing you do want to think about is to stay clear of the snow. If your camera is covered with it make sure you brush it all off with something other than your warm hand. I almost drowned the top lcd when the snow started melting the other day.

Yeah as kf095 pointed out. Watch your steps. Walking around with thousands of dollars in equipment and busting it because you slipped on an ice patch is something to worry bout.

I am more concerned with what kinds of birds you can photography in those weathers....

bohdank wrote in post #11449436
Cameras/lenses use lubricants. At some point, they cease to work as designed. In extreme cold they get thicker with various consequences to the parts/assemblies they were designed to protect.

Yep. Back in the old film days I had a Canon EF camera which could operate totally manually without a battery. Many times out in the cold my lenses would start to fail ( lubricants thicken up ) before the camera.

When I was taking pictures in the artic it was -40 with the wind and -20 without. Take a plastic bad with your camera inside to allow it to get use to the colder temps. The big thing to worry about is the lens fogging up and once you come back in the moisture that builds up. Once you bring your camera back in you need to open up EVERY thing and take out everything out of the camera to let it air out. that means the battery, memory card, lens and ANYTHING else.

Bang Bang Boy wrote in post #11451961
Aslong as you don't put in the freezer it should be ok.

My freezer is currently about 30 degrees F warmer than the outside temps. I put my 7D in the freezer to warm it up.

TooManyShots wrote in post #11452735
I am more concerned with what kinds of birds you can photography in those weathers....

I've shot everything from Eagles to Cardinals, Blue Jays, Doves, and all the normal back yard birds in 0 degree f temps.

I live where it easily gets to -20 during winter during the day and colder at night, especially during late december and throughout january.

As mentioned battery life takes a dive, and basic precautions against condensation are a good idea.

Cold air is very dry. Use your camera normally outside, but before bringing it in put it in a ziplock or otherwise very airtight bag. Once the air inside reaches room temperature you can remove the camera without worry.

I can only agree with the above posters, you need more batteries.
I've been shooting with the 7D at -10C or more so far and battery capacity drop fast, i think i might need a battery grip for my 7D since i live here.

Also i would never keep the camera under the jacket, cold won't break the camera but condensation will.

Cannot speak about the other models but had the 550D out in -3c to -5c temps for about 6 hours on a metal tripod (lunar eclipse shoot). Battery life was reduced but still managed to almost fill an 8gb card. One trick I read about was to alternate batteries frequently and to keep them close to the body instead of in the bag. This way the charge would last much longer. I did not so that so as to get a general idea on how long a battery would last in similar conditions.

A grip would make sense. Read somewhere that alkaline rechargeables hold up much better. So a grip that will take alkalines would be a good bet for extended use and a comparatively cheaper alternative to actual camera style batteries.

Camera and anything outside will get very very cold. In case of a tripod best is to have tube piping on at least one leg so that turning or holding wont cause problems. And as others have suggested put equipment into ziplock bags before taking them back indoors.

Other aspects to consider would be clothing and mobility. Luckily it was not snowing that night, so do consider how to shield the camera in case of really bad weather. But then the birds would have disappeared in those conditions anyway. haha.

Have fun.

Darkwand wrote in post #11492852
I can only agree with the above posters, you need more batteries.
I've been shooting with the 7D at -10C or more so far and battery capacity drop fast, i think i might need a battery grip for my 7D since i live here.

Also i would never keep the camera under the jacket, cold won't break the camera but condensation will.

THIS, I forgot to say something about that. It can have an effect on your shutter as far as speed goes.

I had my 1D4 out taking landscape shots in -22C the other day. I can't speak to focus accuracy or speed - I use manual focus lenses - but my battery life was more than adequate for 6 hours outside. I keep a spare on an inside pocket which seems to help with the charge.

Be careful where you breathe - it's really easy to fog the lens or the eyepiece... and once they get a film of moisture on them it's quite difficuly to get rid of it.

last - I'll second the recommendations on putting the camera in a plastic bag when your come indoors. I tend to take it out after a while and wrap the camera in a dry towel.

I live in Alaska, a cold part of a cold state. Generally the cameras will not give you too much trouble. Your breath can frost up eyepieces and screens. My guess is that batteries should not be an issue, if it is really cold you will not last as long as the camera. Friends who have drug SLR's to the top of Denali (20,320') simply have stuck batteries in their pocket....

As to bringing camera's in from the cold, most dwellings are quite dry and it would be an unusual place to cause the camera to mist over. From AC to a hot and steamy outside in say Hong Kong or Singapore would be a much greater issue.

-20C isn't really very cold as these things go. Cheers: T

I shoot mostly winter action sports and my xti/1dmk2 have never had an issue other then batteries not lasting as long. Coldest I've shot in was probably 0-5º F