Best Cold Weather Film Camera

Timmyjoe

Timmyjoe

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I've always struggled with cold weather, can't ever be too hot for me, but when the mercury dips below 32ºF my body starts to stiffen up. So I'm looking for a 35mm cold weather film camera that meets the following criteria. Wondering if any of you have suggestions?

Looking for a 35mm film camera that I can use with heavy gloves on. Manual focus and manual exposure is fine, if I can manipulate it thru gloves. SLR or Rangefinder. Point and Shoot possible, but I really like manually focusing with a film camera.

So, any suggestions? What do any of you use when the weather outside is frightful?

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

Best,
-Tim
 
A Fed Siberia meets your criteria

It is unlikely that it was ever made by the factory but there are apparently examples that function quite well.

Obviously the choice of lubricant is important. Leitz used to offer a winterising service in days gone by.
 
Thanks for the suggestion of the Fed Siberia. Those appear to be rather rare. Might be a challenge finding one of those.

Best,
-Tim
 
How cold are we talking?

If you’re trying to avoid batteries, any professional (and probably many pro-sumer) SLRs will work great. The slightly larger size vs rangefinders might be useful for focusing (especially with thick gloves on). A Nikon F or F2 come to mind (though the shutter speed knob is somewhat small and might be hard to comfortably adjust with gloves on).

If you’re fine with using batteries (with the caveats that come along with using batteries in cold weather), I’d suggest an autoexposure…and possibly autofocus set-up. That way, all you’ll have to do (while actively trying not to freeze) is put the camera to your eye, compose and push the shutter button. I love my F6. It’s probably the nicest fit-n-finish camera I own along with having tons of very useful, well-integrated features.
 
Hey there Tim -- I'll throw my hat into the ring and suggest the Leicaflex SL. It has a nice chunky shutter speed dial that can be adjusted with gloves on, and most important the shutter speed dial doesn't rotate when you take a picture (unlike say a screwmount Leica). I think that would be the one thing I'd avoid, which is a camera with a shutter speed dial that rotates when you take a picture, as your gloves might catch it on the rotation.

As you know of course the SL can be used without the necessity of a meter, the cameras are pretty robust and the lenses are great. Plus they aren't crazy expensive.
 
- 32 f is - 35 C.
I had film broke during advance after two hours in - 28C. Small batteries dies within hour under -20 C.
Manual focus lenses becomes stuff, not moving as well and quickly.

You have two options. This low temperatures requires multi-layers.
You could use simple P&S with autoadvance, AF and keeping it under first, external layer to prevent from instant freezing and instant fogging.

Or you could use any full mechanical SLR, RF also kept under first layer, but using mittens and thing gloves.

If you can't handle well 0 C, 32 F weather you won't be able to deal with -32 F weather at all.
Most likely -10 C is your lower limit. Any mechanical SLR, RF will be fine and lens as well (as long as it is serviced and lube is not gunk).

Get gloves on the string and get heating pads into them to be able to have hands off for quick adjustments. Or invest in heated gloves.

Any simple P&S kept in the outside pocket of jacket will also do.

Canon EOS or Nikon equivalent under jacket, but not in direct contact with body heat will also do. Again, you have to find balanced place between body and upper clothes to keep it you from cold, but not getting body condensation or body heat to build up condensation once it is out.
 
Would recommend Olympus OM1 and Nikon F2. I know those two can stand harsh conditions. OM1 seems to had made it to the Everest and I know some people that had used it on Iceberg/Glaciar photography. F2 is similary though (or probably more).

Marcelo

Edit.- By the way, I had used OM-1 with gloves with no problem.
 
Another vote for the Nikon F2. A Photomic head raises the shutter speed dial and makes it easier to grasp with gloves.The raised shutter release puts it on the same level as the shutter speed dial of a Photomic head. Just remember to advance and rewind the film slowly to avoid breaking it in sub-zero weather and to keep any static marks to a minimum. It's heavier than many other options but was built to withstand th see of professionals.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think to clarify, I'm not so much looking for a sub-zero functioning camera, I'm more looking for a camera that can function properly from 32 F down to 10 F, but that can be operated with gloves on. When it get's below 10 F, I'm not out walking around shooting.

The Nikon F or F2 with the extended shutter release is something I hadn't thought of, I will look into that. I'm looking for a "walking around camera" that I don't mind getting beat up. I do have an F6 that I use for work, but as I will be retiring in the not-too-distant future, I may move that camera over to "walking around" status.

The Koni Omega looks like a cool camera, but I can't afford 120 film for "walking around" right now.

I'll also look into that Leicaflex SL, don't really know much about those cameras.

I'll also look into the Olympus OM-1, as I'ver recently picked up a Pen-F and really enjoy the camera.

I've bought four different pairs of "shooters" gloves in the past three months and none of them really work for me. For years I had a pair of gloves I used for covering High School football in late fall/early winter. They worked pretty well, but the palms were synthetic leather, which after about 8 years completely deteriorated and became really sticky. Have not been able to find a replacement for those.

I'll look into the heated gloves, but as a student of KISS (keep it simple stupid), I'm a bit averse to adding more complications.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Best,
-Tim
 
Had a Kodak Signet 35 for a few years, didn't find it to be an easy camera to use with gloves on. It is a nice camera though.

Best,
-Tim
 
Well, heck. Sorry, I thought the Signet 35 might be just the ticket for you.
It’s interesting how different cameras appeal to different people, sort of like the sum of the parts add up differently depending on the user.
 
It's hard to imagine anything edging out the Nikon F...I mean, those things have been to space and back and operated by astronauts. I'm looking at my Photomic finder right now, and I think I could manage it with snowboard gloves on. Finding one with a working light meter can be challenging, but if you don't care whether that works or not, the Nikon F would be my vote (similarly with the F2, but I'm something of a traditionalist, haha). Sounds like there's a fun expedition looming!
 
I've got a Nikonos V, and it's a great camera. Had it serviced, back when you still could, in like 2013 and have used it underwater with good results. My only gripe is that it's scale focus, takes a little of the fun out of "walking around" shooting.

Leaning toward a Nikon F, F2, or my old Canon Ftb-n.

Best,
-Tim
 
The late photographer and explorer Galen Rowell had once a review of manual Nikon cameras versus automatic cameras as he visited the South Pole.He concluded that the AF lenses worked better than the manual lenses in such weather. I would use a power pack with cord to my pocket with a camera such as Canon F1. I know, it is outdated .... but it is rock solid.

Poles Apart: Parallel Visions of the Arctic and Antarctic Paperback – May 30, 1997


by Galen Rowell (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
See all formats and editions
The harsh beauty of the polar regions has long fascinated explorers and armchair adventurers alike. The forbidding terrain and exotic life-forms appeal to our sense of wonder, and while we may think of them as similar, the Arctic and Antarctic are as unlike as Kansas and Kenya. In Poles Apart, Galen Rowell takes us on an exhilarating visual journey to the top and the bottom of the world, using his camera to reveal the fascinating differences in these polar opposites.
 
Whatever you use, make sure you have Lithium batteries in it, if you can. It doesn't matter what camera you use if the meter, motor, etc. doesn't work. Alkalines have always died on me below about 28 degrees F.
 
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