HPX250: Can HPX250 operate in extreme cold temps?

pkakert

pkakert

Member
I have a week long shoot in Alaska in early February. Current temps are -25 F, and expected temps during our week there are more like -50 F. The operating manual lists the ambient temperature range as 32 F to 104 F. A far cry from what I'll be dealing with. Has anyone used the HPX250 (or similar model like HVX200) in extreme low temps?

Aside from the camera itself, I know the manual states that in extreme low temps the battery may only last 5 minutes. Any experiences out there to verify this or state to the contrary?

Lastly, is there gear (insulated or heated camera wrap) that can help? I have a rain cover from Camrade I just used in a desert shoot in Kuwait, but it is not an insulating wrap.

Anxious to hear any feedback, ideas, etc...
 
Yes battery life gets reduced drastically in such extreme cold. you need bigger ones and lots of them and keep them in a warm place. there are also covers with heating for bigger eng type cameras, no idea if they exist for the hpx form factor ( doubt it). there are all sorts of gadgets available in canada and alaska for heating gloves, called heat packs. I would get loads of those.
 
I see where a company called Camera Duck builds pockets into the inside of their camera wraps (like my Camrade wetsuit for the HPX250) where you can slip in these hand warmers (like the HotHands I currently have in my pockets on cold shoots). Just wonder if that generates enough warmth. Hope there is a better solution out there.
 
I spent a week up there with an HVX200 and HPX500 a few years ago documenting the Iditarod. I can tell you that they shot the entire length of the race, start-to-finish, on HVX200s, and the next year they did the same thing with HPX170s.

Your HPX250 should do just fine, and in fact will do better than the HPX170; the HPX170's focus ring could get stiff in sub-freezing temperatures, but the HPX250 doesn't; first thing I did with it was stuff it in the freezer overnight to see if they'd solved that issue and they have.

We had custom-made cold-weather jackets for the HVX200s, but ... frankly, we didn't use them and didn't need them. The cameras worked just fine without them, and they were clumsier to operate with the jackets on, so we took 'em off and left 'em off.

Only three things to worry about:
1) Yes, battery life will be shorter. Take more batteries, and keep them inside your coat so your body heat can keep them warmer.
2) The LCD is going to get slow and ghosty. There's liquid in there (Liquid Crystal Display = LCD) and it'll start to freeze up. Solution for us was to rubber-band a hand-warmer on the back of the LCD panel.
3) Beware condensation, keep the camera in a bag and let the temperature equalize while it's in the bag before you bring it out.

Other than that, I would be shocked silly if you were to encounter any problems, it should work great.
 
Fantastic to hear that Barry. I've experienced the clumsiness of a wrap when I just used one in Kuwait to keep sand off the camera. They are awkward to say the least. I'll have a week to test it out in the frozen tundra of Iowa before I go and appreciate your tip on the hand warmer rubber banded to the back of the LCD. Can't wait to try this out.
 
Was looking at something from Camera Duck that has pockets where you insert up to 4 of the hot pocket style heaters. You put those in their standard wrap, then they have a polar thinsulate wrap over that. Sounds bulky, but protective. Might be good if all I'm doing is setting the camera on a tripod and filming, but I am generally on the move. I find the wraps very hard to work with in a run and gun style of shooting.
 
Hi There
Pkakert what Barry just wrote about the HPX170 holding up in cold temp. is absolutely spot on I was shooting last year for about 3 hr. a dogsled race in P.A. SK and it was around -23º c. no problem
good luck

Ernie
 
Hi,

I have used my HPX172 up in Nepal Himalaya - at 5500m - with temperature approximately minus 25 deg C. Camera works perfectly.

TS
 
we have -15C here at the moment and I am having noise issues. I wonder if the noise comes from the extreme cold. 0 db ND filter @1/64 and I get noise....
 
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