Re: Cameras and the Cold

Have to agree with Russ - a spare battery is good trip insurance. That said, I remember what it's like to be a poor college student, and often it changes the cost/risk balance significantly. Yes, warming them up will give you some performance back. When I was still using the older BP511 batteries from Canon, I would typically keep two spares inside my coat and one in the camera. When the camera one started getting a little worn down, I swap it with one of the warm ones. I could easily shoot all day in subzero weather without issue (other than numb appendages).

The cheap knock-offs I used to use never did that well in the cold and needed frequent rotation, but the Canon OEM cells were better. The later BP511A packs seem to do better in the cold, and I haven't actually had the new LP-E6s in my 7D out in the cold enough yet to know.

If finances are tight and the D70 can take cheap knock-off cells (the $7-9 specials from eBay), you might consider one of those. Probably not as good as a real Nikon, but likely acceptable as a backup. The only downside is that sometimes the safety features in them aren't as good (or just aren't...), and lithium ion is a rather touchy battery chemistry. So there is some incurred risk, but I've never had any problems with the mid-priced knockoffs from eBay.

Nathan