# Backup body for extreme environment



## PatchedUp (Jan 31, 2015)

hi everyone, I'm going to be living and working in Antarctica soon and I'm looking for a good backup body to take with me. My main body is a 7D mark I which I love and has pretty much everything I need.
I would be looking to use the camera for a range of uses across various environments (at sea, Falklands, peninsula, mainland continent, icebergs, low-light, astro, birds etc.) and would ideally need to be weather sealed and cold weather tolerant (-55 Celsius).
I'm going to be down there for 18 months so although my main body will be used most, it is a long time and all gear breaks, there is obviously nowhere to get it fixed/replaced should I need to.

I was thinking about getting a FF backup and wasn't entirely ruling out a nice and cheap 5D mark I, it's obviously old now but still an excellent body. I had even considered all the way up to a 1Ds mk III, so a fairly flexible budget.

It doesn't need to be FF but already have a great APS-C body so something different wouldn't do any harm and weather sealing would be very much preferable when I'm up in the more northern wetter areas.

Any suggestions?


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## Chisox2335 (Jan 31, 2015)

Stock up on batteries. They will die very quickly in those temps. I'd recommend getting a second camera that uses the same batteries. Either a 7d or 5d2 maybe? I would usually recommend the 6d over the 5d2 but I think the weather sealing is better than the 6d


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## Chisox2335 (Jan 31, 2015)

PatchedUp said:


> hi everyone, I'm going to be living and working in Antarctica soon and I'm looking for a good backup body to take with me. My main body is a 7D mark I which I love and has pretty much everything I need.
> I would be looking to use the camera for a range of uses across various environments (at sea, Falklands, peninsula, mainland continent, icebergs, low-light, astro, birds etc.) and would ideally need to be weather sealed and cold weather tolerant (-55 Celsius).
> I'm going to be down there for 18 months so although my main body will be used most, it is a long time and all gear breaks, there is obviously nowhere to get it fixed/replaced should I need to.
> 
> ...



Another benefit of the 5d2 over the 6d for you is the 5d2 and 7d both use compact flash too


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## Don Haines (Jan 31, 2015)

Hi,

Have you considered one of the Olympus Tough series p/s cameras? You can put them in an inside pocket of your parka where the humidity would kill any DSLR. They are waterproof and will work in colder temperatures than the DSLRs. Obviously, no where near the picture quality, but they do make a compact emergency backup.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Jan 31, 2015)

For environments with extreme climate you need 7D Mark II, or another 7D original. Stay away from the original 5D, which does not have the same level of weather resistance. The 5D Mark iii would be nice, but it seems expensive to consider a backup body.


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## PatchedUp (Jan 31, 2015)

Thanks for the replies. Certainly the sharing of batteries is a major bonus the 5d2 has over the 1d series or the 5d1. I will certainly be taking plenty of batteries and fortunately I will never be far from a source of power.
Ideally I would like to use CF cards rather than SD but will have a gopro which obviously uses SD for storage.
A friend took a 5d2 which served him well while he was out so I know this would be the safest option for reliability and compatibility with the 7d.
I had considered another 7d but would rather have a different body mainly because I was considering the advantage the FF offers. 

I think I will probably take along a cheap PS as an emergency backup too.

All things considered, it would probably be a 5d2. I agree a 5d3 would no longer be a backup and would be used alongside the 7d.


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## rfdesigner (Jan 31, 2015)

I've experienced astrophotgraphy gear packing up due to sub -10C temperatures.. test all your gear at low temperatures before you go. (be careful about bunging lenses in the freezer.. you won't like the amount of condensation they suffer when you take them out)

Take ziplock bags.. when a camera gets cold, bung it in the bag before taking it indoors.. then condensation will form on the bag and not the gear. Once warm you can take it out and there should be no problems.

Read what those who've been have done. just a quick google brought up these:

http://blog.quarkexpeditions.com/what-photography-gear-you-should-bring-to-antarctica

http://antarctica.kulgun.net/Photography/

Also don't discount film.. less electronics may be a good thing... just a thought


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## wtlloyd (Jan 31, 2015)

Half the (then) new 5D2 bodies quit working on our first landing in 2009. Conditions were steady drizzle, temperature about 40F. Some of those came back after drying out, some were bricked.
Absolutely use a plastic bag for an hour or two when bringing equipment indoors.
7D2 and 5D3 are the best weather-resistant (NOT proof!) bodies short of a 1D4 or 1DX.

