Winter Conditions

[Azriel]

I realize that the Canon 50D hasn't been cleared for sub zero tempratures but I'm curious if anyone has done any winter shooting with one, what their experience was, what type of precausions they took and if they had any issues and how they (would have) handled it.

 

[Big Mike]

This is a popular question lately...

There are a couple of things to be concerned about.
First is the battery. In cold temps, the battery will die very quickly. It will usually be OK when it warms up again though. So what you need to do, is have a few batteries and keep the spares warm (in a pocket close to your body). Then you can switch them out when the cold one dies.

Then next big concern is condensation. When you take something from a cold/dry environment into a warm/humid environment, condensation will form on the surfaces. So you could end up with water all over (and inside) your camera & lens etc.
To prevent this, you need to seal up your gear before getting back inside. The best method is probably a large zip-lock bag...but at the very least, put everything back into your camera bag and zip it up tight. You need to let the gear warm up before you expose it to the warm air.

Of course, if the temp gets really low, then there could be all sorts of things go wrong. The lubricant on the moving parts will get thick. The liquid in the LCD screens might freeze. Plastic parts may get brittle etc. But by the time it gets that cold, you probably won't want to be out taking photos anyway.

 

[skieur]

Well, I can't speak about that particular camera, but I have done a lot of shooting from skis in sub zero temperatures using cameras that have not been cleared for such temperatures and never had a problem.

I generally carry a pocket camera in a small case in my jacket pocket for wide angle shots and a DSLR with a 70 to 300mm zoom in a small camera case on my shoulder.

When I bring it into the cabin several hours later, I do not even open the camera cases until things have gradually warmed up to avoid condensation.

BTW The only time I ever had a problem was with a film camera in Quebec city at 40 below zero fahrenheit shooting at night. My breath caused condensation which instantly froze on viewfinder etc and camera operation even shutter speed slowed down.

skieur






skieur

 

[bigtwinky]

While reading up a link about the 7Ds weather sealing, a pro brought the 50D, 5D MkII, 7D and 1D MkIII out to a trip in Antartica

Full text 7D #1 Weather Sealing

This trip was almost the same 3.5 week photo expedition to Antartctica as last year, where I had a 50D and Canon HF10 HD video camera for testing. On that trip I destroyed the video camera on my first day at South Georgia, and the 50D camera had a one day “hangover” after a wet landing. After a few days I put the 50D away because it was not suited to those conditions. 3-4 photographers with Canon 30Ds and 40Ds broke their cameras during last year’s expedition. NB: My workhorse, the 1DS Mark III worked flawlessly, even after 2 “baths” in cold sea water. After these experiences, I wasn’t sure if the 7D and 5D Mark II would survive for the duration of the expedition this year.

Not the in depth review you want, but saying that the 50D had a 1 day hangover vs the 30d and 40D which broke, I guess is a good thing. But then again, he said the camera wasn't built for this so he put it away. And but then again, you aren't shooting in Antartica.

 

[Pugs]

I carry a big black garbage bag in my camera bag and when coming in out of the cold, I jam the entire camera bag into the garbage bag, seal it up tight and leave it sealed for a few hours.

 

[Azriel]

I carry a big black garbage bag in my camera bag and when coming in out of the cold, I jam the entire camera bag into the garbage bag, seal it up tight and leave it sealed for a few hours.

Thanks Pugs, and the rest of you who commented. The antartica quote was just what I needed to hear, an example of a worst case scenario.