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Film-making in the cold - how do you keep your equipment going?
  • On set today (just below 0 celsius) I had a hard time with vintage focusing helicoids stiffening up to the point where it was impossible to use a follow focus. A fog machine couldn´t get warm enough to produce smoke, among other things. What are your tips / workarounds for keeping gear in working order when the conditions are difficult? Another day of shooting tomorrow and I´m trying to come up with some ways to at least be able to use the lenses I intended to.

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  • Well, heating in that way would be an option in certain conditions, however.. I think I will re-grease my lenses with this: http://www.micro-tools.com/store/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=21033 should work down to -45 degrees c. Another option is silicon grease.

    In the second world war they just stripped the guns from all grease, however with helicoid focusing mechanisms this is not ideal for smooth action!