Batteries stop working when cold?

[PhotoGirl]

I read that when you go outside on really cold days to take pictures the batteries might stop working; I didn't know that! Does anyone know how cold it has to be before that happens? thanks.

[@lex]

I've been out shooting at -17(wind chill) with my D70 and it worked fine but i always had my hands on it!

[ken1953]

Like you, I've read that batteries are at risk any time it drops below freezing. However, like @lex says it depends on how cold the batteries themselves get. If you have them, keep a couple extras in your pockets to keep them warm until you're ready to shoot. When it's cold, these new batteries can shut off and then need to be warmed up to turn back on. Someone on here about a month ago explained it real well, but my CRS (can't remember s___) won't let me remember who. I think it was mjs1973 or chunk.
I take my camera on my daily walks with temps as low as 15 degrees, and have had no problems. I'm out from 30 mins to 1 hour. A warning here...be careful with moisture when moving your camera from warm to cold and then warm again.
Ken

[mjs1973]

The colder it is, the faster your batteries will die. Dif. types of batteries will last longer in cold weather also. For instance, alkaline batteries will die faster than lithium batteries. When out in the cold, it a good idea to keep your batteries warm. If you have extra batteries, keep them in a pocket that's close to your body, like in your pants pocket instead of your coat pocket. Your body heat will help keep them warm, and make them last longer. I also try to hold onto the battery grip on my camera to help keep some of the cold out. If your batteries do die on you, take them out, and put them inside your gloves and just hold onto them for a while to warm them up then try them again. I have gone from my camera saying my batteries were almost dead, to saying they are fully charged by doing this for about 10-15 minutes.

I keep a small, home made, cloth bag with a draw string around the top in my camera bag. If I know I'm going to be out in the cold for a long time, I will put one or two of those cheap, disposable hand warmers inside the bag, then I tie it to the battery grip on my camera. It's like a little mitten for my batteries.

[another view]

I've found that nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries get zapped in the cold really fast, then they're done. With alkaline, just warm them up and they're fine. I usually wear a sweater with a pocket (fleece kind) and keep the batteries in there - under my coat. Works well, but I haven't had to worry about it with Lithiums - they handle cold very well.

[PhotoGirl]

thanks everyone for the replies.