D800 in the COLD

danmc

New member
I'm planning a cold weather outdoor trek this winter (a week of tent camping in Northern Minnesota in the dead of winter) and am very interested in capturing some images of what should be an incredibly beautiful trip. It is quite possible that we will have above zero (F) temps but it is also possible that it will be -20F (or colder) during the day.

Anyone have experience in subjecting a D800 to this kind of cold? Any suggestions in general about cameras and cold? I took a bunch of pics while snowshoeing in maybe 0 or -10F weather (don't really remember the cold, just remember snow falling on a deer) and felt like my white balance (daylight preset) was a bit off.

I'm on the fence between taking one or more of:

- 50mm/f1.8 : PRO: light weight, less moving parts to freeze, cheaper if lost or damaged. CON: fixed 50mm.
- 24-70mm/f2.8: PRO: great landscape lens. CON: a bit heavy, expensive if lost or damaged, more moving parts to freeze
- 70-200mm/f2.8: PRO: great for getting in on the action (and there will be action between snowshoes and sled dogs and maybe some wildlife). CON: a bit narrow for a landscape, HEAVY, expensive if lost or damaged, more moving parts to freeze.

anyone else have comments on gear and also general cold weather and snow shooting?

Thanks
-Dan
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
I'm planning a cold weather outdoor trek this winter (a week of tent camping in Northern Minnesota in the dead of winter) and am very interested in capturing some images of what should be an incredibly beautiful trip. It is quite possible that we will have above zero (F) temps but it is also possible that it will be -20F (or colder) during the day.

Anyone have experience in subjecting a D800 to this kind of cold? Any suggestions in general about cameras and cold? I took a bunch of pics while snowshoeing in maybe 0 or -10F weather (don't really remember the cold, just remember snow falling on a deer) and felt like my white balance (daylight preset) was a bit off.

I'm on the fence between taking one or more of:

- 50mm/f1.8 : PRO: light weight, less moving parts to freeze, cheaper if lost or damaged. CON: fixed 50mm.
- 24-70mm/f2.8: PRO: great landscape lens. CON: a bit heavy, expensive if lost or damaged, more moving parts to freeze
- 70-200mm/f2.8: PRO: great for getting in on the action (and there will be action between snowshoes and sled dogs and maybe some wildlife). CON: a bit narrow for a landscape, HEAVY, expensive if lost or damaged, more moving parts to freeze.

anyone else have comments on gear and also general cold weather and snow shooting?

Thanks
-Dan

When in doubt, refer to your D800/D800E owner's manual to be on the safe side.

Bring extra fully charged batteries if the temperature becomes extreme. If it is snowing, ensure your hot shoe cover is installed. I would get insurance just to be on the safe side.


@gqtuazon I seem to remember a thread about your D800 getting a little chilly?


It was my D3s and Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens. :cool:

D3s Snow by gqtuazon, on Flickr
 

JackStalk

Senior Member
Bring extra fully charged batteries if the temperature becomes extreme. If it is snowing, ensure your hot shoe cover is installed. I would get insurance just to be on the safe side.

Also, you want to keep those batteries really close to you on your person so they stay warm. I keep them in an insulated inside pocket if I'm out in the cold. Condensation also becomes an issue when you first take the camera from one temperature to another really quickly
 

SteveH

Senior Member
I'd say acclimatize the camera gradually (Not out of a hot car to -20C ice!) and when you return the camera to the bag, make sure you have silica gel packets in there (I have some permanently in the bag with the lenses and camera) to stop condensation when returning to the warmer / dryer bag.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
I have my older D200, D300, D200 in very cold eastern Europe and never had an issue, bring extra batteries, they don't last as long. I will be taking my D800 to Ukraine next month but not too cold yet.
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
I used my D800 in Billings last winter at a balmy -19 degrees F and the only thing I noticed different was a slight delay in the time it took to start up. It went from less than 1 sec to around 2-3 secs. That said, I did not roll my camera around in the snow nor did I leave it out in the cold longer than a hour or two. However, I did learn the absolute importance of gloves when taking winter photographs. Bare skin against cold camera/lens metal do not go together very well.
 
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