Doug,Any update?
I shot extensively with my IQ180 in the Swiss Alps in Dec2010/Jan2011. Outdoor temps on most of my morning walks were typically -6 to -2degC, but on one particular morning it was -17C when I got off the gondola at the top of one mountain, and -12C when I took the ride down 3 hours later.
I usually work with my IQ180 on normal latency on the Alpa STC, but in these cold conditions, I chose to use it on zero latency. My thinking was that this would generate a little heat and thus avoid any issues with extreme cold. I also carry my spare batteries in the inside pocket of my jacket so they stay moderately warm.
The back was switched off when I was legging it between shooting locations, but I would turn it on as soon as I arrived at a place where I thought there might be a shot to be had. Thus, by the time I had set up my tripod and composed my image, the camera was cold but not freezing. This was a year ago and Liveview was not yet available. I'd imagine that simply using liveview would bring sensor temp up enough to avoid any issues.
On several occasions, I had the sensor exposed briefly whilst changing lenses. No problems here apart from bloody cold fingers!
I did note a drop in battery life, at a guess in the region of 20% down from my normal expectations, but I put this down to the batteries being below their best at these temps. I have 6 batteries but never got through more than 2 fully charged batteries, though I don't shoot a lot of frames when I'm shooting landscapes, perhaps 60 frames or so each walk.
My files themselves were just as accurate and clean as I would expect at normal temps, even when shooting 15-30sec exposures at low ISO with ND grads etc.
I would love to hear how others are going this winter with the updated firmware and liveview. Unfortunately I am in Dubai this winter where temps don't get very cold at all. I'd rather be with family in Switzerland and taking daily hikes in the snow, but clients are keeping me busy here.
As an aside, I took the IQ180 and Alpa to Afghanistan where is was cool and very, very dusty and as expected, all worked perfectly. It will be interesting to hear where members are travelling with their backs and what conditions they are shooting in. I will be shooting a lot in Malaysia and Indonesia in 2012, so I'll report on high-humidity usage as well.
Cheers,