Not all lenses are weather sealed, many of those that are require a clear filter of some sort to complete the sealing.


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## jhpeterson (Jan 31, 2015)

As one who regularly works in extreme environments (I'm typically on the ocean 100 days a year), I'd recommend you look into the 1D series of cameras. You mentioned you were already considering the 1DS III. It's a great choice. (I own three). Or, for the price of a 7d or used 5D2, you could get a 1D III. I know it's only 10 megapixels or so, but it has 10 fps, autofocuses great, is good for up to ISO 3200 and works just about anywhere.
And, the batteries are good for a couple thousand pictures in most conditions and keep their charge as well an any out there. Of course, to be on the safe side, get a spare.


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## PatchedUp (Jan 31, 2015)

I certainly nearly learnt the hard way about looking after the gear with condensation in the Arctic but the kit survived pretty well given the punishment I put it through. Thanks for the advise about freezer testing any new gear though, I will have to put it through its paces.


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## Don Haines (Jan 31, 2015)

rfdesigner said:


> Also don't discount film.. less electronics may be a good thing... just a thought


I had an OM-1 that still worked at -60C.... Film cameras were tough!

Don't forget hard cases with foam padding. Pull your camera out, take a picture ( or 50), and pop the camera back in. It will loose heat a lot slower that way, and when you come back in, leave the case shut so the gear can slowly warm up without condensation.


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## kurtj29 (Jan 31, 2015)

Don't take a chance, dump the 7D and get a 1D series body. The 1DM3 will take a much better picture IQ-wise than the 7D. A 1DM2 will be significantly better both from a reliability standpoint and image quality. You can pick up late mode serial number 1DM3s for around a $900 now. 

You can drop kick a 1D body and it will probably still work, try that with a 7D and then go pick up the pieces.


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## slclick (Jan 31, 2015)

Pocket hand warmer packs are great for keeping batteries ready to go and not cold depleted. True it only gets down to about -5F where I shoot but they work fantastically.


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## rfdesigner (Jan 31, 2015)

kurtj29 said:


> Don't take a chance, dump the 7D and get a 1D series body. The 1DM3 will take a much better picture IQ-wise than the 7D. A 1DM2 will be significantly better both from a reliability standpoint and image quality. You can pick up late mode serial number 1DM3s for around a $900 now.
> 
> You can drop kick a 1D body and it will probably still work, try that with a 7D and then go pick up the pieces.



Yes better weather sealing

No.. promised temperature range is still 0~40C.. On a pro-body, come on Canon, the automotive industry insists on -40~+85C.. why is your pro gear on the same temperature range as a TV?!!!


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## privatebydesign (Jan 31, 2015)

PatchedUp said:


> hi everyone, I'm going to be living and working in Antarctica soon and I'm looking for a good backup body to take with me. My main body is a 7D mark I which I love and has pretty much everything I need.
> I would be looking to use the camera for a range of uses across various environments (at sea, Falklands, peninsula, mainland continent, icebergs, low-light, astro, birds etc.) and would ideally need to be weather sealed and cold weather tolerant (-55 Celsius).
> I'm going to be down there for 18 months so although my main body will be used most, it is a long time and all gear breaks, there is obviously nowhere to get it fixed/replaced should I need to.
> 
> ...



1Ds MkIII.

I use them and for adverse conditions it is far and away the best bang for the buck, and the IQ, especially at low iso, has not yet been bested to any degree by any Canon camera.


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## digigal (Jan 31, 2015)

it's obviously old now but still an excellent body. I had even considered all the way up to a 1Ds mk III, so a fairly flexible budget.

