Wildlife -30 Celsius
Hi,
I thought this might be of interest to you folks that are in warmer climates than I am at the moment here in Calgary Alberta. I was out and about with my camera yesterday and this link will show you some of the results of that. The temperature was (still is) a balmy -30 Celsius. Check out the Great Horned Owl.
www.ve6ab.blogspot.com
Jerry
Thanks for the link Jerry !! ... its a little warmer down here :) Love those cold scenes !!!
Jerry, i am curious as to what gear you were shooting with and how long you were out.
i have a friend in the north how tells me how only gets 15-20 minutes from his D50 before things start going south due to cold. i'm slated for a week long trip in April when i can expect -30*C as a daily high and am wondering just how limited i am going to be!
I am out in cold weather with my Canon gear every week-end all winter here in Southern Alberta, and temperatures down to -30 Celsius is not a problem for the gear itself. I find that after 2 hours out in -30 Celsius temperatures, you may have to change out your batteries for a warm set that I carry in a inner pocket near my body. The battery voltage drops in the cold temperatures, much like the batteries in our cars under similar temperatures. The batteries that you remove from your camera will recover and may be used again once they are warmed in a inner pocket. In extreme cold (-40 C), I have used chemical hand warmers (available at sporting good stores) in a pocket of my parka to keep batteries warm. With vehicles, a battery warmer is utilized that is plugged in along with the engine block heater over-night. I had more problems with my film cameras years ago than I do with my DSLR's today when out in the cold. When exiting a warm vehicle at -30 Celsius, allow your cameras to climatize (condensation on the glass to clear) and then your good to go. Do not try to place your camera in your jacket near your body, as this will cause condensation problems. I find that my cameras will function in the cold as long as I want to remain out and about. Again, extra batteries is all thats required.Originally Posted by Scott Grant
Thanks Jerry !!! btw do you do anything special with gloves? That seems to be my main problem, keeping fingers warm and still operate the camera !!
Have tried different combinations and was told to try a latex glove under regular gloves and mitts !!
At this temperature, the AF slow down a bit also.
Jerry, thanks for the thorough explanation.
i'm hoping that the cold won't take it's toll too quick. i do have 4 batteries so with any luck and some smarts i may be AOK.
Yes, I'll curious about a glove solution. I've got some "photographer's gloves" with thin spots at the thumb and index finger and a stretchy hole that you can actually poke your finger through. At O-F and -16F last week in Colorado, my fingers quickly became useless, requiring a stop to use handwarmers.
BTW, the gloves I have work pretty well down into the twenties F, only requiring me to put my hands in my pockets occasionally, but 0-F it only takes a minute or two.
Dave
Ah...the cold fingers problem, I found out a long time ago that my fingers were a much bigger problem to keep functioning than my cameras.
All things being equal (fabrics, thickness, and insulation), mittens are warmer than gloves. Mitts trap body heat by keeping your fingers together and reducing evaporative heat loss. In frigid temperatures, I use a layered mitt system. At one time or another I used mitts with a complete gortex waterproof outer shell. However, because of the stiffness of a complete gortex outer shell, I now use outer mitts with cuffs that have a combination of gortex and goat leather palms that allows me to hold my cameras more sucurely. I also wear mitts with a removable inner layer, as layers dry faster than one heavily insulated piece, and let you swap out wet layers. However, gloves offer better grip and dexterity for using cameras. Therefore, I use a thin (very thin) pair of fleece gloves inside of my mitts. If it is extremelly cold, I will keep my mitts on untill I need the extra dexterity. At that point I drop my mitts which are lanyarded to my wrists and in easy reach when required. My fleece gloves now allow me to use my cameras as easily as without gloves. You want mitts with cuffs, as cuffs keep out snow and insulate the wrist – an area of high heat loss. Look for cuffs that fit snugly but don’t impede circulation.
In real cold conditions, I carry a extra pair of these thin fleece gloves in the inside pocket of my jacket near my body. This ensures I always have warm gloves to swap out when my fingers get really cold from being out of my over-mitts to long. I found that my fingers will warm up quicker this way when I have allowed them to get to cold before putting my mitts back on. Now-days, my hands are warmer than ever since I went to a carbon-fiber tripod. Mmmm...carbon-fiber camera bodies and lenses.
Last edited by Jerry Clement; 12-14-2009 at 09:40 PM.
Alfred,
the latex glove has little insulating properties. they generally work best in a wet environment by keeping a moisture barrier between your skin and the cold. the latex won't allow the moisture to evaporate from your skin. wet hands get colder about 50 times faster than dry hands.
we used latex gloves setting up snow fencing at a local ski resort. we needed the dexterity of our bare fingers to get the zip ties in place and zipped. the latex gloves would keep our hands warm enough to keep our fingers nimble. it was still cold, but we were able to continue to work.
Big Thanks on the gloves guys !!!
Makes sense about the wet hands .... no good !!
About the only think I hadn't thought about is the extra pair of fleece gloves. btw the mitts I use are the hunters type so I can only have on finger out !!
Al,
Black Diamond Mercury Mitts are warm and have a separate slot inside the mitt for your index finger as well as thumb. You can feel the shutter quite well with this mitt design, but the outer shell is not waterproof. Typically, this is not a problem in very cold conditions. Manzella Cascade Mitts are made of windproof polar fleece and thinsulate, they are very warm. When purchasing a mitt I suggest getting at least one size larger size to accommodate a liner glove. Best to try before you buy. When staying out in extreme cold conditions I do as Jerry mentioned above, using the large very warm Outdoor Research Alti Mitten w/ lanyard and a thin wind-bloc/proof polar fleece glove inside.
Marmot’s Expedition mitts, are made for Mount Everest climbers and South Pole scientists. The downside is the liner lining is not attached directly to the mitt, making it slippery, gripping things is difficult, but they are very warm. No cold fingers in -30F, even with the wind cranking.
A participant in YNP had these glove-mitts http://www.swanyamerica.com/cat.php?k=134468 You can open a watertight zipper and expose your inner gloved hand. http://www.snowshack.com/detail/SNW+...tic+Mitt+Black
The 4-Piece Arctic Mitten Set protects hands down to -60° F in an environment where choosing anything but the best winter mittens means you lose your hands.
https://www.northernoutfitters.com/p...itten-set.aspx, http://www.pr-inside.com/don-t-risk-...s-r1572590.htm
FYI- I got frostbite on two fingertips shooting in YNP -30 two years ago and those fingertips will forever be more prone to the cold because of the capillary damage.
Another staple for me is the Windbloc Headsokz.
Warmest Regards ;),
Chas
Last edited by Charles Glatzer; 12-15-2009 at 04:11 PM.
Thanks for the info will be checking right now !!!!
Great Horned Owl
Is it still alive, or just frozen in place until spring?
Hal
Actually, what you don't see, is a 1/2 doz. Black-billed Magpie's, that initially lead me to this GHO that was being harassed by the BBM's who had discovered the GHO on its roost. The GHO was some pissed and would have loved to have got his talon's into one or more of the BBM's.
Thanks Chas, you are a storehouse of information; makes it worth following your posts on various sites just for your information.
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