Remote batteries for cold weather in Antarctica

[wm700293]

Looking for a way to remote the camera battery into my clothing (under an arm) to keep it/them warm for prolonged cold weather shooting. Is there a product available? (Either Canon or 3rd party)

[wm700293]

Sorry, I mis-typed above...should have said LM7808, output is 8 Volts, which is close enough to 7.5 to not be a problem (as suggested in an earlier response) The TO-220 package would be my preference here, as it is not terribly expensive in single lots.

wm700293

[RobertTheFat]

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@wm700293 wrote:

I like the LANPARTE Portable Battery with Adapter solution, and am giving serious consideration to designing my own "camera cover" to insulate the camera body and lens. It would be like a rain cover, closing with Velcro, with room for both hands, etc. etc. 

Maybe I'll buy a cheap down-filled coat or jacket as the source of material. I don't think I'll need the "windows". I believe that properly done, this approach, along with the battery in my armpit, so to speak, would be good for a couple of hours outside, at least.

On the issue of home-designed power sources, I think that a full-wave bridge combined with an LM7805 would be sufficient to "knock down" the voltage coming in from a Canon BP-E4 or similar battery pack, but haven't looked into this much yet, hoping to find an already-engineered solution. 12V car batteries are out of the question, as are generators - this ain't a fashion shoot...

Thoughts?

wm700293

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I'd be wary of home-designed equipment for such a specialized environment. You should be talking to people who have actually been there. They've been running those excursions for a while now, so there should be some with that experience on the photography forums. If nobody in this forum has been there, check out some of the others.

[wm700293]

Thanks, Bob…That's a very good point. I'll look into that avenue for further advice.

wm700293

[RobertTheFat]

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@wm700293 wrote:
Thanks, Bob…That's a very good point. I'll look into that avenue for further advice.

wm700293

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Incidentally, I seem to recall that one of those who had been there indicated (in one of the photography forums) that on his trip water was more of a problem than cold. Apparently the weather in the ocean near Antarctica is frequently awful, and windblown rain gets into pretty much everything. Some people's cameras got badly soaked when they tried to take pictures from the deck of the ship. And when you're on the ocean, you run the risk that any windblown water will have salt in it, which makes it more potentially damaging.

[wm700293]

Bob, thanks for your comments and ideas… I think I have found a solution that will work for me. I was loathe to pay almost $400 for a battery grip from Canon for my 5DIV, and ended up purchasing a GREEN EXTREME BATTERY GRIP Model GXBGE20 from ADORAMA for about $70. It works well and I have seen no loss of functionality through it's use. Tried to buy a replacement battery tray from ADORAMA - no dice, no, nope, no way, nyet - so I purchased another battery grip complete from ADORAMA for $70 to get an extra tray. Of course, just a few weeks later, they were selling the exact same grip for $39 - hah! Around the same time, I was able to purchase a RUGGARD DSLR PARKA (PAC-LB) for about $30 from ADORAMA as well. It appears that the PARKA will fit my 70-200 2.8 + Extender as well as the 16-35 f:4.0 This item is advertised as a "Cold and rain protector". This product looks like it will do the job I'm wanting to do. So now, I have a "parka" to keep the camera and it's 2 batteries warm(ish) and a spare tray with 2 more batteries to hold in an inside pocket for switching out when needed. All of the batteries will be secured in their respective trays with scotch tape (removable, of course) making handling safe and worry free. AANNDD…I've got a spare battery grip if I need it (or don't). I'll take additional steps to protect against salt water and salt spray when going ashore in the Zodiak. I also like the idea of a longer "wake time" for the camera to allow the electronics to help keep the camera warm(er) Well, I thought some contributors might be interested in these musings. Oh, and I do do business with B&H, also. Wm700293

[Waddizzle]

Maybe you're looking at this the wrong way.  Maybe you should regard the harsh environment as being no different than being in the "harsh environment" of being underwater. 

I think you might be better off with an environmental enclosure to keep out the cold, just as one would use an environmental enclosure to keep out the water for underwater photography.

[wm700293]

That's an interesting idea, expensive but interesting. Of course the camera will get cold inside the enclosure eventually...

I am really looking for a way to make use of body heat if possible.

[Waddizzle]

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@wm700293 wrote:

That's an interesting idea, expensive but interesting. Of course the camera will get cold inside the enclosure eventually...

I am really looking for a way to make use of body heat if possible.

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Of course the camera can get cold.  The camera is not rated to operate at sub-freezing temperatures.  Enclosures are not cheap, but neither is your camera, and ditto for the cost of a trip to Antartica.  I assume you will have more than one camera.

Rechargeable batteries do not perform well at very cold temperatures.  Eventually, the camera's performace will, too, suffer from the cold.  There may be a way to heat a camera enclosure with heat tracing.

I'm just not certain if providing a means to keep batteries warm will be sufficient.  I don't think any of Canon's DSLRs are rated to operate below freezing.  The camera may operate for a period of time, until the body cools down.  No doubt there is some critical temperature where the camera body will cease to operate properly, or possibly even suffer permanent damage. 

For example, your memory cards may malfunction at sub-freezing temperatures.  The image sensor may not like enduring a freeze/thaw cycle.  The shutter mechanism may begin to seize up, and may eventually lock up and freeze in place.  Who knows what the cold will do to the delicate mechanicisms in the camera.  

I just thnk that the batteries are just one component in the entire camera system that needs protection from the cold.

[diverhank]

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@wm700293 wrote:

Looking for a way to remote the camera battery into my clothing (under an arm) to keep it/them warm for prolonged cold weather shooting. Is there a product available? (Either Canon or 3rd party)

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This one might fit the bill?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1100255-REG/lanparte_pb_600_e6_e6_portable_battery_with.html

[wm700293]

Diverhank...

This looks exactly like the picture I had in my head, either of these appear to meet my need to some degree. Especially the

Lamparte E6 Portable battery With LP-E6 Adapter (if this is the battery type the camera in question uses).

Thank you so much for this suggestion. I will investigate further...

wm700293