A lot of people never have
the opportunity to use their cameras in freezing temperatures. Needless to say, that is not a problem here
in Minnesota. Even though this winter
has been relatively mild, there are no guarantees that this might not change. I have been out shooting in temperatures as
low as -30F.
This brings up the ever
reoccurring question if we need to treat our cameras differently in cold
weather? The short answer is ‘not
really’. These days, when our cameras
rely more than ever on sufficient battery power, we should, however, be aware
that they don’t like low temperatures very much at all. Subsequently, one or two fully charged extra
batteries are definitely a good idea.
Carried in an inside pocket, to keep them warm, should prevent any
mishaps of camera failure due to lack of battery power. In addition, it is advisable to carry the
cameras underneath our clothing as well to keep them from getting any colder
than necessary.
Finally, carry along a
ziplock bag, big enough for the camera and lenses. After a while of shooting, when getting ready
to back inside, put the camera, lenses and other equipment into the plastic bag
and seal it. This prevents the warm,
moist inside air to get into contact with the equipment. Otherwise the result will be that the
moisture condensates on the cold camera equipment. Excessive moisture and cameras simply don’t
mix. Keeping the camera equipment in a
closed case will also work as long as it is not opened.
Such was the case a few
years ago. It was a bright, sunny day;
picture perfect for some nice winter shots, except the temperature had dropped
to -30F with little chance of any noticeable warm up. While a lot of people would stay inside, this
really isn’t all that bad, as long as you dress properly.
I had just acquired a new
Leica M5 that I. For years I had heard
of the impressive resistance of Leicas to cold temperatures and decided to give
the camera a good test.
Since the weather forecast
was predicting temperatures as low as -30F, I decided to test the M5. To give the camera a head start, I put it in
a freezer overnight. (Don’t forget that the temperature in an average freezer
is almost balmy compared to -30F) The next morning the thermometer did indeed
read -30 degrees. I set out to take
photographs. I purposely carried the
camera on a strap, outside my clothing, to make sure it would get as cold as
possible.
I walked to Minnehaha Park
part of which runs along Minnehaha Creek as it winds its way toward the
Mississippi in a relatively deep ravine.
This was carved out over the years by Minnehaha Falls.
Minnehaha Falls in Summer
The frozen Minnehaha Falls in Winter
At such low temperatures
the falls is totally covered in ice, definitely a different appearance from its
summer looks. At the foot of the falls I
noticed some openings in the ice which gave me the crazy idea to climb up to
take a look behind the falls.
Unfortunately the opening was in top of a very steep ice field. I don’t recall how many times I almost made
it to the top, only to slide down to the bottom again. But I finally succeeded.
A different world awaited
me. Almost everything was covered by the
frozen waters of Minnehaha Falls, like being in an ice cave. Only one side was free of ice. I could hear the water falling to the bottom
inside the ice which surrounded everything, creating a rather eerie atmosphere.
I began to take pictures,
but was restricted by the ice which only allowed moving behind the main
waterfall. The rest was too treacherous
to walk on. Of the series of shots that
I did take, two stood out as particularly good.
The camera worked flawlessly. The
only indication that it was extremely cold was the focusing of the 50mm
Summicron which was noticeably stiffer than under normal circumstances.
I had been shooting for a while
when I decided to go home. Once I
returned, against my own advice, I went right inside, forgetting about the
plastic bags. To my horror, the camera
instantly froze over with about 1/8 inch of solid ice. The camera was so cold that the condensation
froze immediately. As it warmed up and
the ice thawed, I immediately wiped it off.
The camera showed no ill side effects and served me well for many years
after that, but I never ventures up that ice field again. Common sense dictated that it was too dangerous.
That was obviously some
extremely rough treatment and I certainly don’t recommend subjecting any of
your cameras to such torture. But it
showed that Leica’s claims in regard to cold weather operation are not
exaggerated.
