Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Hey ... there's an option for any situation. I want a rangefinder with a mirror prism and I want one of these!
Harry Lime
Practitioner
I don't think the plastic bag thing makes any sense actually. If you want to keep your camera warm, wear it under your clothes.
The Ziplock isn't meant to keep the camera warm, but to prevent the warm humid air from getting at the camera. If you use a sealed plastic bag when you bring the camera in from the cold, then only the moisture in the air contained in the bag will condensate.
BrianNakata
Newbie
Carterofmars,
You're not using IR filters are you? The purple clothing indicates this to me.
Brian
You're not using IR filters are you? The purple clothing indicates this to me.
Brian
pachuco
El ****
Hey ... there's an option for any situation. I want a rangefinder with a mirror prism and I want one of these!
Haha!! That is so cool! Like an Easter egg with wheels.
aniMal
Well-known
This winter is the second with my M8 here in Norway, and I have long since stopped worrying about it. Had one incident with actual, dripping moisture getting to it - melted snow, and had to wait for some hours while it dried out. Most probably just the switches that were affected.
These days I often carry it in the cold - from minus 5 to 15 celsius. My only precaution is bringing spare batteries if I am heading for some particular shoot - if not I just take care to have a topped up battery.
In my opinion the M8 seems to be a very sturdy camera - provided you get one which is all OK from the start!
Its a tool intended for use - and I get more happy with every scratch, dent - an picture!
These days I often carry it in the cold - from minus 5 to 15 celsius. My only precaution is bringing spare batteries if I am heading for some particular shoot - if not I just take care to have a topped up battery.
In my opinion the M8 seems to be a very sturdy camera - provided you get one which is all OK from the start!
Its a tool intended for use - and I get more happy with every scratch, dent - an picture!
jaapv
RFF Sponsoring Member.
Sheesh- just put a spare battery in your pocket and exchange it....
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quadtones
Established
I do carry spare batteries, but with the winter we are having here in the US midwest, and batteries running down quickly, I remembered an accessory that I had for a Pentax 6x7 years ago--a connector that filled the battery compartment, connected by a cable to a battery holder that I could keep inside my coat in very cold weather. If it were possible to do something like this for the M-digital cameras, I'd buy one immediately. It would be far easier for extended shooting than having to change batteries often, carry a number of spares, juggle baseplates with gloves on, etc.
Of course, this would mean a modified baseplate, allowing for the connection to the remote battery compartment, so Tim Isaac [or others], are you out there? Then I could use my M8 [and the M9 I guess I've got to order] year 'round, without worries of the battery going flat in 20 min., as they have been for me....
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Of course, this would mean a modified baseplate, allowing for the connection to the remote battery compartment, so Tim Isaac [or others], are you out there? Then I could use my M8 [and the M9 I guess I've got to order] year 'round, without worries of the battery going flat in 20 min., as they have been for me....
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ampguy
Veteran
Exactly
Exactly
Or more likely, just a fully charged one.
Think about it 10-15 degrees. How long do you want to be out there exposing yourself in those temps?
If you enjoy it for longer than 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, you're going to need gloves, face masks, and specialized clothing, so plan to get a weatherproof camera that can be operated with gloves and have battery power that was designed for this environment.
Exactly
Or more likely, just a fully charged one.
Think about it 10-15 degrees. How long do you want to be out there exposing yourself in those temps?
If you enjoy it for longer than 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, you're going to need gloves, face masks, and specialized clothing, so plan to get a weatherproof camera that can be operated with gloves and have battery power that was designed for this environment.
Carterofmars
Well-known
jaapv
RFF Sponsoring Member.
which is utterly unnecessary, as opposed to an UV/IR cut filter. All your colours are off.
D&A
Well-known
>>>>"Or more likely, just a fully charged one."<<<<
>>>> "Think about it 10-15 degrees. How long do you want to be out there exposing yourself in those temps? If you enjoy it for longer than 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, you're going to need gloves, face masks, and specialized clothing, so plan to get a weatherproof camera that can be operated with gloves and have battery power that was designed for this environment."<<<<
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I certainly can appreciate what was expressed (above), but don't completely agreee with the premise.
Generally I get approx 300+ shots on a single fully charged battery. If I go outside in even 30 degreees F, (with little or no wind), which isn't all that cold, then often within 20-30 minutes, the fully charged battery in the camera might take approx 60 pics or less until battery is exhausted. Sure, for casual shooting one can put camera in a bag (which actually doesn't help all that much after a while), or under a coat.
The problem occurs if one is shooting an 4-7 hr event outside, constantly moving, in these not really extreme temperatures (30-32 degrees F), changing a battery to the next one shortly after only getting 50 shots and then the next warm battery quite soon after maybe getting maybe another 50 shots, and so on...very soon, all batteries will be depleated before a 1/5 of the event is covered. I have many extra batteries for such events..but with only getting 50 shots in these not very extreme temps..one would have to carry an enormous # of batteries and be changing them every 20 minutes, far from practical. A few of the batteries when warmed up may recover a bit, but stopping every 20 minutes to keep changing batteries is also not realistic in these circumstances. ..and yes, I'm shooting with two digital M's at the time....often with a wide angle lens on one and a normal or telephoto on the other, so keeping one camera warm at any given time isn't the solution, nor is constant changing of lenses with the other body thats kept ready in shooting.
I'm certainly not faulting Leica for current battery technoogy, but if such a small battery is going to be used in the Leica digital M's...I think some sort of look into improving the batteries would be warrented. There are other DSLR's I've used, where the battery wasn't much bigger than the M8/M9 batttery, and I can shoot with those camreas for hours and hours in conditions I just described, with a very low reduction of shots per charge and no need to change the battery except maybe once. Some of those DSLR's also have autofocus and image stabilization in larger lenses, so if anything, they would appear to draw more from each battery. Obviously something more than just battery technoogy is at work...maybe the way the camera's electrical circuits uses battery power efficiently could also be improved.
