There's another thread linking to a big German review of POV cams.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.a ... v-i-o%252f

Right down at the bottom there's an interesting piece where the German distributors seem to be aware of the temperature issue - check out this translation:

Irregularities during the test

The GoPro HD Hero 2 we have away from the trails at the skiing had and always found a strong fibreglass image (see clip below). After consultation with the Germany distribution is clear: the GoPro is too cold, the electronics come not on temperature and the capture of the color is incorrect. To avoid this fact, GoPro (and also CamOne) using heated battery to prevent exactly this effect. The camera but turned off in your Pocket while skiing walk shuts, so the warm battery can do anything against the cold - the image defects occur. Who wants to avoid this effect, should hold his camera as warm or run. For the latter it is also made;).

I've just returned from a trip to Val D'Isere and all but 3 video's were completely black. There is sound and the files are big so it thought it was recording something but no picture. The 3 that worked were from inside a bubble lift after lunch hence warm but the other two were outside after riding down a long run so should have been affected by wind chill. Although they were in more sheltered spots when I started filming.

Massively disappointing as I cant see an way of getting the footage back. Using Sandisk 16gb and 8gb cards class 10 so shouldnt be an issue with them. Looks like the camera hasnt been tested enough or a faulty batch but it doesnt like the cold.

The suggestion of testing your camera's low temperature capability by putting it is the freezer is not really bright. Would you test its shock resitance by throwing it a brick wall?

The camera is not waterproof, freezing it runs the following risks: cracking the image sensor, exposing electrical components on the printed circuit board to temperatures below their rated capacity, forcing moisture into components.

BriteStar wrote:The suggestion of testing your camera's low temperature capability by putting it is the freezer is not really bright. Would you test its shock resitance by throwing it a brick wall?

The camera is not waterproof, freezing it runs the following risks: cracking the image sensor, exposing electrical components on the printed circuit board to temperatures below their rated capacity, forcing moisture into components.

If you keep it in it's case it's certainly waterproof. If it's supposed to be used for filming skiing etc it should be able to survive the freezer. I was skiing in -5C to -10C a week ago, it should certainly be capable of dealing with that, I don't see a freezer being much different. I wouldn't put it in there unless it was in it's case though.

mr_magicfingers wrote:

BriteStar wrote:The suggestion of testing your camera's low temperature capability by putting it is the freezer is not really bright. Would you test its shock resitance by throwing it a brick wall?

The camera is not waterproof, freezing it runs the following risks: cracking the image sensor, exposing electrical components on the printed circuit board to temperatures below their rated capacity, forcing moisture into components.

If you keep it in it's case it's certainly waterproof. If it's supposed to be used for filming skiing etc it should be able to survive the freezer. I was skiing in -5C to -10C a week ago, it should certainly be capable of dealing with that, I don't see a freezer being much different. I wouldn't put it in there unless it was in it's case though.

I agree with you, and as the problem is to do with the cold, there is no other way of testing.

My freezer is set at -18C. Current weather forecast in Chamonix is down to -25C during the day. With windchill this will be considerably colder than a freezer.

When my camera showed faults, air temperature was only about -2C to -5C so not exceptionally cold.

Since this is marketed towards snowsports I'd hope it could handle it. In fact, you'll get that cold with many of the examples on-line - there's are videos where GoPros are strapped to planes and even one where it goes to the edge of space.

Just a suggestion, does anyone recon one of those silicone covers for the camera would do the trick? i guess it will keep the wind and the snow of it? And when your not using it maybe pre warm a pocket up with one of those heater things that you boil the day before you go out on a session then when needed snap them for instant heat?

Gslads wrote:Just a suggestion, does anyone recon one of those silicone covers for the camera would do the trick? i guess it will keep the wind and the snow of it? And when your not using it maybe pre warm a pocket up with one of those heater things that you boil the day before you go out on a session then when needed snap them for instant heat?

I'm guessing most people will have the camera in the housing, doubt a silicone cover would make any difference after the first few minutes outside. From my experience last week, a regular pocket will do, your body heat is sufficient.

My camera was in my pocket most of the day but unfortunately that didn't work for me. I did wonder about the heat packs too and that should work - but at the end of the day, my mate's was absolutely fine despite being on his lid most of the day. I just want one that works like his does.

I ran into the same problems with a pixely (?) image and fluttering light while filming during skiing at Mt. Tremblant, QC. The temperature was -7`Celcius at the summit plus a bit of windchill. more so when I was moving as it was attached to my helmet. The first video of the day turned out OK. The subsequent ones were all terrible with some of them washed out completely with an orange background and the same pulsating lighting. The previous day they were all washed out with none very usable at all. Funny though, the week before I wwas skiing at a different locale with a similar but I think lower temperature and everything worked fine. I have sent a message to GO Pro Tech support and we'll see what they have to say. I am using a high quality, class 10, 64Gb SD card. Note - videos taken inside my hotel room were fine. The instructions talk of a high temp shutdown but I cannot find any lo temp restrictions. I will be trying the freezer thing as well as filming outside tonight as it is expected to get colder. This is a real bummer as I want to go heli-skiing next month and that was the reason I bought this unit to begin with.
Has anyone else tried some cold diagnostics checks. If so let's hear from you. I will post the results of mine when I am done.