Low temperature photographing

[jerry]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Siberia in february 2014. So plenty of time to prepare well for it! However, I have never used my Hasselblad 501CM kit (or any other kit for that matter ) at low temperatures (it will be -30C over there)
I know moisture is the biggest enemy for the gear, but what else? Anybody any experience with low temperature photographing on film material?

 

[cristif]

Hey there, I used Hasselblad cameras during Winter in mountain environment. As you might expect, changing film is the most important thing to be concerned about. It'd be advisable to use the 24 images backs if you have one available. Another thing is the WLF, try not using it and go for a prism instead. A filter is also a must.

Anyway, I am sure that you anticipated as well most of my thoughts.

You might also want to check this link and this one (Ladislav Kamarad website).

All the best and good luck with your trip.

 

[jerry]

Thank you for your respons. I do have a prismfinder but only one 220 back. I might buy another one however, for this trip. Changing film will indeed be challenging. Have you had any trouble with focussing?

 

[cristif]

I had no trouble with focusing provided there was no condensation. Anyway, in order to better understand the conditions where I used my cameras, please check this link.

 

[blowupster]

I'm not an expert in cold conditions but 2 things I noticed when I had to take pictures with my 500CM years ago:
The 120 film may not keep flat, if you use time between taking pictures, It may help just advance manualy the film (2 milimetresis enought) to get it flat. Perhaps with 220 film it''s better.
If you change temperature, It may happen that humidity commes on the glas to give a softar effect !
Put your actual 500 in a bag in the cold then try to shot pictures. If the release button take time to "come back" it will be worse in the true cold,you need to change greace.
If you use a cell change the battery for a Lithium one and get experience to take pictures without any working batteries !
Do remember that by hard cold temps all your movements take more efforts and when the wind is strong it's even to hard to watch at what you are photographying. Perhaps you will need to cover your lens before the shot. Last winter I got water from the lake on the front lens of my fish-eye that become ice and needed 10 minutes inside to get ride of this "aditional lens".
http://blowupster.blogspot.ch/2012/02/eaux-vives-geneve-au-froid.html

 

[cristif]

Thanks for the link. Amazing shots. How did the CFV perform in cold environment?

 

[blowupster]

Far better than me !!
But it was only windy at -10°C
The lithium battery works fine in cold and the internat fan of the digital back is perhaps not helpfull. The difficult is this stupid buttons hard to use normaly that will not help with gloves !

 

[photoeil]

Get your gear serviced and tell the technician to use oil and grease the can stand low temperatures, some parts will then be lubricated with graphite.
Also, old oil and grease is getting thick by age and use, when in cold environment it can stick and damage the inner mechanics, particularly in the shutter.
If you want to test your camera, put it in the freezer (usually - 18°C) for a few hours and then test it. If the lens shutter sticks, let it slowly warm up before any further use!
To avoid to manny moister sticking on the camera and lens, you can wrap it in a thick towel. This towel will suck the moister, but it in't the ideal way to handle moister, time and slowly warming up is better...
Once I had a shooting in the cool warehouses in the Antwerp sea port, -40°C!
I left my 'prepared' Linhof Kardan GT, all the lenses (they have focal shutters too!) and the loaded film holders in the warehouse for the whole 4 days the shooting took. I used 4x5" sheet film because I didn't want troubles winding the frozen roll film. At the end, I putted it all in a icebox fot taking it home. There I slowly got it warming up by moving the gear AND the film in to an household freezer (-18°C) and then in to a refrigerator (+5°C)...