# M5 and Cold Weather Question



## digigal (Aug 15, 2018)

I've used my M5 in the heat and in the desert in Africa but not in the cold and the snow. I would like to use it as my wide angle option on a trip to Antarctica to pair with my 7DM2 and 100-400. The than the usual shorter battery life due to the cold has anyone had any particular issues?
Catherine


----------



## neuroanatomist (Aug 15, 2018)

digigal said:


> I've used my M5 in the heat and in the desert in Africa but not in the cold and the snow. I would like to use it as my wide angle option on a trip to Antarctica to pair with my 7DM2 and 100-400. The than the usual shorter battery life due to the cold has anyone had any particular issues?
> Catherine



Hopefully someone who's been to Antarctica will chime in. In addition to batteries, LCDs have trouble in extreme cold temperatures. Personally, here in New England I've been out shooting in temperatures low enough that the LCD on my 1D X stopped working (everything else worked fine, and I was perfectly able to continue shooting) . I presume the same thing would've happened to an EVF, and it's rather difficult to compose an image without being able to see what the camera sees. 

Regardless, have a great trip!


----------



## digigal (Aug 15, 2018)

Regardless, have a great trip![/QUOTE]


neuroanatomist said:


> Hopefully someone who's been to Antarctica will chime in. In addition to batteries, LCDs have trouble in extreme cold temperatures. Personally, here in New England I've been out shooting in temperatures low enough that the LCD on my 1D X stopped working (everything else worked fine, and I was perfectly able to continue shooting) . I presume the same thing would've happened to an EVF, and it's rather difficult to compose an image without being able to see what the camera sees.
> 
> Regardless, have a great trip!


Thanks! Since we'll be going in their "summer" the weather will be similar to Tahoe in the winter (if it's anything like the times I've been before) so it's not as bitterly cold as MN, Hudson Bay, or even areas of Japan that I've photographed in Fall/Winter. I've never had trouble with my 7D or 7DM2 there from the cold but the M5 is considerably less robust.


----------



## bhf3737 (Aug 15, 2018)

digigal said:


> I've used my M5 in the heat and in the desert in Africa but not in the cold and the snow. I would like to use it as my wide angle option on a trip to Antarctica to pair with my 7DM2 and 100-400. The than the usual shorter battery life due to the cold has anyone had any particular issues?
> Catherine


I have used M5 in minus 15-ish (Centigrade) outdoor about 4 hours intervals for time lapse and didn't have problem with the camera or battery. The lens (Sigma 35mm f/1.4 which is not weather resistant) was a different story and picked up condensation and became unusable.


----------



## takesome1 (Aug 15, 2018)

Sub Zero temperature my 5D II mirror failed. It makes a good argument for mirrorless.

Batteries have a problem in cold, but I have no experience with the M5 battery.
The M5 has a problem eating batteries anyway. Would you be able to charge on the ship (I am assuming ship)?
If I were somewhere on vacation I couldn't charge for a week with my M5 I would take a half dozen batteries. Maybe more.

I haven't been but Antartica is on my list. There are many articles on taking the trip. A common theme is condensation and failure because of moving from hot to cold environments (ship to outside). Like you say the M5 is less robust, I would worry more about it making the trip than the 7D II. I have this part of my plan pegged for when I go, take every body I have for backup. This trip would give me a reason to buy in a 1Dx II for the cameras robust nature.

From the trips I have looked at $20 to $25k would get me there and back with the wife. It would be a once in a life time trip, buying a backup body and better lenses to take would be easy to justify.


----------



## digigal (Aug 16, 2018)

takesome1 said:


> Sub Zero temperature my 5D II mirror failed. It makes a good argument for mirrorless.
> 
> Batteries have a problem in cold, but I have no experience with the M5 battery.
> The M5 has a problem eating batteries anyway. Would you be able to charge on the ship (I am assuming ship)?
> ...


Luckily my husband and I have been 4 times (we're penguin addicts--at least I am and he indulges me!). As I said, the temperature is usually no harsher than Lake Tahoe (or probably the Utah/Colorado) ski areas in the winter with temperatures around freezing but on a nice sunny day may go up to 40 F or down in the 20's on a cloudy, rainy day. I've never had a problem with my 7D/7DMK2 on those trips or the 24-105, 100-400 II, or 70-200 f/2.8 II that I've taken. My husband did lay his camera down to shoot some video with his video cam and when he picked it up realized that it had been in a pool off water and the Tamron zoom that was on it had to go into a plastic bag with some dissicating packets for a couple of days before it was functional again. That's been our only equipment problem over 4 trips and that was operator error. I wish my fingers worked as well in the cold!!
Catherine


----------



## takesome1 (Aug 16, 2018)

You should be giving us advice then.

Just take the wide angle you want for your 7D II as backup and do not worry.


----------



## ejenner (Sep 4, 2018)

Hmm, I guess 'sub-zero' means like -10F or lower? I have used a 5DII and 5DIII in about 0-5F and been just fine except for having to warm batteries.

I have a M6 which I took into the CO mountains this winter when it was not snowing (although it did get a little snowed on and was just fine). I'd guess temps around 10F since I don't remember feeling too cold (mostly the 60mph wind at 10-15F that freezes ones face off).

However, that small battery does get cold more quickly than the 5DII/III batteries. But, seems like you are clued into that.


----------



## jschoonj (Dec 3, 2018)

Seems to be handeling fine on the ice for the camerastoretv guys (now dpreviewtv)


----------



## Deleted member 378664 (Dec 3, 2018)

digigal said:


> I've used my M5 in the heat and in the desert in Africa but not in the cold and the snow. I would like to use it as my wide angle option on a trip to Antarctica to pair with my 7DM2 and 100-400. The than the usual shorter battery life due to the cold has anyone had any particular issues?
> Catherine


Last January/February I went to Antarctica with my M5 and my 6DMII. Due to the fact that the "normal" Tourist only gets to antarctica during the antarctic summer you don't have to fear too cold weather conditions. During my 3 weeks the coldest temperature I experienced were ~0 Grad Celsius when I crossed the southern polar circle. None of the cameras was not working. The landings are not hat long that your camera would be exposed to the cold more than one hour. Keep a second battery with you and hold it warm until you need it.


----------



## digigal (Dec 5, 2018)

Well, I've returned from Snow Hill and the Emperors and did take the M5 as a wide angle but our weather was so bright with the glare from the sun off the reflected snow and ice it was very difficult to use. Also the tiny buttons with gloves was another issue. At the colony we were kept so far back from the penguins so it was better for me to do panos with my 70-200 and stitch them than trying to use a wide angle because there were few close up opportunities for the M5. The only time I used the M5 was in the helicopter going and coming from the ship. So I mainly used the 100-400 or the 70-200 on my 7DMII and it worked fine. I would have liked to have had a couple of more days to shoot from other vantage points but that was not to be. At least I made my bucket list trip. The temps while we were there was unusually warm--mid 30's. The group 2.5 weeks prior to us had 20 below with snow! 
Attached are some pictures. The 3rd one was from my iPhone.
Catherine


----------

