Tips for the Snow

Brockspur

I'm lucky to have a month in Whistler coming up.
Looking forward to taking some great shots of ski action & snowscapes with my 60D & 17-55mm f2.8.

Does anyone have any tips on additional gear I should consider getting or more general tips for shooting in snow ?...I'm thinking I'll need a more powerful telefoto to hopefully capture some jumps etc. from afar.
thanks!

Andy

http://news.smugmug.com/2005/12/04/weather-report/

ThatCanonGuy

Shoot RAW so you can correct white balance in post. Set the camera to overexpose (like Andy's link). It depends on how far away the skiers are, but you may want to get a 300mm f4 or a 70-200. The 17-55 should be great for snowscapes.

Brockspur

ThatCanonGuy wrote: »

Shoot RAW so you can correct white balance in post. Set the camera to overexpose (like Andy's link). It depends on how far away the skiers are, but you may want to get a 300mm f4 or a 70-200. The 17-55 should be great for snowscapes.

Yep, got the point about exposure - planning to set custom WB and shoot manual so should be no prob.
I like the idea of getting a 70-200 and have read another thread debating the f2.8 vs. f4....

My logic is that given light should be no prob & I'm likely to be shooting at high shutter speeds I don't need IS....and can therefore get away with the f4 without IS...easier on the wallet !
Agree - or am I missing a trick?

ziggy53

I suppose it should be mentioned that I recommend using a camera bag to hold the camera and lenses when you return from the cold outdoors into a warm and humid indoors. Let everything in the bag warm slowly before you open the bag and try to use it indoors.

In sub-zero (Fahrenheit) I also recommend a plastic bag, tied tight, to allow the humidity to equalize "after" the temperatures equalize between equipment and room. In other words, keep the bag sealed going from outdoors (cold) to indoors (warm) and until the equipment inside the bag are near room temperature. Then it's safe to open the plastic bag and let the humidity equalize in the equipment.

Lenses are most susceptible to fogging and, potentially, lens mold/mildew/fungus. Cameras, especially dSLRs, can also fog and condensate. Give your equipment some extra consideration to avoid problems later.

ThatCanonGuy

Brockspur wrote: »

Yep, got the point about exposure - planning to set custom WB and shoot manual so should be no prob.
I like the idea of getting a 70-200 and have read another thread debating the f2.8 vs. f4....

My logic is that given light should be no prob & I'm likely to be shooting at high shutter speeds I don't need IS....and can therefore get away with the f4 without IS...easier on the wallet !
Agree - or am I missing a trick?

Yeah, I'd probably get the f4 non-IS. IS wouldn't be useful in good light with moving subjects - you'd have it off anyway. The 2.8 versions would give you a better (more blurry) background, and they'd activate your camera's f/2.8 cross-type sensor. They'd also give you more light in the viewfinder. Are those worth the extra $600 or so? For me, I'd say probably not.

travischance

ziggy53 wrote: »

I suppose it should be mentioned that I recommend using a camera bag to hold the camera and lenses when you return from the cold outdoors into a warm and humid indoors. Let everything in the bag warm slowly before you open the bag and try to use it indoors.

In sub-zero (Fahrenheit) I also recommend a plastic bag, tied tight, to allow the humidity to equalize "after" the temperatures equalize between equipment and room. In other words, keep the bag sealed going from outdoors (cold) to indoors (warm) and until the equipment inside the bag are near room temperature. Then it's safe to open the plastic bag and let the humidity equalize in the equipment.

Lenses are most susceptible to fogging and, potentially, lens mold/mildew/fungus. Cameras, especially dSLRs, can also fog and condensate. Give your equipment some extra consideration to avoid problems later.

To add to Ziggy's post, I'd recommend removing your memory cards once you're done shooting. This will allow you to review the images on a pc without removing your camera/lenses from the plastic bags.

travischance

Andy wrote: »

http://news.smugmug.com/2005/12/04/weather-report/

Andy:

I'm looking to add a blog to my page. Is this a template that we have readily available or was it designed in another program (Wordpress, etc). I like the fact that is consistent with SM. Thanks in advance!