[/quote]

My husband and I have been to Antarctica (including So Geo and the Falklands) twice with three 7D bodies between us and they all functioned flawlessly both times. We've also been to Hokkaido in winter (which was actually colder than Antarctica -10 to -16 Celsius on some days) and still the 7D's performed without a problem using the precautions that have been suggested for cold weather photography. Our 7D's have been to Wrangel Island, Siberia, Svalbard, and Homer, AK and tolerated the snow and cold in those areas without a problem. However you will be in Antarctica in winter so you will have greater cold demands so perhaps a 1D series may perform better under those ultra extreme conditions. My 7D finally failed after visiting 7 continents and with 260,000 clicks (rated for 150,000) so I really got my money's worth out of it--but it never failed me because of cold, wet, hot, sandy weather--just saying..
Catherine


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## Halfrack (Jan 31, 2015)

What weight or space restrictions are you going to be dealing with? You're much better off having 3-4 1D bodies (mk2/mk2N/mk3) than a single 7D. There are days you'll want the higher MP or iso ability, but for day in day out rough, using a 1D will be more resilient. 18 months, damn, not sure I could do that length of time.


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## kurtj29 (Jan 31, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> 1Ds MkIII.
> 
> I use them and for adverse conditions it is far and away the best bang for the buck, and the IQ, especially at low iso, has not yet been bested to any degree by any Canon camera.



So true on the 1DsM3. Best low ISO camera I ever had. Better than the 1DM4 and the 5DM3. I think I am going to pick one up.


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## pwp (Jan 31, 2015)

Photographers have had successful Antarctic trips with just about any camera you care to mention. I went for six weeks in the 1990's and was glad to have a couple of nice new Nikon F4 bodies, plus a very 
cool little Nikon L35AF http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/l35af.htm If I was going today I'd be taking two 1-Series and a classy compact.

But from the perspective that it is an incredibly expensive, almost certainly once in a lifetime trip, why take a chance with an aged or cheapo body? It's not difficult to travel first class with this. Think entirely in terms of 1-Series Canons. If you're on a tight budget, buy low-milage pre-owned and then re-sell them after your trip. You probably won't drop a penny on the deal and you'll have the security of shooting with 1-Series bodies.

-pw


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## jrista (Feb 1, 2015)

PatchedUp said:


> hi everyone, I'm going to be living and working in Antarctica soon and I'm looking for a good backup body to take with me. My main body is a 7D mark I which I love and has pretty much everything I need.



I have used my 7D Mark I in nearly every extreme circumstance there is:

Temps at -14°F through 102°F (-26°C - 39°C)
Howling wind at over 60mph
Rain
Sleet
Snow
Hail
Fog (w/ sealed lenses)


I've dropped it a few times, even. I haven't actually used it literally in a hurricane, and I haven't used it at -50 near the north pole shooting Aurora (yet. ) I've got over 100,000 exposures on it at this point. Personally, I think most cameras these days can handle the extremes pretty well, if they are properly sealed. I'm not really sure how much the various different "levels" of sealing matter...I know some brands tout better sealing than others, but my 7D doesn't have top of the line sealing, and it's still pounding away, a dedicated workhorse.




PatchedUp said:


> I would be looking to use the camera for a range of uses across various environments (at sea, Falklands, peninsula, mainland continent, icebergs, low-light, astro, birds etc.) and would ideally need to be weather sealed and cold weather tolerant (-55 Celsius).
> I'm going to be down there for 18 months so although my main body will be used most, it is a long time and all gear breaks, there is obviously nowhere to get it fixed/replaced should I need to.



The ONE thing you might have trouble with is shutter actuation and battery life at -55°C. My 7D gets fairly sluggish and sticktion-prone at -25°C. I haven't noticed that yet with my 5D III, which has been used in similar cold. Batteries also get pretty sluggish in the cold. Weather sealing wise, I think you'll be fine, but you might want to see what the pros who shoot penguins and such at the Falklands do about that. Some mirrorless cameras with electronic shutters wouldn't have the shutter problem, but the battery problem, that's likely fairly universal.


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## jhpeterson (Feb 1, 2015)

Why so much good talk about the 7D?
I don't know if anyone else has had my experience, but I had a run of bad luck with mine. Thought I'd trade in an almost new 5D2 for one, because I thought it might be better sealed. 
It may have been, but in the year I owned it I sent it back to Canon four times. Had it not been for my CPS Platinum membership, the repair costs would would have been more than the initial price.

To the OP, if you can afford it, get a 1DS Mark III. Or several. If not, get a 1D III.