At much colder temperatures like 2-10 degreees F, I could understand the issues encountered, but 30-32 degrees F? I think something better could be achieved (as I experienced with other small battery DSLR's), especially in whats expected from a professional level camera like the M8/M9...otherwise conditions to shoot the camera are too restrictive for some due to this one issue of the battery. Obviously others have expressed the same observations, but if they are just causally shooting, then putting camera under a warm coat is do-able...but not when constant use of the camera(s) is required. Just some personal experiences..on many occasions.
Dave (D&A)
>>>> "Think about it 10-15 degrees. How long do you want to be out there exposing yourself in those temps? If you enjoy it for longer than 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, you're going to need gloves, face masks, and specialized clothing, so plan to get a weatherproof camera that can be operated with gloves and have battery power that was designed for this environment."<<<<
_______
I certainly can appreciate what was expressed (above), but don't completely agreee with the premise.
Generally I get approx 300+ shots on a single fully charged battery. If I go outside in even 30 degreees F, (with little or no wind), which isn't all that cold, then often within 20-30 minutes, the fully charged battery in the camera might take approx 60 pics or less until battery is exhausted. Sure, for casual shooting one can put camera in a bag (which actually doesn't help all that much after a while), or under a coat.
The problem occurs if one is shooting an 4-7 hr event outside, constantly moving, in these not really extreme temperatures (30-32 degrees F), changing a battery to the next one shortly after only getting 50 shots and then the next warm battery quite soon after maybe getting maybe another 50 shots, and so on...very soon, all batteries will be depleated before a 1/5 of the event is covered. I have many extra batteries for such events..but with only getting 50 shots in these not very extreme temps..one would have to carry an enormous # of batteries and be changing them every 20 minutes, far from practical. A few of the batteries when warmed up may recover a bit, but stopping every 20 minutes to keep changing batteries is also not realistic in these circumstances. ..and yes, I'm shooting with two digital M's at the time....often with a wide angle lens on one and a normal or telephoto on the other, so keeping one camera warm at any given time isn't the solution, nor is constant changing of lenses with the other body thats kept ready in shooting.
I'm certainly not faulting Leica for current battery technoogy, but if such a small battery is going to be used in the Leica digital M's...I think some sort of look into improving the batteries would be warrented. There are other DSLR's I've used, where the battery wasn't much bigger than the M8/M9 batttery, and I can shoot with those camreas for hours and hours in conditions I just described, with a very low reduction of shots per charge and no need to change the battery except maybe once. Some of those DSLR's also have autofocus and image stabilization in larger lenses, so if anything, they would appear to draw more from each battery. Obviously something more than just battery technoogy is at work...maybe the way the camera's electrical circuits uses battery power efficiently could also be improved.
At much colder temperatures like 2-10 degreees F, I could understand the issues encountered, but 30-32 degrees F? I think something better could be achieved (as I experienced with other small battery DSLR's), especially in whats expected from a professional level camera like the M8/M9...otherwise conditions to shoot the camera are too restrictive for some due to this one issue of the battery. Obviously others have expressed the same observations, but if they are just causally shooting, then putting camera under a warm coat is do-able...but not when constant use of the camera(s) is required. Just some personal experiences..on many occasions.
Dave (D&A)
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Doc William
William
**New Theory**
First I see you are getting up close to people, shooting and it is very cold.
Is your 8.2 set to "Discrete" mode in the Menu settings? Since it is cold, were you wearing gloves? The reason I ask is if you turn the camera on past "S" to "C" (Continuous" shooting mode) and easy to do if wearing gloves, you are telling the camera to do two completely opposite things at the same time and the camera bonks.
This happened to me in Tokyo on a wet morning (I wanted to blame the rain), but I had accidentally pushed the upper lever to "C" by accident. As a result, I never use discrete mode. I never use Continuous mode on purpose but it is very easy for the lever to slip over to "C".
First I see you are getting up close to people, shooting and it is very cold.
Is your 8.2 set to "Discrete" mode in the Menu settings? Since it is cold, were you wearing gloves? The reason I ask is if you turn the camera on past "S" to "C" (Continuous" shooting mode) and easy to do if wearing gloves, you are telling the camera to do two completely opposite things at the same time and the camera bonks.
This happened to me in Tokyo on a wet morning (I wanted to blame the rain), but I had accidentally pushed the upper lever to "C" by accident. As a result, I never use discrete mode. I never use Continuous mode on purpose but it is very easy for the lever to slip over to "C".
Carterofmars
Well-known
Update: I was just out for maybe 30 min., and it happened again. Camera just shutdown. 32 degrees here and the camera was again ice cold to the touch.
Doc: Very interesting theory. I guess it's possible that happened. I'm not wearing gloves though. I am using in discrete mode. Maye I'll switch to standard and see if it happens again. Boy this is particularly annoying. Also, at times when I'm in the thick of it, on a busy corner, and snapping away, the camera is processing the data and I can't snap any more. I stand there waiting as many cool images are flashing by. Just standing there with my tool in my hands.
Doc: Very interesting theory. I guess it's possible that happened. I'm not wearing gloves though. I am using in discrete mode. Maye I'll switch to standard and see if it happens again. Boy this is particularly annoying. Also, at times when I'm in the thick of it, on a busy corner, and snapping away, the camera is processing the data and I can't snap any more. I stand there waiting as many cool images are flashing by. Just standing there with my tool in my hands.
Ming Rider
Film, the next evolution.
Most tools are hard to work with cold hands.