best cold weather batteries

[some like it cold]

Hi as a few of you know im headed to canada in january and hoping to take loads of photos the camera im borrowing takes aa batteries and im wondering what people have found are the best batteries for a digital camera in cold weather?

 

[sapper1]

Generally I find none of them are very good in the cold and so I tend to keep them in an inside pocket until needed.It's not very conveinient but when you need them they do work.Don't buy cheap either ,very often they dont work when new as they don't carry the milliamperage to power some cameras.A good type is lithium batteries.

 

[apj1974]

I know this is quite what you are asking, but for extreme cold I find it is often good to carry a small old (as manual as possible) film camera as a back up to the digital just in case. Personally I carry an Olympus XA in an inner pocket, I know its not totally manual but doesn't need its battery for a much as a modern digital.

 

[Laurentius]

I don't know about real sub zero extremes, but I have found lithium to be the only reliable batteries when there is a heavy frost outside.

 

[gunnix]

Lithium batteries. I also found the GP Recyko worked quite well in the cold, much better then the old type NIMH battery.

 

[QDanT]

I know this is quite what you are asking, but for extreme cold I find it is often good to carry a small old (as manual as possible) film camera as a back up to the digital just in case. Personally I carry an Olympus XA in an inner pocket, I know its not totally manual but doesn't need its battery for a much as a modern digital.

One of the reasons I went digital was that I couldn't get the Mercury button cells for my Olympus OM1 the wein (sp ?) equivalents were not liked by the light meter and come on how much Mercury was in a button cell compared to fish http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/faq/mercuryfish/
only joking cheers Danny

 

[TeeGeeBee]

Try to keep them warm and away from chill winds. Near the body until needed should be ok.

TGB

 

[Adrian]

I chose my digital compact to take to Norway(Olympus SP370) partly because it took AA batteries. Lithium is definitely the way to go - take a few more than you think you'll need, and keep a spare set of batteries with you in a pouch next to your body under your outer clothes - near the armpit or abdomen seems to work best for me.

 

[apj1974]

One of the reasons I went digital was that I couldn't get the Mercury button cells for my Olympus OM1 the wein (sp ?) equivalents were not liked by the light meter and come on how much Mercury was in a button cell compared to fish http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/faq/mercuryfish/
only joking cheers Danny

I guess that's an important lesson in not eating batteries nor trying to power your camera using fish.

 

[DavidJT]

I know this is quite what you are asking, but for extreme cold I find it is often good to carry a small old (as manual as possible) film camera as a back up to the digital just in case. Personally I carry an Olympus XA in an inner pocket, I know its not totally manual but doesn't need its battery for a much as a modern digital.

Problem with film at very low temperatures is that it can become brittle and snap in the camera. Then you get the classic where you are continuing to shoot and wind on, but the film is not going through the gate. (Check the rewind knob is turning, wind on gently, don't use a drive).
IMHO digital is a better option at low temperatures.

 

[rik_uk3]

Keep your batteries warm as said by others, they will work.

 

[Goatboy]

Hi All,

A trick I used to use to stop film becoming brittle and it works for cold batteries too was to tape a handwarmer, ( Disposable/Gel/or "peacock" handwarmer) http://www.peacockhandwarmers.co.uk/ to the back / base of the camera. Sorts you out at hight or just plain cold.

Hope this helps.

Cheers GB.