[gump]

Since i have been using my K-70 we have spent the winters (snowbirds) in south Georgia and Florida. Although that environment can present problems, I believe, I have had no issues with my kit. This winter, due to the C-19, we are staying home in NE Ohio where a moderate winter, temps ranging from the teens to 50, are common with an occasional heavy snow. I would appreciate some advice on camera care, specifically the transition between outdoor and indoor temperatures. I have seen hints about condensation and other effects of rapid temperature change. Real world experiences?

[pschlute]

Since i have been using my K-70 we have spent the winters (snowbirds) in south Georgia and Florida. Although that environment can present problems, I believe, I have had no issues with my kit. This winter, due to the C-19, we are staying home in NE Ohio where a moderate winter, temps ranging from the teens to 50, are common with an occasional heavy snow. I would appreciate some advice on camera care, specifically the transition between outdoor and indoor temperatures. I have seen hints about condensation and other effects of rapid temperature change. Real world experiences?

It is generally not a problem taking your room temperature camera outside, but when returning home put the camera and lens in a plastic sealed bag and allow it to warm up slowly until it reaches room temperature.

Anyone who wears glasses will know the experience of walking into a warm room directly from a cold outside and the effect is has on their spectacles. You want to avoid that condensation inside a camera and lens.

[Mooncatt]

I would carry extra batteries and keep them in a pocket close to your body to keep them warm until ready to use. Cold batteries don't perform well.

I like @Pchlute idea of a plastic bag, but I would additionally suck all the air (and thus moisture) out. Putting a desiccant pouch in wouldn't hurt either. If sealing it isn't an option, put the camera in a well padded/insulated camera bag before getting into your car or house. This will allow the camera to warm up slowly and prevent condensation.

[texandrews]

The biggest problem I've ever had with my Z was on a nearly 20 below zero F pre-dawn shoot. I made sure the camera gradually cooled down (and warmed up, btw) and it was fine, worked flawlessly and no issues with the glass. I did keep a spare battery next to my body, though.


But my glasses completely frosted over such that I could barely see anything, and couldn't keep them clear. The problem I didn't anticipate.

[35mmfilmfan]

<snip>

I like @Pchlute idea of a plastic bag, but I would additionally suck all the air (and thus moisture) out. Putting a desiccant pouch in wouldn't hurt either.
<snip>

Why not take the plastic bag out with you, then seal the camera within it before entering the warmer atmosphere (car, house, igloo etc) ?

[othar]

As mentioned the switch from inside to outside is usually not a problem, but the other way around is (the only exception would be when you last changed lenses in a warm humid area (like a greenhouse for instance), because then you will probably get condense water inside the camera )
I usually leave the camera in the camera bag when going inside so it can warm up slowly to room temperatur (depending on the difference in temperature this can take a few hours, if there is no need for the camera: leave it in the bag overnight before extraction.)

If you need to speed things up for some occasions and don't have time to gradually warm the camera (and forgot to bring a plastic bag ), a little condense water on the outside won't kill your camera (even with a non WR lens attached), but make sure to wipe the occuring moisture off of the camera/lens and take the lens cap not off until the camera is warm enough to not attract more condense water or you will have to wipe the front element too. Don't change lenses inside when the camera is cold, if you do you'll get condense water inside the camera, which is to be avoided at all time - go outside in the cold if you have to change lenses, but best avoid a lens change at all

[pschlute]

Why not take the plastic bag out with you, then seal the camera within it before entering the warmer atmosphere

That is exactly what you should do. In very cold conditions I take the card out of the camera, and put camera and lens in the plastic bag before entering the house.

[SharkyCA]

As mentioned the switch from inside to outside is usually not a problem, but the other way around is (the only exception would be when you last changed lenses in a warm humid area (like a greenhouse for instance), because then you will probably get condense water inside the camera )
I usually leave the camera in the camera bag when going inside so it can warm up slowly to room temperatur (depending on the difference in temperature this can take a few hours, if there is no need for the camera: leave it in the bag overnight before extraction.)

If you need to speed things up for some occasions and don't have time to gradually warm the camera (and forgot to bring a plastic bag ), a little condense water on the outside won't kill your camera (even with a non WR lens attached), but make sure to wipe the occuring moisture off of the camera/lens and take the lens cap not off until the camera is warm enough to not attract more condense water or you will have to wipe the front element too. Don't change lenses inside when the camera is cold, if you do you'll get condense water inside the camera, which is to be avoided at all time - go outside in the cold if you have to change lenses, but best avoid a lens change at all

All of these are good points, but I would recommend to use a WR lens when shooting in the cold & transitioning to warm moist air, if not using a WR or sealed lens, lens "breathing" can draw moisture into your lens & body.

Features1 | PENTAX K-70 | RICOH IMAGING

[pschlute]

I like @Pchlute idea of a plastic bag, but I would additionally suck all the air (and thus moisture) out.

