Shooting medium format in the winter

[Steven Lee]

For most of my adult life I've lived in Texas and California, but this winter I am staying at a place with average temperatures fluctuating between 20-35F. I have never used my Hasselblad in such conditions. Can I load a roll of Provia at room temperature and just walk outside and start shooting? Are there any gotchas?

 

[250swb]

Don't try to protect the camera from the cold by keeping it warm and dry under a coat or in a plastic bag, it will cause condensation, just slip it into a camera bag. There is no danger changing film outside, except the same things apply, keep the temperatures the same for the film and camera. A pair of fingerless mitts or silk glove liners are ideal for keeping the cold at bay while doing it.

 

[eli griggs]

The walk from room temperature to 20° - 30° is a big one and cold on warm surfaces will give condensation.

Put your camera, bag and loaded film, lenses, etc in a blanket, set it outside, bundled up, set it in your cold car, garage or out building and wait about six hours for the cameras, etc to cool down to the outside ambient temperature, the blanket will allow a slow cooling, no condensation to speak of and doesn't cause a 'shock effect' to the kit and systems.

With gloves on, I like wool shooters gloves, with a half mit, and finger tips uncovered when folded back, go out, allow them to cool in a minute or two before handling your camera kit and taking photographs.

If you're in a safe area and plan on more shooting in the day or tomorrow, just re-stow your kit in the blanket and cold, so it's ready when you are.

Clean clean trunks are just as good for hiding away kit, as it interior of a car or truck.

When it's time to bring it all inside, keep it in your dry, blanket, put it somewhere away from heaters and allow it hours to warm black up, with no 'fogging' of plastic, metal, glass.

This is what I've done in the past, and other than a roll of brittle, tearing film, I've have had no issues with gear being used in the cold.

 

[reddesert]

It's warm air that condenses on cold surfaces. Not the other way around. The problem with slipping the camera inside your coat is that the camera gets a little cold being out in the air while you're shooting, and then you put it into the humid warm air inside your coat. When I take pictures while skiing, for example, I usually use a small camera that goes in an outer jacket pocket.

There is a Kodak publication on Arctic photography and winterizing, available on the internet, https://www.efratnakash.com/tips/photography_under_arctic_conditions.pdf It is interesting reading, but take it with a grain of salt because many of the more extreme measures it discusses are for real sub-zero-F conditions, not "typical winter" conditions at and just below freezing.

Some people report issues with static discharge marks on film. Winding slower is likely to help.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Taking the camera from a warm location inside to a cold outside will not cause condensation. It's when you do it the other way and bring a cold camera into a warm, relatively higher relative humidity inside your home or restaurant that the condensation may occur. If you see you're getting condensation and are concerned, then put the camera in a Zip lock storage bag while you are still outside in the cold air. It has much less water vapor in cold air than in warm inside air. Squeeze most of the air out of the Zip lock before sealing. Then bring it inside and let the camera warm up for an hour or two before opening the Zip lock bag. If you're really concerned, you can throw into the Zip lock a couple of silica gel packets that absorb water vapor.

 

[guangong]

Taking the camera from a warm location inside to a cold outside will not cause condensation. It's when you do it the other way and bring a cold camera into a warm, relatively higher relative humidity inside your home or restaurant that the condensation may occur. If you see you're getting condensation and are concerned, then put the camera in a Zip lock storage bag while you are still outside in the cold air. It has much less water vapor in cold air than in warm inside air. Squeeze most of the air out of the Zip lock before sealing. Then bring it inside and let the camera warm up for an hour or two before opening the Zip lock bag. If you're really concerned, you can throw into the Zip lock a couple of silica gel packets that absorb water vapor.

Ditto!

 

[warden]

Put your camera, bag and loaded film, lenses, etc in a blanket, set it outside, bundled up, set it in your cold car, garage or out building and wait about six hours for the cameras, etc to cool down to the outside ambient temperature, the blanket will allow a slow cooling, no condensation to speak of and doesn't cause a 'shock effect' to the kit and systems.

Wow six hours? I've never given a camera time to acclimate as I just grab and go and have never had a problem. I guess I'm lucky!

 

[rcphoto]

Before you head inside, put your camera, lenses, and backs into a an equally cold camera bag and don’t open them for an hour or so. This will prevent condensation forming on the cold surfaces.

 

[Alan9940]

Before you head inside, put your camera, lenses, and backs into a an equally cold camera bag and don’t open them for an hour or so. This will prevent condensation forming on the cold surfaces.

This is what I did for 18 winters living in Vermont, though I probably didn't open the camera bag until the next day. I never had any issues going from warm out into the cold.

 

[Terje Lindal]

That's right - in your bag when you're going indoors. And that's it. Greetings from Norway (where -22 F is not unusual)...

 

[Saganich]

I've had this happen twice, both times the temp difference was like 25F in a local park immediately into to a hot humid restaurant full of people, but the problem I think is the humidity...I've navigated the temp change plenty of times without condensation. If you wear glasses this should be a common phenomenon and perhaps a test.

 

[Ben 4]

Can I load a roll of Provia at room temperature and just walk outside and start shooting? Are there any gotchas?

That's what I've always done (albeit with TMY or similar rather than Provia). Just grab my camera bag and head out. Never had a problem (other than cold fingers) here!

 

[Rayt]

When shooting in hot and very humid SE Asia climate I always have my gear in plastic bags individually and wait until the temperature acclimates before taking anything out. Stepping out of the hotel or airconditioned taxi will fog the lenses instantly otherwise. Going from hot to cold won’t have this problem. The only problem I have in cold weather is the battery. The meter of my Leica MP stopped working at around freezing temperature.

