Mechanical shutters and the cold

[defconfunk]

Last week I was out shooting in the early morning. Temperature was -25C, -35C with windchill. Not the best time to be out and about.

I was out of the car about 8 minutes, using my trusty OM40, when the shutter failed to fire several times. Batteries still had some juice flowing (light meter worked), and the camera thought a shot was fired (requiring a crank of the film advance).

I processed the film and sure enough, I have a number of blank shots right where I though the shutter wasing't firing.

Now, I accept that -25C is below the operating temperature of pretty much any camera I'm going to afford. But, I'm curious if I was using a mechanical shutter if it would have turned out better? I'm guessing it would have fired slower than the set speed due to lubricants being cold.

Right now I'm looking at adding an OM single digit body to my collection. I had largely ruled out the OM-1👎 simply due to the battery. The 2SP/4 use the same batteries as my OM10/OM40, my light meter, and goodness knows what else. so, I had been mostly thinking of one of those.

Do mechanical shutters work better in the cold than electronic ones?

 

[lonemantis]

I've had good luck using my OM-1n in extremely cold weather, but I don't believe that mechanical shutters are inherently more reliable than electronic ones in extreme conditions. Mechanical shutters are more prone to partial failures (i.e. the shutter will fire, but not expose properly), whereas electronic shutters will usually just fail completely and not fire. With an electronic shutter, at least you'll know there's a problem.

I'd definitely take a look at an OM-4t (or TI in Europe/Asia). It's designed much more solidly than the double-digit series, with environmental sealing to help protect the circuits. It also benefits from an extremely durable titanium body, 1/2000th shutter speed and multi-spot metering as well.

 

[zuiko85]

All the OM models you mention use electronically controlled shutters. Without a battery they are a paperweight.

That said if you are afraid of the OM-1 (or 1n) because of non availability of it's 1.35v battery then consider a OM-2 (or 2n). It also uses a electronic control shutter but has a reliable history and seems to be less prone to circut failure/excessive battery drain than some later OM cameras. They are inexpensive too.

On the all mechanical OM-1 or 1n, I'm not sure it's shutter would be any more reliable at a dead air temp of -25F than the battery dependant models due to stiff lube problems in the shutter speed controller at such low temps.

I've had OM-1 bodies for years but have never had oppertunity to use them at -25F so have no personal experience to share. About the lowest temp I've used them in is about +5F and had no issues with the shutter.

Olympus did make an accessory battery holder for the button cells with a wire that went to the battery compartment the idea being that you would put it in a warm pocket to help retain the battery output. I seriously doubt you could find this long discontinued part now.

In my non converted OM-1 cameras I use a 1.4v #675 zinc-air hearing aid battery. About $1 each in packs of 12 or 24, start working when you peel off the cover, and last 3~6 months in use. They seem to work just fine in my OM-1 bodies.

 

[Mackinaw]

I live in northern Michigan. It’s been a good old-fashioned weather with plenty of very cold temps the past few months. Out of curiosity’s sake, I purposely left my old Canon F-1 outside overnight a few weeks back loaded with a 12 exposure roll of Plus-X. Temps got down to -22F (or -30C). These are air temps not wind chill. The next morning I got up and took some pics. The focusing action of the lens was stiff, but outside of that, the camera worked perfectly. All the pics were well exposed.

I don’t know if this answers your question, but it is an example of what a mechanical shutter can do in extreme cold.

Jim B.

 

[Lauffray]

I always use mechanical cameras in winter, -20, -30 no problem
Granted I don't stay out very long and I hold it close to my body, but apart from the top plate metal getting sticky, it still works fine.
At that temperature you also have other problems, I once had a film leader literally break because it had gotten so stiff in the cold

 

[rwtwpg]

Usually I'll use my older mechanical cameras in the cold and leave the more modern ones on the shelf. But I've been out this winter at similar temps with a Fuji GA 645. It has autofocus with motorized film advance and worked without a hitch, to my surprise.

Cheers
Richard

 

[mbisc]

Do mechanical shutters work better in the cold than electronic ones?

Short answer: yes

It is one (of many) reason why I keep my old Contaflex Super around...

 

[Moto-Uno]

When I lived in Fairview Alta. I frequently went out in those temps to take pics of the
Dunvegon Bridge over the Peace river and my Pentax K1000 always worked. Having said that though I used to put it under my parka ( I layered up a lot though ) . I'd be out there for hours! Peter

 

[zuiko85]

I have to point out that 'wind chill' only affects living things. On metal or plastic the only effect wind will have is to cool the object down a bit faster perhaps. So that a temp of -25F with a wind chill of -40F will eventually only cool a camera down to -25F no matter how fast the wind is.

On mechanical cameras I do find my Copal 5 blade leaf shutter equiped lenses do slow down quite a bit in very cold weather. But I think cloth focal plane shutters have more moveing mass and stronger springs and do not slow as much.

 

[Moto-Uno]

^ I believe that point was made earlier by Mackinaw. Peter

 

[defconfunk]

I have to point out that 'wind chill' only affects living things. On metal or plastic the only effect wind will have is to cool the object down a bit faster perhaps. So that a temp of -25F with a wind chill of -40F will eventually only cool a camera down to -25F no matter how fast the wind is.

Yes, I am aware of that. I mention the windchill specifically because it causes the camera to cool below its useable temperature faster. As I said, I was only out of the car for a 8 minutes before things started to go wonky. Had it not been windy, I may have gotten more time before the same problems showed up.

