Extreme cold weather and FS700

D

dooflexible

Member
Hi all,

I am going on a shoot in Lapland during February and I am really concerned about my camera and lenses since I've never shot anything in extreme cold conditions.
the shooting will be sort of a trip documentary so I will be on the move constantly.
Did anyone experience any issues with cold weather and FS700? tips will be very much appreciated!
 
I've never shot in extreme cold, but here's what I have heard from others. The key issue is batteries. They lose power when cold, so find a way to keep them close to your body when not in use, or otherwise warm them. The camera circuitry may need a little time to warm up to run effectively. (On the new Red Dragon sensor, there is a heater to warm it up).

On movie cameras, people used to take them in and replace the grease. With the FS700, the only thing I could think of that might be a problem that way is that the auto functions of the 18-200 lens might behave poorly (auto focus, etc).

Naturally, take standard precautions against condensation.

Others with more experience may have more ideas.
 
Can't say anything about the FS700 itself. But the biggest issue you will have is when you go from the cold into a warm area, as moisture in the air will condense on the cold parts. So I would suggest bagging things like the lenses prior to enter a warm area, then after the part has warmed up, you can use it. Maybe even put some desiccant packs in with the lenses and camera, to absorb any moisture.

Another suggestion would be to get some of those chemical hand warmers, wrap them in a towel and put it in your pocket, and use that pocket to hold batteries, the towel is so that the hand warmer and batteries don't touch directly, as it might be too much heat.
 
Not specific to the FS700 since I've only shot that once in a snowstorm on a mountain, but I spent years shooting in cold, very cold, extreme cold, and so f*&^ing cold that you can feel exactly where the stitching is in your jacket through four layers of insulation. Seriously...when it's -65f and the wind is howling you will feel the seams on your expedition rated parka.
The other posters are right about the batteries, but that's something you can easily plan for...bring a bunch of them and keep them in an inside pocket. As far as shooting outdoors all day and then trying to shoot something right away inside a nice warm room? Don't even bother. It won't work if your gear is cold and bagging it doesn't make it magically work. Leave your gear in it's backpack or bag when you bring it in and don't open it. Let it warm up gradually over the course of a couple hours and you won't get those condensation issues. Going the other way from a nice warm room to the freezing outdoors isn't an issue.
The only times I've ever had issues shooting in extremely cold environments was with the film becoming brittle and breaking. In the digital age that's obviously not a problem. Some of the mechanical parts may become a little stiffer to operate, but that would only happen in really really cold conditions. If the temps are at or just below freezing, you won't see any effects on your gear.
For the FS700, I'd recommend getting a cover to keep snow out of it. I've heard that it's not very weather sealed.
The other thing you really need to consider if you've never shot in these kinds of conditions is how you're going to do in the cold. Shooting with gloves isn't that easy, and frostbite really sucks. Feet and hands get cold easily and are the hardest to keep warm.
 
Sounds fun.

The day I shot this (https://vimeo.com/59375070) was pretty cold, (Montreal on one of the colder February days). I was on a Nikon d600, but there was a guy on the ice with an FS700 filming longer than me and he wasn't having any problems either. If the camera and batteries are in a warmish place until you need them, I would doubt you will have problems.

I just Googled up this: Lapland: average temperature of Jan and Feb. is -13C; Montreal: -8. So a little colder than what I'm used to, but not much. And I've never had an issue with with my FS100 either.​
 
dooflexible said:
Hi all,

I am going on a shoot in Lapland during February and I am really concerned about my camera and lenses since I've never shot anything in extreme cold conditions.
the shooting will be sort of a trip documentary so I will be on the move constantly.
Did anyone experience any issues with cold weather and FS700? tips will be very much appreciated!
Click to expand...

No problem, I shot several weeks with my FS-700 in Lapland last winter. The coldest temperature I used it in was -25 degrees Celsius. Make sure you have plenty of batteries (as said above) and make sure you bring a decent raincover if it snows. On clear days you won't need the raincover as most of them will feel hard and stiff after a while due to the cold. (Although I always use my Portabrace raincover for my TV Logic VFM-056WP regardsless of the conditions)
A good tip is to keep all your camera equipment in your bag for a couple of hours when you come back indoors after a shoot to prevent it from moisture and sudden temperature changes.

Good luck and hope you'll have a good trip.
 
I shot in Iceland and the above temperature tips are vital, you can't get around them. Extreme cold can freeze your brain too, so if you forget and jump those procedures you just screw the scenes up and look like a chump.

Each day you have to plan ahead for the next, don't carry too many lens outdoors.

Look at cutting the finger tips off your leather gloves and a good monopod could be easier to run with than a tripod.
Watch white balances carefully and over exposures in the snow, back up each night regardless.

Cheers.
 
And perhapas try to find a local AC, or one that is used to cold weather, i shot for days in -30 on FS100's, they are lot tougher than they feel/look

My AC is from Alaska, I'm from Manitobia.... we get cold, but are well inside our confort zones there.. the rest of the crew were popsicles...

d
 
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Great tips above there. It's not extreme though. It's where we live :)
Maybe the most important tip above there is to keep your gear inside your camera bag when you bring it back inside. Let it stay there untouched for hours. That means no zippers opened etc...
Same thing goes almost everything that includes electronics. I mean smartphones etc... Even a DSRL with good weather protection.

To add something and not just copy others...