 

[Mike Lopez]

The walk from room temperature to 20° - 30° is a big one and cold on warm surfaces will give condensation.

Put your camera, bag and loaded film, lenses, etc in a blanket, set it outside, bundled up, set it in your cold car, garage or out building and wait about six hours for the cameras, etc to cool down to the outside ambient temperature, the blanket will allow a slow cooling, no condensation to speak of and doesn't cause a 'shock effect' to the kit and systems.

With gloves on, I like wool shooters gloves, with a half mit, and finger tips uncovered when folded back, go out, allow them to cool in a minute or two before handling your camera kit and taking photographs.

If you're in a safe area and plan on more shooting in the day or tomorrow, just re-stow your kit in the blanket and cold, so it's ready when you are.

Clean clean trunks are just as good for hiding away kit, as it interior of a car or truck.

When it's time to bring it all inside, keep it in your dry, blanket, put it somewhere away from heaters and allow it hours to warm black up, with no 'fogging' of plastic, metal, glass.

This is what I've done in the past, and other than a roll of brittle, tearing film, I've have had no issues with gear being used in the cold.

Of course you don't get condensation when you go from warm to cold. You don't even need to dick around for six hours before using your camera. If we got condensation by going from warm to cold, many of us would be covered in sweat every time we step outside at this time of year.

 

[Steven Lee]

Thank you everyone. I wasn't thinking about condensation, we all know that it happens the other way around, I was imagining possible unknowns, like emulsion cracking (I made this up) as a result of a sudden temperature change.

 

[MattKing]

If you are using an ELM, the batteries will not work as efficiently in cold temperatures.
Loading film backs (or inserts) in the cold can be a challenge.
If your cameras haven't been serviced in a long time, and the lubricants aren't at their best, cold can cause problems.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Use lithium batteries instead of alkaline. They last four or five times as long and they're unaffected by cold. If you do use alkaline, keep a spare set in your breast pocket. When the cold kills the ones in the equipment, you'll have fresh warm batteries to get you started again. Put the cold batteries in your breast pocket to warm up and you'll find that you'll have even more reuse out of them before throwing them away.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have used my Hasselblads, 503 CX and 903 SWC, in cold weather without any problems. I just watch to see if there is any condensation appearing when I take it inside or outside and I wait for the condensation to clear.

 

[Ai Print]

For most of my adult life I've lived in Texas and California, but this winter I am staying at a place with average temperatures fluctuating between 20-35F. I have never used my Hasselblad in such conditions. Can I load a roll of Provia at room temperature and just walk outside and start shooting? Are there any gotchas?

20-35F is sort of cold to barely even cold, I wear shorts in that weather. Actual cold is below 10F in my experience. I use my Hasselblad V system and all cameras for that matter down to -25F with no real issues and just use some common sense.

As has been mentioned here, warm to cold is a non-issue. But cold to warm is where the condensation builds up so the leave it in the bag thing is spot on. I will routinely be making ski images and then go in the lodge for a bite to eat and make sure the camera is returned to my pack or bag before going inside.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

A (very-) long time ago I had to photograph a newly built deepfreeze storage facility in the port of Antwerp, for a B to B brochure, having an inside temp of -40°C.
I planed to use my Hasselblad for it, and contacted the Hasselblad Belgium Agency.
The they prepared the camera (a 500C/M and a Flexbody) and lenses by replacing almost all the grease and oil by a lube based on graphite which doesn't stiffen when frozen.
And they also advised me to wind the film very slowly so not to tear nor break it. I had 6 roll film backs then, all loaded with FujiChrome tungsten (for the very long exposures and with a FLT filter for the TL lights).
Being Nordic, Hasselblad knows what to do in the cold...

The battery of the Gossen Variosix and ColorMaster didn't last very long...

After the sooting session, which toke several days and was rather demanding physically too, I had to leave the camera set and roll films to acclimatize slowly for a few days before bringing them in the room temperature.
Then the gear returned to Hasselblad for cleaning, checking and a 'normal' lubing.

I am not saying that you should do the same, but I am just telling what had to be done then...

 

[GLS]

Shooting a Hassy in those temperatures is no problem whatsoever. I've done it many times with zero issues.

 

[BrianShaw]

Me too; no problem in those conditions and no special precautions taken. I am careful about winding, though, to avoid static or any potential flatness/winding problems if the film is stiffer. Biggest gotcha that I always seem to encounter… slipping on ice and simultaneously trying to securely hold camera and fall at the same time. I have a profound memory of a picture that was never taken.. of me after falling flat on my back in a frozen graveyard with a Hasselblad embedded in my chest.

 

[Axelwik]

I've used my Hasselblad in 20 below zero F without issue. Keeping a camera and lenses serviced avoids many "problems" that people experience, even at room temperature.

 

[dave olson]

Condensation or fogging. Wearing a pair of glasses will experience condensation when you go into a warm environment from frigid cold. Same thing with a lens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Me too; no problem in those conditions and no special precautions taken. I am careful about winding, though, to avoid static or any potential flatness/winding problems if the film is stiffer. Biggest gotcha that I always seem to encounter… slipping on ice and simultaneously trying to securely hold camera and fall at the same time. I have a profound memory of a picture that was never taken.. of me after falling flat on my back in a frozen graveyard with a Hasselblad embedded in my chest.

Winding quickly in cold dry weather can cause static discharge across the film. It looks like lightening on a negative or slide. I have had this happen to me. As @BrianShaw states wind film slowly in cold weather.