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allanp
25-Mar-2014, 21:26
I am planning to start photographing winter landscapes in 8x10. What would you recommend? I am expecting temperatures will be a little chilly, hovering a little below freezing -so ease of operation using gloves is a consideration. Also I am wondering if some bellows handle the cooler temperatures better than others. Any other tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

mike rosenlof
26-Mar-2014, 08:28
I would suggest a monorail. There are usually fewer things to lock/unlock to get the camera set up and controls are often larger and easier to grip.

You don't mention how far you want to cary the beast...

William Whitaker
26-Mar-2014, 08:44
Wood's a lot easier to handle when it's cold. I have vivid memories of using a Kodak Master in the cold. Great camera, but the metal is a giant heat sink. The Master was easy to set up, but one of those non-folding cameras like an Ebony SW810 would make a lot of sense (even if the price doesn't!)

Vaughn
26-Mar-2014, 08:47
Don't breathe on the GG! While I have not gone to using a snorkel while under the darkcloth, I do hold my breath! Keep your light meter in your pocket to keep the batteries warm. Don't think there will any problem with any of the standard bellows.

I like this idea for an 8x10 camera for ease of set-up, but I'd miss the back movements. https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=3146

Rollinhofuji
26-Mar-2014, 09:04
Maybe you should also consider some snowshoes for your tripod, like the Manfrotto 230 set. These even make sense for 4x5 in muddy areas.

Brian C. Miller
26-Mar-2014, 09:34
Ilford Harman Titan 8 x 10" Pinhole Camera (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/970425-REG/ilford_1174106_harman_titan_8_x.html) is the ticket! 1.8lbs, and no worries about knobs, shutters, or any of that folderal.

jp
26-Mar-2014, 10:24
I use a B&J 8x10 for winter (and year round) and it's got reasonably big knobs, etc.. A little below freezing isn't anything extreme so you should be good with most cameras. You're still going to want to take off a glove to set aperture/shutter, etc..

Different bellows have different surfaces, ranging from tinder to coated leather/paper composite to what seems like rubber. Pick something that's going to be OK getting covered in snow and then some of the snow melting it when it gets into a warm vehicle.

Alan Gales
26-Mar-2014, 10:27
http://www.wehmancamera.com/snowcamera.jpg


Check out Vinny with a Wehman.

vinny
26-Mar-2014, 10:33
http://www.wehmancamera.com/snowcamera.jpg


Check out Vinny with a Wehman.
I know that guy.
while that image was taken in the thick of it, I don't actually like the small knobs on the rear of the wehman when wearing gloves. If there was a space between the rear standard and the knobs, they'd be okay.
I'd go for a chamonix. good for all four seasons we have here in michigan. winter, summer, fall, and winter.

William Whitaker
26-Mar-2014, 11:28
I like this idea for an 8x10 camera for ease of set-up, but I'd miss the back movements. https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=3146

I do like that Shen Hao. And the price is much more sensible, although it wouldn't have enough bellows for a lot of folks. Even more sensible (for me) is my Agfa (Ansco, actually). Non-folding except for the bed, but has much more extension and back movements, too. It lives in a top-loading case so it simply lifts out, ready to go. In fact, a lens can remain attached to it in the case. Works great for shooting close to the car. Even better inside where it's warm...

Francisco J. Fernández
26-Mar-2014, 11:37
I would cover the neoprene tripod legs. kneecaps would use Arca type with sliding shoes (large) would use latex gloves in leather gloves (leather gloves with the tips cut to manipulate screws) ... in fact in nature is not very necessary movements of the optical axis why ... would use a very simple camera, light and with little metal (the skin sticks to metal with moisture and extreme cold) ...
As I make my camera (sometimes) I just make a Bulldog + P Sinar back of 20x25 cm ... so I would use that ... weighs little and his whole back area is wood.

(SINAR P The back is just to use a binocular loupe Sinar bellows for focusing on the exterior).

Actually serves any camera ... just have to adapt to what you can use ... nothing is better or worse, one fits what you have in each situation.

adelorenzo
26-Mar-2014, 11:42
You don't need to worry about much with a field camera. I've had my metal Toyos, including my 810M, out at temps well below freezing (-20 to -30C) without any issue. They are pretty simple machines there isn't a lot that can go wrong. I haven't been out at -40 with the large format cameras but that's where I might start getting worried about things cracking from the cold.

Keeping hands warm is critical. I use thin, finger-less gloves inside of big mittens that are attached to my wrists. I can drop the mittens to operate the camera and then quickly put them back on.

