Originally posted by cometguy Reading this made me recall one of the ongoing "surprises" (to me) among even flagship DSLR cameras made by Pentax, Nikon, etc., that their manufacturer-stated operating ranges tend to be from around freezing to around 110-120 deg F -- even for supposedly "robust" weather-sealed cameras. I just don't understand the limited operating temperature ranges. The stated operating temperature ranges for all my old Pentax film cameras is much wider, going down to quite a bit (tens of degrees) below freezing (32 deg F). The color black doesn't affect this significant narrowing of the recommended ambient-termperature ranges.
Mechanical film cameras are much more robust in scorching heat than anything digital due to electronics. Below freezing becomes problematic with lubrication of moving parts and battery power.
The color of the camera or lens can aid the equipment in sustained sunlight. Pentax states about the 560mm AW, "...the white barrel helps to minimize heat haze within the barrel." Canon and Sony super telephotos are white for these same reasons. So why not Nikon? Because Canons are typically used at sporting events where visibility is not an issue, but hours on the side line or photographer's boxes in the sun can get toasty. Nikons are more likely to be shooting wildlife and need to be more low key and less visible. Of course there are exceptions both ways and there are plenty of ways to both keep a black lens cool or a white lens hidden.
Before committing to a medium format camera back in the 80's, in my research, I found that the world's largest intelligence agency was using white Pentax 67 cameras for their still photography surveillance when mounted to the exterior of ships. I had never seen a white camera before then and asked why, and they explained it kept the camera cooler.