Calvin’s Hub

We’re set to go to Beijing, China at the end of the month and I heard that winter came early there. Below 0 degrees and also snowing some times that it got me thinking the effect it will have on our digital camera. Living in a tropical country, I have no experience using an electronic gadget in a really cold climate.

So I got into research mode and here are some tips I found that would help us take care of our digital camera/s for our trip.

Going out in the cold

It’s ok to use any type of digital cameras out in the cold but it will quickly drain your battery. Even if a camera is said to be freezeproof, it doesn’t mean that it will insulate the battery to prolong its life. Conserve your battery by lessening the use of the LCD. Do your shot preview inside.

Try to keep the camera warm when not in use. Put it inside your coat near your body to preserve the heat and only take it out when necessary. Bring spare batteries if you can.

Going inside from the cold

When you bring your camera inside a warm environment from a cold one, you have to watch out for condensation. This is when water droplets will form when the cold surface of your camera comes into contact with moisture from the warm room.

Just like when you bring out a can of soda from the fridge, it will sweat when in room temperature. The water droplets may form inside the camera or lens and might ruin it if it doesn’t dry up properly.

To easily combat against condensation, prior to bringing your camera to a warm room, put it inside a Ziploc bag so that moisture will happen on the plastic instead of the camera. Take out your camera once it gradually adjusts to room temperature.

Can’t wait to experience snow in Beijing. Hope we there’s some more left when we get there.

• My Rockport Hanick is ready for the cold weather
• Back from Subic with a camera in tow
• A year’s subscription of digital magazine from Zinio for free
• Got my own iPod Touch from Digital Walker

Filed under: Gadgets n' Games, Tips n' Trix