Our Final Video of 2024: Gloves, Ergos - and a Few Thoughts Held Until Now

[@nelsonclub7722]

Many wishes of good cheer to you, Claudia and the team Mr Hugh Sir - may your year be a merry, bright and prosperous one.

[@3BMEP]

Right back at you!

[@nelsonclub7722]

@@3BMEP ❤

[@EdwardPalisoc]

Awww, to my brother by another mother, I love you, and I’m supremely fortunate that we crossed paths. You’re the best! ❤

[@stevenschwartz-yvr]

All the best to you and Claudia. I love my vallerett gloves, just the finger tip flips back and held with magnets. Warm and you don't lose control

[@tarekith]

I found the best gloves for winter photography are actually winter mountain biking gloves. Touch screen compatible, pre-curved fingers, not too bulky, and durable enough to last a long time.

[@3BMEP]

Thanks! I'll give them a look.

[@thebitterfig9903]

I guess I've got a different cold tolerance with my hands. I knit myself a pair of mittens where the bottom 3 fingers are enclosed, but the tips of my index finger and thumb are open. Could be warmer, but a lot of dexterity. That said, the enclosed part can sometimes get in the way if the lens is very thin--my Pentax 17 is retired for the winter. The thing I'm proud of is my innovation of knitting them with two strands of sock yarn, rather than one single strand of a thicker yarn. It helps the weave stay nice and tight, while being fairly thin, and it creates a nifty pattern. Use one pair of "plainer" yarn and one of the "magic" yarn for automatic pattern socks, and it the final look is really interesting.

[@allenjcarter]

Best wishes in the new year! Thanks you for all the great content. One of many reasons I switched to Fujifilm cameras 8 years ago is the UI. Nice tactile dials for key things (especially exposure comp). A nice traditional shutter button (not a little flat plastic tab). All way easier to manage with gloves than many other cameras. Easier without gloves. way easier without having to look at the camera. As someone who started shooting in 1980, the position and function of aperture (clicky ring on lens barrel), shutter speed (clicky dial on top of camera) ISO (also a dial on top of camera) were things i missed on most digicams. Even on my prosumer Nikons like the D600 the need to push little tiny buttons and look at screens was just too prevalent. Touch screens? Forget about it! 🙂

[@arneheeringa96]

I'm missing those rings and dials too. Probably should look into a Fuji or Nikon Zf.

[@michaelherskovitz4203]

Finding a decent pair of gloves that give camera dexterity…..might be bigger than the Chanukah miracle ! Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a heated pair of glover liners with some decent fleece gloves on top. It got me through some of last week’s cold spell in NYC, but I have to keep my expedition level mittens around to warm up. All the best to you for the holidays and hope that next year brings health and lots of good photos !

[@patrickmolloy6994]

thank you. All the best for you and your family, friends and viewers, for a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025

[@normansuchorzewski1026]

When out doing winter photography, I wear contact grip gloves such as the RAB ones and some thick thermal waterproof mittens. I use the rab gloves as an inner glove and the mittens are tethered to me. When I'm ready to take a shot I slip off the mittens and the frip gloves are great for holding the camera and great feel for the buttons, knobs and dials. Once done, slip the mittens back on over the gloves. Throw in a heat pad for those extra cold days. Great for 6 hours. Not perfect, but works for me. Have a great 2025 and thank you for all you have done.

[@chrisbogart687]

It's nice to know that I don't suffer and agonize in isolation on this problem. 😁 I was beginning to think I was a fair weather photographer. The camera I turn to in "chilly" to damn frigid arctic blasts is the Leica D-Lux 8. I turn it on before I go out and I have a raised shutter button on it. I just stick it in my jacket pocket until ready to use. I can understand why you turn to the Q3 with the raised button. My Q2M doesn't permit the shutter button add-on. Wishing you and your entire family a Happy, healthy New Year. Love your insights.

[@georgedavall9449]

A Very Merry Christmas Hugh, to You and Claudia, as well as the Community! Happy and Prosperous New Year!

[@NotAnotherChannel_Channel]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Hugh and Claudia. Wishing you good health and much prosperity for 2025!

