Need advise for winter photography.


Wilsonbecks

New Member
Dec 25, 2011
20
0
0
Hello all!

A newbie here. Was using fujilim s1500. Need a digital cam/dslr for my holiday during jan in Korea which is winter. Any good recommendation?

I was looking at Pentax kr thou. Many thanks in advance!
 

Hello all!

A newbie here. Was using fujilim s1500. Need a digital cam/dslr for my holiday during jan in Korea which is winter. Any good recommendation?

I was looking at Pentax kr thou. Many thanks in advance!

What is your budget? I would go for Pentax K-5 if I have the budget... for the extremely good weather sealing, etc... and high noise handling capability.
 

Budget ard 1k+++
 

Get the K-5 then. It should be within your budget... and it is a better camera (in all aspect) as compared to the K-R... and should last you quite a while.
 

Think your question is related to which Pentax camera to get rather than winter photography...

In winter just be more aware that your batteries run down much more quickly so get at least 1-2 spares and keep them in your pocket or somewhere warm so they can be used on-the-go.

If you are worried about water vapour entering your camera bring a ziplock bag and put the camera inside and seal it before walking from the cold outside into the heated indoors. Let the camera stabilise at room temperature before taking it out of the bag. If you just walk in from extreme cold to a warm room condensation will collect on your camera, which in itself is probably ok but you don't want water spots on your sensor.

Bring an air blower in case the camera gets too much snow on it. Also don't underestimate the amount of light reflected off the snow into your lens so put on your lens hood when outside in the day.
 

K5 is about 2k?
 

Think your question is related to which Pentax camera to get rather than winter photography...

In winter just be more aware that your batteries run down much more quickly so get at least 1-2 spares and keep them in your pocket or somewhere warm so they can be used on-the-go.

If you are worried about water vapour entering your camera bring a ziplock bag and put the camera inside and seal it before walking from the cold outside into the heated indoors. Let the camera stabilise at room temperature before taking it out of the bag. If you just walk in from extreme cold to a warm room condensation will collect on your camera, which in itself is probably ok but you don't want water spots on your sensor.

Bring an air blower in case the camera gets too much snow on it. Also don't underestimate the amount of light reflected off the snow into your lens so put on your lens hood when outside in the day.

I'm actually looking for recommendation on cameras for winter camera. Howeverentax is in one of the list...
 

I'm actually looking for recommendation on cameras for winter camera. Howeverentax is in one of the list...

there's such a thing as "winter camera" ? :dunno:
Any DSLR should be all right. Pentax cameras score high on performance with respect to price.
 

I'm actually looking for recommendation on cameras for winter camera. Howeverentax is in one of the list...

No such thing.

Let's try some common sense here... All major DSLR cameras are designed and tested in Japan. Japan has winter. Ergo.....

You can get any camera that matches your budget from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, and they will work fine. THERE IS NO "WINTER CAMERA". Any manufacturer who limits their products to a single season in a select few countries is insane.
 

All dslrs will work during winter.
Unless you are talking about really harsh stuff like the alaska/arctics where it is very possible that snow is going to cover you and your camera.
For that you need a weather sealed camera.
 

All dslrs will work during winter.
Unless you are talking about really harsh stuff like the alaska/arctics where it is very possible that snow is going to cover you and your camera.
For that you need a weather sealed camera.

Heh. Better read up on Luminous Landscape. The weather-sealed DSLRs failed, the normal ones worked fine.
 

Yes... there really is no such thing as winter DSLR like what others had pointed up... plus for winter, what are you looking at... winter in Singapore is really not that terrible, maybe a bit more rain. Winter in some other places like Switzland is colder, you can see snow, etc.

When using a DSLR in such cold weather, take a few more batteries with you. because in very cold weather battery drained pretty fast. Also when you are in a warm room or hotel, when you go into the cold immediately, you will experience your camera fogging up... and stuff like that. And don't trust too much on the weather seal thingy. We have read lots of records on camera not surviving after some water was splashed on it (although we do not really know how much water is being splashed on the camera). Just practice some common sense, when it started to rain cats and dogs, don't take out your camera and shoot. When you see a hailstorm coming at you... run... and get into shelter instead of taking out your camera to shoot.

And don't try to buried your camera in snow or dunk your camera in water (don't care if it is river water or seawater)... although many people would say that it is fine if you have magnesium alloy bodied or weather sealed camera, because weather seal does not means water proof.
 

Batteries burn faster in cold weather
 

rhino123 said:
Also when you are in a warm room or hotel, when you go into the cold immediately, you will experience your camera fogging up...
Shouldn't it be the other way round?
 

Sorry peeps. i didnt mean winter camera but a camera suitable for winter. Im sincerely apologetic for the misconception thou.
 

Sorry peeps. i didnt mean winter camera but a camera suitable for winter. Im sincerely apologetic for the misconception thou.

during my holiday there, i did not find their winters that adverse anyway if u're going on the normal tourist circuit (i.e. seoul, jeju, etc). its cold, but i didn't see much snow. more cold winds then anything. i even brought my old PNS skiing.

what are your concerns abt winter anyway? the only worry i had when i went on holiday was that snow might be more challenging to meter, or white balance may not be accurate - everything white - camera may get :confused: and over / under expose. but turned out that i was worried for nothing. there were some misses but it was overall quite ok.
 

Last edited:
during my holiday there, i did not find their winters that adverse anyway if u're going on the normal tourist circuit (i.e. seoul, jeju, etc). its cold, but i didn't see much snow. more cold winds then anything. i even brought my old PNS skiing.

what are your concerns abt winter anyway? the only worry i had when i went on holiday was that snow might be more challenging to meter, or white balance may not be accurate - everything white - camera may get :confused: and over / under expose. but turned out that i was worried for nothing. there were some misses but it was overall quite ok.


I'm actually looking for digital camera. But I heard reviews that the lens might get stucked.... As for dslr, I'm totally new and know nuts about it.
 

I'm actually looking for digital camera. But I heard reviews that the lens might get stucked.... As for dslr, I'm totally new and know nuts about it.

To be frank, I have never been to too cold a place. But from what little I know, when your lens is stuck to the camera might be because of water vapour freezing between the contacts of the lens to the camera body, and/or that different in contraction and expansion of your lens mount to your camera body. However I don't think that is that severe and if the temperature is really cold, don't change your lens in the open. Wait till you are in some nice and warm location before attempting to change your lens. Thus choosing and selecting of lenses became crucial, because you won't have the time to keep changing lenses when in open and exposed to the weather.