A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I am in Chicago and "on my way" to my business meeting this morning i walked to the beach with my M-A. I walked right up to the water and took some shots for about 20 minutes (amazing fog, ice and highlights). It was -24F (-31C) with the wind. Forget the fact that i was grossly underdressed, with my loafers, thin black socks and think wool slacks. My feet were soaked and became numb. Forget that stupid idiotic stuff. My camera completely iced over. It seems ok now (as well as my feet) after a good thaw. But anything to worry about to watch out for? It was pretty cool out there, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is properly dressed. Best, Adam Edited February 19, 2015 by A miller 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Hi A miller, Take a look here Extreme cold question. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jdlaing Posted February 19, 2015 Share #2 Posted February 19, 2015 I am in Chicago and "on my way" to my business meeting this morning i walked to the beach with my M-A. I walked right up to the water and took some shots for about 20 minutes (amazing fog, ice and highlights).It was -24F (-31C) with the wind. Forget the fact that i was grossly underdressed, with my loafers, thin black socks and think wool slacks. My feet were soaked and became numb. Forget that stupid idiotic stuff. My camera completely iced over. It seems ok now (as well as my feet) after a good thaw. But anything to worry about to watch out for? It was pretty cool out there, and highly recommend to anyone who is properly dressed. Best, Adam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted February 19, 2015 JD - you might check your spam filter for the email I sent you earlier this week... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 19, 2015 Share #4 Posted February 19, 2015 JD - you might check your spam filter for the email I sent you earlier this week... Hadn't seen it. Try again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted February 19, 2015 Will do. But just in case, my address is adams.fotos@aol.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 19, 2015 Share #6 Posted February 19, 2015 now i know why i didn't see you taking pictures of freezing people on broadway as for the camera, can only relate to my old canon 100 years ago and it stiffened up quite a bit in very very very very cold weather. essentially what happens is that the lubricant in the camera and/or lens is not designed for such cold weather. you can usually feel it coming on as the focus ring starts to stiffen. once inside, the camera defrosts and the lubricant comes back. shouldnt have any residual problem. be thankful here than there are no electronics in the camera, as those very thin lines carrying 1s and 0s can shrink and develop micron sized cracks. there used to be services that would winterize your camera. only other thought here is condensation on the film and even the film cracking in such cold weather. somewhere there is a thread about that. stay warm and a little bit smarter than loafers on lake michigan in the middle of february. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph. Posted February 19, 2015 Share #7 Posted February 19, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) I used to bring a 1g with wide angle or an M3 along in an anorak pocket skiing in medium cold condtions -10 to-20 C. No problems, BUT caution was needed when bringing it indoors to avoid condensation inside the optics. p. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks, guys. It was so much fun being out there alone, it was like antartica. The fog, the glass ice sculpted shoreline, and the bright highlights from the crisp morning sun. My only regret is that i left my polarizing filter in my luggage which my coleague toom straight to the office in a cab. We'll see how the negatives come out..... Best, Adam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfbldwn Posted February 19, 2015 Share #9 Posted February 19, 2015 This post is the only guidance I've received on the issue: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m7-mp-film-m/353276-i-love-my-m-6.html#post2832021 Check post #112 in the same thread. As far as I'm concerned, you've set a new benchmark for everybody else here. Best, Dave 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share #10 Posted February 19, 2015 As far as I'm concerned, you've set a new benchmark for everybody else here. Best, Dave we will see about that.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 19, 2015 Share #11 Posted February 19, 2015 Interested in seeing the shots Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted February 19, 2015 Who else am I going to show them to?? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 20, 2015 Share #13 Posted February 20, 2015 Forget the fact that i was grossly underdressed, with my loafers, thin black socks and think wool slacks. My feet were soaked and became numb. Forget that stupid idiotic stuff. Loafers and thin socks in a Chicago winter? If your feet survived, then you know the Leica will be just fine. -- Pico who once lived right behind Hancock Towers. . 