Ball head for -26C

[barry]

I'll give the Sirui 1 more chance. Just in case it was my mistake. I've been out at -30c too, and clear nights (and therefore very cold) is what gets me going, so I really need a ball head that won't quit. AF isn't necessary, since I like to MF too. Aurora will always get me out no matter what the temp.

Hi, have you considered bean bags or sand bags?

 

[walter_j]

deep snow is a issue too. The light tripod I used was almost too short for the amount of snow we have. Roofs are collapsing there's so much snow. But I'll keep bean bags in mind

Another problem with the aluminium tripod is that its too cold to touch w/o gloves. painful

 

[archaeopteryx]

Mind the frostbite, eh?

I think the suggestion may have been to beanbag on the tripod. The ILC market's definition of 0 or -10 as a cold limit isn't always favourable to fancy kit.

 

[polarpix]

I've used Acratech for many years while living in Yellowknife, NWT. Never a problem even at -30.The picture is of my assistant (wife) trying to move frozen tripod legs at -38.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Bytesmiths]

Canucks are a hardy lot, aren't we!

Except for those of us cowering in SW BC, where everyone is all upset that it may dip down to -7°C this week…

 

[walter_j]

Except for those of us cowering in SW BC, where everyone is all upset that it may dip down to -7°C this week…

The cold there is damp, which I hate. Cold and dry is easier to handle. At - 30 though, my metal glasses get painful to touch. My camera starts to behave oddly and battery can die in 1.5h

 

[Bytesmiths]

The cold there is damp, which I hate.

You got me, there.

I've been hacking and wheezing for over a month, with two dehumidifiers running 24/7.

But I can go out in a T-shirt, instead of a parka, most of the winter. Just gotta keep that Vitamin D intake going…

 

[walter_j]

I retested 2 sirui heads, the g20x and the k20x and both have difficulty below -22C. The g20x locks solid at about -26, and the k20x seems like it will too. I think it's a design issue, where dissimilar metals have different thermal expansion rates, so parts are binding. I cleaned the G20x with WD40, and it still locks up. My recommendation is to avoid Sirui GX and KX heads for temperature below -20C. I never even thought about this when buying a head.