Don't use camera below 32 degrees?

ricepudding

TPF Noob!
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
55
Reaction score
0
Location
Novi, MI
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Now common! I just got my D80, spent over $1000 on it with the memory cards and while reading the instructions about charging the battery it says not to USE the battery in temps lower than 32 degrees.

Now, I'm not going to be photographing penguins for a living or anything but I do live in Michigan. Are they for real?
 
Keep you spare batteries in your inner pocket of your coat. Use body head to keep them warm. Carry lots of spares... batteries of any type do not work well in sub freezing temps.
 
Also, give the lens time to "cool down" else you will get a little condensation on the glass.

Personally, I would pass on sub-freezing picture sessions, but many do it.

As suggested, swap batteries every 15 min or so. By doin so the batteries last longer. A cold battery loses its charge very fast.
 
I won't be doing alot outside in the cold but I would like to go out with my camera and get pics of the kids sledding w/o worrying about ruining my battery...ya know? At least that is what I did with my point and shoot that was much cheaper. Oh, and for now I have one battery.. :-(
 
w/o worrying about ruining my battery...ya know? At least that is what I did with my point and shoot that was much cheaper. Oh, and for now I have one battery.. :-(

First off, get another battery! You'll appreciate having an extra. I don't know how many times I've been going somewhere and magically my battery is low on charge and I am thankful I have a spare.

Them saying don't use it in freezing is a suggestion. The battery is not RATED to work in these temperatures and they drain really quickly. Battery's aren't meant to be discharged in cold. The battery is exhausted quicker. Long-term this could cause damage to the battery, but in short-term you just end up having to re-charge the battery more often. Shooting the kids playing in the snow now and then won't ruin the battery. Just don't take a 6 month trip to northern canada and expect your single battery to last the entire 6 months.
 
The irony of the scenes from the duracell commercial that occured on a mountain or in an iceberg or something amuse me so.
 
Definitely get a second battery. I don't know if Sterlingtek makes batteries for the D80 but there are some good alternatives for the Canon brand batteries that are much cheaper.
 
I have taken photos in -60 degrees, yes thats below zero and no wind thank god. Here kinda what happens, you gots about 5 mins to get your shot before the batteries will freeze and die if your smart and have a large quantom (As I did) the camera will last about 10-15min then the shutter will freeze and your finished you cant take anymore photos until the camera warms back up.
 
I have taken photos in -60 degrees, yes thats below zero and no wind thank god. Here kinda what happens, you gots about 5 mins to get your shot before the batteries will freeze and die if your smart and have a large quantom (As I did) the camera will last about 10-15min then the shutter will freeze and your finished you cant take anymore photos until the camera warms back up.

How did you warm the camera back up without having condensation problems?
 
putting the lense cap back on seems to help and a gradual transition to a warmer temp helps also, but regardless its going to happen one way or another.
 
The 'rated' temperature is just something they put in the manual to cover their buts...the cameras will work just fine at much lower temps. Remember though, that the screens are LCD (L as in liquid) and you don't want that to freeze. But, as people have mentioned, the battery will usually die long before the cold does any damage to the camera.

Also, be careful about condensation. When you bring something from a cold environment (dry) into a warm & humid environment, water will form onto the cold surfaces...this includes the outside and the inside of the camera, lens and anything else. The best thing you can do, would be to lock the camera into a zip-lock bag before you come inside. Let the camera warm up (gradually is best) before you open the bag. If you don't have a zip-lock bag, keep the camera in your camera bag, zipped up tight until it's up to room temperature.

The same also applies when you are in an air conditioned room and go outside into a tropical climate.
 
I have always done cold weather shooting and have shot in temperatures of minus forty, sometimes with a strong wind, with no problems using both film and digital cameras I keep my camera in a light camera case and take it out to shoot. The hardest thing I find is to keep the viewfinder from getting fogged up due to breath or the warmth of my face.

skieur
 
is that 32 degrees Farenheit? or Celcius?

lol, you wacky Americans
 

Most reactions

Back
Top