-35 fahrenheit below zero

[nima]

We just returned from a long journey at the edges of the North Pole.
Red One was used in extremely harsh environments like the frozen Tundra, where temperatures during the day drops below -35 f and 40 Mph wind makes temperatures feel around -55 f.

We are posting this thread to report that Red One camera performances were outstanding, even while shooting long sequences. EVF, batteries and camera body worked perfectly without any particular thermal coverage.

We still recommend the use of special camera wraps, and EVF thermal covers.
Although we cold not use some of this equipment for several days when in the tundra and everything worked just fine.
No dropped frames, not a loss in EVF performances. Even the LCD menu screen did not leave us alone.

Today we would like to thank Red for building a great workhorse.

[Jeremy Wiles]

That's great news. Thanks Nima.

[Peter Strietmann]

The EVF "worked perfectly without thermal coverage"? At -35f? Very hard to believe but congratulations! Can I buy your EVF?

[Matti Poutanen]

Yeah, I´m having a hard time believing that Red EVF would perform perfectly in that kind of temperatures. I´m 2nd AC in a production shooting with Red at the moment and having funky colour and solarization issues after after shooting an hour in below -10 degrees celcius.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I would like to buy this magic EVF as well.

My EVF would freeze solid right around -19F or so; it would show signs of stress and solarization right about freezing/32. I'm calling bogus on this or they kept the gear warm and only ventured out into the cold for short excursions.

For my own experience, the camera works great down to -20F, which is about the coldest I've ventured with the RED. The EVF needs to be kept warm and it becomes quite difficult to do so in temps below -15F, especially with wind involved. Have to bundle it quite well. The LCD freezes up around -10 to -14F or so, but a heat pack on the back of it solves that.

At -35F, how did you guys keep the batteries from freezing up? I keep mine in a thermal bag with a few heat packs and my thermos full of hot cocoa... :)

[Ian Laurie]

I will say that I have had the camera perform admirably in -40, the evf however gets major solarization and will eventually freeze so totally that the image in the view finder is unusable.

[Peter Strietmann]

I bought one of Jay Kelly's EVF warmers (Arctic X) and it rules. The only way to fly. Without the warmer my EVF starts to solarize at around 30f and it only gets worse from there.