Pixiq

Canon cameras are made to handle all sorts of conditions, but a little care on your part will help them come through for you whenever you need them. Pro cameras such as the 1D and 1Ds series are designed with special seals to keep out dust and water, but still, these protections can break down if you are not careful. If you

need to shoot under tough conditions, there are some things you can do to ensure that your cameras and lenses will keep functioning properly for you.

RAIN

Water and cameras do not mix. Rainy days can offer opportunities for some interesting photography, but they can also threaten your camera. Pros who have to shoot frequently in the rain will use Canon’s pro cameras, which have sealed joints to keep rain out. L-series lenses are also sealed to help keep water out.

You can protect any camera, however, with some simple accessories. When I am in rainy conditions, I will typically keep a small, portable umbrella in my camera bag. This can be an immense help when you are shooting with a tripod and can hold the

umbrella over the camera. OpTech USA makes an inexpensive plastic cover called the Rainsleeve that can be easily kept in your camera bag and will cover your lens and camera, and is more appropriate for when you must hand-hold the camera. When you stop at a hotel, you can keep the shower caps, and use them to cover your camera, and they pack compactly in your camera bag. You can also buy very sturdy rain covers that are designed for a specific camera and lens combinations, such as those from Kata.

Finally, remember to dry out your camera bag and camera whenever you can. I will use a hairdryer set on low to dry a camera, on high to dry a camera bag (but don’t get it too close to plastics).

SNOW AND COLD WEATHER

Cold weather conditions will not damage your camera. Modern Canon cameras and lenses are designed to function well in a wide range of temperatures including well below zero. Digital cameras actually work better in the cold compared to old film cameras, because you are not moving something through the camera as you shoot. Film used to pick up static electricity charges and would often break in subzero temperatures.

The biggest challenges for cold weather shooting are batteries and condensation. As batteries get cold, they lose power. When you’re shooting under very cold conditions, it is a good idea to keep extra batteries in a warm place such as a pocket next to your body. Then, when the camera starts to lose power, swap those batteries. When the cold battery warms up, it will work fine. Some photographers will actually strap a warming packet against their battery compartment when the weather gets very cold. These little packets are generally available from outdoor stores.

A cold camera and lens will immediately pick up condensation when it is taken into a warm location. This can be a real problem, because it can result in water on inside parts. Whenever you are moving from a cold location to a warm location, put your camera into a camera bag that can be tightly closed. Or, you can put your whole camera bag into a garbage bag and close it. Then, bring this inside to warm up slowly, and you will not have problems with condensation.

Condensation can also come from your breath. Never breathe on a lens or your viewfinder’s eyepiece in cold conditions. This will cause condensation that may turn to ice, which will be a problem to remove. Never rub ice off of a lens, as it can scratch the lens; melt the ice first.

You won’t get condensation by moving a warm camera into cold weather. A warm camera can be a problem with snow, however. The snow will melt on the camera and then act like rain. In snowy conditions, it is usually best to let the camera get cold before you take it out and use it, so that the snow is easily blown or brushed off.

HEAT

Heat is a big problem for digital cameras. Electronics of any kind can be adversely affected by heat. Extreme heat can increase noise levels in a digital camera’s images. In addition, lubricants within a camera and lens can lose viscosity and be displaced by the heat, and get into places they don’t belong.

The best thing is to keep your camera as cool as possible. Simply getting a foam ice chest or cooler can help. You don’t even need to put any ice in it. Simply put the camera and lenses into the cooler when conditions are hot, such as in a parked car. Be very careful of leaving camera gear in a parked car in hot conditions.

Be careful, also, if you bring a camera into an air-conditioned space. That can cool a camera down enough that when you bring it outside, you will get condensation. This is not a big problem in desert areas, but it can be where there’s humidity.