Is There a Classic SLR That Will Function Correctly in Cold Weather?

dynachrome · Feb 7, 2010

SLR In Cold Weather

I have used two F-1s in cold weather without problems. The coldest shooting I can remember doing was in the winter of 1977 in Boston. The temperature hovered around 0F for two weeks with the wind chill being -50F. I was out walking on the Charles River for a few hours with my Konica Autoreflex T3. I was dressed very warmly and I kept the camera inside my coat between shots. At the time the camera must have been about 15 months old. The only precaution I took was advancing the film slowly. Changing lenses in such cold weather was a chore. I looked through a telephoto and saw ships far in the distance bobbing up and down so I knew I shouldn't stay out on the ice forever. Wearing wool gloves inside hunting mittens kept my hands warm and gave me a little extra dexterity when I needed it. The T3 worked fine. A few years later I was shooting with a Konica TC in the low 20s F and the shutter froze in the open position. I haven't used a TC in cold weather since then. My Autoreflex T2 worked well in cold weather too.

The 55/1.2 FD is pretty much the same lens as the old 55/1.2 FL, which I have. I wouldn't use it for architectural work but if you close it down a little, it's a nice lens. The FD did have better coating.

peri24 · Feb 7, 2010

i've been shooting this january at -20 celsius in finland with my old and rusty nikon fe, we were moving quite alot around and the camera spent most of the time out of the bag with snow and wind torturating it without any big problems, it's true that the mirror sticked up a couple of times, but after coming back home i realize that the foam around were really..., well there were no foam anymore. Shooting in that conditions is a challenge even with a 35mm at least for me, all i've learnt is, dont change film outside: it can not be done with gloves. Rollei retro film sticks sometimes in the cold, trix dont. Dont breath with your camera in front of your face. Dont touch snow flakes that fell in your camera or lens blow them instead.

jcorll · Feb 7, 2010

So it seems the general consensus is that the best cold weather cameras are the Nikon F-series. I know that I also have had the best luck in cold weather with my Nikon FM.
I used it just a day or so ago to take a couple pics before, during and after that darned Mid-Atlantic blizzard. Everything worked fine!

Paul Goutiere · Feb 7, 2010

FilmOnly said:
I enjoyed reading your story about your Spottie. I once had two Spotties. If it were not for the radioactive lenses in the Takumar lineup--especially the beautiful and indispensable 50/1.4--then I would have held onto my Pentax gear. I do not believe the 55/1.8 you mention is thoriated. I have considered going back...I do like having a winder or motor, though...

I still have my Spotmatic. I bought the thing in 1966 after seeing a tradeshow in Toronto. It has the 55mm 1.8 lens.

I did not know this about the lenses. My 1.8 is still a fine lens but I bought a Nice Black Spotmatic II last year and it has the 50 1.4. It is dark by about 1/2 stop, yellowing and so I guess it must be the thoriated version. (lovely!)

With a fresh battery my F3HP, will withstand at least -25C (-13F) cold soaked around my neck for about 3 hours. My F2 functions perfectly at this temperature as well. I prefer the F2 because I find it easier to operate with gloves with the shutter release extension.

The discussion was about SLRs but my old Leica M2 can take darned near anything, apparently.

However, and we all know this, when bringing into a warm humid car or room from minus whatever please be sure to place the camera in a plastic bag or something to prevent condensation.

Craig Swensson · Feb 8, 2010

Cold weather SLR?

how about a big ugly Zenit[T34] and take a bottle of vodka with you.

Russ - SVP · Feb 8, 2010

The Nikon FM with a lithium battery will get you through any weather conditions on this or any other planet. And, in the rare case that your battery does die, it only operates the camera meter, which still gives you a fully functioning camera. You can still shoot at all shutter speeds and apertures. I purchased my Nikon FM in the mid 70's, and it still performs like new.

Kiron Kid

EASmithV · Feb 8, 2010

Any Nikon.

Nikanon · Feb 8, 2010

Nikon FM2

Erik Petersson · Feb 8, 2010

Recently I photographed a halfdozen people bathing in a small lake outside Moscow. It was -22C, and I experienced no problems. Maybe we can agree on this rule: if people can bathe outdoors, then the camera should work? (In my case a Nikon F3.)

André E.C. · Feb 8, 2010

I have photographed with my Nikon F2 at -27c, just kept on going with no issues at all, frame after frame.

Lanline · Feb 8, 2010

I live in Minneapolis, MN and I've encountered camera problems in the cold many times. Now with the mass exodus to digital cameras, I am finding very late model film cameras at ridiculously cheap prices. This winter I am using a Canon EOS Rebel G & T2 when it gets subzero - since they are not too old, the lubricants are doing well in the cold. Both of these cameras were purchased with kit lenses for under $20 each, so I don't worry about them in the weather or cold.

FilmOnly · Feb 8, 2010

I appreciate the responses.

I should have kept my F3HP.

How might the Olympus OM-2N fare in cold weather? My OM-2N is scheduled to arrive today. I am trying to discern whether or not it may be better to exchange the OM-2N for an F3HP. Both of these camera seem to have a nice following. Which will serve me faithfully in the cold?

