Anyone have any experience of using P67II in extremely cold conditions? I mean down to minus 30 Celsius...

Not sure how the electrics would react!

-- Ed Hurst (bullmoo@hotmail.com), December 01, 2001

Answers

There is a remote battery cord available that is designed to be used in cold weather. The battery can be kept in a warm pocket while the other end of the cord plugs into the camera. I don't use it however, even when the air is 20 degrees F. Any colder than this and I would probably use the cord. My problem with cold weather seems to be having the glass in the finder fogging up. This is made worse when using the eye cup. The moisture from your eye condenses on the glass.

-- Steve Rasmussen (srasmuss@flash.net), December 01, 2001.

Ed, the pamphlet on the 67II did not show a remote cord as an accessory. You could be right about the 67II not having it because the battery chambers are different. Not sure if there is a redesigned cord for the 67II. Sorry about bad info.

-- Steve Rasmussen (srasmuss@flash.net), December 03, 2001.

I don't know what the real limit is, I used a few time the P67 II at temperature near -30 deg Celsius, but more often near -20. The only problem I had was the big glove (and film change). I used the pentaprism meter, mirror lock-up and rather long exposure time up to a minute. The camera worked fine and the exposure where as good as they can be. I guess the p67(II) is more sensible to humidity as temperature because of it not-so-good sealed construction. I imagine -50 degree being a more problematic barrier for the electronic (as is general). I wish I could try it once...

-- Colin Barschel (colin@barschel.com), December 01, 2001.

I've used my Pentax a number of times at those temperatures here in Minnesota and have had no problem...using some normal precautions. Always try to hold the camera near my body and keep the bottom (near the battery) warm if possible. Always carry an extra battery in my pocket to keep it warm. Avoid going back and forth between warm and cold areas that might cause fogging.

-- george bordner (aerials@minn.net), December 01, 2001.

Does the remote cord exist for the P67II? I was under the impression that it only existed for the previous models...

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), December 03, 2001.

Thanks Steve, and no need to apologise! I wasn't sure about the cord. Maybe the batteries used by the P67II are more resilient to cold...

-- Ed Hurst (bullmoo@hotmail.com), December 03, 2001.

The 67II takes lithium batteries. If I'm not mistaken these are supposed to hold up in cold weather better than alkaline or silver oxide. Maybe Pentax feels a remote battery cable isn't necessary. Bob

-- Bobby Mahaffey (mahajen@prodigy.net), December 05, 2001.

Just returned from my trip, where the temperatures actually dropped to minus 24 Celsius. My two P67IIs performed faultlessly throughout. Batteries did not even need changing!

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.