If you do have an accident and mess up your gear(get water/moisture inside your iPhone, lenses etc)
1) Shut them down and remove battery if possible
2) Take a big bowl and fill it up with uncooked rice (yes RICE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice)
3) Put your gear inside that rice bowl and let it stay there for at least 12 hours

The rice will absob all the moisture out of your gear. Even from inside
These instructions might sound silly but I've "rescued" multiple phones with this method after dropping them in the bottom of a lake/river when fishing :)
 
Another thing to be aware of is that you may notice your LCD screen start to look streaky and slow to respond while panning or as subjects move across the frame. It's a little disturbing the first time you see it because it looks like a major malfunction, but have no fear, there is no permanent damage. The crystals inside get very sluggish in the cold. I tape or rubber band one of those hand warmer packs to the back of the screen and that usually minimizes this effect. Those are also good to tape the the battery that is on the camera to extend its life.
 
Now that we've gotten your camera sorted, let's talk a little about you. Dress warm, but dress for the weather and be flexible. That means layers. If you're running around carrying a bunch of gear you're going to get warm inside that parka and maybe even break a sweat, then once you're setup you're going to be standing there damp, cold, and getting colder by the minute. So what do you do? Wear layers that you can shed while hiking and put back on while standing around. Start with a good base layer...something like polypropylene or other technical fabrics that wick your sweat away to keep you dry. DO NOT WEAR COTTON. Cotton kills. Cotton stays wet and saps your body of all its heat giving you the potential for hypothermia. Next layer should be a good insulator like fleece (not a cotton "fleece" sweatshirt) or even a wool sweater if you need to be fashionable. For your outer layer, you should get a good jacket that is water resistant yet still breathable to let any moisture from sweat escape. The really nice snowboarding jackets also have zippers in the arm pits so you can vent while you're hiking. Snowboarding and skiing snowpants also have these kind of vents. Snowpants are great if you're going to be out in the snow. Another thing that can work for you if this is going to be more urban and don't wan to wear snowpants to get some low angles is to bring along one of those gardening kneeling pads. They're like $5 and can just strap to your bag, but it will keep you from getting wet when kneeling down or sitting.
If you're going to be out in the snow, you should get some good insulated boots and again...non cotton socks.
Wear a hat, bring a neck warmer or scarf, and if you're going to be way out there in the really cold, bring another hat! The ones with fleece linings and ear flaps are great.
Gloves have been mentioned already, but that's one of the toughest ones. It's hard to find a good pair that you can feel the buttons and shoot with that are still going to keep your hands warm. My advice is to always bring a couple pair since they do get wet and don't always dry out in time for the next shoot. Bringing a bunch of hand warmers is not a bad idea either. They're great to keep in your pockets and also work to keep gear from freezing in a pinch. Poler makes some that can be resealed if you only need them for a little while.
Geared up like this, you can shoot all day and into the night without having to seek shelter. Maybe you're not going to be somewhere quite that extreme, but the principles still apply. If you're dressed well enough, and flexible enough with layers, you'll be able to get more out of your shoot. If you're shivering and just want to get somewhere warm before hypothermia sets in, then you're not going to get very good shots.

More info on outerwear breathability: http://www.evo.com/waterproof-ratings-and-breathability-guide.aspx
Shooting gloves: http://powgloves.com/shop/photog-glove/ <-These are great with the finger tips that flip back, but on really cold days I wear a pair of big mitts over the top of them between takes.
 
One aspect the OP hasn't mentioned; is he travelling alone or with his family or travel group? Big difference between each there,
most of the replies seem to assume he's travelling alone with the 'trip documentary' being primary.

But when he or anyone posts, 'I will be on the move constantly' .. that could dictate and regulate everything,
including how and what he shoots ... regardless of the weather.

Cheers.
 
From Manitoba here.

Confirmation on the LCD screen. Ive taken the FS100 to -40 Celsius. I got one of those chemical salt heat things (not the ones that you shake, the ones with the little metal click button inside) and taped it to the back of the LCD and that kept my focus sharp for about 2 hours.
 
Andrius Simutis said:
That means layers. If you're running around carrying a bunch of gear you're going to get warm inside that parka and maybe even break a sweat, then once you're setup you're going to be standing there damp, cold, and getting colder by the minute. So what do you do? Wear layers that you can shed while hiking and put back on while standing around. Start with a good base layer...something like polypropylene or other technical fabrics that wick your sweat away to keep you dry. DO NOT WEAR COTTON. Cotton kills. Cotton stays wet and saps your body of all its heat giving you the potential for hypothermia. Next layer should be a good insulator like fleece (not a cotton "fleece" sweatshirt) or even a wool sweater if you need to be fashionable. For your outer layer, you should get a good jacket that is water resistant yet still breathable to let any moisture from sweat escape. The really nice snowboarding jackets also have zippers in the arm pits so you can vent while you're hiking.
Click to expand...

I live in Montreal, Canada and we often have -40C temperature (-40F). The advice above might be good for winter sports but if you want to be practical and do what you have to do, the main thing to remember is to just get a good jacket (get a Canada Goose) and good boots. I go out everyday with my Canada Goose even if it's -40C with just a cotton t-shirt underneath. No scarf or hat or gloves.

As for the original post, the only cameras that have problems are the blackmagic cameras. They stop operating when it's around -30C (-22F). Sony FS700 and Canon C100 are still functional. The biggest problems we have is coldbites, if you have a touchscreen you can't have gloves so you will get frostbite in about 10mn, so handwarmers are a good idea.
 
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