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I like my 300 but it like the d200 dont like the cold. both shut down in sub zero temps. fought it all weekend. I shoot wildlife mainly, and cant have this keep happening. with gas $$$ and my time, i'm wasting way too much time with dead equipment when it gets cold. . .

Lost the focus on the 70-200 vr afs and the camera would not even stay on after about 20 minutes in -10 degrees.

My f5, 90, 100 and d70, and d2h never had these problems. sure the batteries would not last, but at least they would work.

Both the 200 and the 300 just are not made to shoot in the conditions I shoot. my shooting partners d200 ran out of gas too. . .

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It's the camera, well, the batteries. I'm not suggesting that people are being less than truthful about their use of the d300 in the cold, but I know now that it's the batteries. Few people spend much time with their gear outside in sub zero. Most are out for a few minutes and then back to the car or buss, even fewer are using long lenses with VR like the 200-400, some retreat to a house or a building or, it's not quite as cold as they think it is.

I along with another world class cold weather photographer have been doing some extensive testing, and the results show that it's the enel3e batteries. His resultes first keyed me into doing more research.

Anyway, the enel3e's are almost useless after 1/2hour at -15 or below. At around zero they discharge to 12-15% in about 40 minutes. Also, the 200-400 afs vr has a good deal of draw. so couple zero battery life at -15 and a big draw from the 200-400 and whala, dead camera. . . Ive been able to replicate this both in real time and in the lab - well, the deep freeze with 10 different batteries.

Now that I'be got the bl3 door i'll test again with the enel4 and the aa alkalines. . .

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