[Teko]

I live in Montreal, which gets -20 or colder during the winter.

I asked the salesman the exact same question when I bought my K100D and I got similiar answer.

Bring the camera bag with you outside and put the camera in your bag when go back in the room temperature, let me warm up in the bag for 30mins~1hour...

As a way of reducing the effects of the opposite problem of heat and dust. I have a cooler box/esky/chilly-bin/whatyoumaycallit that people normally use for keeping food and drink cool at the 'barbie'. A 60litre one which takes my large shoulder bag comfortably.

Hey, do think the ice cooler would work to store my camera in my car when I ski?

[Rolly]

Hey, do think the ice cooler would work to store my camera in my car when I ski?

No doubt, and with the addition of a pre-warmed wheat bag (the kind that you warm up for minute or so in the microwave oven) it might even be more effective.

You can also use the wheat bag as a support on the car bodywork, rock or wherever you'd normally use a bean bag.

[brett]

Thanks for all the great advise. I also ran across this article today...

Working in cold weather presents problems for both the photographer and equipment

Just a note, on my ski trip in Colorado (still here) I skied at keystone Saturday talked with one of the ski resort photographers they use Nikon D50 asked about cold weather he said his froze up at -3 degree Fahrenheit -19 degree Celsius. Moreover, would not work after that. Lord knows what the wind chill was. However, the official camera of Loveland ski area is Pentax Optio.

Favorite place to ski…

[Alvin]

Just a note, on my ski trip in Colorado (still here) I skied at keystone Saturday talked with one of the ski resort photographers they use Nikon D50 asked about cold weather he said his froze up at -3 degree Fahrenheit -19 degree Celsius. Moreover, would not work after that. Lord knows what the wind chill was. However, the official camera of Loveland ski area is Pentax Optio.

Favorite place to ski…

I went out with my K100D in -17 C weather, with a breeze. I won't complain about what the guys up in other parts of Canada get (I heard some place up in Manitoba got -35 C?!?) but I froze up before my camera did. Only spent 1/2 hour out there and that was it.

[Alvin]

Sorry, lengthy post.

Just happened to browse through my friend's Pentax K1000 Manual and read this.

"The temperature range at which your camera will continue to function properly stretches from 50 C to -20 C..."

Going on...

"Sudden changes in temperature will often cause moisture to condense inside or outside your camera. This is a possible source of rust, which may be extremely damaging to the mechanism. Furthermore, if the camera goes from a warm temperature to a sub-freezing one, and if tiny drops of moisture freeze, further damage may be done by their expansion.

Thus, sudden temperature changes should be avoided as much as possible. As a guide a temperature change of 10 C should be allowed to take place gradually over a period of at least 30 minutes. If this is not possible, keeping the camera in its case or bag will help somewhat in minimizing the effects of a rapid temperature change..."

Possible source of rust - small electronic circuitry is made of metal and they will rust. Now I understand why my buddy uses a bag. Going from 20C to -10, a change of 30 degrees, would be 1 and 1/2 hours before use as a recommendation from Pentax. Wow.