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## jrista (Feb 1, 2015)

jhpeterson said:


> Why so much good talk about the 7D?




Because...the 7D is a friggin TANK! 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCT-YMgjm9k&x-yt-ts=1422579428&x-yt-cl=85114404


8)


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## PatchedUp (Feb 1, 2015)

Halfrack said:


> What weight or space restrictions are you going to be dealing with? You're much better off having 3-4 1D bodies (mk2/mk2N/mk3) than a single 7D. There are days you'll want the higher MP or iso ability, but for day in day out rough, using a 1D will be more resilient. 18 months, damn, not sure I could do that length of time.



Fortunately there are no weight restrictions as I will make the entire journey by boat from the UK. Equally space restrictions are more than generous so both are a non-issue.

The more replies I see in this thread the more I think I may be settling for a 1ds3 and will probably bring along a 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, 24-105 f/4 a 2x extender and a samyang 14. Hopefully that should cover me sufficiently without taking too much but any ideas on the lens choice? I'm not too concerned about the lack of the 24-70 f/2.8 II.


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## Don Haines (Feb 1, 2015)

Something else to consider..... 18 months is a lot of pictures. If it were me, I would be bringing along 4 of those 2TB USB hard drives... Two for storage and two for backup.... And several spare memory cards... Can't run out to best buy....


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## PatchedUp (Feb 1, 2015)

I was planning at the very least 4-5TB of storage with double redundancy (one on each side of the base fire partition) with at least 5 cards. With exception of the week long winter trips I wouldn't expect to be away from the base for any real length of time so shouldn't need many cards in terms of capacity rather for redundancy/spare.


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## Khufu (Feb 1, 2015)

slclick said:


> Pocket hand warmer packs are great for keeping batteries ready to go and not cold depleted. True it only gets down to about -5F where I shoot but they work fantastically.



Failing that, if you've ever wondered why we have armpits, they're for snuggly storing batteries! Also a good place for reheating smaller lenses... I know. Photographers are disgusting!


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## mackguyver (Feb 2, 2015)

I wouldn't consider the 5D or 5DII as there are numerous reports of their somewhat poor weather sealing. I'd go for a 2nd (refurb) 7D or an older 1D body if you can swing the cost.


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## privatebydesign (Feb 8, 2015)

Already gave my opinion, but just saw this and thought it was interesting and relevant.

http://petapixel.com/2012/12/20/frozen-camera-what-a-dslr-looks-like-when-shooting-in-a-25c-environment/


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## Valvebounce (Feb 8, 2015)

Hi privatebydesign. 
Thanks for sharing this link, I'd have been worried about condensation thawing them out in front of an oven! I watched the time lapse video made at the time, very nice work. Really liked the towns lighting up. This fellow seems to be quite talented!  ;D

Cheers, Graham. 



privatebydesign said:


> Already gave my opinion, but just saw this and thought it was interesting and relevant.
> 
> http://petapixel.com/2012/12/20/frozen-camera-what-a-dslr-looks-like-when-shooting-in-a-25c-environment/


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## rfdesigner (Feb 12, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> Already gave my opinion, but just saw this and thought it was interesting and relevant.
> 
> http://petapixel.com/2012/12/20/frozen-camera-what-a-dslr-looks-like-when-shooting-in-a-25c-environment/



tad chilly.. that guy needs a dew heater: http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-dew-heater-tapes.html

(no connection, just a happy customer)

In fact the OP might benefit (note, the idea is not to "cook" the optics, but to keep it just 1C or so above ambient, then no moisture will condense or frost form.


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## tolusina (Feb 13, 2015)

Some copy/pasted specs......
---
Operating Environment

Canon 1Dx and 7DII

Working Temperature Range
32-104°F/0-40°C

Working Humidity Range
85% or less
---
Pentax K-3

Operating temperature: 14-104°F (-10 to 40°C)

Weather resistant: Yes (92 special sealing parts)
---
I expect such specs to be somewhat conservative in that you can still expect some performance when operating outside those stated envelopes. Exactly how far beyond spec will vary by unit and use/care case.


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## PatchedUp (Apr 1, 2015)

Just a wee update, decided to throw caution to the wind and upgraded to a 1DX and use both as equals depending on what requirements I would like at the time. In reality though will probably just use the 7D for the extra reach.

