Winter Photography Gloves

Timmyjoe

Timmyjoe

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For about eight years I used a set of gloves that worked really well at being light/thin enough to manipulate camera controls, but still provided considerable warmth when shooting outdoors in winter. Unfortunately the palms and fingers were made of a synthetic leather that eventually broke down and got sticky and gooey so they got pitched a few years ago. I'm looking for another pair of gloves (like the old ones, which unfortunately came from a store that is long out of business), and I was wondering what RFF'ers are using for taking pictures on cold winter days?

Best,
-Tim
 
The other year I brought a Leica M to REI and tried every pair of gloves on -- I settled on the Arcteryx Gothic. They're a thinner merino wool type. I'm comfortable down to about 15 Fahrenheit with them. Any colder and I've never found a pair of gloves that could meet the criteria.
 
For a long time I used a pair of half-fingered Wool gloves...didn't think they would do but they worked just fine...
 
Thanks for the suggestions milesci and raydm6. I'm trying to avoid fingerless, as I'd like to protect my fingertips as well (I'm very averse to cold). And the aluminum softie release on the camera I use get's really cold too.

Best,
-Tim
 
I have a pair of mountain biking gloves that work great. The backs of them are armored which help with insulation and they fit tight so dexterity remains really good. If it is really cold you could put mittens over them. Not a fan of fingerless gloves.
 
I am pretty much limited to working with my camera on a tripod these days for physical reasons. Fortunately the controls of the Hasselblad (and tripod) I mostly use are easy to operate with my regular cold weather gloves - unlined Aerostich cowhide gloves with silk glove liners. The one exception is the shutter release button, but a short cable release takes care of that.
 
I bought a pair of photography gloves in the spring of this year, they were on sale. I have not tested them yet, it still is not cold enough here in Norway. They are a Norwegian design (I have no affiliation to this company), the brand name is Valleret. I found a US online store, just search for the brand name. They seem very warm and robust, you can open the finger tip on thumbs and index fingers. The padding is quite thick, maybe not ideal for smaller cameras. But they are not cheap, I think they will set you back approx.120 USD.
 
I use these:
https://valuhomecenters.com/shop/clo...ove?SKU=730418
And a pair of mittens over them when it is seriously cold.
When it does get very cold, minimizing the time your hands are exposed will serve better than trying to find some mythical "thin and warm" glove.
So, the mittens for warmth and the gloves under them for the brief time I need to focus, set aperture, etc, and shoot the picture.
 
I bought a pair of photography gloves in the spring of this year, they were on sale. I have not tested them yet, it still is not cold enough here in Norway. They are a Norwegian design (I have no affiliation to this company), the brand name is Valleret. I found a US online store, just search for the brand name. They seem very warm and robust, you can open the finger tip on thumbs and index fingers. The padding is quite thick, maybe not ideal for smaller cameras. But they are not cheap, I think they will set you back approx.120 USD.

Kai-San
Click to expand...


These are probably the best available right now, if someone is facing serious cold conditions, since they are purpose built and they have solutions to fit almost any scenario.

https://photographygloves.com/blogs/vallerret-blog/the-best-gloves-for-winter-photography

I don’t live at the coldest place on earth, but it’s routinely minus 25 degrees F every winter, and we’re always going to go two or three solid months every year where the warmest hour of the warmest day won’t ever get above freezing. So, our small local camera store carries these, even though it doesn’t carry any film. They’re expensive, but they’re nice.
I haven’t bought any because I can’t decide on which model to buy, but for handling a camera they seem to be better than any of my “store bought” gloves.
 
I found out quite quickly after moving to a place with 20 degree winters that the best accessory for cold weather photography was not a new pair of shooting gloves, but a neck strap - which I never use normally. With the strap I'm not holding on to the metal body of the camera and losing heat in that manner, and I can use any pair of gloves as suitable for the weather without having to worry about fumbling and dropping my camera.
 
Hern said:
I found out quite quickly after moving to a place with 20 degree winters that the best accessory for cold weather photography was not a new pair of shooting gloves, but a neck strap - which I never use normally. With the strap I'm not holding on to the metal body of the camera and losing heat in that manner, and I can use any pair of gloves as suitable for the weather without having to worry about fumbling and dropping my camera.
Click to expand...

Keeping the camera inside your jacket and bringing it out to shoot is another good idea.
 
My wife is using gloves special for raynaud symptoms - the more silver content, the better. They are quite thin and can be worn underneath normal wollen gloves.
 
Available also are a hand warmer single use packs, 2x3 inches in size. They contain iron powder and when exposed to air will heat for 10 hours. This would allow the use of thinner gloves. The name is Hothands Hand Warmers and they are safe for the environment per the package label. Just place the packs inside the gloves.
 
I'm going to try a pair of the Vallerret Markhof Pro V3 gloves and see how that goes. Can't find the gloves I had previously, but these Vallerret ones seem to be for colder temps. Hope I can get used to the finger and thumb tips folding back, not used that kind of glove before.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

Best,
-Tim
 
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