Winter Photography

When you are working out in the cold weather, problems can occur for the photographers and their camera eqipment. Most photographers think that 32 degrees is freezing because they are used to more warmer climates. But many people don’t know that most cameras that are built today can handle freezing temperatures, but when the temperatures drop below freezing, you should start worrying about your equipment.

Many manufacturers specify to not use their cameras under 0 degrees, but most cameras will work well in even lower temperatures. Cameras are not tested at temperatures below 0 because problems can occur, but most of these problems can be stopped . There is really not a problem with electronic circuitry because electronics often work better at lower temperatures. The problems that arise in cold weather are related to battery issues and problems with the LCD displays. Most cameras are fine to at least 20 degrees below zero, but what temperatures cause problems all depends on the design of the equipment.

If you have older cameras, you need to winterize them before you use it at extremely low temperatures. You will have to take the camera apart and remove the heavy lubricants on their mechanical parts. It should be replaced with a low lubricant or no lubricant at all. When you want to use your camera at normal temperatures again, you need to replace the lubricant. This is not very convenient and is not necessary on cameras that are made today. The best things to use at low temperatures is memory cards, not compact flash micro drives because they are mechanical devices and are more likely to have problems.

There are a few problems you should know about before using film at low temperatures. At very low temperatures, film can become brittle and can snap very easily. Also, when there is very low humidity of cold air, it allows static electricity to build up and this can cause a problem during rewind. Sometimes static discharge will leave marks on the film, which will ruin your photos.

 Another good thing to know is batteries lose a lot of their power at low temperatures. All batteries will lose power at low temperatures, but some are better than others. The best batteries to use in cold temperatures are non-rechargeable Li Cell batteries, NiCd, NiMH and Li-ion batteries. There are some cameras out there that use an external battery pack that connects to the camera with a cord, so you can keep the battery warm under your jacket.

Whenever you come inside into the warm after you are shooting in cold temperatures, there are more problems that can occur. The cold air outside is really dry, but the warm air inside contains moisture. The problem with the moisture is not on the outside parts of the camera, but more of a concern on the internal parts of the camera. The moisture will eventually evaporate, but it will take a long time. This problem can be avoided if you seal the camera gear in an airtight plastic bag before you come inside. There may be some condensation on the outside of the bag, but the camera and the lens will slowly warm up and will stay dry.