Putting to the test a camera built to handle extremely cold weather

When I bought my DSLR I did not give any thought to operating temperature range. I chose the nicest camera I could afford that was compatible with the film camera lenses I already owned. Once I had the camera, shooting in subfreezing weather made me nervous and I rarely did it. The risks (even if they were small) of damaging something that I paid a lot of money for were not worth the rewards of any picture I might get.

With the release of a new model of the OM SYSTEM OM-1, this mirrorless camera is in the news. From what I’ve read, the OM-1 is well regarded and is built to withstand rugged conditions. Its robustness is something to consider when deciding on the purchase of a new camera.

This article from Fstoppers evaluates the OM-1’s performance on a winter trip to northern Finland and provides some general tips for dealing with photography in cold weather.

I don’t have an OM-1, but a few years ago I bought its little brother, the Olympus Tough TG-6. Other than my iPhone, it is the only camera I have been using this winter and it is serving me well. Recently OM SYSTEM came out with an updated model, the Tough TG-7.