Travel photography issues: Cold weather
3. Frostbiten hand in handling: at subzero temperature, the fingers may become so cold and may become painful. yet with a thick glove, you may not be able to handle your camera buttons
discussion over here on
gloves. note: someone tell me those shops at peninsular level 2 are closed (as of 2009 Nov). so pls take note of that. some of the following are quotes so i won't edit them.
Suggestion 1- get a convertible mitten glove that have a flap that can selectively cover the last segment of the fingers when you do not need to handle the buttons, and can be flapped open when you need to assess the buttons. my girlfriend got me one but i do not know where to buy them.
(Nuts) Winning (now they have 1 branch in Taka) used to have them but I find them not very good mabbe bcoz of the materials... YMMV
(asterixsg) I bought mine from Wintertime at Suntec (now closed down, but I guess there's one in Marina Square now), last year. I think it costs less than 15 bucks.
(wind30) I saw the convertible mittens at winter time in Vivo city too but like the other poster I am wary of exposuring my bare fingers at sub zero temp. Besides once cold air gets into contact with the bare skin, it is very cold and even if you put back the mittens, not much use right?
(Andrew_C) I was at PP today & popped into Emmanuel Travellers Shop on the 2nd floor (#02-48). Found that they do carry convertible mittens. This is the only place that I've seen. Lafuma brand - polartec 200 fleece. Would definitely be warmer than the Timberland gloves. Cost $69. Only Olive Green colour. Have different sizes available. These are mittens, but allow the cover to be rolled back to expose the fingertips. Very hard to find. Best bet would be try to find in the US or Europe. Another alternative is to get a set of non-convertible mittens - these gloves do not have space for the fingers. Wear the Timberland gloves to shoot & put into mittens to keep warm.
Suggestion 2- liner gloves, e.g. thinsulate™ & thermolite
get a thermolite glove which is 97% thermolite 3% lycra from adventure 21, chinatown complex. cost $15 a pair. this is the thinnest glove i can find that covers the hand, give some warmth and still enable most handling of the camera.
(Nuts) I use layering on my hands as well! Those above, or any of those Polypropylene gloves act as my "base layer", and I wear a thicker stronger protecting gloves (Polartec etc) on top of it. When needed, I remove the top layer, and still have my base llayer to protect me hands for a short while. Best for sub-zero shooting where sometimes, my bare skin just can't withstand the elements and thick gloves makes me can't handle the camera....
(ortega) winter gloves which he bought from australia. "i think the material is called thinsulate™ from 3M. i googled it and came up with this product.
http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/eshop.a...01&wci=product but i would suppose that other manufacturers would be able to buy the material and make other gloves/jackets/hats/... ok saw the thinsulate™ gloves at a camping shop in compass point. sort of looks like a construction worker's gloves but black in colour. around $12
(steely) Try the hiking/camping shop along Stamford Rd and ask for liner gloves, they should keep the hands warm enough to work.
(Andrew_C) As Ortega has suggested, you can use Thinsulate liner gloves. Can buy them from the camping shops in Peninsular Plaza (2nd floor), or Campers Corner @Capitol, etc. However, if you are really going to be shooting in sub-zero conditions... your liner gloves will not be sufficient! You will need to have a pair of thicker winter gloves to keep your hands warm, especially if you are spending extended periods of time outdoors.
(bryan831) i have this cool pair of gloves. its like a mitten (no divisions for fingers), so when u are not shooting u wear it like a mitten. then when u wanna shoot, you can fold over the round tip of the mitten to expose your fingertips so its easier to handle the camera
(microcosm) I shoot in sub zero temperatures once in a while, and like the others have posted, I wear thin, lined (I like the 3M Thinsulate technolgoy stuff, because they are comfy and they work!) gloves with silicon grips for ease of use (taking out dollar notes from wallet, good grip on equipment, etc) and wear a pair of convertible mittens over them. They work wonders for me. I bought them at camping supplies stores, but remember, the better ones (combined) cost you close to $150. There aren't that many cheaper alternatives.
Suggestion 3- using other (non-liner, non-convertible mitten) gloves.
Lowepro photographic gloves: (micky) I have a pair of Lowepro photographer's gloves, just like the one in your link. I like them a lot because they give me enough grip to hold the camera securely. I tried lots of other type of gloves before but they dun make me feel secure holding the camera. The grip is even enough for me to take out my wallet and take out my dollar bills or credit card (the other gloves dun let me do that with ease). However, it won't be enough for sub-zero conditions (not for me anyway). After 15 minutes or so, i'll need to stick my hands into my jacket. It's a lot better than those mittens that expose your fingers... with those, my fingers can't even last 5 minutes.
golf gloves (zoossh) the magazines suggest getting golf gloves. i have not used them as i do not play golf. anyone who have used that and finds it good, pls give us some feedback.
Timberland sports utility gloves: (wind30) I did make a trip to peninsular plaza 2nd floor and went into the 2 camping shops. When I ask for thinsulate gloves, they look blur blur leh. But I saw some very thin black gloves. Tried it but I find that they are too smooth for a good grip. I got this instead
http://www.timberland.com/product/in...entPage=family dunno how warm it is though.
SAF gloves: (galdor) I am a poor man, so I just used the ones sold at SAF e-mart to counter my sweaty palms. Not too bad I would say.
Suggestion 4- avoid using metallic gears e.g. aluminium tripods.
Suggestion 5- get some sheep oil. they are good for keeping your hands warm. i have tried once in taiwan. but anyone knows where we can get it in singapore?
Suggestion 6- keep your body warm in general. to be able to enjoy photography, you need to be fairly attired. in general, it takes 3 layers - an inner thermal wear, a middle layer (fleece or polypropylene fibre would be good), an outer shell (preferably gortex or similar material). wool for the middle layer is too thick and gets heavy and cold if damped, even if you have a gortex shell, water can still gets in. a few shops that sells good quality winter gear - adventure 21 at chinatown, x boundaries at seah street, camper's corner near cityhall. it depends on personal preference and physique on when and what exactly to wear and if you need further stuff like scarf, headgear (e.g. ski mask) and ear covers. high cut trekking shoes specialised for trekking in snow may be required in thick snow environment. ask the shop keepers for further details.
Suggestion 7- get mentally prepared regarding the local weather. do note that higher attitude, esp with rain, can bring drastic weather situation that is not within normal estimation by those reported for the nearby cities.
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