Hi,

I am going to shoot a movie in some cold weather, possibly snow, sometime in January next year and I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions or warnings, and/or experiences they could share with me to prevent any potential unknown issues I might not be aware of. Temperatures could be between 20-40 degrees, northern California.

Hi,

I am going to shoot a movie in some cold weather, possibly snow, sometime in January next year and I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions or warnings, and/or experiences they could share with me to prevent any potential unknown issues I might not be aware of. Temperatures could be between 20-40 degrees, northern California.
Just aclimate the camera Brian so your len's won't fog or your tape transport.

Just aclimate the camera Brian so your len's won't fog or your tape transport.

Stephen I'm much of a tech person, so if you would be so kind to explain that to me in layman terms.

Thanks

Just make sure your camcorder is in the temperature you are going to use it for about half an hour before you turn it on. Als make sure the tape is also acclimatised (don't use tape out of a warm car in a cold camcorder, e.g.)

It's not that much of tech: you'll find a lens in a video lens (obviously), but also in glasses. I suppose I don't have to tell you what happens to people that wear glasses when they walk from winter outside to the warm cosy inside. Their glasses fog, and it's very hard to see anything through them. The same applies with any lens, also your videolens - and there's just 1 remedy: waiting until it dissapears. Condensation may also appear on the tape surface inside your camcorder, so it is wise to wait until that is gone before you start using the camcorder.

Just to add to what Werner said. After the shoot, when the camera is taken indoors, leave it inside the bag and let it warm up slowly. (You could even put it in a bin bag and seal up the opening before putting it in the camera bag.) If you open the camera bag straight after going indoors, the condensation will get right inside the camera and could take ages to clear.

Richard

Also just a suggestion ive shot in very cold weather also. but ive used the DRHD-100 recorder works brilliant in this kind of weather! and hay
no prep work in advanced:)

good luck

I use a pelican case for my camera and I use the Mini35 with Nikon lenses, but I assume all the principles you are suggesting remain the same.

Duke

Well Brian, I don't know whether you have that much to worry. There's an article out there of someone accidentally ditching it in the water and drying it over an open fire and it still worked fine (perhaps someone knows a link to that article, it was about a natureshoot in africa if I remember correctly - repairs were needed afterwards, but still) :-)

All kidding aside, ensuring safe transportation with a pelican case and giving the camcorder, lenses and tapes (!) time to get to ambient temperature should be fine...

Strangely enough, I was just reading that article yesterday:

http://www.studiodaily.com/studiomonthly/tools/casestudies/5887.html

Thanks PJ, that's the one, indeed!