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Cold weather effect on cameras?


Guest JIntorcio

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Guest JIntorcio

I?m curious about what happens to typical disposable cameras in sub-freezing weather. Has anyone had a camera out in a cache in such a climate? I?d worry about the battery in a camera with flash ? the cold must degrade the output ? and I?d think the film could become brittle as well? I?m contemplating a cache location that will see severe winter temperatures (Northern New England at 3000?+) and wondering if skipping the camera might be a good idea. Any thoughts?

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Guest CaptHawke

Here's a question/answer from the Kodak web site regarding their cameras and extreme temps.

 

Q: I've heard it's a good idea to keep a one-time-use camera in the glove compartment of my car in case of emergencies. Won't the extreme temperatures hurt it?

 

A: The interior of a vehicle can be a very hostile environment for both photographic film and for cameras. Frigid conditions alone will not necessarily cause harm to film. Some of the difficulties that might be encountered when photographing with a one-time use camera which has been kept in a car under sub-zero temperatures include: brittle film tearing, film advance mechanism failing, shutter sticking or failing, and flash performing poorly because of weak energy delivery from frozen batteries. In the summer, temperatures inside a car can easily reach 200° F or more. At these high temperatures there is the strong potential for physical damage (such as film sticking to itself) as well as loss of picture quality (low contrast, color shift, and poor shadow detail).

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Guest Quinnow

Ok...with that said and done I am sure that most people don't place caches in areas that reach 200 degree's, and if they do, there wont be anyone finding them anyways icon_biggrin.gif

 

I have placed cameras in my caches and left one out in weather that reached -3 degree's and was buried in over a foot of snow for about 2 months. I then went after the camera when it was an average of 70 degree's outside and the day I took it the temp was 83 degree's. the pictures came out like new and look great! to see them go here http://www.navicache.com/photos.html

these are the pictures of my "ghosts domain" cache located in rochester, ny. the camera was a single use kodak non flash 27 exposure unit. By the way, I live in camera and film home town usa to kodak. I have many friends that work at kodak as well as a couple that make the film in the cameras, they insist that for what I use it for that it will more than perform when I get it back and develope it. icon_smile.gif oh! and for the last poster, I hope I didnt come across snide at the beginning of my post. As a matter of fact it's pretty cool that you got all that kodak information, it does come in pretty handy and I am making note of it as well for future use! thanks! icon_smile.gif

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

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Guest Quinnow

Ok...with that said and done I am sure that most people don't place caches in areas that reach 200 degree's, and if they do, there wont be anyone finding them anyways icon_biggrin.gif

 

I have placed cameras in my caches and left one out in weather that reached -3 degree's and was buried in over a foot of snow for about 2 months. I then went after the camera when it was an average of 70 degree's outside and the day I took it the temp was 83 degree's. the pictures came out like new and look great! to see them go here http://www.navicache.com/photos.html

these are the pictures of my "ghosts domain" cache located in rochester, ny. the camera was a single use kodak non flash 27 exposure unit. By the way, I live in camera and film home town usa to kodak. I have many friends that work at kodak as well as a couple that make the film in the cameras, they insist that for what I use it for that it will more than perform when I get it back and develope it. icon_smile.gif oh! and for the last poster, I hope I didnt come across snide at the beginning of my post. As a matter of fact it's pretty cool that you got all that kodak information, it does come in pretty handy and I am making note of it as well for future use! thanks! icon_smile.gif

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

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Guest bob_renner

quote:
Originally posted by Quinnow:

Ok...with that said and done I am sure that most people don't place caches in areas that reach 200 degree's, and if they do, there wont be anyone finding them anyways icon_biggrin.gif

...


How about 122 degrees. That's the record high here in Phoenix. That's in the shade. If a cache box was dark colored and exposed to direct sun, the inside could easily reach 200 degrees. The inside of cars supposedly get that hot if the windows are closed and it's a dark color inside and out.

 

Where you live you have to worry about knee deep snow which melts and can get inside a cache. We have the summer heat to melt the whole camera.

 

Bob

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Guest bob_renner

quote:
Originally posted by Quinnow:

Ok...with that said and done I am sure that most people don't place caches in areas that reach 200 degree's, and if they do, there wont be anyone finding them anyways icon_biggrin.gif

...


How about 122 degrees. That's the record high here in Phoenix. That's in the shade. If a cache box was dark colored and exposed to direct sun, the inside could easily reach 200 degrees. The inside of cars supposedly get that hot if the windows are closed and it's a dark color inside and out.

 

Where you live you have to worry about knee deep snow which melts and can get inside a cache. We have the summer heat to melt the whole camera.

 

Bob

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Guest Quinnow

we get some hotty's too! though not that gooey 122 you mentioned, we do get temps in the 100's at times. and on the day I took that camera from the cache it was very warm out, but I had the cache placed where the direct sun would not get to it. I think if people place caches in shaded or covered areas they should be just fine. If not, then place the melted camera in the cache box and call it an ashtray icon_biggrin.gif

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

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Guest Quinnow

we get some hotty's too! though not that gooey 122 you mentioned, we do get temps in the 100's at times. and on the day I took that camera from the cache it was very warm out, but I had the cache placed where the direct sun would not get to it. I think if people place caches in shaded or covered areas they should be just fine. If not, then place the melted camera in the cache box and call it an ashtray icon_biggrin.gif

 

------------------

Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

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Guest JIntorcio

Quinn's pictures certainly look fine and I can sure imagine that the film recovers... I'm still curious about actual use at cold temperatures - the kind of thing the Kodak info addresses. If this cache site works, it's possible that folks will be accessing this cache in sub-zero weather and trying to take a picture. That battery issue doesn't bother me - I'd probably go flash-less anyway. But I am concerned about the film breaking, failing to advance or shutter sticking issues. Anybody actually tried to use a cold one?

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