How to Use Your Camera in Cold Weather

[夏蓮]

How to Use Your Camera in Cold Weather

'Tis the season, and we're getting lots of letters from NYI students
and other Northern Hemisphere Web visitors about taking photos in cold
weather. There are lots of great photo opportunities out there whether
your idea of a good time is ice fishing, snow shoeing or just plain
walking in the winter wonderland. You just need to get out there and
take the proper steps.

The letters we get reveal that the proper steps for winter camera
protection are often confused in people's minds. Here's an e-mail we
got recently from a photographer in Ontario, Canada, that is typical:
"I am happily snapping away, but having a bit of a problem keeping my
camera warm and unfrozen in our cold, blustery weather. If I carry it
bundled under my coat, should I keep it in a plastic bag (I read about
this somewhere) to prevent condensation? Any other suggestions for
camera protection?"

Okay. You asked. Here are the facts and the answers to all the basic
camera tips regarding cold weather.

The problem with lots of camera tips about cold weather photography is
that they get out of sequence. Here's why. There are really three
different scenarios to consider: First, what to do when you take your
camera from a warm, cozy home or car into the bitter cold outside.
Second, what to do when you're shooting pictures outside in the cold.
Third, what to do when you finally bring your freezing camera back
into that warm cozy house or car.

Okay. First, what should you do when you bring your warm camera
outside? Do you have to worry about moisture condensing from the cold
air onto the warm surface of the lens or the film or the electronics?
No. Cold air has low moisture content. There's little or no
condensation when you go outside into the cold. (As we'll discuss,
this becomes a problem when you go back inside.)

So what's the problem? The main problem is loss of battery power!

Batteries

The chemistry and physics of how batteries generate electrical energy
means that at very low temperatures all batteries lose power. They're
just not as efficient. This is a particularly serious problem with
today's digital cameras that are totally dependent on battery power.
So, when you take your camera and flash out into the cold, you should
anticipate a loss of battery power. How do you prepare for this?

First, by keeping the camera and flash (and their batteries) as warm
as possible, even outdoors. To do this, when you go outdoors, carry
them close to your body, for example, under your coat. Let them share
your body warmth except for those brief moments when you are actually
taking a picture. (Keeping your camera protected and warm this way
will also minimize the possibility of a manual shutter sticking
because its lubricant freezes.)

The second way you prepare for the expected loss of battery power in
the cold is to bring spare batteries with you when you go outside. And
keep these spares close to your body too; for example, in a shirt
pocket where they will also benefit from your body heat. Then, if your
camera (or flash) batteries start to fail, you can insert warm fresh
batteries.

All right. You're outside now. What should you do differently because
of the cold? Your objective is to continue to try to keep the camera
and flash as warm as possible. For example, let's say you're staked
out waiting for wildlife to appear over yonder hill. Set up your
tripod, but if possible keep your camera protected under your coat
until you're ready to shoot. Here's where a quick-release head comes
in handy. When you see your quarry, pop the camera onto the tripod
quickly and quietly. An ice-cold tripod will do its job for far longer
than an ice-cold camera, which is likely to fail. Tripods, by the way,
will eventually freeze when temperatures are well below zero,
depending on the type of lubricant in the tripod's joints and head.

We've noticed that some digital cameras, which tend to eat batteries
anyway, conk out very quickly in cold weather. Carry lots of
batteries. As we already noted, if you find your battery power
failing, you have extra warm batteries with you.

Static Electricity

What other problem bedevils the photographer in the cold (other than
frozen fingers and runny nose)? Static electricity. If you live
anywhere in the North, you know the problem during the winter ? if you
walk on a carpet, you may get a shock when you shake hands or touch a
doorknob. Realize that static electricity is a problem only when the
humidity is low. And cold weather means low humidity because cold air
cannot hold much moisture. When you use your camera outdoors in the
cold, therefore, you risk creating a buildup of static electricity
when you advance the film (this is the equivalent of walking on that
carpet) and when the buildup is sufficient a spark may flash inside
your camera, fogging the film. While this is rare, it does happen.
We've seen it and the results ruin the affected photographs. How can
you minimize this possibility in cold weather? Advance your film
carefully. With a manual camera, advance the film slowly. With an
autowind camera, shoot only one frame at a time.

Keep Yourself Warm

And the final camera tip for shooting outdoors is for you to keep
warm. Dress in layers. Wear good warm boots. Bring along a Thermos of
hot soup. (Coffee and alcohol are counterproductive; they make you
less able to maintain your body warmth!) And, if it's really cold,
consider some supplementary heating devices, such as skiers use ?
plastic packets of chemicals that can warm the hands or feet when they
are kneaded, or even battery heated insoles for your boots. You need
thick gloves, but these are not great when it comes to pressing the
small buttons on your camera. So consider gloves sold in backpacking
stores that have fingertips or mittens that can be folded back so that
you can momentarily use your bare fingers.

Shooting in Snow

What about taking photographs when it's actually snowing or sleeting?
If it's just a few flakes, just keep your camera under your coat
except when you shoot. Not long ago, we were outside photographing
when a heavy snow squall hit. In a few seconds, the whole world was
awash in swirling, blowing soggy snowflakes. This kind of heavy
downfall can play havoc with the exposed parts of an SLR or digital
point-and-shoot, particularly the highly electronic models where any
moisture can snarl the all-important circuits that control all the
camera's functions, as well as digital cameras.

Here's a camera tip for when it's really coming down. Don't use your
SLR unless you have it protected by a waterproof device such as the
plastic-bag type housings made by Ewa. These handy gadgets are
designed for snorkelers ? you put your camera into the plastic bag and
seal it. Your camera's lens is positioned so it "sees" though a clear
optical glass filter. Your camera is protected from moisture by the
plastic sack and the lens by the glass filter. We should note that
these are fine for snowstorms as well as snorkeling. They aren't made
for higher water pressure that scuba divers encounter at greater
depths. That's another topic for another article.

Another approach in snowy conditions is to use a waterproof point-and-
shoot or even a waterproof single-use camera. Several single-use
models put out by Kodak and Fuji have ISO 800 film and should be able
to capture an image as long as it's not too dark.



Whether you're using a waterproof holder or a waterproof camera,
you'll have to make sure that snowflakes or water droplets don't
obscure the view of the lens. If necessary, wipe your lens with a dry,
lint-free absorbent cloth. We use either a well-worn all-cotton t-
shirt for this purpose, or a microfiber cleaning cloth.

If you follow these precautions, you should have no problem keeping
your camera protected when working outdoors and taking all the great
winter photographs that you encounter, regardless of the weather..

Condensation

Now it's time to come back indoors. Here's where condensation can be a
problem. You've seen moisture condense on a cool glass of water on a
hot summer day. Your lens and the film inside the camera behave the
same way when you bring them inside – moisture from the warm inside
air condenses on their cold surfaces. The lens can become completely
covered with moisture, as can the film and the mechanical and
electrical components inside the camera. You don't want moisture –
water! – on your lens or inside the camera. So how can you avoid this
problem?

Let your camera warm up slowly. Place it on a cool windowsill or an
unheated porch for a couple of hours so it can rise slowly to room
temperature. Since condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic
camera, you want even greater protection for them. This is where the
suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play.
The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the
camera's outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate
electronics this way. In fact, it's best if you place the bag on the
camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in.

With these simple precautions and camera tips, you'll be able to take
great photographs outdoors in cold weather. Cold weather offers
exceptional opportunities for wonderful landscapes because of its
crystal-clear air. So don't be daunted when the temperature drops into
the Arctic zone. Just dress properly, take these few precautions, head
outdoors, and get going!


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