Frozen 911

David Rakoczy · February 5, 2009

I have to shoot time lapse in 5 hours in 25 degree weather with my SR2 using 7212. I have no experience shooting in sub freezing weather. Should I download what I have already shot for safety reasons or just go do the shot on the same mag and not worry about the film, exposed and not yet exposed? Is Kodak made to operate under these extreme temps?

Thanks!

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Alessandro Machi · February 5, 2009

Hi David, I'm just replying because sometimes people are more apt to look at a topic if it has a response to it.

I hope someone comes through with an answer. If no one else responds would it make sense to go out now in the cold and see how your camera performs, or is that too much grief this late in the game?

I am curious if the fact that you are doing single frame versus real time is an advantage or a disadvantage for your situation. Also, do you have to worry about bringing the camera back into the warm right away?

David Rakoczy · February 5, 2009

Hi David, I'm just replying because sometimes people are more apt to look at a topic if it has a response to it.

I hope someone comes through with an answer. If no one else responds would it make sense to go out now in the cold and see how your camera performs, or is that too much grief this late in the game?

I am curious if the fact that you are doing single frame versus real time is an advantage or a disadvantage for your situation. Also, do you have to worry about bringing the camera back into the warm right away?

Thank you. I am not concerned about my camera. My worry is brittle film. Called Kodak... Closed... No emergency hot line. I am shooting in Florida of all places to have this concern.

James Steven Beverly · February 5, 2009

David, I don't have experience per se' however, I do know Soviet equipment which often had to be used under cold conditions, came with built in heaters and I've also seen Arri mag heaters and barneys. Since 25 deg. is well below freezing, I would expect both the camera and film to have problems at that temperature and probably find a way to keep the camera warm, maybe wrapping it in an electric blanket set on a low setting (60-65 deg something like that) since you probably don't have time to find a proper heated barney for it. I should imagine that might work, that or setting up some sort of enclosure to film from where you can warm the camera to a proper operating temperature. The other problem in Florida may be humidity and condensation forming due to the temperature difference.

Edited February 5, 2009 by James Steven Beverly

Jim Hyslop · February 5, 2009

I have to shoot time lapse in 5 hours in 25 degree weather with my SR2 using 7212. I have no experience shooting in sub freezing weather.

This was discussed a few weeks back (here is the thread). I think you'll be fine. I was 2AC on a shoot that was around 20 degrees, and we took no special precautions. The main thing is to keep the batteries warm - the cold will kill them very quickly. See the thread for other tips.

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Jim

Jim Hyslop · February 5, 2009

Actually, there is one other extremely important consideration: condensation. When you're done and bring the camera back inside, make sure you allow plenty of time for the camera to come up to room temperature before opening the magazine to offload the film or remove the lenses (or lens cap).

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Jim

David Rakoczy · February 5, 2009

Actually, there is one other extremely important consideration: condensation. When you're done and bring the camera back inside, make sure you allow plenty of time for the camera to come up to room temperature before opening the magazine to offload the film or remove the lenses (or lens cap).

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Jim

Thanks.

Will allow the equipment plenty of time to acclimate before and after. Only need to roll 240 frames but that will take 2 hours. Will use my Block Battery. Main concern is.... well, was the neg being too brittle. Unfortunately we have no other options available than taping hand warmers to the mag and no doubt they won't do a thing except get in the way and detract from the camera's sleek visual appeal. Thanks all and for the thread link. Gotta sleep. Up in 4 hours.

Nigh night.

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Walter Graff · February 5, 2009

Thanks.

Will allow the equipment plenty of time to acclimate before and after. Only need to roll 240 frames but that will take 2 hours. Will use my Block Battery. Main concern is.... well, was the neg being too brittle. Unfortunately we have no other options available than taping hand warmers to the mag and no doubt they won't do a thing except get in the way and detract from the camera's sleek visual appeal. Thanks all and for the thread link. Gotta sleep. Up in 4 hours.

Nigh night.

Sent from my iPhone.

The only experience I had with such extremes was in the early eighties doing some multiple overnight timelapses. We set up in the dead of winter. We learned that not only do you want to wait after you bring it in, but when you set it up, you also need to let is get acclimated too, then do a final optics check before you leave. Give it plenty of time to acclimate to going outside. In one instance we got condensation on the rear element of the lens. Thankfully we checked the rear element before we were all done as the lens had formed ice crystals in one corner. I can't tell you the temp when we did our overnighters, but it was below zero. We did blanket the camera, which may have given us a slightly warmer temp inside. I remember my assistant made a really nice wrap out of a sound blanket. And indeed the next day when we went to change mags the temp of the camera was noticeably warmer than some of the other equipment left exposed. My assistant was very cautious about the temp change going indoors and took the mag and first brought it into his car where he slowly heated it up, then later brought it inside. He said he would do nothing till the mag reached room temp by touch. The film ended up perfect albeit the first night we had an annoying little lens flare from a light that was in the shot. A slight adjustment of angle fixed that.

David Rakoczy · February 5, 2009

Good morning. The temp is 27. Much warmer than expected :ph34r: Sitting in the car watching the Capping Shutter light trigger every 15 seconds. All is well!

Thanks again for your replies!

This is the martini shot..... Next shot is in a glass...

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