The point of using a plastic bag is that the cold air in the bag; camera; and lens will warm up slowly over the course of a couple of hours. If you remove the air are you not at risk of speeding up the transition period and creating moisture from the air in the camera/lens ? Where are you physics graduates when we need you

All of these are good points, but I would recommend to use a WR lens when shooting in the cold & transitioning to warm moist air, if not using a WR or sealed lens, lens "breathing" can draw moisture into your lens & body.

A WR lens will still have air drawn into it , especially a zoom. That air will be cold, as will the air in the camera. You should treat all lenses the same.

[mikesbike]

I just leave my camera zipped up in its holster belt-loop/shoulder-strap case for several hours or more at room temperature before removing it to review any photos or downloading them. Likewise if I have everything in a camera bag. If you want to download sooner, you could remove the memory card in the car when it is still cold, place it in its plastic case, and into a jacket pocket to bring in with you. Then you can simply leave your camera equipment packed up when you bring it in so temperature within will gradually adjust.

[jatrax]

The point of using a plastic bag is that the cold air in the bag; camera; and lens will warm up slowly over the course of a couple of hours. If you remove the air are you not at risk of speeding up the transition period and creating moisture from the air in the camera/lens ?

Actually, no. The risk is not the transition period itself. It is the large amount of warm, moist air in an open room. The amount of moisture inside the bag is the maximum that can condense on the camera. So sucking all the air out reduces that amount of potential condensation. If the camera is cold and in a plastic bag the warm, moist room air may still condense but on the outside of the bag.

In most situations just leaving your camera and gear inside your closed camera bag will suffice. The important thing is to reduce the amount of warm, moist air that the cold gear can come into contact with. A plastic bag is extra insurance for severe conditions.

---------- Post added 11-14-20 at 08:27 AM ----------

The worst case of condensation I've ever experienced was on a cruise in the Caribbean. At one port, I forget where, we entered one of the tourist jewelry shops. They had the A/C cranked to max, it felt like 50 degrees F. But was probably 75F as it was over 100F outside. We were in the store for maybe 30 minutes and when we went back outside (into warm moist air) I had water dripping off the camera and lens. I had no bag with me so I just kept wiping off water until the camera warmed up. When back on ship I took everything apart and dried it as well as I could using a hair dryer. No harm came of it, but it was a scary experience.

[Wheatfield]

I have spent my entire miserable life living in the Siberia part of Canada, a place where winter temperatures routinely are in the -40 range.
This is what works for me:
Stay inside.
But, if you must go outside, have a beach towel to wrap exposed gear in when you go back inside.
Plastic bags are all well and good, but a moisture absorbing towel is more than sufficient.
The longer the equipment is in the cold, and the colder the environment, the longer it takes for gear to rise above the dew point. A few minutes outside, even at -40 is not going to chill the innards of a camera, but a couple of hours at a few degrees below freezing will.
Take these kinds of things into account.
I generally take a pretty casual approach to these things.

[ramseybuckeye]

This will be my first Winter that won’t be in Ohio. Although Ohio Winters aren’t that brutal they can still have cold weather and sometimes lots of cold and snow. I’ve had my share of cold weather hikes, but almost always started in the car driving to the places to hike. I often carried two cameras because of not wanting to change lenses, although on days that were not windy and dry, and not to cold you could safely change them. When getting back to the car, it’s also cold and will take a while to warm up, but it would do this gradually so there was never a problem. That was almost always enough to avoid and quick temperature change. Also as Stated above the camera was putting out a little heat, but not the lens. Another note is to carry an extra battery in a pocket close to you body to keep it warm. Battery life can be concern when it is really cold. If you swap batteries put the old one in the pocket to warm, it probably has more life if it is warmed up. I always liked to be out when it would be snowing, that can add to photos. When it’s a warm snow it can land on your equipment, not a problem with Pentax weather sealing, but I always tried to avoid pointing the camera up if snow was sticking for obvious reasons.

[stevebrot]

Why not take the plastic bag out with you, then seal the camera within it before entering the warmer atmosphere (car, house, igloo etc) ?

As noted above, this is a good solution (think gallon-sized Ziplock freezer bags). Not only is a good solution, it is also the favored solution of pros that do cold-weather shooting.

FWIW, the opposite situation (going from warm/humid) to cold is also a concern.


Steve

[BarryE]

In the UK it's not so much the cold as the cold and misty weather that I'm wary of. In these conditions, I don't tend to change lenses, which for me is limiting. Allowing in moisture soaked air into the camera, can't be healthy.

So far our 'winter' in the south of the UK has started off with no frosts, an average of about 10C min temps and rain and rain and more ******* rain. A dry, very cold day is rare here and much easier to deal with, and a tad more enjoyable (for humans) than this incessant precipitation.