Drew Wiley
26-Mar-2014, 12:34
A good wooden tripod like a Ries is nice for both bully mass and handling. Spike feet can be shoved in the snow, or snow baskets added. But I've seen cheap wooden
tripods literally freeze shut after they got wet. If it's really cold you can wear a winter "snorkel" facemask to keep your breath off the groundglass. Otherwise, keep
a dry lint-free microfiber cloth handy. As usual, don't bring out your gear from a warm space suddenly, or even the lens will fog up. Most good view cameras should
work fine. I've done a lot of cold weather shooting with all my favorites: my Phillips 8x10 folder, my Sinar metal monorails of various types, my little 4x5 Ebony folder.
It's a lot more important just to be familiar with your specific camera than anything else, so you operate it intuitively. Light meters should be kept in a warm pocket
to keep the battery warm. It's the one thing I'd keep in the sleeping bag at nite in a snow cave, while the rest of the gear remained in the pack outside.

allanp
26-Mar-2014, 14:46
I would suggest a monorail. There are usually fewer things to lock/unlock to get the camera set up and controls are often larger and easier to grip.

You don't mention how far you want to cary the beast...

I'm thinking about 2 miles max. I have a couple of locations lined up already, but so far I haven't been happy with what I've been getting.

allanp
26-Mar-2014, 14:55
Wood's a lot easier to handle when iMt's cold. I have vivid memories of using a Kodak Master in the cold. Great camera, but the metal is a giant heat sink. The Master was easy to set up, but one of those non-folding cameras like an Ebony SW810 would make a lot of sense (even if the price doesn't!)

One of my concerns about wood is that it could warp due to the low humidity of our area (15-20%) . But conversely metal is a spectactular heat sink. (I've shot with 35mm cameras, at about 5 Degrees F (-15C) and it was not fun.)

allanp
26-Mar-2014, 14:57
Thanks for that idea. I hadn't thought about the camera toppling over in the snow.

allanp
26-Mar-2014, 15:01
A good wooden tripod like a Ries is nice for both bully mass and handling. Spike feet can be shoved in the snow, or snow baskets added. But I've seen cheap wooden
tripods literally freeze shut after they got wet. If it's really cold you can wear a winter "snorkel" facemask to keep your breath off the groundglass. Otherwise, keep
a dry lint-free microfiber cloth handy. As usual, don't bring out your gear from a warm space suddenly, or even the lens will fog up. Most good view cameras should
work fine. I've done a lot of cold weather shooting with all my favorites: my Phillips 8x10 folder, my Sinar metal monorails of various types, my little 4x5 Ebony folder.
It's a lot more important just to be familiar with your specific camera than anything else, so you operate it intuitively. Light meters should be kept in a warm pocket
to keep the battery warm. It's the one thing I'd keep in the sleeping bag at nite in a snow cave, while the rest of the gear remained in the pack outside.


One issue I've had with other gear is condensation. Once the gear is back in 'normal' temperatures it gets covered in moisture. Any solution for dealing with that for larger cameras?

Drew Wiley
26-Mar-2014, 15:20
Never had that problem. I keep my film and camera in a big external pack wrapped in a goosedown jacket - a superb insulator. The lenses are in bubble packing.
I just don't unpack anything in a warm room right away. No different than allowing a box of film to properly reach equilibrium before opening it.

Vaughn
26-Mar-2014, 15:22
I kept the camera gear in the unheated garage, just brought in the light meter.

Drew Wiley
26-Mar-2014, 15:44
When I had a place in the mtns, where I didn't have to worry about theft, I'd just leave the pack outside overnite. No different than backpacking. Use a raincover if
necessary.

dsphotog
27-Mar-2014, 21:23
Not 8x10, but a Toyo 45CF would be good in cold conditions... Shoulda made an 8x10 version.

Sheldon N
28-Mar-2014, 11:16
One handy tip for tripod usage in the snow.... tennis balls.

Buy a pack of 3, and cut a small slit in each ball so that they can slide over the end of your tripod legs. Makes for a quick and easy set of "snowshoes" for your tripod legs so they don't sink too far into the snow.

Another tip is to avoid shoving your tripod down into the snow with the legs spread out fully. It will create a lot of stress on the tripod crown as it forces the legs outward. Learned this one the hard way, broke a set of carbon fiber tripod legs.

David Schaller
28-Mar-2014, 19:15
I too learned this the hard way. Now I am very careful to not fully extend the legs if they are going to sink down in the snow!


One handy tip for tripod usage in the snow.... tennis balls.

Buy a pack of 3, and cut a small slit in each ball so that they can slide over the end of your tripod legs. Makes for a quick and easy set of "snowshoes" for your tripod legs so they don't sink too far into the snow.

Another tip is to avoid shoving your tripod down into the snow with the legs spread out fully. It will create a lot of stress on the tripod crown as it forces the legs outward. Learned this one the hard way, broke a set of carbon fiber tripod legs.