Winter is an incredibly picturesque season but there’s one challenge: batteries drain in no time. Thanks to the cold temperatures, it takes next to no time before the battery is empty and if you don’t bring several extra, that could mean you miss a shot.
Born and raised in Norway, and spending the last several winters exploring during both day and night with my camera, I’ve picked up a few simple tricks to extend battery life for winter photography.
Leave a Spare Battery in Your Inner Pocket
I’ll say this right away: even if you follow all these suggestions, the battery will drain quicker than in ‘normal’ temperatures. That’s why I strongly recommend that you bring at least one spare battery when you go out photographing in winter.
Most batteries perform best at a temperature between 20-25 degrees Celsius. The chemical reactions inside the battery slow down in colder temperatures which is why they drain faster in winter.
That’s why I always keep at least one spare battery in my inner pocket. The closer to the body, the warmer it stays.
This might sound like a joke but I’ve kept drone batteries in my socks and long johns before taking off, and it works!
Turn off Live View
I use Live View for the majority of my images and it’s my preferred way of setting up my composition. However, it’s a camera function that’s known to drain batteries. During summer I don’t worry too much about that but in colder climates, it becomes a big issue.
The solution is to use only the viewfinder until you’ve found a possible composition. Don’t turn Live View on before you’ve found one. Then make the needed adjustments and take a couple of test shots before turning it back off to save battery.
Leaving Live View on in-between shots and compositions is the recipe for short battery life in cold weather. I’ve forgotten this on several occasions and during the coldest winter nights I had to replace the battery after less than 45 minutes(!)
Don’t Leave the Camera On
Following up on the previous point, it can be wise to turn off the camera in-between compositions as well. Whenever you’re done with one image and start looking for your next, simply turn the camera off.
Although I haven’t noticed a significant improvement in battery time by doing this, I try to make it a habit when photographing in winter.
Leave the camera on if it’s only a minute between the compositions but if you’re hiking further or spending some time exploring the area, it doesn’t hurt to turn it off.
Wrap the Camera in Your Backpack
I always recommend bringing an extra layer of clothes in the backpack when you’re out photographing winter. Weather changes quickly and you need to be prepared for that, especially when you’re out in nature.
So, why not take advantage of the extra layer when you’re not using it and wrap the camera in a sweater when you’re walking around. This helps keep the camera and battery a little warmer which, again, should prolong the battery time.
Summary
Some of these suggestions might sound familiar to those of you who are used to photographing colder climates but hopefully, there were one or two new ideas you picked up.
Let’s summarize how you can extend battery life for winter photography:
- Leave a spare battery in your inner pocket
- Don’t use Live View when you don’t need it
- Turn off the camera between compositions
- Wrap the camera in clothes and leave it in the backpack when you’re not photographing
I would love to hear if you have a smart way to extend the battery time so, if you do, please share it with us in a comment!
Great tips, Chris. I also love using Liveview for composition, focus sharpness and corner composition checking, and even to see live histogram and exposure on the fly etc. It’s tough to turn this off! Because of that, I always bring/wear on me actually two extra batteries, and I currently always bring two cameras to avoid switching lenses in the field (but understand that not everybody likes doing that, but I don’t mind the extra weight). Over the past 7+ days, we had -10 to -14 degrees Fahrenheit here in the Twin Cities (minus 23 – 25 Celsius), and I was shooting every day (twice) about about one hour each, in part to also train for extreme cold weather shoots. Batteries really do drain fast in extreme cold, one time I even had a malfunction of one camera due to the cold, and of course, also peripheral battery devices such as iPhones may just die on you, as may intervalometers and other peripherals. I personally don’t wrap my cameras, but keep in my backpack when I don’t use them to avoid too many temperature shifts, but I may have to consider wrapping them as well …
PS: I am curious as to your thoughts on the Vallerret gloves. I have been using and testing their Trigger Mitt Glove with three different liners, and while they work okay, in my view, it is tough to quickly get index / thumb finger tips covered again with liners on, especially when it gets really cold and the leather gets really stiff. What liner are you using? I am actually soon releasing a blog and will write about cold weather photography tips, although initially the only reader will probably be me haha!
Live Histogram is one of my favorite features with Live View. Just like you, I use Live View for the majority of my images and it is indeed hard to turn it off but during these cold winter days I make it a habit, at least between shots.
You’ve got a good point about avoiding too many temperature shifts – that’s not good for the camera either. It’s better to keep it as similar as possible.
Regarding the Vallerret Gloves; I can’t say I’ve got the same problem. I use the gloves in combination with their Merino Liners when it’s getting really cold. Find it super easy to cover and uncover the fingertips again!
Thanks, Chris, this is good to know about the Vallerret. I tried a bunch of different liners with the Vallerret trigger mitt, but not the Vallerret brand! Have you been using their trigger mitt by any chance? Or a different model? Thanks!
One more tip. Turn off GPS in cold weather. This function uses battery even if camera is shut off.
Top charge batteries before you go outside. This keep the battery warm inside the core of it. I have always 4 batteries with me, and uses normally 2 of them. Remember to change batteries before 20 % is remaining and charge them up to 80 % when you get inside. This will extend the life time and long term capasity of the li-ion battery.
That’s some good tips, Bjørn Magne!
Always a good idea to turn off any function which you don’t need.