Cold Weather and the Leica M Shutter

[mod2001]

You do realize that -35F is actually colder than -35C (-35F = -37C; -35C = -31F), right? Once you hit -45, the situation is reversed (-45F = -43C; -45C = -49F). People who grew up in the metric world frequently underestimate the negative side of the Fahrenheit scale and how cold it is. Those extra 32 degrees before the numbers go negative are tricky.

Of course I know, most of the developer I use come with instructions in F and I watch daily US-news. Was just confused thinking because of the post before. 😱

Juergen

 

[Pioneer]

If I go outside at all in those temperatures my gloves are far too bulky to use a camera anyway.

I do have a Pentax SV that quits working when it gets below freezing. The two of us get along just fine.

 

[rfaspen]

I should have mentioned....my experience with cold temps is mostly interior North American and at elevation -- U.S. and Canadian Rockies. My town gets -40F (or colder) some/most? years (in winter of course). Bozeman, MT is a nice place to live, but I wish the cold temps would scare people away. I've spent extremely little time on the East Coast. Have no idea how cold it gets there.

I've taken film cameras (mostly RF's) on my way to work (nordic ski to work in winter), or on ski trips around the area (Yellowstone), or climbing / ice climbing trips (I don't ice climb, my friends do. I stick to rock).

The Olympus XA was a surprising performer on winter trips. It is battery dependent, so you MUST keep it in the jacket, but its so small that's not difficult. However, sometimes the wind is just too much and I don't open my jacket for nuthin. The image is just not worth it.

I would take FSU cameras out as well. My original thinking was: hey, they're just cheap FSU cameras, so what if they don't work or break down from "abuse". Well, my respect for FSU cameras has changed over time. Never had an issue due to extreme cold. Never had much of an issue at all. They're so simple, there isn't much to break. Only issues were clearly the fault of the user (me) and we don't talk about that anymore 🙂

Also took film Leicas (IIIa, IIIf, M2, M3) out in extreme cold. I would pamper them so they spent no more than 20-30 minutes out from under my coat. No issues with the bodies, but I have had lens focusing get sluggish or worse. Same with FSU stuff.

Some of my cameras have had recent servicing, but others are ??. I can see how a recent service would improve confidence in cold weather.

I'm surprised nukecoke had an Electro35 last so long. My old Nikon FE2 didn't like cold but I could switch to manual when needed. I don't know how my digital Nikons would fare, but my current situation has me in a place where 32F is considered cold. Funny, because that's "shorts weather" in Bozeman 🙂

 

[rfaspen]

I was like: Ok maybe -45F is like -20C, then I google converted it and asked myself the same question.

My hometown gets free supply of siberian cold currents every winter and it rarely gets lower than -35C/-31F in the coldest days in winter.

I've used a Yashica Electro 35 on one of such nights and it survived. The batteries died halfway.

To be specific. Temps of -40 or colder are not exactly common in my town either. However, I seem to recall at least one day in most years when it gets to the -40F mark (or lower: -44, -46). That is often just one day. My first day at my new job in 2009 was -44F, the day I broke my car key was -46F, the day I was sealed in my apartment (front door was frozen shut) was -41F. And, these are often the low temps of a given day. It could warm up to the -20s later.

Those are seriously cold temps. Nobody goes outside for long. Where I lived, there was a clear threshold temp when people would emerge to do fun things -- that was about 0-5F. At 10F many people were comfortable getting out, and at 20F I would actually see college students roaming campus in shorts. Below 0F was for "hardcore" folks. I was NOT hardcore. I skiied to work in about -10F, but that was not fun. Not sure I would attempt that again.

Going up in elevation, I suspect I have experienced colder than -45F, but no official record of that. These are temps that can be quickly fatal or injurious, and not fun to experience. Put simply, around the limits of technical ($$$) gear. Wind becomes a grim enemy. I was young and stupid once 😎. Glad to have survived it.

An Electro35 lasting half a night at -31F is impressive. Even if you babied it along under your coat.

 

[Timmyjoe]

To be specific. Temps of -40 or colder are not exactly common in my town either. However, I seem to recall at least one day in most years when it gets to the -40F mark (or lower: -44, -46). That is often just one day. My first day at my new job in 2009 was -44F, the day I broke my car key was -46F, the day I was sealed in my apartment (front door was frozen shut) was -41F. And, these are often the low temps of a given day. It could warm up to the -20s later.

You guys get that cold in Corvallis? Used to live in southeast Portland (on the side of Mt. Scott) and it rarely got cold enough to snow, much less got down to zero. Are you guys further up in the Cascades than we were in Portland?

Best,
-Tim

PS: I'm sorry, I'm confused, your Avatar says you live in Corvallis, Oregon, but I see on one post you're talking about Bozeman Montana. Is that where you get the -40ºF weather?

 

[Huss]

I've seen -40 in Minneapolis!
At that point I'm inside eating deep fried cheese curds and drinking beer.

 

[Mackinaw]

I experienced -40F when I lived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. At that temp, your vehicle will make the strangest noises for several minutes after (if) it starts.

To stay on topic, I've used my MP in -20F weather a few years back. No problems at all.

Jim B.

 

[sepiareverb]

Yep, send it to Leica NJ for relubrication service. You'll get it back by next summer, if you're lucky, when it wont be needed.
😀

Beat me to it. 🙂

Here in Northeastern VT it is often below zero F in the winter, I rarely have troubles with the MP, and that is only the meter when the batteries give up the ghost. M7 is less reliable as it seems to drink battery juice faster. I've not had trouble with uneven exposures.

M9 was not happy when it got below 10°F, again battery woe.