[@3BMEP]

And the very same to you!

[@EELinneman]

All the best to you and Claudia. And,, wishes that the new year is full of joy and adventure.

[@petercameron4380]

I use fairly thin knit gloves from a dollar store inside mitten gloves. I find I can generally operate the camera fine with the thin gloves and then flip the mitten part back over the fingers to keep them warm. A USB warmer in a pocket helps to rewarm hands as well. This worked well for me a few days ago in -23C with a windchill of about -32C.

[@3BMEP]

Thanks for sharing!

[@irutgers]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…looking forward to more in 2025

[@3BMEP]

And the same to you! 😊🖖🏻

[@michaelcibula9552]

Hey Hugh… been loving the he3 grip. On the topic of ergonomics my only issue is pressing the function button that’s next to the thumb rest. I think it’s because that right button is pretty shallow vs the one to its left. That combined with the raised thump rest makes it hard for me to easily press it. I use it for back button auto focus lock. Maybe there’s a future add on that can act similar to how the Leica thumb rest works where it covers the buttons and has raised buttons?

[@bertmacdonald337]

I live in Western Australia where this is not a problem, mate! All the best for next year !

[@3BMEP]

😎🖖🏻

[@daviiwall]

Your animated logo with sound is always a treat for me! Thank you!

[@3BMEP]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@mikewilliams4628]

Happy, Healthy, and Merry to you!

[@PBimagescom]

I love to use the pocket hand warmer bags you can get from your sporting goods store. They work great, and they make some for your feet as well. Thanks for all you do for photography and help me be a better photographer. Your videos are so thought provoking and comfortable to listen to. Happy Holidays! I do want to get to one of your NY workshops soon. Met Alan G at a HH workshop and he highly recommended you.

[@derekgpony]

Happy New Year to you and Claudia! I see there's some folks suggesting gloves. I've tried a few different ones, generally gifts. I don't have any specific suggestions, but if you know any wildlife photographers, especially anyone that shoots in winter, you might want to ask them. It's a different genre that might not have the same use cases, but they definitely deal with the cold.

[@3BMEP]

I appreciate the tip!😊🖖🏻

[@ihknilsen]

Hugh, I always look forward to your videos and appreciate your approach and willingness to share your knowledge with the world. From my heart to your family, best wishes for a joyous holiday season.

[@3BMEP]

Thank you, right back at you! 😊🖖🏻

[@davidroberts6766]

Hugh….I feel your cold hands pain! I live in Canada and often shoot in -20C weather. I have given myself mild frostbite a few times, and permanently lost some feeling in the tips of my right hand thumb and index fingers as a result. A BIG reason why I kept my Nikon D850 and its larger lenses for winter shooting over my Z gear. Big gloves needed! Have a happy holiday season!

[@3BMEP]

Thanks for sharing that - wow!

[@frankleung7022]

Merry Christmas ❤❤

[@3BMEP]

And to you!

[@Alex-cd9wm]

Best wishes for the New Year to you and Claudia! OMG my feelings exactly about gloves. I have 4 pairs but none really work, so unfortunately February is no photography month for me because of the low temperatures. I hope someone that matters heard your plea. Alex

[@dct124]

I do have a recommendation. I was in an unfortunate situation at one time during the winter months. If you or your wife is capable of sewing. Try grabbing a pair of gloves that are waterproof, but can wick away sweat. Also grab an emergency blanket. Cost maybe $2 at Walmart. It's a silver aluminum material with I think a layer of plastic. You're essentially going to cut open the gloves and line them with this material in-between the fabrics. I think this material is what a Bevvy also uses. The way I used them specifically, was to cut off layers and stuff them inside of work gloves I bought from a dollar store. The issue I ran into is sweat. They definitely work really well, but if you sweat the sweat gets cold. But I'm thinking if you can find gloves that are waterproof externally and can wick away sweat internally, you may be able to custom create a new glove. I don't know how to sew 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@3BMEP]

Me either, but I appreciate your suggestion.

[@jeffgrischow1734]

Very interesting and informative video Hugh, thanks very much much for this. Sending you best wishes for the holidays and I wish you and Claudia all the best for 2015!

