DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Using lens hoods in cold weather could be ruining your photos

Feb 2, 2022 by John Aldred 5 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

I typically tend to not venture out with my camera when it’s that cold, but it has been known to happen from time to time. One thing I hadn’t experienced when I had been shooting in the cold, though, is random lens softness. So, this video from Steve Perry surprised me a little. He noticed that he was getting very soft images on his Nikon Z9 when shooting wildlife out in cold (single digit °F) temperatures.

And this isn’t just a Nikon issue, either. His wife was having the same problem with her Canon EOS R5. During further testing, he added a Sony body into the mix and that one, too, was soft. Very soft. He was getting the same results with them all regardless of whether it was a Nikon, Canon or Sony camera and lens combo. It turns out that it might actually be a heat issue.

You may not have experienced this issue yourself if you’ve not been shooting really long lenses in the cold. This is probably why I haven’t experienced this issue myself, either. Typically if I’m out in the cold snow in winter, I’m photographing the landscape or a person in the landscape and the longest focal length I’ll use is maybe around 150mm – not even close to the 600mm lenses used in Steve’s tests – and I also usually don’t use a lens hood unless I’m having flare issues.

Steve initially spotted the problem with both the Nikon Z9 with the Nikon 600mm f/4 E lens and his wife’s Canon EOS R5 and Canon EF 600mm f/4L. After coming up with a possible reason, he tested it with both of those combos along with a Sony body and Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. Tests confirmed the suspicions. The lens hood was actually making the images softer.

Steve’s hypothesis, which seems logical, is that the temperature differential between the cold air and the warmer front lens element is allowing warm air (from the lens) and cold air (from the environment) to meet and mix inside the lens hood causing the same kind of issue that causes distortion with long lenses on hot days. The warmer and cooler air will have a slightly different index of refraction and where they meet and mix there’ll be all kinds of different ranges.

He tested with all three systems and with the hood they were all soft. Without it, they were all sharp. So, he suggests either leaving your gear outside to acclimate to the colder temperature before you start shooting so that the heat in the front lens element has dissipated or just don’t use the lens hood – at least early on before your gear’s adjusted to the temperature. The lack of lens hood doesn’t stop the front element from giving off heat (it probably makes it happen more quickly), but the unhindered airflow takes it away quickly enough that it doesn’t cause any issues. In essence, the air inside the lens hood is acting like something of an insulator to slow down the cooling process when it’s attached, preventing the cooler outside air from pulling it away more quickly.

Obviously, Steve couldn’t test every lens and hood combo out there and posits that this might be an issue with some shorter lenses, too, depending on the design of the lens hood and it might not be an issue with some longer lenses for the same reason. But, if you’re facing softness when you’re out shooting in the cold, it should probably be the first thing you check before you try anything else.

Is this an issue you’ve come across before? Did you figure out what was causing it?

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

2020 Weather Photographer of the Year winners prove that you can take stunning photos in any weather I designed my own 3D printed lens hoods because Nikon’s suck What are lens hoods really for and how do you use them? Default ThumbnailPrintable lens hoods

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: lens hood, Long Lenses, Steve Perry, wildlife photography

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Canon quietly increases lens prices by up to $1,000. Again
China’s Mars probe welcomes the Lunar New Year with a selfie above the Red Planet »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Sony’s ZV-E1 is a cut-down FX3 in a vlogging form factor
  • Watch: How good (or bad) is an $8.50 tripod?
  • How to light and photograph Lego building interiors
  • Lighting Setup: How to light your portraits with £50 LED tubes
  • Review: Insta360 announces its first gimbal – The AI-tracking Insta360 Flow

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy