Camera Cottage

BABY ITS COLD OUTSIDE!!! (Did I not take this info down for the summer? Oh well, it IS Montana! )

Cold weather (-32 here the other night) presents a myriad of problems for photographers. One of the biggest concerns is the abundance of condensation that forms on cold photographic gear when brought into a warm house after being outside shooting for awhile. Do NOT be fooled! This heavy condensation can wreak havoc with the electronics inside your camera as well as your lens. Some suggest placing your gear inside a ziplock bag for protection until it warms up, this actually works so long as the bag is WELL sealed and you have pressed out as much of the cold air as possible before sealing it. I personally use Tundra cases which have atmospheric sealing and all my gear will fit inside, well protected. Just be sure to not open the case or the bag for at least an hour so as to give the gear the time it needs to properly acclimate before being directly exposed to the interiors warm air.

The solution I use MOST of the time, as I am usually going to be going back out the next day and don't want to repeat the warm-up process daily, is to leave my gear out in the vehicle and only bring it my batteries and memory cards. That way the gear is ready for shooting any time I need it. Warm batteries are your friend, keep a spare in your pocket and change them out every hour or so to assure your gear has the power it needs to work properly.