[@joebeta]

Happy Holidays to the both of you.

[@stevendente9270]

Happy Holidays Hugh and Claudia! There is an infallible, and reliable ergonomic hack to your problem. Move to a warm location where gloves are never required. Easy! My Dad was born in a very cold place. He used to say to me that the map of the U.S. is really just an IQ test. The results being determined by how good the weather was where you ended up. He was a very bright man. He ended up raising us beachfront in Coronado, California. I am living at the beach in La Jolla, California. Almost never below 65 degrees, or above 80 degrees. Sunny 350+ days a year. I learned a lot from that man....

[@davidligon6088]

@@stevendente9270 Hey neighbor. Speaking from Encinitas, I’m guessing you’ve not been to Mount Laguna lately, standing stationary for hours doing some Astro photography.

[@stevendente9270]

@@davidligon6088 Hey David, nice to meet you. No, I have actually never done that. Astro photography produces stunning images I know, but just not my thing. I also enjoy mountains at time, and yes I do wear cold weather gear when doing that. My last mountain adventures were in the Italian Dolomites. In my opinion the prettiest mountains on Earth. Most of the time I'll continue hanging out near the beach around here.

[@JohanKhoo]

Thanks for the year of thoughtful reviews, and I have to agree with the Q3 with a soft shutter as the way forwards with gloves!

[@3BMEP]

I’m so glad you found them useful! 😊🖖🏻

[@ScottAbbey]

Pro master Photo gloves. Like Hugh, I suffer from cold hands. I skied yesterday with down mittens over liner gloves and with disposable heaters. I use the knit ones, but the 4-layer may be even warmer. You just pop your right forefinger and thumb out, then put them back away after the shot. Good if it’s below zero? Not if you leave the fingertips out long. But they’re the first solution I’ve found that works at all.

[@wayneclayton5426]

In total agreement with you about the Glove issue. I don't know how these artic wildlife photographers do it.

[@3BMEP]

Me either!

[@jarmokarkkainen7621]

Merry Xmas from Finland too! Regarding those gloves (here you really need them 😅) I've seen the kinds that have the fingertip part open a bit so as to still have some feel to what you're doing without having to expose your whole hand in frustration. Haven't tried any yet myself, but they could actually work.

[@jarmokarkkainen7621]

One brand is Vallerret, they have some quite heavy duty variants too.

[@Scooter_123_abc]

I hear you on the matters of dealing with the cold. However I have an additional hobby of shooting Competitive Skeet and that is a year round sport. Try fishing a couple of 410 shells out of an O/U in sub zero wind chills and it can be very frustrating. For temps above 40 degrees I have found that UnderArmor Glove Liners provide a good balance between dexterity and insulation. If you want an example of a similar common glove with this level of dexterity think thin leather Golf Gloves which don't provide nearly as much insulation. UnderArmor also has insulating full lengths leggings that are fantastic wind cutters but they are nearly as difficult to put on as compression socks. For your head you will want a thin tight fitting Balaclava. For the body covering natural leather insulated motorcycle jackets are fantastic, you will not find any synthetic materiel that is better at blocking the wind than leather. Yeah a top grade jacket can cost 1000 dollars or more but if you want a jacket that blocks wind chill at 70 mph leather is the only way to go. Leather chaps are also excellent wind blockers on a motorcycle but they are open back so not so great when walking around. Best option here is a heavier grade pair of leather pants. Yes you'll look a bit intimidating but that can be a good thing when your carrying multi thousand dollars of camera gear. BTW, if you have that Zf you tested take a long look at that as a street camera. You can mount a giant button on the shutter release because it is threaded and if you set it up fully for back button focusing and with the AF on the shutter release disabled you have an automatic changeover between AF-C and AF-S dependent on what you do with the back button AF on. If you have the camera set to AF-C then when you hold the back button down you have AF-C and if you lift off the Back button after the camera focuses you have AF-S. Then if you set image quality to Raw+JPG/HEIF, the Slot 1 to Raw, and Slot 2 to Raw+JPG you will shift the minimum ISO from the menu to the top dial on the camera. Put the camera into M mode with Auto ISO and you have complete control of the Aperture, Shutter, and ISO using great big dials that are easy to grasp with gloves on. BTW, if you mount a lens that lacks a Control(aperture) dial there is a setting that will shift the Focus ring to control the Aperture. An interesting feature of this setting is that if the AF is then set to Manual focus the focus ring will then gain control the focus. Downside for this setting is that focus override won't work with AF on and the aperture will return to the front dial on the camera which is useless when wearing gloves. While that can be an issue in some situations you do have to keep in mind that you do have that instantly accessible AF-S option. Note, mount any lens with a Control Ring and that focus ring to aperture setting is nulled. Keep that in mind when you are considering using either the 35mm f1.4 or the 50mm f1.4 because both feature control rings. IMO the only fault with the Zf is that flip everyway screen. It won't do a simple tilt from the back and that is IMO nearly essential of you want to shoot discreetly from the waist.