Erik Petersson · Feb 8, 2010

Mick Fagan said:
One of the more interesting jobs I have had was working in a freezer at 26ºC in downtown Melbourne in the late sixties. The job entailed shredding frozen calf and pig pancreas organs for the manufacture of Insulin.

I shared digs with a fella who was travelling down to Antarctica as a photographer and Morse code operator. Radio was bad during a blizzard and quite a few messages travelled via Morse code in those days

Anyway he was wondering about the effectiveness of winterising his cameras, which were three Nikon F bodies and three lenses, 35, 55 and 105 Nikkors. The three bodies and three lenses were so he didnt have to change lenses in very bad weather and also so that at any time there could be three people using the cameras.

The upshot was that we convinced the Government body running my section to allow the government body running the Antarctic division, to use our cold rooms for tests.

We dropped the temperature 33ºC, which I think was the coldest we could get. You have to understand these were quite large workrooms with machinery for cutting and shredding inside.

The cameras that were winterised, which meant that they were cleaned and all lubricant removed and a couple of others that were literally straight off the shelf from the Nikon importer, were left inside for ½ a day to really cool down.

A special shutter-testing set-up had been arranged with the shutter tester on the outside and the cameras on the inside with a very thick piece of glass in-between.

From memory the winterised cameras worked perfectly, the normal cameras were not that far behind, maybe ¼ to ½ a stop at most slower. Manageable, but a difference nonetheless.

I know that one of those cameras worked in temperatures around 60ºC as pictures were taken in a blizzard of some penguins. The penguin pictures were of quite interesting scientific value at the time, as very little was known how they survived down there.

I dont know how long after coming back to Australia before the cameras were re-lubed, but I know one of them is still in use by my friend to this day in a working capacity.

For the Australian members, this was at CSIRO in Parkville.

Mick.

Thanks, this was useful information. This means that critical exposure may be hampered in temperatures such as -33C, which we experience every tenth year or so where I live.

jcorll · Feb 8, 2010

I personally haven't played around with the OM-2N, One of my friends have one and I asked him if he has ever used it in cold weather. He said that he didn't have any problems with it. Using (metal) SLR's in the cold is pretty universal for any camera.

So, Yes, your OM-2N should work fine out there. (Keyword: Should)

Pumal · Feb 8, 2010

FilmOnly said:
I appreciate the responses.

I should have kept my F3HP.

How might the Olympus OM-2N fare in cold weather? My OM-2N is scheduled to arrive today. I am trying to discern whether or not it may be better to exchange the OM-2N for an F3HP. Both of these camera seem to have a nice following. Which will serve me faithfully in the cold?

Both are absolutely excellent cameras and take the cold very well.

John Koehrer · Feb 8, 2010

Paul Goutiere said:
Then we are left with the question; What do we mean by "cold"? Alaska cold or Florida cold?

Cold as a well diggers ass in February!

df cardwell · Feb 8, 2010

Back when these cameras were new, it was common to shoot Fs and F1s in the Rocky Mountain winters at any altitude. Leicas, too. Even Hassies, but if you were going to stay -0˚ F, you were wise to 'winterize' the camera: remove the lube from the Compur shutter. Batteries were a different matter, and depended on how the battery performs in cold weather !

A CLA for ANY old camera is a good idea, even if it is going to be way cold.

naeroscatu · Feb 8, 2010

I would be cautious with the OM-2N in deep cold because it is battery dependent. OM-1/ OM-1N would be better in this respect.

FilmOnly · Feb 8, 2010

Well, I just opted for an old friend, a Spottie. I went with the original Spottie--the SL...plain, simple, tank-like, and no meter. I was told, by one I consider an expect, that any of the Spotmatics should do well in the temperatures I have mentioned. I think I will be happy without a meter, as I use my Sekonic 98% of the time anyway. I may also opt for an ES II. Too bad these fine cameras did not have motor or winder options.

Uncle Bill · Feb 10, 2010

The only cameras I would not take out into the cold are my Nikon FE and F3HP, Olympus OM-2n, Canon AE-1Program and Minolta XE-7. Everything else is fine out there in the cold.

2F/2F · Feb 10, 2010

John Koehrer said:
Cold as a well diggers ass in February!

Iiiiits.....

Colder than the nipple on a witches tit
Colder than a bucket of penguin $hit
Colder than the hairs on a polar bear's ass
Colder than the frost on a champagne glass

(OK: NAME THAT TUNE!)

jcorll · Feb 10, 2010

OH OH OH!!! is that Pynchon?

2F/2F · Feb 10, 2010

Got it...first try! Nice!

(It may not be an exact transcription, but the gist of it is there.)

Joe Grodis · Feb 11, 2010

Bob-D659 said:
Over the years, lubes dry up and become thicker, cold only makes that worse.

I agree with Bob on this one. 30 degrees (F) really isn't very cold at all for such a camera. I have used my Canon A1, Nikon FM3a, and even my giant RB67 at temperatures near zero with no problems.
Time for a fresh CLA.

JBrunner · Feb 11, 2010

It's a sign for a CLA. Sooner rather than later. Eventually this behavior will likely start happening at warmer temps. Sticking and binding wears parts, and that is happening faster than it should even when the camera is warm and seems to be working properly. That's what my mom told me.

Is There a Classic SLR That Will Function Correctly in Cold Weather?

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