My Camera Struggles In Snowfall

[@MrJapanforce]

the winter mood of Finland and your calm natural voice and style re a great combination. Perfect.

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you!

[@KirstenBayes]

One of the reasons I picked up a Lumix G9 was the freeze proofing, after I had another camera glitch in the cold. Getting lots of use round about now!

[@mattisulanto]

Sounds great. I hope the G9 will give you many happy freezing photo moments. If you live in a cold climate you know, of course, that when it's snowing it's usually not that cold. During that photo walk it was about -2C which is quite balmy in winter😀 When it's cold, say below -15C, it's usually clear sky and sunny.

[@KirstenBayes]

@mattisulanto the camera goes down to -10 degrees: its owner will be inside a long time before that! It's been great.

[@mattisulanto]

@@KirstenBayes Your camera goes well beyond -10C. Even an old not weather sealed camera can do that😀Check out this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqColH6jqqynftE

[@KirstenBayes]

@@mattisulanto crikey, that really is taking one for the team, -21 C! Amazing devices, modern cameras!

[@intheblues]

Keep warm out there Matti! ☃️

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!😅

[@gordon3988]

Love the UPS definition! We have had a very mild winter here on the Westcoast of Canada (albeit good snow in our Mtns) very green and even have a few flowers blooming and some trees with blossoms, but this weekend we will see temps below freezing for several nights so that may soon change. Really enjoyed this video!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much!

[@thegreatvanziniphotos5976]

That was a fun walk,,, for me! Some great shots there, Matti.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@johnehman8685]

Very, very interesting! I benefit from the insight you offer on your photographic eye. This video especially helps me think more about the 50mm perspective.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much! Happy to hear the video was useful.

[@timothydalton8023]

What I got out of this video is the old axiom - always have your camera with you. What appeared to be a rather benign walk turned into a very nice photo walk with surprising results. I really enjoyed the photos of tiny people against a large background. Always love your videos!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I have to admit, I was a bit surprised myself at the photos I got😀

[@petemellows]

I do like that you turned a tedious frustration into a fun adventure

[@mattisulanto]

Yeah 100%. It was worth it and fun too.

[@jpsteiner2]

I love walking in the snow and taking photos. Part of the reason why I bought my OM System OM-5. It's a perfect 'bad weather' companion.

[@GLu-qc6vn]

Yeah, I took a photowalk with my OM-5 while it was snowing a few days ago. I chose one of my two waterproof lenses: the 12-45mm f4 Pro. Both camera and lens got a bit wet, and it was so nice not having any worries at all about damage.

[@seaeagles6025]

Hi Matti, it was a good idea to photograph those Orange Signs, the Orange Colour complimented the background. Nice view as you walked through the Snow. I enjoyed this walk it's always nice to watch Snow. Thanks Matti. 😊.

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you so much 😀

[@seaeagles6025]

Your very welcome Matti 😊

[@louisswaim7024]

That was a charming photo walk.

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you.

[@wadelapan5756]

I like the ambience of this walk, as well as the "First Street Outing With z6III" video. Going to rewatch both videos later.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I like to make these so much more than "gear" videos😀

[@wilfs1196]

Usually when it's really cold, the air is very dry & therefore no snow. Humidity increases, snowfall increase. I worked in the high Arctic in my younger days & had a small Canon film point & shoot of some sort. AS soon as the photo was taken, camera got tucked back into your clothing so the film wouldn't freeze & break.. Stopped work at -40, but anything above that was a go. I cherish those old photos the most.

[@mattisulanto]

Everyone who lives in cold climate knows that😀

[@truewarrior1980]

Very nice photo walk. Thank you. Please keep doing them any time of the year. I had the same issue on a rainy day. It may be a snow flake which melted on the sensor of the viewfinder. p.s. OK you came to the same conclusion

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much. More photo walks are on their way.

[@yourihdx]

One more interesting photo session, once again thanks a lot for another interesting story!

