Sub Zero photography

T

TMoose

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Hi guys,

I don't usually post here, and I know bugger all about cameras. From next year I plan on visiting some pretty cold places, some of them as cold as -40C. I'm also going to be climbing Kilimanjaro.

What would be a good digital camera or camcorder that can survive in cold weather, high altitude and maybe even rainy conditions? Does such a thing exist? Surely they must seeing as people seem to take photos on everest and at the poles.

Any advice would be appreciated. Money isn't a big limiting factor at this stage.
 
Anything with batteries in it is going to k@rk at that temp. Some friends of mine climbed Kilimanjaro and they said the torch batteries were pretty useless up there. I doubt a camera would fare much better.

In general older technology is going to work better because they don't have temp sensors in them. E.g. a standard nikon digital point & shoot shuts down @ approximately -10C in about 120 seconds.

I'd get a camera that is very flat, wear it underneath the thermals and only take it out to snap some quick photos.
 
Something with a plastic shell will probably fare better. Take loads of extra batteries and wear them in your clothes to keep them warm. But -40 may still be simply too cold. Get yourself a second hand Pentax K1000 with lots of film. The camera is completely mechanical - the only thing that requires a battery is the light meter and since they're watch battery sized, you can take loads extra. I think the Olympus OM1 (?) is similar.
 
koffiejunkie said:
Something with a plastic shell will probably fare better. Take loads of extra batteries and wear them in your clothes to keep them warm. But -40 may still be simply too cold. Get yourself a second hand Pentax K1000 with lots of film. The camera is completely mechanical - the only thing that requires a battery is the light meter and since they're watch battery sized, you can take loads extra. I think the Olympus OM1 (?) is similar.
Click to expand...
Putting a metal camera up to your face in sub zero temps . . . I'm thinking not such a good idea either. :eek:

This guy seems to know what he's talking about - http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Severe-cold-weather-photography
 
Nice article! He has a solution for the metal problem too:

"Some photographers' place stick-on tape over the metal parts that may come into contact with their faces."

In my first reply I did say plastic will probably be better. I just don't know of a fully mechanical plastic bodied camera :)
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Read the article, quite useful, thanks Bwana.
 
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