It is now -22 c here on White Lake. A tad `fresh` but nothing to stop me from taking my cameras out. See, I have always dragged my equipment in and out of my truck everytime I go out and, frankly, this is just a drag now and I`d much rather leave it in the truck - assuming there is no ill effects.
My question is, do any of you just leave your gear in your vehicle at all times? Any special precautions maybe?
Thanks all.
I shoot in the cold all the time, never have had any problems really, the worst time I have is when we have the freezing fog, which sometimes freezes on the camera or the bellows, when taking items that require batteries, I always keep spares in my pockets to I can change them out when needed..I have a camera bag in the car just about all of the time, both winter and summer, with no ill effects.
Dave
I have had a couple of sluggish shutters slow down a bit especially on the lower speeds. So now I usually avoid keeping everything in the car overnight.
-A
The outside temps might not be a problem, but a theft from the car/truck would be a real bummer.
My stuff always comes inside and sleeps in the safe.
Fortunately, that is the least of our worries where I live, I don't think I have locked my car or house in ten years, if they can get to my house at night when it is 20F below, then they are more likely to be looking for a warm fire than a cold camera! One area that I did forget to post that has been a problem is LCD screens on various cameras and meters, I have had these freeze up on me in the extreme cold, it really is freaky when it happens, but for the most part, getting them back in the warm and letting them sit will reverse the problem.Originally Posted by Ralph Barker
The outside temps might not be a problem, but a theft from the car/truck would be a real bummer.
My stuff always comes inside and sleeps in the safe.
Dave
That is, in deed, fortunate, Dave. Although my area is relatively crime-free, too, I'm just a worry wart.
Being 20 miles from town in the mountains, does indeed have its benefits!
I leave my camera outside, in the cold, all nite, on the corner of Chicago and 19th. No-one ever touches it.
My 8x10 gear is in the truck 24/7/365. The only time it comes out is when I need space to haul something. I've never had any trouble except for a couple of years ago at Christmas when I tried to take a picture at our river lot in Northern Ontario, and the shutter wouldn't work until it warmed up. It finally worked at about -35'C with the sun shining on it for an hour ........ when I started setting up the shot it was about -40'C
I try not to bring the gear inside from the cold unless absolutely necessary as I have a feeling the the accumulated condensation is not good over the long haul. No matter how well your camera is built and sealed, there are going to be some unfinished areas of wood and they will absorb moisture, swell/expand a bit and then contract as they dry out.
cheers eh?
One time I was camping in Canyonlands and the nighttime temperature got down in the single digits. The next morning my Nikon FM2 was frozen-- the light meter wouldn't even come on, and I had to warm up the camera fast for my sunrise shot. I put the frozen camera in my shirt and held it against my bare stomach, and my yelping must have woken up every living thing within a mile in all directions. After a few minutes of that I double-checked the camera and noticed that the shutter was set to "T" (which turns the light meter off). As soon as I turned the dial to a shutter speed, the meter worked fine, and probably would have if I had done that at the beginning...
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