Shooting in cold weather... at DVinfo.net

Stephen J. Williams · October 28th, 2008, 06:02 PM

i'm a Florida boy who recently moved to NJ... It's starting to get cold up here and i was wondering what kind of problems i'm going to run into shooting in cold weather.
I'm guessing that there will be an issue when i film the ceremony and then quickly switch to grab the outside shot of them coming down the isle.
Any advice???

Pete Cofrancesco · October 29th, 2008, 11:52 AM

1. don't let your equipment get cold for long periods of time. aka camera has been sitting in your trunk for 2 hrs.
2. give yourself extra time to make sure your camera is warmed up

I actually find summer more of a problem because of the humidity change from an a/c environment. In the winter everything is very dry so you have less of a chance of water condensing on the heads.

Chris Davis · October 29th, 2008, 11:56 AM

The biggest problem I have is not going outside, but rather coming inside after shooting in the cold for a while. The camera fogs up until the temp of the camera approaches the indoor temp.

Asvaldur Kristjansson · October 29th, 2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Davis

The biggest problem I have is not going outside, but rather coming inside after shooting in the cold for a while. The camera fogs up until the temp of the camera approaches the indoor temp.

This has happend to me. The problem begins when coming inside from the cold. When the Top Gear crew went on the north pole to do a program about a trip on artick truck they had the cameras out in the cold all the time, just took the battery in for recharging.

Stephen J. Williams · October 29th, 2008, 08:11 PM

Yeah i imagined that my biggest problem would be coming in from the cold. I guess for a single camera shooter like my self there is no way to really avoid anything.

Does it not really happen when going from the indoors to outside? Lens fogging up that is.

Dave Blackhurst · October 30th, 2008, 12:31 AM

Think condensation on a cold glass - that's the scientific aspect. You've got glass and metal in the camera that will potentially stay cold long enough to condense any moisture out of the air. Thus why cameras have condensation sensors...

Maybe Google and see if there's anything out there about temperature/humidity differentials and condensation? Might give you an idea of the conditions that could present trouble so you're better prepared.

General rule I follow with equipment is keep it in a case/bag to insulate from large "direct" temp variations - keep it in the car interior not the trunk, if it does sit out long enough to get cold, allow it to adjust slowly to the indooor ambient temperature before firing it up. That's from the guitar business, where things can get ugly if you make rapid temperature changes, but seems like good advice with gear in general.

October 28th, 2008, 06:02 PM	#1
Stephen J. Williams Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 768	Shooting in cold weather... i'm a Florida boy who recently moved to NJ... It's starting to get cold up here and i was wondering what kind of problems i'm going to run into shooting in cold weather. I'm guessing that there will be an issue when i film the ceremony and then quickly switch to grab the outside shot of them coming down the isle. Any advice???

October 29th, 2008, 11:52 AM	#2
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,005	1. don't let your equipment get cold for long periods of time. aka camera has been sitting in your trunk for 2 hrs. 2. give yourself extra time to make sure your camera is warmed up I actually find summer more of a problem because of the humidity change from an a/c environment. In the winter everything is very dry so you have less of a chance of water condensing on the heads.

October 29th, 2008, 11:56 AM	#3
Chris Davis Trustee Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Willmar, MN Posts: 1,400	The biggest problem I have is not going outside, but rather coming inside after shooting in the cold for a while. The camera fogs up until the temp of the camera approaches the indoor temp.

October 29th, 2008, 08:11 PM	#5
Stephen J. Williams Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 768	Yeah i imagined that my biggest problem would be coming in from the cold. I guess for a single camera shooter like my self there is no way to really avoid anything. Does it not really happen when going from the indoors to outside? Lens fogging up that is.

October 30th, 2008, 12:31 AM	#6
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	Think condensation on a cold glass - that's the scientific aspect. You've got glass and metal in the camera that will potentially stay cold long enough to condense any moisture out of the air. Thus why cameras have condensation sensors... Maybe Google and see if there's anything out there about temperature/humidity differentials and condensation? Might give you an idea of the conditions that could present trouble so you're better prepared. General rule I follow with equipment is keep it in a case/bag to insulate from large "direct" temp variations - keep it in the car interior not the trunk, if it does sit out long enough to get cold, allow it to adjust slowly to the indooor ambient temperature before firing it up. That's from the guitar business, where things can get ugly if you make rapid temperature changes, but seems like good advice with gear in general.