[Gonedigital]

I have a k-5 and today I was out for a walk all bundled up and I had my k5 with me. It was 10 degrees and the wind was whipping . I wanted to snap a few photos but I was worried that the camera was too cold. Can I use the k5 in b10 degree weather? I certainly don't want to damage the camera

[jatrax]

Design temperature is stated as 14 to 104 degrees F. However many here have reported using it at much lower temperatures.

One issue to be aware of would be battery life which will be greatly reduced at low temps. That is a battery issue, not a k-5 issue.

[Adam]

I have a k-5 and today I was out for a walk all bundled up and I had my k5 with me. It was 10 degrees and the wind was whipping . I wanted to snap a few photos but I was worried that the camera was too cold. Can I use the k5 in b10 degree weather? I certainly don't want to damage the camera

You should be fine in 10 degrees. But it if gets cold enough (negative F) your shutter mechanism and mirror could eventually freeze and get stuck

[MadMathMind]

Short answer: absolute temperature is all that matters. You can not worry about wind chill or perceived temperature in regards to camera equipment.

All that matters is the absolute temperature. Wind won't make an object colder than the air temperature because windy air is not actually any colder. It feels colder to your body because wind does make you lose heat faster. As a result, your body feels colder faster, which is your brain saying "Hey, hurry up and get warmer or you're going to die!" As a result, it directs bloodflow to make your body warmer, only to have it convected away by the wind. That's why you get colder faster.

Inanimate objects are ruled by convective heat flow only with no additional heat being pumped in or redirected internally. It is true that wind will make an object reach ambient temperature faster if it is currently above that, but it won't make it feel as cold as you do.

Heat index from humidity is the same story, although a bit different. Your worry there is condensation on the camera, although that will only happen if there's too much moisture in the air and the camera is significantly colder than the air (that will cause moisture to condense). Your body feels hotter in humidity because it relies on evaporation to cool itself. When the air is saturated, evaporation is slower, so you cool less quickly. Your camera doesn't sweat, so it doesn't have this issue.


Also, it is good to specify the temperature scale around here. Many international posters mean it can be unclear which scale is used. Here it was clear, since 10ºC isn't very cold at all.

[DavidSKAF3]

That is a great question! I've wondered about this too!

[PePe]

My K-5 has been several days at temperatures between -20 C and -30 C without any problems. I try to avoid taking the gear indoors to avoid moisture condensation.
Cold temperature is usually not a problem. You just need to look after the batteries. Have spare ones, and keep them in a pocket inside your coat.

[Sagitta]

Word of caution: If you DO shoot in the cold, let the camera sit before you mess with the batteries once you get back into the warmth.

I snapped my battery catch (the little prong that holds the battery in place) because I was out shooting in the cold and went to swap the battery out too soon. That prong will get a bit stiff and brittle until it warms a bit, and if it snaps you're going to have to get creative in ways to keep that battery in place without it being sloppy.

[Gonedigital]

Thanks for all the informative replies everyone !!!!!

[Just1MoreDave]

The cold sometimes makes me wish for a K-50. Magnesium alloy feels very cold.

I have not had any issues with my K-7 at -15F for an hour or so. I left the camera out there taking photos while I went inside to warm up.

[Sagitta]

One other bit of advice (probably moreso with a sealed body) - extreme cold and extreme heat requires a few minutes of waiting if you're taking it from a warm/cool environment into it. The temperature inside the camera needs to stabilize with the temperature outside of the camera, otherwise you'll have IQ issues (in the case of cool to a hot environment, you'll have condensation as well).

Its not quite as bad as with a telescope where you have to wait like 15 minutes for everything to settle, but its still an issue.

[waterfall]

I use my K-3 in Minnesota winters and have shot for up to two hours at -15 F. The key to protecting your camera is to have a one gallon freezer bag with you. Before getting into the car or house, open the bag to equalize interior relative humidity with the outside world (cold air = dryer air). Lock your camera in the freezer bag and let it warm inside for at least two hours before removing. This prevents interior moisture in the warm air from condensing on or inside the camera body and lens. I remove the camera card before putting the camera inside the freezer bag in case I want to view the recent images on my Mac before the Condensation Quarantine has been lifted.

[csa]

If you are really concerned about cold temps; one idea would be to get a holster bag, and put a handwarmer packet in the bottom of the bag. These handwarmer packets are inexpensive & can be purchased at many places. This way, you are only subjecting your camera to extreme cold for a few minutes while taking photos.

Another idea would be one of these: http://optechusa.com/soft-pouch-digital-d-series.html. This would insulate the camera/lens somewhat, and perhaps one could again put a handwarmer packet in it for extra warmth.