[@yourihdx]

And worth noticing that even picking up a parcel can turn into a photo walk.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@marcp.1752]

Hi Matti, for bad weather, i use simply an old DSLR, whereas it could being abandoned, in terms of getting some nice pictures out. Last sunday, it was snowing the 2nd and last time (if ever) for 2025 into my area, my city, and also neighbour cities. I took my chance, and was 3.5 hours into the snow, my lens had snow inside the tulip shape hood, and the zoom mechanism wasn't fully moving anymore....but i snapped some ~140 photos into that time, and some are being good enough for my personal needs, so it was fully worth it. After 2 days of acclimatization, and wiping it dry, the zoom was working like new again, no internal fogging, no water droplets inside - and my non weather proof Nikon also survived, it could take a beating with hours into snowfall, for sure.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@marcp.1752]

@@mattisulanto Very welcome, Matti. I used a old D40x

[@Aleksilausti]

Somehow quite relaxing watching this from the tropics 😅

[@mattisulanto]

No need to rub it in my face😂 I hope it's too hot over there😂

[@Aleksilausti]

@@mattisulanto Not yet but it will be soon enough and then I will be longing for some walks in the cold😃

[@SteveNetting]

Great video, as always; Both relaxing and inspiring! I'm interested to see you shooting exclusively with the rear screen. Do you have any videos which discuss your preference and technique? I've resisted mirrorless as I really value the bright, clear OVF of my Pentax DSLRs. However, watching you shoot, makes me question if being tied to an OVF is really a benefit, or limitation.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. As I explained in the video, I was using the screen so you could better see what I'm doing. I have talked about VF vs screen in a few videos. Both work well depending on the situation in hand.

[@janvirtanen9110]

I just use my old 5D mk2 during worse weather, worked very well even in north Finland. I have had it since it was released. I trust it more than my fancy 45mpix mirrorless high end camera 😅

[@mattisulanto]

I love it when people come in and say I have used MY (your camera here) camera in much WORSE conditions and NEVER have ANY problems. What do you think it proves if you've never had any issues with your camera? It proves that you (a single user) have never had issues. It does not prove that no 5D mk2 user has ever had any issues with their camera. I'm sure there are plenty of Z6III user who have never gotten a snow flake in the VF sensor. Actually I'm pretty sure that more than 99.9% have never experienced that. It happened to me when I was filming b-roll and held the camera wrong way up for a moment. I though I'd share it to bring in some drama into the video but I can see now it was a mistake.

[@janvirtanen9110]

@mattisulanto on my mirrorless i turned off my display and just used to viewfinder. Snow would often cause Problem when hitting the touchscreen or viewfinder sensor. But when selected just viewfinder in the menu everything would work ok.

[@caw25sha]

7:47 Looks like a lens?

[@mattisulanto]

No, not a lens😀

[@Dariusdd]

before you enter your warm home, do you place your camera in a bag such that condensation doesn't occur inside it or on the optics? I just went with my ZF on a mountain hike here at -15 degrees and used a resealable ikea bag to keep it until it warmed up, was surprised to see how much moisture my silica gel beads wicked up from that bag afterwards

[@mattisulanto]

If it's really cold I'll do that. However, during a snowfall it's not usually that cold. When I made the video it was about -2C and I performed no extra steps with my camera.

[@posceve]

Sorry, but what did you set on the dial on the right? In the video you can see that you change something with your thumb.. thank you

[@mattisulanto]

I changed the shutter speed.

[@mylesmccallum2947]

Strange. I shot last week for a few hours in a snow storm in Philadelphia, and the week before that for many hours in the snow with quite cold temperatures and high winds in Halifax and had no issues. I think that you are likely correct that there is snow in the little view finder sensor, which is a bit too sensitive at times. I use the z6III and an older z7II for archaeological fieldwork and find that dust sometimes settles in the sensor "window". A quick puff of air takes care of the blockage.

