Shooting in wintery cold weather with a DSLR

Kosh

Kosh

Hello everyone. So yours truly is scheduled for another video shoot this weekend. It's a two day shoot with the better part of one of the days being an outdoors shoot. Problem? This is Harrisburg, PA and it is wicked cold right now. Though things will get much warmer this weekend (a whopping 36 degrees and some snow) I have some concerns about taking my 60D out into the frosty elements. So I come calling on the IT faithful for some advice on how to go about this and save my camera.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
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60D is only a little less weather-sealed than a 7D, and I know from experience that the 7D will shoot in most conditions you'll find on our planet. It tends to overheat a lot above 105F, but I've had it in snow and rain and sprinklers and it does fine.

I haven't used a 60D though, but I'm basing the "slightly less weather sealing" in this incredibly detailed breakdown: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-60D-DSLR-Camera-Review.aspx#Sealing

A weather sealed lens will help a lot here too.
 
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It should work fine but there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Batteries deplete faster so you may want to take extra ones with you.

And when you're done shooting and are going to take the camera back inside or into a warm car etc, remember to seal it in a plastic baggy. Then once inside, let it rest for a while and open the baggy just a tiny bit so that the temp can gradually equal out.
 
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It's probably irrelevant now, but if you plan to do more shots in a similar environment, I would really recommend getting a hold of a weatherpoof bag like a DiCAPac. They won't do anything for the condensation (which really requires timing and patience!) but they will sure as hell stop snow, dust and water damage in their tracks.

You can generally pick them up for anywhere around $60 depending on your equipment, which is absolutely nothing compared to the cost of replacing a wet camera!
 
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