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indergaard Posted February 20, 2015 Share #14 Posted February 20, 2015 I spent 3-4 hours outside in -36 celsius (-33 f) with a Monochrom and a Lux 50 here in Norway, and the camera survived just fine. The lens barrel got a bit stiffer, and every time I breath near the camera it would get a thin sheet of frost on it. To my surprise the battery didn't even die. I still had battery left after making about 70-100 pictures during some outdoors training event that I photographed. I put the camera in a Billingham bag for an hour to defrost once I took it inside (about 20-22 celsius), but even after an hour it still felt like a block of ice if I touched it. But I took it out of the bag cause I wanted it to heat up faster, as I had to use it during the dinner event that was coming up. So I think your M-A, being completely analog, will be just fine, when a digital camera that isn't even weather proof survived that just fine Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted February 20, 2015 Many thanks. I am glad you had a happy ending with your M9 but I might be a little more cautious with a digital body, at least one that isn't weather sealed. I have spent the last few winters (this winter excluded) shooting people in the snow here in NY with my M9. Each time, my M9 emerged seemingly unfazed. Then, a few months ago, the metering system suddenly went dead. It is fixed now and all is good. But I wonder weather the significant condensation that built up inside the camera each time I used it in these conditions led to corrosion in the electrical components that slowly developed over time little by little, leading to an eventual breakdown. In any case, after each use in extreme weather, I am careful not to put the camera in any kind of bag, but rather I remove any lens good or filter that is on the lens and sit the camera on a desk for a few hours to dry out throughly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted February 20, 2015 Share #16 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Adam, I stayed at - 31 ° C in the snow with my M7 ,M8 and M9 for several hours trekking in the Alps and the cameras still operate but these are my frozen fingers that were defective. That said for your M-A without battery, it should be no problem Leica is solid made for the North and South Pole Best Henry Edited February 20, 2015 by Doc Henry 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted February 20, 2015 Share #17 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Wind Chill temperature has no effect on inanimate objects. Wind chill exists because of the evaporation of water vapor from animate objects such as people. Your camera couldn't care less what the wind chill is.. That said, keeping your camera sheltered(inside a coat) and bringing it out into the cold, so to speak, is not good thing to do. Before using expose your equipment to the current temperature and keep it in that environment until you are finished. Before entering a warm humid environment, slipping what you can into a large zip lock is not a bad idea to prevent mositure from forming on surfaces. If motorized, I defeat the motor and wind slowly as the film will be quite stiff. In any event do not go back and forth or you will ice up. I have photographed scenes standing in the middle of a partially frozen trout stream in Wisconsin at -22F(not wind chill but real temp). My Nikon F at that time did just fine and the shot made the Sunday front page of the Wisconsin State Journal. Your M-A should be just fine after returning to temperature. As to the temperature affect on electronic chips, at the Posted temperature there are no cracks and the electronics will be just fine as long as the battery holds up. I might add that I was in insulated hip boots, wearing a down insulated ski parka, gloves and suitable hat. -Dick Edited February 20, 2015 by budrichard 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 20, 2015 Share #18 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) If motorized, I defeat the motor and wind slowly as the film will be quite stiff.So true. I recall a NG photographer (from Wisconsin) who used an M2 and Leicavit. An assignment found him one deep Winter day crawling into a hibernating bear's den with little bare bulbs. Tense and difficult enough, but his habit of vigorous 'vit use snapped the Kodachrome roll. Fortunately he could load in the dark. The sound of snapping Kodachrome is something one never forgets. (The coldest I've experienced was -42F. Never again!) Edited February 20, 2015 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted February 20, 2015 Share #19 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) So true. I recall a NG photographer (from Wisconsin) who used an M2 and Leicavit. An assignment found him one deep Winter day crawling into a hibernating bear's den with little bare bulbs. Tense and difficult enough, but his habit of vigorous 'vit use snapped the Kodachrome roll. Fortunately he could load in the dark. The sound of snapping Kodachrome is something one never forgets. (The coldest I've experienced was -42F. Never again!) That would be Steve Raymer. Steve preceded me at the Wisconsin State Journal, went to the AP and then to NatGeo. I went on to work in my field of study, Nuclear Engineering. Certainly a less artistic field of endeaver but with it's satisfactions including monetary. There was a small cluster of University of Wisconsin students, Steve and I included, that spent a number of Saturday afternoons getting to know one another at Camp Randall, photographing Badger games. -Dick Edited February 20, 2015 by budrichard Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 20, 2015 Share #20 Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) [...]There was a small cluster of University of Wisconsin students, Steve and I included, that spent a number of Saturday afternoons getting to know one another at Camp Randall, photographing Badger games. -Dick Not Steve Raymer, but I remember that he was very highly regarded in those old days, and he still is. See my PM. About those U of W students, I'm guessing among them were Richard Faverty, Mickey Pfleger (RIP), Dave Brill, Bruce Fritz, Neal Ulevich and maybe Ira Block. Some freelanced for the Cap Times. The first three in the list went on to work for Dick Sroda of The Paper, then later again for Sroda in Illinois after The Paper folded. But what do I know? Edited February 20, 2015 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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