Camera Care in Cold Weather?

[David Metsky]

I now use lithiium batteries year round in my digital camera. I used to use alkalines and it as an ever continual process of changing batteries. Now I'm surprised when I have to change them.

While non-rechargable lithium AAs are certainly the best choice for really cold weather, for everything else you'll save money by going with a good set of NiMH rechargables. I only resort to the lithiums on really cold days (below -10), otherwise the rechargable NiMH work fine and last quite long.

Alkalines should never be used in a digital camera; they're just a waste of time, money, and the environment.


-dave-

 

[hikerbrian]

A warm camera is not a problem because water moves from warm to cold.

Is that the elusive 4th law of thermodynamics?

Great thread, I've been wondering about this, as this year I plan to bring my digital along with me, instead of the throw away.

 

[ROCKYSUMMIT]

I have a small Pentax digital on my sternum strap and a Digital Rebel in a holster pack on my hip. I've had good luck with moisture and snow by keeping them inside of a wax type of plastic bag just folded over but not sealed. My thinking is that condensation can't form inside the bag and moisture can escape.

 

[DougPaul]

While non-rechargable lithium AAs are certainly the best choice for really cold weather, for everything else you'll save money by going with a good set of NiMH rechargables. I only resort to the lithiums on really cold days (below -10), otherwise the rechargable NiMH work fine and last quite long.

My digital camera (Canon A75) takes 4 AA cells. NiMH is about 2oz/cell and lithium is about .5oz/cell. So I frequently use lithiums on the trail even in warm weather simply because of the weight. (My spares are always lithium.) Off the trail, I always use NiMHs.

I've seen numbers like NiMHs are good to around -20F and lithiums to around -40F. (These are not hard and fast numbers--the capacity of a cell tapers off as the temp decreases.) Lithium ion is also good to around -10F or -20F.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

I have a small Pentax digital on my sternum strap and a Digital Rebel in a holster pack on my hip. I've had good luck with moisture and snow by keeping them inside of a wax type of plastic bag just folded over but not sealed. My thinking is that condensation can't form inside the bag and moisture can escape.

Moisture can travel either way through a passage. As stated earlier, it is basically driven from warmer to colder. If there is no precip and the humidity is below 100%, the camera will tend to dry (slowly) unless the moisture that you send its way from your skin and breathing is too much.

Your exhaled moisture probably hits the plastic bag and does most of its condensing on the outside.

It would be perfectly practical to line a case with a plastic bag which would be folded closed when the case is closed. This would tend to block moisture when the camera is stowed--you just have to be careful when the camera is out of the bag/case.

Glasses wearers learn not to exhale upwards (fogs their glasses). I guess that with a camera on your sternum strap, you can't exhale downwards either. BTW, I carry my camera in my pack or on my hip.

Doug