The D-1 camera is designed to operate in environments where professional
photographers make their living. This includes low temperatures such as are found at
altitude or polar regions. One of the the main considerations is the performance of the
batteries at temperatures outside of what may be considered to be the normal range
(0 - 35 Celsius).
The general phenomenon which affects battery performance is the influence of temperature
on the electrochemical processes within the battery : as the temperature drops,
the chemical reactions within the battery which produce electricity slow down.
This has two results for the photographer:
- The lower reactivity ensures that the rate of self-discharge within the electrolyte is
reduced and therefore the battery holds its charge for a longer period. This increased
shelf-life means that the EH-4 will keep 90% of it's charge for 2 or 3 weeks in cold
weather conditions.Therefore, for the storage of EN-4, low temperature is better.
- The lower reactivity reduces the capacity of the battery making the total number of
exposures less. The low temperature causes the so-called internal resistance of the
batttery to increase so that the lower the temperature, the more energy is wasted in
delivering power to the camera. At the point when the battery appears to be exhasuted, it
may become useable again for if warmed due to the reduction in internal resistance.
From this information it can be deduced that batteries are best stored at cold
temperatures (although the effect of short periods of exposure to elevated temperatures
will not be noticeable) and should be warmed before use and maintained at as high a
temperature as possible whilst actually in use.
Please be aware of the adverse effects of condensation when moving cold equipment
into a warm, moist atmosphere: airborne water will become deposited on the internal
surfaces of the camera and may affect performance, particularly of optical components and
sensitive micro-electronics.
