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I have no idea about this. I've spent a while taking photos in the dark but each time I've spent a while out in the dark before setting up. So I've never come across this problem.
I think if you have condensation happening then you should leave a little while to acclimatise to wherever you are. Not sure if it'll damage your camera, but surely it will have an effect on your photos?
Posted 79 months ago.
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I have had condensation on my lens before. But that was from taking it out of the house, and into the backyard for a long night exposure. I would curious to hear more on this as well.
Posted 79 months ago.
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When coming in from cold weather I put my lenses and camera in large ziploc bags to prevent condensation. In fact this is where plastic constructed lenses have one advantage, they warm up faster. After being outside for 2 hours in -20C my metal 70-200L and 17-40L took hours to warm up.
Anyway, as we all know, electronics and water do not mix well. So it is best to use a card reader to download your photos while your camera gear is acclimatizing.
Posted 79 months ago.
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What's a card reader? I thought we were talking about cameras.
Posted 79 months ago.
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A card reader is a USB device that you can put your flash memory card in (if you shoot digital) then plug it in to the USB port. This way you do not need your camera which is slowly warming up in a sealed bag to look at your photos.
for example www.lexar.com/readers/multi.html
Posted 79 months ago.
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I read an article on this recently in practical photography and it claims that condensation is largely down to changing temperatures, which is what has been suggested above. It also claims that most cameras handle low temperatures better than high temperatures and says that once your camera is out in the cold, you should keep it out until you are finished. if you keep putting it away inside your coat or in a bag or case, this can cause condensation through constantly varying the temperature.
Hope this helps.
[Edit] PS it also recommends you keep your spare batteries close to your body for warmth as batteries don't last long in low temps. ;o)
Originally posted 79 months ago.
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Psycho Crow edited this topic 79 months ago.
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Of course. Extra batteries are a must.
Otherwise, I go out once in a while in Montreal's bitter winter cold, and never had any problems with condensation; basically, it's exactly like eyeglasses: they'll fog up, and it'll go away by itself after a few minutes.
Posted 79 months ago.
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RetiredNickname [deleted] says:
My wife and I shoot pictures at night here in Alaska during the winter and have only had one time where the condesation was an issue, and that was remedied by warming the cameras up and letting the external moisture dry out.
We shoot pictures in low relative humidity and in very cold temperatures. Though we've never had problems with metal fatigue (contraction and expansion due to temperature extremes), we've talked to other photographers who have had cameras ruined by the cold. Something to very much take into consideration, I wouldn't let the camera get too cold or you may encounter metal and electronic parts that will contract with the cold and expand with rewarming, hence ruining your camera. You never know so be careful shooting in the cold at any rate.
In all of our night shooting, we've never had internal condensation, it's always on the outside (knocks on wood) and is easy to dry off most of the time.
If it's humid outside, you may consider using the ziplock bag to wrap everything but the end of the lense, keeping the moisture out of the camera body and delegating any moisture to the end of the lense only. Good luck, hope that helps!
P.S. The suggestions on keeping the batteries and the memory cards warm was excellent :)
Originally posted 79 months ago.
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RetiredNickname edited this topic 79 months ago.
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Ya, the condensation I notice last month was near the top of the camera. From the thread it seems like I should acclimate my camera to the colder temps before shooting. I could do this by putting my camera bag in my car of hrs ahead of time.
I'm also considering doing the same on the way back in by leaving my camera bag in the garage for a couple of hrs on the way back in. I was more concerened with the mosture buildup inside the camera and not so much about the lense ( but, it's something to consider ).
I also did not think about the metal fatigue that daveinAK mentioned. Another good point.
Posted 79 months ago.
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I think the metal fatigue issue is really only a problem in mega sub zero temps such as alaska which is where daveinAK is. Anything around -5°C to +30°C should be ok I reckon.
Posted 79 months ago.
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Ok. Ya, I'll be in mild winter stuff. Not even close to those numbers.
Posted 79 months ago.
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Matt Needham [deleted] says:
Usually there is a bigger condenstaion problem with a cold camera coming back in to warm air inside. This is where internal condensation is an issue. Cold air normally has less moisture in it. I put my stuff in a plastic bag outside before bringing it in.
I think that letting your gear cool down in the car is a good idea. Another tip I've heard is to get a tiny battery powered fan. I talked to a guy who wires one to his tripod to blow across the lens surface, and keep it from fogging during long exposures.
Posted 79 months ago.
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I've never had any problems...mck74 had good advice: let your camera sit in your camerabag once you get home for about an hour before taking it out. It will allow the camera to slowly acclimate to the varying temps.
Posted 79 months ago.
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Alternately, don't use cameras with electronics! I've been doing most of my winter shots lately with an old Russian Leica copy (Zorki-6). The action remains smooth in near-zero temperatures, and there's nothing electronic to die. Then again, this is daylight/dusk shooting, not night shooting - handheld with no tripod. Metering is just the sunny f/16 rule.
My usual night camera is a Yashica Electro 35, but it doesn't like the cold. It gets creaky and slow, like its owner. :} So I'm more worried about straining its mechanisms than I am about its electronics, or condensation.
Posted 79 months ago.
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When using ziplock bags, don't forget to try to squeeze out as much air as possible before zipping up. I also put some silicagel pouches inside the bag.
Posted 79 months ago.
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Ziplock bag is a great idea. I have some of those 1 gallon freezer bags I'll use.
The 350 XT group was talking about the same topic.
Originally posted 79 months ago.
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mclgreenville / memorymotel edited this topic 79 months ago.
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RetiredNickname [deleted] says:
Excellent suggestion Max!
Posted 79 months ago.
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We were out last night under the moon in 16 degree temps for about 4 ½ hours. Surprisingly my D70’s Nikon battery went the distance!
The camera itself was performing slowly – that is after an exposure was complete the LCD that usually lights up right away had about a 2 second delay and the ball head on my tripod got difficult to move.
The only other issue I had started later in the night. Every time I put my face up to the camera (even while holding my breath) the viewfinder would fog over making an already difficult task (composing in near darkness) impossible.
Posted 78 months ago.
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Ditto on threshold since we went on the same shoot =) My NiMHs went close to the distance. I didn't have condensation issues until I brought the stuff home. I left my camera bag open with my gear inside and let it warm up overnight. Again, I have film (for now) so I didn't have any card issues. I *did* however seem to have an issue with film advance. When I rewound the roll it took no time to rewind, this made me wonder if I had shot anything at all. The Nikon F100 does indicate on the LCD if you messed up the film load. I didn't get that and the frame count increased all night. I wonder if the cold did something to the film or advance or if my brain was just frozen. Of course had I just shot the last 2 frames and the film was indeed at the end, the F100 would have automatically rewound it. Had it not, I would have known I spent 4 1/2 hours running around being the bartender.
Posted 78 months ago.
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gawddang! the ziplock trick works like a charm! I recommend it to anybody working below 20 degrees for more than 5 minutes, especially if you have a metal body camera. Just put the camera in the bag while outside and then walk inside. Voila!
Posted 78 months ago.
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