I have long since switched
to digital Leica equipment and I have refrained from repeating that test with
any of my current cameras, but I have used them at temperatures as low as about
-15F with no ill side effects. I would
not hesitate to use any of my cameras at temperatures a lot lower than
that. But I don’t have anything to prove
anymore, not with my cameras and certainly not for myself. Unless absolutely necessary, I will wait for
more pleasant days for my outdoor shooting.
________________________________________________________________________________________
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Amazing. How did you get behind the waterfall?
ReplyDeleteI climbed up the ice below the large opening at the upper right. It took several tries, but I made it. The photographs were taken behind the ice where the two small openings are at the top left.
DeleteMust be super cool to be behind the ice. And i mean cool in two ways here.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't film get brittle in cold temperatures?
ReplyDeleteWhat film did you use?
Film definitely gets stiffer at low temperatures, but I have never experienced any problems at all from film getting brittle. Minnesota in Winter is a good testing ground for that.
DeleteThe film I used was Agfachrome 64.
I can't believe you subjected that camera to such torture. Weren't you afraid it might get hurt?
ReplyDeleteFor that matter, weren't you afraid to get hurt yourself? 30 below sounds absurd.
I didn't consider it torture at all. Leica has always stated that their cameras can withstand rather high temperature extremes. After all, Leicas have been used on polar expeditions as well as expeditions to the highest peaks in the Himalayas and elsewhere on earth, where they have been subjected to even colder conditions. I simply wanted to see if my camera was capable to do so. It passed with flying colors.
DeleteAs for myself, I had no problems at all. To withstand such low temperatures is simply a matter of dressing accordingly. As a matter of fact, this wasn't the only time I was out under such conditions and on several occasions I actually opened my jacket slightly because I was getting too hot. It is an interesting thought though, that a freezer or meat locker would appear relatively warm in comparison to 30 below. But I want to assure everyone that Minnesota is far from being the frozen tundra it is considered to be by many. During Summer it can easily reach 100 degrees or more. My cameras have performed equally well under those conditions also.
Did you test any other cameras under those conditions?
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. At the same time I had the Leica M5, I also owned a Zeiss Contarex, the so called Cyclops model. Unfortunately I sold it when Zeiss discontinued making the Contarex. A follow up model of the Cyclops, the Contarex Electronic, was the first camera to ever be used in space when the US conducted the first space walk with Ed White. I still consider the Contarex one of the all time greatest 35mm SLR cameras and, together with the Alpa, it was the only other commercially available camera made with the same tolerances as the Leica cameras.
DeleteMy Contarex performed just as well as the M5 did, except it operated a lot slower. The shutter worked flawlessly, it was the mirror drive that got rather slow. Unlike most SLR cameras, which simply allow the mirror to flip up under spring tension, the Contarex used a gear drive. This was done to prevent any vibrations from the mirror going up. The mirror was literally moved to its upper position by a gear which, after the exposure reversed and moved the mirror downwards. The cold temperatures stiffened the lubrication of these gears to the extend that it took about three or four seconds for the mirror to reach its upper position. After that the shutter would be released and then the mirror slowly would move back down into the viewing position.
How was that Zeiss camera used during the space walk? Was it mounted to the space suit like the Hasselblad cameras later on?
ReplyDeleteFor the space walk Ed white had been given an experimental manouvering device. It consisted of a tank with a propellant, about the size of a small fire extinguisher. At one end was a handle, to hold it with one hand and a crossbar with a nozzle at each end. The device was supposed to allow movement in various directions simply by triggering the exhaust nozzles. The Contarex was mounted on top of the device in the center. As it turned out, the camera worked flawlessly, the maneuvering unit proved to be a failure.
DeleteDelete
My M4-P, loaded with TRI-X, has endured the harshest of Canadian winters for almost 26 years. I have never had a problem, neither the film has ever broken or jammed...
ReplyDeleteBased on my own experiences with Leica cameras here in Minnesota, that does not surprise me at all.
Delete