|
jude
Nov 17, 2003, 1:04 AM
Post #1 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 2, 2003
Posts: 67
|
I need a decent camera for an alpine trip. I've used disposables and very basic point and shoot cameras that work well, but have little flexibility. I'm looking for something with a zoom capibility to better frame my shots. Has anyone used a basic battery operated 35 mm in the cold and at altitude and how did it survive?
Jude 8)
|
|
|
|
|
ropeburn
Nov 17, 2003, 1:46 AM
Post #2 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 19, 2003
Posts: 594
|
Try those energizer lithium batteries, they work better in cold climes. Other than battery choice its just a matter of keeping the lens from fogging. Don't keep it in your chest pocket and then pull it out for a quick shot.
:mrgreen:
|
|
|
|
|
harrisha
Nov 17, 2003, 2:20 AM
Post #3 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 31, 2003
Posts: 314
|
go fully manual, get a seperate battery pack you can wear inside your parka, or just carry several extra batteries that you can keep in your parka and switch out as they die.
|
|
|
|
|
omenbringer
Nov 17, 2003, 3:16 AM
Post #4 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 19, 2003
Posts: 248
|
if you want something that was pretty much made for the cold, try Nikons FE2 or FM2 they are full manual with a wide variety of lens and they can usually be found used very cheap. They are basically the same camera with a few subtle differences the FE2 is the winter version. They are durable and relatively light and the battery only powers the light meter. They can handle up to 4000 shutter speeds. I would go with a 35-75mm zoom and a 80-200mm zoom. Also remember to winterize your camera, your local camera store can do this cheap. If you want something newer, lighter, and probably easier to find a deal on try the FM10. Virtually the same just lighter, I'm told just as durable. Also Nikon has put out an updated and more expensive version of the FE2/FM2, cant remember the name (think its the FM 3)but finding accesories will be a lot easier. The FE2/FM2 body should cost you around $250-$300.00. A FM10 body should cost about the same, the difference being the FM10 would be new while the FE2/FM2 would be used. A new FM3 body should cost about $500.00. I would also suggest you go with used lenses, they usually just have a cosmetic blemish and they can save you some serious cash, which means you can buy faster glass. Goodluck and hope it helps.
|
|
|
|
|
dmr
Nov 17, 2003, 3:57 AM
Post #5 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 14, 2003
Posts: 54
|
I have had good luck with a fully manual Olympus OM-1, 21mm fixed and a 35-70 zoom. It is quite a bit more weight than a Stylus Epic/Yashica T4...though. I find myself mostly carrying the Yashica T4 with lithium batteries on anything where I'm trying to save pack weight.
|
|
|
|
|
pico23
Nov 17, 2003, 6:00 AM
Post #6 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 14, 2003
Posts: 2378
|
Ive had good results with button cell manual cameras. Something like the Pentax K-1000, P-30t, Super program, or Program Plus. You can get any of those for under $150 used and the only thing electronic on them is the light meter so the batteries last forever. I usually carry a spare set of button batteries but I've never had a problem with them dying in the cold yet. You can argue that the button cells are harder to change than full size batteries but they rarely need to be changed.
Don't keep the camera warm. It messes with condensation by warming and cooling it.
If your leaning more towards point and shoot consider putting lithium cells in the camera. Lithium weight less and last longer in the cold.
|
|
|
|
|
sixter
Nov 17, 2003, 6:14 AM
Post #7 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 25, 2003
Posts: 262
|
I echo the comments about not keeping a camera warm in cold climes, but batteries should be kept warm for optimum life. I haven't used my Canon T-90 much in cold climes, but I love that the batteries are loaded into a carrier that easily slides in and out so the batteries can keep warm without haveing to fumble with them on an individual basis. That said, you would probably have better success with a full manual camera that uses a battery for only light meter functions. You might want to discuss this with a pro camera repair shop.
Since we are speaking about cold environs and cameras, I had a bunch of snow shots come out overexposed, using TTL metering. I bracketed, but they still came out overexposed. I thought the meter was "tricked" into underexposing snow shots because of the increased ammount of light reflected off the bright white surface. I bracketed a full stop both ways of the meter reading, but they still came out overexposed. I used slide film.
|
|
|
|
|
nateyoun
Nov 17, 2003, 7:42 AM
Post #8 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 5, 2003
Posts: 73
|
I'm going to second the OM-1.... from olympus.
the main reason is that it is a completely manual camera,, so even if the battery is completely frozen dead.. the camera still works... just remember to get really good at guessing when fstop and shutter speed before you go, or before the battery freezes...
also, you can only get them used which means a body is maybe 150-200, and a fixed 50 would be about 50 dollars, and a 70-200 zoom would run you about 200.
|
|
|
|
|
pico23
Nov 17, 2003, 8:51 PM
Post #9 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 14, 2003
Posts: 2378
|
In reply to: Since we are speaking about cold environs and cameras, I had a bunch of snow shots come out overexposed, using TTL metering. I bracketed, but they still came out overexposed. I thought the meter was "tricked" into underexposing snow shots because of the increased ammount of light reflected off the bright white surface. I bracketed a full stop both ways of the meter reading, but they still came out overexposed. I used slide film.
Sixter,
You can meter directly off the snow and then increase the exposure by 2-2.5 stops. so you meter 1/500 F8 you need to expose at 1/125 F8. The camera is going to underexpose the snow if it fills most of the scene and make it grey because the light meter averages the scene to mid tone.
|
|
|
|
|
tendertendons
Nov 18, 2003, 5:47 PM
Post #10 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 11, 2003
Posts: 47
|
In reply to: Since we are speaking about cold environs and cameras, I had a bunch of snow shots come out overexposed, using TTL metering. I bracketed, but they still came out overexposed. I thought the meter was "tricked" into underexposing snow shots because of the increased ammount of light reflected off the bright white surface. I bracketed a full stop both ways of the meter reading, but they still came out overexposed. I used slide film.
Another thing you can try is metering off your hand. Most metering cells in cameras are calibrated to give you a proper exposure reading at 18% gray (reflectance). Some other things that are ~18% are green leaves so if someone is wearing a bright green parka or toque that would be another good thing to take a meter reading from. Take two meter readings always throughout the day (with the sun/ against the sun) and set your camera accordingly. My experience has been you should take three sets of readings throughout the day: one in the morning/ one around noon, one in the early evening (3:00 pm) as the quantity of the light changes alot faster in the winter compared to the summer. Whether or not you use slide film will be dictated by your proficiency at judging the light quantity and quality (color temperature) of the scene as slide film typically has less than 1/2 stop of latitude. Unless your planning on doing a slide show your probably better off using color negative film with its very forgiving +/- 2 stop latitude. The two lenses that I find most useful out there are a medium telephoto (90 mm - for portraits and distance shots) and a superwide (24/20 mm - for group shots and self-portraits). If your camera has a self timer function you can even take a picture of yourself at a belay stance with the superwide provided you have an anchor for it. You can get some zoom lenses that cover this range too like a 21-70 but keep in mind the aperture values change as you zoom in and out so this might affect your results particularily if your using slide film. Personally, I use a Leica M3 with 90 mm and 21 mm lenses. The M3 is an old-school camera and doesn't even have a meter built in so I take incident meter readings with a Sekonic handheld which is more accurate than taking hand readings throughout the day in my experience. I do shoot some slide but most of my work is b&w or color negative because of the latitude issue. Here's an example:
http://www.photo.net/...o_id=1347702&size=md
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
cryder
Nov 18, 2003, 7:08 PM
Post #11 of 11
(1632 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 14, 2003
Posts: 391
|
Learn to draw really really well. Works great and is light weight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
