Home Forums Gear Photography Cold Weather Digital Camera

I am on the hunt for a moderately priced camera for taking decent quality game photos. In our area, deer activity really picks up in sub-freezing temps. The cameras that I have been looking at (Nikon Coolpix P series, Canon SX series, etc.) have a specified operating temperature of 32-104 degrees.

Any experience with using any digital cameras in sub-freezing weather? Suggestions?

I use Canon cameras in the interior of Alaska for expended periods of time during the winter. The temperatures usually are from -10 to perhaps -25 below zero. The same can be said for other people taking photos of the sled dog races using Nikon and other brands. This is what I do when staying outdoors for several hours at a time, keeping in mind that I am wearing winter gear from head to toe:

a. I place a small Hand Warmer pack inside the mittens of gloves so that the pack is on the palm of each hand. When I am holding the camera with my gloved hands, the extra heat from the Hand Warmer keeps the area that contains the battery slightly warmer than the ambient temperature. Meanwhile I keep and extra battery or two in one of my chest pockets close to my skin.

b. When done taking photos I place the camera back in the camera bag where I have another Hand Warmer or two, and then zip the insulated bag to keep snow and too much cold from getting inside.

If it's a pocket camera you are using, you can always keep it in a chest pocket next to your skin when done with taking photos.

Ray,

Thanks for the input. I guess you don't have any issues with internal fogging going from a "warm" bag to sub-zero temps and back?

Great photos, BTW!!!

Cookie uses Canon gear (50D and 70D and some big lenses). To reduce fogging risks, she leaves all of her equipment overnight in our unheated rig (as opposed to overnighting in a heated wall tent) and has had no issues down into the -20 F range. We are in a dry environment, however, where humidity is rarely an issue.

Lithium ion batteries work okay when it's cold but they work even better above freezing. You can leave the camera outside but it never hurts to bring the battery inside. I like to have an extra battery or two available.

No over here because the air is very dry outside. However, you can leave the camera in the insulated camera bag, or just pull it out of the bag and place it by the dashboard of your truck with the heat on defrost. You don't want to overheat the camera, just to warm it up with the hot air coming out the vents. It takes bu a few minutes for it to dry inside and out. Fogging and stuff like that only happens, for a few minutes if you bring the camera from the cold outside to a room where is not ventilation inside. But as long as there is ventilation, such as a floor fan blowing warm room air, the camera won't you up. Leave the lens cap on for an hour or two, and it will be fine, of just leave the camera in the bag and let it warm gradually.

It's much like when you buy a computer online across the states during the winter months. That computer inside the box will be quite cold, so you just leave it alone in the warm room in the carton for an hour or two before you open the box.

You can avoid all of this by using an Olympus TG-5 from their tough series. Check out these specs:


The TG-5 is designed to withstand a wide variety of conditions, ranging from harsh climates to everyday mishaps:
Waterproof-rated to IPX8 for use underwater to depths of 50' / 15m
Freezeproof to temperatures as low as 14°F / -10°C
Shockproof to falls from 7' / 2.1m high
Crushproof to withstand up to 220 lbf / 100 kgf of pressure
Dustproof-rated to IP6X to protect the internal components of the camera

Give me a call if you have any questions. No camera is this good in extreme conditions