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll give a lot more consideration to an OM-1.

The 4T would be nice, but for the time being out of my budget.

I've read that the 1n is the OM-1 to get (solved many electrical issues). KEH lists a number of OM-1MD, which if I recall are still first generation, but have the mounts for a motor winder (which the first OM-1 lacked).

Any practical reason to skip an MD and go for an N?

 

[CCCPcamera]

I live in Edmonton, and I've used my M2 outside down to about -35, and I've never had a shutter issue. A problem I always have is lens grease becoming very stiff in the cold. I don't know if it's good to force a lens to focus at such temperatures. Could be ruining the threads. I suppose I could just keep a wider lens at infinity.

 

[btgc]

Cheap Ricoh XR-X (same as XR-M), all-electronic SLR legally running on NiMh batteries. This is my answer to cold weather and swimming pool evaporations. This is T90 for poor me.

 

[EastNeuk]

All the OM models you mention use electronically controlled shutters. Without a battery they are a paperweight.

That said if you are afraid of the OM-1 (or 1n) because of non availability of it's 1.35v battery then consider a OM-2 (or 2n). It also uses a electronic control shutter but has a reliable history and seems to be less prone to circut failure/excessive battery drain than some later OM cameras. They are inexpensive too.

On the all mechanical OM-1 or 1n, I'm not sure it's shutter would be any more reliable at a dead air temp of -25F than the battery dependant models due to stiff lube problems in the shutter speed controller at such low temps.

I've had OM-1 bodies for years but have never had oppertunity to use them at -25F so have no personal experience to share. About the lowest temp I've used them in is about +5F and had no issues with the shutter.

Olympus did make an accessory battery holder for the button cells with a wire that went to the battery compartment the idea being that you would put it in a warm pocket to help retain the battery output. I seriously doubt you could find this long discontinued part now.

In my non converted OM-1 cameras I use a 1.4v #675 zinc-air hearing aid battery. About $1 each in packs of 12 or 24, start working when you peel off the cover, and last 3~6 months in use. They seem to work just fine in my OM-1 bodies.

The OM2n can be made to release the shutter a 1/60, even if there is a battery failure. That's not maximally versatile, and I have no idea how well this would work in the cold. However, it's a little more back-up than nothing.

I have a slightly beat-up OM2n, and it's a nice camera to use quite aside from cold weather durability issues, in case that makes a difference.

 

[p.giannakis]

I used my plastic/fantastic Canon EOS 5 in -15 oC. The LCD panel got frozen within minutes but everything else was working fine. The LCD started working again after i took the camera back in the house....

 

[alphonse2501]

All the OM models you mention use electronically controlled shutters. Without a battery they are a paperweight.

That said if you are afraid of the OM-1 (or 1n) because of non availability of it's 1.35v battery then consider a OM-2 (or 2n). It also uses a electronic control shutter but has a reliable history and seems to be less prone to circut failure/excessive battery drain than some later OM cameras. They are inexpensive too.

On the all mechanical OM-1 or 1n, I'm not sure it's shutter would be any more reliable at a dead air temp of -25F than the battery dependant models due to stiff lube problems in the shutter speed controller at such low temps.

I've had OM-1 bodies for years but have never had oppertunity to use them at -25F so have no personal experience to share. About the lowest temp I've used them in is about +5F and had no issues with the shutter.

Olympus did make an accessory battery holder for the button cells with a wire that went to the battery compartment the idea being that you would put it in a warm pocket to help retain the battery output. I seriously doubt you could find this long discontinued part now.

In my non converted OM-1 cameras I use a 1.4v #675 zinc-air hearing aid battery. About $1 each in packs of 12 or 24, start working when you peel off the cover, and last 3~6 months in use. They seem to work just fine in my OM-1 bodies.

John Hermanson (http://zuiko.com/) can service OM-1/1n and convert them to use modern 1.55v battery. My early OM-1 (w/o MD port) uses SR44 now. A serious OM user may not just own one mechanical OM-1 and get second electronically OM-2/4. I am lucky to get OM-4 with late T circuit from RFF and its still on John's hand for service.

Los Angeles never get that cold.

 

[p.giannakis]

Have you seen this?

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/mechanical.html

 

[defconfunk]

P.Giannakis, I had not read that; althought little in it is new, it's good to see it all written up in one place like that.

I may have solved my cold weather shooting dilemma in a less than ideal manner. I have a Chinon CP-5 with motor winder. The winder holds a very easy to remove 4xAA battery pack. So when shooting in the cold I can keep just the battery pack in my jacket until I'm ready to shoot (solving the issue of fogging my lens, and cold battery performance). It's less than ideal because I hadn't planned on keeping it, and I only have one lens for it (and I don't want to collect another lens system). But then, it isn't that often that I want to shoot in -25C anyways.

I am aware of the 2n/SP/4 all having a 1/60th mechanical backup. Looks like I'll keep my eyes out for a nice OM-2sp.

Also, to all you people who live in climactically superior locations 😛 *pthhhbbbt* stop making me jealous.

 

[mwoenv]

If you've had a camera out for awhile in very cold weather, don't forget to prevent condensation when it's back in a warm room by placing it in a plastic bag outside before you go in - let it warm up without the warmer air moisture condensing on it.