Was out yesterday for over 2 hours going several km's back on the East Coast Trail south of Cape Spear. Later afternoon.
Temps were dropping from -3C --> -5C (26--> 23F F), winds 60 kph (40 mph), very steady, and 100% humidity (making the wind very 'heavy' and very penetrating if not properly dressed). Environmental lighting and precip conditions HIGHLY variable as microfront snow squalls were moving through every half hour or so and then the sun would break out--all of which of course was the reason I was out. (yeah, a bit stupid to start out just 2.5 hours before dark, given the conditions, but the lighting was
very interesting and there actually were a goodly number of hikers for potential help out along the trail...Newfoundlanders are inured to such conditions--it's
normal weather, not "bad" weather this time of year).
Used a constant f10 setting with a 16-85 mounted on a KP. System then took the camera from 1/15 sec exposures down to 1/3200 exposures (Hyper P mode) as the microfronts would hit then pass. Was trying for panos but haven't processed them yet. Have great hopes of having caught some great light and landscape/atmospheric conditions of interest. Will process today (both Hugein and Silkypix 10 Pro have satisfactory to me stitching algorithms).
Anyway, to the point: I was on a coastal and completely open bog/low thicket/tundra portion of the trail which runs straight N and S along a the top of a 40-80 meter cliff over the ocean. The wind was maybe a couple of points south of west--landward side--so the camera (I use a wrist strap under these sorts of easy, open, non-snagging trail conditions) was constantly dangling in my right hand on the windward side on the southerly trek out (3.5K) and on the leeward side of my body on the northerly way back. What I noticed was that when carried on the windward side (out bound trek), the battery acted like it was many degrees colder with some power glitches. When carrried on the leeward side (return trek) I had none. This even given that my turnaround point--North Head Overlook--was about an hour out and the "nicer" leeward conditions were "felt" by the KP only after the outbound portion was over (actual temps were slowly dropping). To be honest, I haven't noticed this before when out in these kind of conditions, but most times have never been on such a straight-line and totally open-to-the-wind trail in conditions where you MIGHT notice such a thing. Usually pick deep woods trails for such days for my own comfort!
My question: Does "wind chill" and/or possibly humidity issues as well actually MEAN anything to a KP and it's battery (or any other Pentax or DSLR cameras)? I honestly cannot think of a time I've ever seen this before, but then not sure I've ever had such a pure "natural experiment" setup at exactly the most indicative temps. BTW, I did have more batteries in a pocket but didn't bother as -3C to -5C range is usually fine. For example, I shot in the same location (Cape Spear, Newfoundland) once--had a K-50 then--in -10C with horizontal snow and spume from 20' waves in a 100 kph nor'easter, but was only able to do so for less than an hour--partly camera and partly my Sigma lenses of that day, but mostly ME!--and I never even considered going back country down the coast like yesterday and so stayed near the light house constantly changing directions. -10C (14F) when there is a clear, bone-dry, quiet polar high has never presented any great issues with any of the Pentax DSLR bodies I've owned over the years (K-50/K-70/KP).
Would a good holster system to keep the camera out of the wind and maybe even under an outer layer or two when not in use be a good idea? I've been considering one for rougher trails--not hard to find here!--in any case. (I don't really want to carry a battery grip on longer hikes. Weight is an issue after 4 or 5 K.)
Last edited by jgnfld; 01-02-2021 at 07:21 AM.