At least the glass decision was much less costly...!


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## privatebydesign (Apr 1, 2015)

PatchedUp said:


> Just a wee update, decided to throw caution to the wind and upgraded to a 1DX and use both as equals depending on what requirements I would like at the time. In reality though will probably just use the 7D for the extra reach.
> 
> At least the glass decision was much less costly...!



Just make sure you run a few thousand images through it and give it a real shakedown and get to know it. The return policy is a lengthy process from Antarctica addresses  I'd take three batteries at least too.


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## PatchedUp (Apr 2, 2015)

Definitely, I'm not heading off for another 6 months so I thought that should be more than plenty of time to discover any issues and get them resolved in time.

3 was the number of batteries I was planning, so glad to hear that its a reasonable number to take.

Can't wait to start playing!


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## PatchedUp (Apr 30, 2016)

For anyone who is interested in an update, the camera is doing well down in Antarctica. The 7D hardly sees any action at all now.

The other week the camera took a bit of a punishing in mid -35 Celsius (~-31F) for about 3 days - needless to say the zooming action was pretty stiff on the lenses and the screens/viewfinder were pretty slow to respond but the camera itself worked great albeit with atrocious battery life. I got about 30 shots out of a battery before it needed to be warmed up again! Rotating the batteries meant I could keep shooting all day without issue however.

Holding the camera at those temperatures even with big thick gloves was a bit uncomfortable, it just zapped all the heat out of my hands!

Will have to see how it copes in colder temperatures now that we are getting deeper into winter.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 1, 2016)

Strangely enough, Li-On batteries are extremely poor in the cold, but Ni-MH holdup fine, so a grip for the 7D with Ni-MH batteries might have given a longer battery life, or not degrade as much. Lack of effective weather sealing would be the big concern

Since you must wear thick mittens, the larger camera is easier to use.


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## David the street guy (May 3, 2016)

PatchedUp said:


> For anyone who is interested in an update, the camera is doing well down in Antarctica. The 7D hardly sees any action at all now.
> 
> The other week the camera took a bit of a punishing in mid -35 Celsius (~-31F) for about 3 days - needless to say the zooming action was pretty stiff on the lenses and the screens/viewfinder were pretty slow to respond but the camera itself worked great albeit with atrocious battery life. I got about 30 shots out of a battery before it needed to be warmed up again! Rotating the batteries meant I could keep shooting all day without issue however.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the update, it's very nice of you to take the time to make us dream about your icy paradise! I understand perfectly what you mean by "zapping all the heat", I experienced a similar feeling with my bulky 1D ii this winter. It was not on a very cold day, but it seems that under -25°C or so, the mass of the camera is enough for that effect to be produced. 

As winter is upon you way down south, the last patches of snow are slowly melting, here in Québec: let us both enjoy the magic and the beauty of the seasons!

Thanks again!


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## rfdesigner (May 3, 2016)

PatchedUp said:


> For anyone who is interested in an update, the camera is doing well down in Antarctica. The 7D hardly sees any action at all now.
> 
> The other week the camera took a bit of a punishing in mid -35 Celsius (~-31F) for about 3 days - needless to say the zooming action was pretty stiff on the lenses and the screens/viewfinder were pretty slow to respond but the camera itself worked great albeit with atrocious battery life. I got about 30 shots out of a battery before it needed to be warmed up again! Rotating the batteries meant I could keep shooting all day without issue however.
> 
> ...



Thanks for getting back. As a result I followed the link to your site (little globe under your avatar).

You've got some some lovely images in there.


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## pwp (May 4, 2016)

I worked in the Antarctica with a pair of Nikons but was extremely glad I made the decision to also pack a high quality pocket camera. It got used far more than I could have predicted.

-pw


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## Mikehit (May 4, 2016)

rfdesigner said:


> As a result I followed the link to your site (little globe under your avatar).
> 
> You've got some some lovely images in there.



+1
8)


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## PatchedUp (May 4, 2016)

Thanks for the kind words guys, I'm glad people are enjoying the photos!

- David, the sun has only just left us but talk of the snow melting makes me want a bit of warmth from that strange yellow glow in the sky!


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