Hey guys, any suggestions, comments or pointers for shooting in some pretty cold weather? Doing a bit on winter river fishing and we'll be exposed for about 8 hours in the elements. Drift boat, no windscreen, cabin to climb into and warm up or anything like that. My main concern is the camera freezing up, control wise that is..

Thanks,
Eric

Several years ago I was shooting Snowy Owls, Great Gray Owls, Northern Hawk Owls, and Gyrfalcons in Sault Sainte Marie. The daytime temperatures were between -20 and 0 F. I powered my camera with a large car battery. I wouldn't worry about the camera so much as the tape stock. Tape is so thin, at that temperature it becomes very brittle. Batteries become very inefficient at low temperatures. A standard battery lasted only about 15 minutes before starting to go out.

Jeff

Can you give me the specifics on how you were able to use a car batt as a power source...hook up wise.

Thanks
e

Get a large car battery and a handle to carry it. The sealed variates are the best. A friend knocked one over in his trunk, and it leaked all over his Nikon 35mm gear. It was a very expensive lesson for him.

NRG http://www.nrgresearch.com/adp.html makes adapters to step the voltage down (12v to ? depending on camera model). I suggest the cigarette adapter style. Then go to Radio Shack and get the parts to build the female adapter part and heavy gauge wire. Attach the assembly with battery clamps and you’re good to go.

Buy a small battery charger to charge it up overnight. They can be purchased at auto parts suppliers, WalMart etc.

Then get a membership to gym so that you can build up strength to carry the battery around all day.

Jeff

Hey Eric,

You might want to check out this thread for some more info.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3479&highlight=cold
Chris

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald :

Then get a membership to gym so that you can build up strength to carry the battery around all day.

Jeff -->>>

Heh. Better yet - take the money you'd spend at the gym, buy 2 dumbbell handles and a few weights. Bang, equipment that will last you a life time, and you can use it even in your underwear while wathcing TV.

the best way is to shoot for inside a nice warm building or for inside your car!!!

Not wanting to spend a hundred or two for a store-bought rain/snow cover for my XL-1s, I made one myself. Beautiful it ain't; but it keeps my camera dry and it folds down flat to store in the pocket of my Porta Brace bag.

This thread got me thinking about the cold, however. You'd think living at 8,500' elevation I would have before; but, nope... never gave it much thought. The Xl-1s worked fine even when I had snotsicles in my mustache. Anyway, I decided to experiment. So I added pockets to the inside of my rain/snow cover. Into those pockets, which align with both sides of the recording part of the camera, I slipped one of those chemical hand-warmers they sell at Wal-Mart. Not only did they keep the camera warm, they keep my hands toasty, too... when they're under the cover.