Lens care in the snow?

[cyber3d]

Going this weekend to the snow. My Canon lens are standard fare - not the L series. Any tips for camera & lens care when shooting in such conditions?

[Vincent_G]

Originally Posted by cyber3d

Going this weekend to the snow. My Canon lens are standard fare - not the L series. Any tips for camera & lens care when shooting in such conditions?

I've read somewhere that you should store your lens with silica gel (the little packets of beads that are packed in shoe boxes and some electrical items) they absorb condensation, another tip is to keep your spare batteries in a warm or insulated place, the cold will shorten the their life.

[OsmosisStudios]

You wont have to do much with it, tbh. If it gets snow on it, just brush it off. When you pack it away, silica packs are always a good idea, even when you havent been in the snow.

[dlambert]

Yeah, just be aware that frozen moisture is still moisture. A little bit isn't likely to do any harm, but stuff like the silica packs can help deal with "humidity" once you get the camera back home again. Temperature swings can also be an issue, as they'll cause fogging -- in your case, when you bring the camera back in from the cold. A gradual temperature change will produce less fogging, so if you can, just leave the camera in the bag when you bring it back inside and let the temps equalize slowly. Ditto for the battery tip -- I usually keep mine in an inside pocket, and if I'm shooting for a long time, I'll swap them before they indicate full discharge -- in my case, I just keep rotating 3-4 batteries throughout the day.

If you've got a circular polarizer, bring it. Snow can kick up some killer glare, and the CPL will help.

Beyond that, be sure to keep yourself safe, warm, and upright. Good traction is always helpful if you're going to be somewhere slippery. Slipping and falling on the ice is no fun, but landing on your camera will totally bugger up your day. I've got a pair of yaktrax (YakTrax) that help considerably on packed snow and ice.

[inkista]

I have read that one thing you may wish to contemplate doing (if your lens/camera combo is small enough) is to bring a ziploc with you when you shoot. And then, before you come back inside, put the camera inside the ziploc and seal it, then go inside. Condensation should then happen on the outside of the ziploc, not the camera.

Mostly, it's the shorter battery life that's probably gonna be the big annoyance.

Ah. Yes. Here:

http://www.digital-photography-schoo...n-extreme-cold

[cyber3d]

Thanks all. Much appreciated. I hope to get some awesome pics!