Vallerret photography gloves in customer test
Winter can sometimes put a photographer to the test. Dressing in layers is fine, but your hands, especially your fingers, are put to the test. I've tried all sorts of home remedies, but I finally decided to get the right pair of photography gloves. I chose the Vallerret gloves, developed in Norway and manufactured in Indonesia, and the latest version of their popular Markhof Pro collection, the V3.
Compared to the older Pro 2 model, the V3 gloves are said to be warmer, slightly wider, have waterproof zippers in the pockets, and have better magnets for the finger loops. In addition, the pocket has a small token that can be used to screw a flash disk to the bottom of the camera. The pocket can also store a memory card or a small hand warmer.
The glove is made of goatskin and water-resistant polyester twill. The combination is said to also hold up well to wind and drafts. The back of the palm and palm side are insulated with Thinsulate. The inside of the gloves is made of 100% merino wool. The grip on the palm side helps with grip.
The manufacturer does not directly state at what temperatures the gloves will keep your hands warm. The rating is Mid Winter and according to user experience, the gloves can still handle temperatures as low as -10 degrees.
I ended up with the Markhof Pro V3 photography gloves after trying out most of Vallerret's models at Mikkeli Photo Shop after reading about them online first. It's not necessarily a good idea to buy gloves directly from an online store. In the store you can compare different models, their fit on the hand, size and how they feel on the camera. The service at Mikkeli Photo Shop was commendable in every way in this regard.
In addition to the shooting gloves, I also ended up buying Vallerret's Power Stretch Pro Liner gloves, which turned out to be the right purchase. At the time of purchase, the frost readings were still tolerable, but during real operations, the frost gauge once dropped well below -20 degrees.
What were your experiences? I used gloves and mittens alternately at several ice hockey games and in nature to photograph birds and landscapes. The beginning was a struggle. The first time I used them at an ice hockey game, the temperature was a bitter -10 degrees Celsius, and an attempt to film twice for 45 minutes with just the Markhof Pro V3 gloves did not bring the desired result. My bare trigger finger quickly got cold. The wind must have also played a part in this. I couldn't really warm my finger inside the glove, because ice hockey is a sport where situations change quickly from one end of the field to the other. You have to be ready to film at all times.
The feelings on the first nature photography trip were similar. The temperature was about the same. However, the strong wind blowing from the north and the humidity it lifted from the rapids chilled the air and my bare shutter finger froze.
I continued to feel and experiment in a couple of ice hockey games. On my second attempt, I used a so-called hybrid model, Vallerret Power Stretch Pro Liner liners and wool mittens with open fingertips. To my surprise, this combination worked. The Polartec double-knit lining of the gloves kept my trigger finger relatively warm for almost the entire first half, 45 minutes.
The gloves and mittens were put to the test in a situation they were not originally intended for. At a hockey game, it was -23 degrees below zero and there was wind on top of that. This time I put the mittens under the gloves. With this combination, the cold barely got to my fingertips. The thickness of the camera glove and mitten certainly made it harder to feel the shutter button, which I also used to focus. However, there were surprisingly few shots where the focus was not on point.
In summary, I would say and believe that the Markhof Pro V3 works on its own if the temperature is below 10 degrees. With undergloves, you can handle even colder weather. And the problem during shooting was really just the bare index finger acting as the shutter release finger. Otherwise, my hands didn't get cold and handling the lens was easy.
Vallerretti also has other photography gloves for different conditions. You can view the full range here .
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