Cold and snow!

[platypuskn]

Hi there,

I have a Canon 400d, and really enjoy basic amateur photography. I am going on holiday to Finland over new year, and would love to take snowy photos. But, the temperature could get as low as -20, or even down to -40oC. Can I even use my camera at these temperatures, and if so does anyone have any tips for photography in the snow?

Many thanks,

Kirsty

[Chris Hawes]

I'm sure others will answer more fully, but one thing to be aware of is that in extremely cold temperatures, your batteries will run flat very quickly. It may be worth taking a spare or two out with you during the day and fully recharging everything every night.
It's possible to prolong their life by keeping them warm when you're not taking photos - e.g. remove them from the camera and put them in a warm pocket, maybe even with one of those hand/pocket warmers for good measure!

As far as taking shots goes, just keep an eye on the histograms - you'll probably have to over-compensate on the exposure to properly capture the true whites of the snow.

Have fun - sounds like a good trip!

[glsammy]

Also make sure your memory cards will operate at low temperatures. Sandisk do a range of extreme cards, as do others. They guarantee the cards will work in very low temperatures.

Have a good trip!

[Kayleigh]

You can get batteries that work in low temperatures too but I don't know if they would do any good in such extreme temperatures.
I would do some research to find out.

good luck..

[tom00_uk]

keep batteries close to the core and have a few in case you get cold effect (though these days your more likely to show signs of wanting warmth than the gear)

allow kit to warm up slowly, some suggest bringing inside in a airtight bag with some desiccant to minimise the condensation chance.

the 550 showed little reduction in battery life when in an Antarctic winter, though if i returned kit to my quarters to quickly there was a condensation issue

think about a polarizing filter for some images as you can get a good effect

have a few spare cards in case you damage one as you don't want to lose the images from such a trip