[@3BMEP]

Fabulous contribution - thank you! 😊🖖🏻

[@philipshucet9481]

Hey man, gloves off to Claudia and you for another year-end message reminding us - everyone, actually - that life is pretty damn good. Thanks, good buddy.

[@3BMEP]

Thank YOU, brother!

[@dct124]

Merry Christmas 🎁 ✌🏿 Also look into Nikon Nasa space suit setup. Maybe you can shrink what they created over the years.

[@jimmycapp29]

As for socks, Smartwool is the only way to go for me and they always come thru no matter how cold. Gloves for photography? I'm still looking.

[@martingreenberg870]

To Claudia and Hugh, Happy Happy and Merry Merry. Hope your trip on this rock around a star is the best so far. I choose to think the best feeling thought I can at any given moment. That is as easy as selecting a bad feeling thought. Have a manifestly warm holiday season. Remember, it is all working out for you. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@3BMEP]

Right back at you, Marty! 😊🙏🏻🖖🏻

[@patsilveri1763]

Have you tried Vallerret photography gloves? They’re the best for my cold fingers.

[@erichansen7996]

Enjoy the festive days ahead, I am thankful for my Q343 soft button release.

[@Festvangelist]

Hugh, in Wisconsin it obviously gets cold ( ask Bruce Springsteen) and there is no fooling around with Mother Nature …she wins every time. When it gets,cold like single digit cold, you have little time to expose your fingers. You must be prepared to take your shot and move on. I use a thin golf type glove and cut the index and thumb tip off (right hand only) and have a hand warmer. My point is get your shooting hand back in your pocket. Needless to say doing anything in outdoor winter wear will slow you down, so be at peace with that thought. Despite all the inconveniences of shooting in cold temperatures there are compositions you’ll only discover when the environment gets that cold. Nice video ! It’s a sunny 9F today, the sunrise was beautiful !

[@3BMEP]

Thanks so much for this! This morning we woke up to 4F!

[@rogerhuston8287]

Vallerret Photography Gloves with a liner have worked for me for years. Many times without the liner.

[@Austinite333]

Gloves?🤔I live in Austin Hugh! Actually it can get a bit cold here now and then. Even when I lived up north I’d use a glove with the tip of the right pointer and thumb snipped off and pull the remaining material up over the exposed skin when not shooting. It worked for me anyway. You folks have a great holiday.

[@AbhinavYadav-zm7ut]

Really hoping for one for Zf

[@ronboe6325]

I'll share some of my experiences with cold since we seem to share; somewhat, the problems of cold feet and hands; with the hope something will be useful for you. While living in northern Minnesota I finally took up cross country skiing and within half a season both problems were greatly reduced. At least when active but some benefits remained when less active. Being slim or "athletic".... i.e. lacking body mass does not help when it gets cold. Moving to Arizona, and re-taking up motorcycling the glove problem resurfaced. Sitting still, in a 60-80mph wind, does not lend its self to comfort. And if not addressed can kill you. Electrics (jacket liner with heated sleeves, glove liners, and a bit later - heated seat which helps with the core and is very difficult to over state) was a game changer. However; while greatly improved, gloves are still a problem. At least with motorcycle gear, clothing has made great strides from my early days. Shooting Split Rock Lighthouse on the shores of Lake Superior with the wind coming off the lake you expose your fingers to the cold for very short bursts - but a different use case to street shooting. I think this calls for specialized gear (not unlike underwater shooting) so maybe a "cage" with glove/mittens friendly controls. If only for the major things. I suspect you'd have to give up manual focus. Low hanging fruit being the shutter control, shutter speed and f stop. Alas; 3D printing would be the most likely solution for getting this "cage" as I'm really unsure of the market size for such things. Good luck! Happy Holidays.

