Cold and remote location

[kalanka]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am an M9 user and am shortly going on a 3 week trip to the Himalaya.

 

I shall be away from normal charging throughout that time.  Has anyone had success in charging the normal M9 battery using a solar panel?  If so what equipment was used?

 

Lowest temperature is likely to be about minus 20 Celsius and staying around zero degrees for long periods.  Should I anticipate shutter problems?

 

How much will battery life be affected by these temperatures?

 

I shall be camping and will probably keep the camera in a sealed bag at outside temperature so as to avoid condensation.

 

Is this a sensible plan?

 

Thanks

[Ko.Fe.]

Cool trip by all means!

 

I can't recall condensation from warm to cold, but for sure it is from cold to warn and in no time. Big and rugged ziplock bag works, but I prefer to use lunch bag with insulation and reflecting plastic inside . They sell them with additional compartments and I used it as camera bag for years. It keep heat and cold away from the kit. It should be placed into before entering from cold to warm. If not condensation appears withing few seconds. At -20C it will take time before no condensation will stop to appears. But with ziplock bag it will take less time, in the lunch bag, longer. 

 

M9 battery is not going to last long at -20C. As any small battery.  

 

If lens isn't relatively new, recently serviced, lubrication in focus part might become stiff. 

 

The trick is to find which cloth layer is still release body heat, but not vapor. With me it works if dressed slightly less warm (on top) and wearing extra jacket to make it OK. Then camera stays on chest under this jacket less cold if it is fully exposed, but no condensation. 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Ko.Fe.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Rus]

I'm not quite sure if recharging the batteries with a solar power device is really feasible for a trip on the mountain in windy -20C conditions, but if you have the device in hand already I guess you can always try it out for a while first  

 

Do you have another backup camera with you for this trip? I do feel that it is necessary to have one in the bag for this trip Perhaps a film SLR or a film M ? 

[Stealth3kpl]

I am an M9 user and am shortly going on a 3 week trip to the Himalaya.

 

I shall be away from normal charging throughout that time.  Has anyone had success in charging the normal M9 battery using a solar panel?  If so what equipment was used?

 

Lowest temperature is likely to be about minus 20 Celsius and staying around zero degrees for long periods.  Should I anticipate shutter problems?

 

How much will battery life be affected by these temperatures?

 

I shall be camping and will probably keep the camera in a sealed bag at outside temperature so as to avoid condensation.

 

Is this a sensible plan?

 

Thanks

I spent a month in Nepal recently with my M240 and Q with no issues.

For the M240, I couldn't find a charger that I could plug straight into a solar panel but used the solarpanel to charge a battery with which I could charge both the M240 and the Q.

For the Q I was able to find a charger that plugged straight into a solar panel.

 

 

 

Lowest temperature is likely to be about minus 20 Celsius and staying around zero degrees for long periods.  Should I anticipate shutter problems?

 

I think you will find that during the day the temperature is not that cold ( I was at 16000ft). As soon as the sun goes, the temp will plummet, but so will the light. 

I once was ski touring across a Norwegian frozen lake where the temperature was approaching -20C and my Olympus OM-1 did eventually seize, but it was hanging around my neck exposed to the elements. If you do find yourself in those temperatures, keep the camera in your sack and the batteries in an exped dry bag inside your jacket.

The biggest threat in Nepal is the dust. I would often have my camera slung around my neck with an exped dry sac slipped over the camera. In this way it was protected from dust but also sat in a little microclimate not getting quite so cold. It was also protected from my dripping sweat.

 

 

 

I shall be camping and will probably keep the camera in a sealed bag at outside temperature so as to avoid condensation.

 

Is this a sensible plan?

 

No. As soon as the sun goes down, put it in your camera bag, or wrapped in clothing in your sack, and put it in the tent. The camera will slowly cool down through the nigh but there should be no condensation. Take the batteries out and put them all in a dry bag and keep them in your sleeping bag or bivi sac.

 

Pete

[jaapv]

Indeed, keeping an M8 in a sealed backpack in Greenland killed it off through condensation. The secret is to ventilate.

[Mr Fjeld]

It's a simple solution to what seems like a complicated problem. If you use your camera outside in 20 minus and even if the camera is at the same temperature, you can bring it inside without problems - as long as you put it in an ordinary plastic bag and seal it properly. I use one of those see through bags to meant for deep freezing breads. Condensation will take place but only on the outside of the plastic bag. This is because the moisture is in the warm air inside a warm room or a tent and not inside your camera. This trick is very common and works fine in colder climates for winter photography.

You may also experience malfunction due to extreme cold but most cameras start working properly again when they reach proper temperature.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Mr Fjeld

[Ko.Fe.]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I can't find the guy who was using digital camera recently on arctic trip with solar chargers. Here is another one with Leica X1 in the mountains. Try to ask him.

https://flic.kr/p/XAnqPp

 

Here is Everest guide trip list, with equipment list.

http://everestexpedition.co.uk/everest/everest-kit-list/

 

This manufacturer is recommend. Three models supports SLR like batteries.

https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/outdoor-adventure/

[jaapv]

It's a simple solution to what seems like a complicated problem. If you use your camera outside in 20 minus and even if the camera is at the same temperature, you can bring it inside without problems - as long as you put it in an ordinary plastic bag and seal it properly. I use one of those see through bags to meant for deep freezing breads. Condensation will take place but only on the outside of the plastic bag. This is because the moisture is in the warm air inside a warm room or a tent and not inside your camera. This trick is very common and works fine in colder climates for winter photography.

You may also experience malfunction due to extreme cold but most cameras start working properly again when they reach proper temperature.

Malfunctions originate from cold batteries. Take care to have warm spares.

[Chuck Albertson]

When I was doing that sort of thing, at night my (film) camera went into a sturdy and sealable plastic bag and spent the night in the foot of my sleeping bag, along with the tightly-sealed water bottles. Not very comfortable, but it saved firing up the stove in the middle of the night just to get a drink of water. I wouldn't keep the camera at ambient temperatures if it's below 0 C most of the time. The batt won't last very long, and any lubricants for the mechanical parts of the M9 will slow up as well. Depending on what altitude you're going to be camping at, humidity may be the least of your worries.

 

You might look at one of these chargers https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1324555-REG/goal_zero_gz_11804_nomad_14_plus_with.html, though it looks like they back-ordered through the end of the year. The "Plus" series will charge directly to the batt, instead of having to charge a power pack that you then use to charge the batt. Pair it with one of these https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1297987-REG/nitecore_ulm9_usb_travel_charger_for.html to charge the batt for your M9.