X100T in below freezing temperatures

[Atticus]

I'm going to Moscow in December where it will be -2°C to -8°C and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on taking the X100t out in those kind of temperatures since it's not weather sealed. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks

[Dis]

I'm going to Moscow in December where it will be -2°C to -8°C and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on taking the X100t out in those kind of temperatures since it's not weather sealed. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks

Don't worry. WR is mostly a gimmick. X100S works great at least as low as -15C. BTW it's more likely that it will be little bit warmer in Dec like -2 - +2. Or not like -15 - -20))))

[Merde]

As usual:

1. Do not put camera under your jacket.

2. When you enter warm places (your hotel room etc) leave your camera in your bag/backpack for at least one hour.

 

Rapid temperature change may cause condensation inside your camera and/or lens.

[jlmphotos]

The only precaution I would take is to carry large zip lock plastic bags.  When you leave the warmth of a cafe, or hotel make sure the camera is in the bag and the bag is closed.  This will prevent condensation from forming and you will be able to use it faster.

 

Likewise going from very cold outdoors back inside.  I use this method when shooting in very hot and humid conditions and exiting a cool A/C car.  Works every time.

 

J

[Dis]

The only precaution I would take is to carry large zip lock plastic bags.  When you leave the warmth of a cafe, or hotel make sure the camera is in the bag and the bag is closed.  This will prevent condensation from forming and you will be able to use it faster.

 

Likewise going from very cold outdoors back inside.  I use this method when shooting in very hot and humid conditions and exiting a cool A/C car.  Works every time.

 

J

What's the problem with going from warm to cold? The camera is warm, there will be no condensation on it. As I understand and always do, one can go out from room temperature with a camera in a hand to freezing cold and start shooting immediately. The problems appear when you are getting back to warm place with cold camera. In this situation one should keep the gear in a closed bag for 10-20 minutes before turning the camera on.

I also don't understand how a zip bag will help. Condensation on turned off camera is not dangerous. Thus there is no real need to keep the gear away from humidity. You just have to wait until it will warm quite close to room temperature. But if you want to turn the camera on before that moment you'll have to take it out the bag anyway and all the condensation will appear immediately. It looks like too complicated and pointless. Ordinary Lowepro bags always work perfectly in these situations for me.

[cug]

One thing to note is the Fuji specifies the operating temp range as 0 – 40°C (+32°F – +104°F) and there have been reports that at least the X-T1 doesn't like it even a little bit above 40. It's still a lot easier to keep a camera warm in a cold environment than the other way around. 

 

Given that and the general rather less impressive quality record I have with my Fuji cameras, I'd expect some issues, but still wouldn't worry too much about it, just pack it under the jacket when carrying it around.

[Merde]

One thing to note is the Fuji specifies the operating temp range as 0 – 40°C (+32°F – +104°F)

 

It's just precaution. Even Canon's workhorse 1Dx has 0-45C working temp. range.

 

just pack it under the jacket when carrying it around.

 

Absolutely do not do that! Your body warmth would just increase condensation.

[cug]

It's just precaution. Even Canon's workhorse 1Dx has 0-45C working temp. range.

 

It doesn't seem to be for the high end. I've read multiple reports from people of the X-T1 working in weird ways or not at all by exceeding the high temps just by a little bit. Don't know about the low. Biggest issue is the battery.

 

Absolutely do not do that! Your body warmth would just increase condensation.

 

Compromises. I did this all the time, but granted, on WR bodies. I'd definitely keep the batteries warm. The rest is much less likely to have issues from cold than from heat.

[Merde]

Compromises. I did this all the time, but granted, on WR bodies. I'd definitely keep the batteries warm. The rest is much less likely to have issues from cold than from heat.

 

Keep the batterry warm, but not the whole camera. Just take it out.

It doesn't matter if the camera is weather resistant (unless it is completely hermetic and evacuated).

[bird]

What's the problem with going from warm to cold? The camera is warm, there will be no condensation on it. As I understand and always do, one can go out from room temperature with a camera in a hand to freezing cold and start shooting immediately. The problems appear when you are getting back to warm place with cold camera. In this situation one should keep the gear in a closed bag for 10-20 minutes before turning the camera on.

I also don't understand how a zip bag will help. Condensation on turned off camera is not dangerous. Thus there is no real need to keep the gear away from humidity. You just have to wait until it will warm quite close to room temperature. But if you want to turn the camera on before that moment you'll have to take it out the bag anyway and all the condensation will appear immediately. It looks like too complicated and pointless. Ordinary Lowepro bags always work perfectly in these situations for me.

I've taken my x100s backpacking around Mt. Washington in the winter (way below freezing point) and It's always worked fine. As others have stated, keep the batteries warm or they will lose power quickly. The plastic bag trick when going from cold to warm works. The issue is that warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Think about eyeglasses in the winter: clear while walking around outside, but they fog up as soon as one walks into a warm building. This is basically the same process as dew forming on cool surfaces overnight. If you put the camera in a bag you isolate it from the extra humidity, and that "dew" will form on the bag rather than the camera. Once the camera temperature has equalized with the room temperature the issue of condensation goes away. A regular camera bag works fine too as long as you keep it closed until it has warmed up. The bag trick is worth the trouble as you're trying to eliminate the possibility of moisture forming either on or inside the camera and lens.

[winspeare]

Taken an xt-1 to India. 40 C and no problem!

[sam_lg]

Just got back from a cold walk. It was -19C and no issue with my X100t, only the battery that have lost their charge. When I come home of those kind of cold, I just make sure to keep my camera in the bag for some time (around an hour) to avoid condensation. 

[Immanuel]

My camera bag is a thick cardboard tube with plastic lids in both ends. This is my first winter with my X100T. I only take it out, when things don't fall from the sky. Before I go into a building, I put the camera back in the tube and leave it there for ½-1 hour.

[nwinspeare]

One thing to note is the Fuji specifies the operating temp range as 0 – 40°C (+32°F – +104°F) and there have been reports that at least the X-T1 doesn't like it even a little bit above 40. It's still a lot easier to keep a camera warm in a cold environment than the other way around

 .

I took my x-t1 to India, often over 40°C and not a problem!

[monoid]

My X100T was with me at winter Altai Mountains bike ride -- few hours each day at -10C..-18C.  And I kept the camera in backpack, in a plastic bag.

 

Moscow weather is much milder

[senate]

i did an Ice Bar session in Paris at -20°C for half an hour then back to an hot/humid weather in Paris.

going inside: nothing to declare, the x100 performed as expected without any adaptation needed.

going outside: i experienced condensation for 10-15minutes in the lens and maybe the sensor, then the camera resumed working normally.

 

some pics

https://flic.kr/s/aHskgjvPCV

[delmundo]

Never had a problem with the X100T in up to -30 Celsius here in Canada. In really cold temperatures (-8 is not cold!) the hands "die" before the camera. I had a problem in the jungle of Guatemala, though. During +37 and nearly 100% humidity the little cover for the OVF that is required to engage the EVF didn't work anymore (OVF wasn't a problem). After a while the problem fixed itself and I never had a problem ever since.