[@3BMEP]

Thank you for this (my motorcycling days ended 5 years ago after a stupid low speed fall cracked a couple of ribs and Claudia said “enough.” She was right. 😊🖖🏻

[@ronboe6325]

@@3BMEP Distracted drivers are scaring me off. Not done yet. But appreciating the cage more and more (along with the AC and heater.... :^D ) Addendum: Manual focus could be addressed with a friction ring and large knob....anyway; a project for He...... hint hint... LOL

[@Bonjurro]

Merry Christmas. Give the elephant some extra peanuts for all of us.

[@Digmen1]

As an older guy, I'd like my Nikon to have a simpler menu system ie two systems that you can toggle between

[@3BMEP]

I understand. 😎

[@charlesmichaud6990]

Best wishes to you both. I live in Montreal, so here's my wisdom on the whole gloves thing. Just suffer :) There's just not that much to do about it.

[@3BMEP]

Hah!

[@davidligon6088]

I share your cold appendage vs. dexterity, and touch control affliction. Going out to shoot stars on a cold night, setting up and aligning a tracker with a camera is a dangerous affair for either my fingers or my camera. The camera which has come close to hitting the ground more than once from not being attached securely. Don’t get me started on the finer dexterity required to adjust camera settings, focus, or intervalometer. I’ve driven a motorcycle in sleet and temperatures of 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit with less pain and frustration. I am hoping one of your audience reveals a warm finger epiphany.

[@3BMEP]

Me too - some answers have already been offered…

[@AlanGreenberg-i8p]

HAPPY CHRISMAHANAWANZA NEW YEAR to one and all.

[@johnyoung1606]

😉👍👍🎅🧡

[@3BMEP]

😊🙏🏻🖖🏻

[@woodystephens7736]

The problem is that all the gloves I've found don't fit, well..., like a glove. They're all too bulky.

[@3BMEP]

Man, I hear you!

[@yushatumen6451]

Maybe go to gym first?

[@ZappaBlues]

Oh, you Americans (except Alaska) 0° (32° to you) isn't much of a problem without a glove for a while. Just stick it in your coat pocket for a while. 🙄

[@Skipsul]

You are dead on - camera ergonomics today leave much to be desired. I would posit, however, that part of this is that more and more gets packed into cameras, while there is only a limited amount of usable space on the body that is finger-accessible (which is a loose definition giving the wide variety in hand sizes and flexibilities). The button size issue comes down to weather sealing, though I can think of ways to improve this (replaceable key caps). The front and rear thumb and index finger wheels work poorly with gloves, though I've found Sony and Nikon are less bad as the wheels jut out, while Canon is the worst on the wheels as it's recessed and on the top (I don't like it even without gloves). My glove solution has actually been to layer up thinner gloves, rather than rely on big bulky single gloves, and to obtain (or modify) gloves with the index and thumb tips either removed, or removable (sometimes the tips of other fingers modified as well for a better grip). This allows you to yank off a top layer, or just the finger tips, if you absolutely need to, without losing all protection. I've been successful with this approach in temps down to about 10F, if the wind isn't too terrible and I'm otherwise well layered up. I cannot point to a specific brand here, so much as finding a combination that suits you (my hands are smaller, which makes this easier for me than for others). You might try places that sell gear to construction workers and similar jobs for better working gloves, as manual dexterity in terrible weather is mission-critical in those occupations.

[@philipshucet9481]

Hey man, gloves off to Claudia and you for another year-end message reminding us - everyone, actually - that life is pretty damn good. Thanks, good buddy.