[@mattisulanto]

In the video I mention that there probably is snow in the VF sensor. However, it's not a good idea to blow warm air into the VF area when you are out in sub zero weather😀

[@wadelapan5756]

I have one camera that acts up in this way. I slide off the rubber surround that's on the EVF, and that solves it.

[@mylesmccallum2947]

@@mattisulanto I use a bulb, so cold air.

[@mattisulanto]

@@mylesmccallum2947 I admire your resourcefulness.

[@Democratiser]

My understanding is that ‘SP’, meaning Super Performance, is the current designation for the best of the Tamron lenses. But I agree that maybe they could jazz up the branding differentiation a bit.

[@mattisulanto]

Wrong video for that comment?

[@boonhantan8221]

It happened to me, the snowflakes must have covered the EVF sensor. Just wipe the EVF sensor dry will do.

[@mattisulanto]

Like I said in the video, that's what happened. It's a challenge to just wipe the sensor in the middle of a snowfall so I did it when I got back home.

[@ProbablyAnAmateur]

didnt get much chance to get photos of it snowing here but sometimes it'll snow in Feb/Mar/Apr. it could serve a test for my R7 and 18-150, but also my Panasonic. is there a setting to adjust the sensor sensitivity for the viewfinder? i think both my cameras have that.

[@mattisulanto]

Take a look at the user's manual. It's sometimes very useful😀 However, the automatic switch between the VF and screen probably does not work if snow flakes cover part of the sensor.

[@Martin-nu6ym]

@@mattisulanto I have experienced similar situation when a water droplet was on the EVF sensor. That was back when I used Sony cameras, now I watch out for that on any camera I use.

[@amermeleitor]

Was the EVF problem solved? It seems strange.

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, all good now that the camera is dry again. That can happen if water droplets or snow flakes cover part of the VF sensor.

[@zenonbillings9008]

really enjoyed seeing you out taking fotos in a snowy environment. here in the Niagara falls Canada region there has been very little snowfall so far so that's disappointing. when we get the deep snow I like to snow shoe on my foto walk which allows me to get some challenging and interesting images. thanks for sharing this video. Zen billings

[@mattisulanto]

@@zenonbillings9008 Thanks. The winters are not what they used to be. We get snow one day and then the next day we get rain. It's not easy to shoot proper winter/snow photos😀

[@sonofoneintheuniverse]

Have had several Sony cameras literally freezing over (night sky photo down to -30 C). Have never had problems in cold or snow or rain so far. Do use my cameras outside for hours every week. Day and night. Warm and freezing. Even foggy freezing nights. May just be lucky...

[@mattisulanto]

I had snow in the VF sensor and that can happen to any camera. You can also get some dirt or a water droplet into the VF sensor and then the automatic switch does not work any more. Nothing to do with cold weather.

[@caw25sha]

There's an easy solution to the problem of your viewfinder getting messed up by the snow - go to Kuala Lumpur 😀

[@mattisulanto]

That's a very good advice😅 However, not 100% reliable because a water droplet can do the same thing and it rains a lot in KL. Anyway, it's still a good tip and I may have to do that for the next winter😀

[@petripuurunen]

"Le tits now !" Kuten Sean Connery aikoinaan tietovisassa totesi. Nyt on kyllä kunnon lonkerokeli - suomalaisen synkkää mielenmaisemaa :)

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! Ihan jees keli ja kerrankin tuli lunta sen verran, että ehti kuvatakin jotain. Yleensä nää lumipyryt kestää puoli tuntia, eikä siinä kerkee edes pukea päällystakkia, kun lumen tulo jo loppuu😀

[@cameraprepper7938]

There only struggle I have, is that there are no snowfall now, but when the weather is cold with snowfall, I have no problems with my Sony Cameras.

[@mattisulanto]

Everyone seems to confuse snowfall and cold weather😀 During a snowfall it's not usually cold at all. When I made the video it was about -2C which is not a cold winter temperature. The issue I had with the camera had nothing to do with cold at all. The same thing could happen in rain as well and with any camera that has a sensor in the VF to automatically switch between the VF and the screen.