Posted by Basil Greber on August 5, 2006 at 6:16 AM
Hello all
A friend of mine is planning to buy a digital camera for climbing and alpinism. She now has a Leica SLR, so she sure knows what good cameras & picture quality are! I suggested a D50 or EOS 350D for the light weight, but she thinks that they are still to heavy, too large, and too difficult to store while still maintaining quick access. What would you use?
Important to mention is that she wants to get the camera to be able to take shots of her alpine tours, and not the other way round (do alpine tours to get photographs).
So what would you do? Suggestions on (small but good) cameras, or storage systems (for DSLRs) that both ensure quick access but are no hindrance to climbing most welcome...
Canon S3IS...a lot of my friends who climb carry this...smaller than an slr but lens has a lot of reach, IS, and very decent pic quality...
Posted by Vandit Kalia on August 5, 2006 at 10:54 AM
Were I to travel that light, my camera of choice would be the Panasonix LX-1. Some photos taken with it can be found here:
http://www.photosafariindia.com/galleries/darjeeling/thumbs.html
Alternatively, a Canon G6 with a WA adapter.
However, I have to admit that I'd prefer an SLR with a couple of lenses (12-24 + 28-75, or 17-40 / 70-200). Perhaps one solution for your friend would be an improved method of carrying this gear? I find a belt/harness system to be invaluable while I am hiking in the Himalayas. However, if she is not a photographer, I can see why she'd be loathe to burden herself with an SLR while on a climb.
Vandit
Posted by Basil Greber on August 5, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Thanks for the answers so far.
Vandit: Is there any belt system that would allow her to carry a large backpack (so I guess you can't have the stuff at your back) AND be attached to a rope (glacier crossings, "real" climibing) via a waist harness (so having the camera in a pocket at the front is problematic as well)?
Thanks
Basil
Posted by Vandit Kalia on August 5, 2006 at 2:31 PM
Basil, that's starting to get tricky. Even leaving aside the rope harness, it will be hard to have a waistbelt with camera gear as well as support the weight of the large backpack properly. She may be able to use a small waistpouch attached over the backpack's waistbelt, but that is about it. I dont think a proper camera belt/harness system would work with her bacpack. The waistpouch, however, should allow her to carry a small compact and maybe an addon lens.
Adding on a rope harness may be doable with this setup. I havent done any technical stuff for almost a decade (since I first shredded my knee), so take this for the outdated advice it may be, but a lot of the Nepali sherpas and guides I knew used very simple but robust systems of rope attachments. These would work well with the setup described above.
Alpine climbers tend to use a lot more "high-tech" (relatively, anyway) setups, and I am not too familiar with how those might have evolved to the present time, but given the limitations imposed by the backpack, that becomes moot anyway.
And given the carrying capacity of the waistpouch, it may be just as effective to shove a little camera into an inner jacket pocket.
Either way, I think a small compact would be the answer. A good friend of mine is pottering around K2 somewhere as I write this, and the LX-1 is what she's taken with her. If your friend wants a little more zoom, the S3 recommended above is also a good option.
Vandit
Posted by Kent Staubus on August 5, 2006 at 3:26 PM
I think you are on the right track looking at a high quality small point & shoot camera. There are some good choices. I too would pick one with some sort of image stabilization. An alternative would be an even smaller camera such as the Canon S80. It has a very good 28-100mm equiv. lens. It fits in a shirt pocket. For a slightly larger p&s camera, maybe a pouch could be rigged on a backpack's shoulder strap where it goes down your chest?
Kent in MO
Posted by Basil Greber on August 5, 2006 at 5:58 PM
Thanks guys, will forward that info, including the camera suggestions, to her!
My "backup" camera (for pocket, purse, boat when rough, rain, etc) is the Olympus Stylus 800.
8 mp, decent digital zoom, EXCELLENT glass, compact, light, water-resistant (to 15 ft) and I challenge anyone to tell the difference between it's pictures and my D200 at short/moderate zoom.
Sandy R
Posted by John W. Wall on August 7, 2006 at 3:37 PM
I like the Panasonic DMC-FZ5 for the long range of its zoom and excellent portability. I carry it in the side-pocket netting on a daypack, or in a pouch on my chest strap on a backpack.
Basil, I have a Pan Lumix DMC-LX1 ... but that needs to be carried and stored somewhere warm if overnighting.
But I carry a Olympus XA for quick shots and the Rollei 35SE for staged shots. Above the snow line, especially if staying out at night ... film is still my prefered option ... no batteries and no noise at elongated exposures.
Both can be bought on ebay for a good price. Although the Rollei is zone focus, it is refered as it is mechanical and therefore cold/drain free, a dream with sunny F16 ( nice DOF), and a Zeiss lens made of Glass....
The Olympus 4/3 system is supposed to be small and light, but I'm not sure how well they came through on it. My first thought was the EOS 350D with a 17-85 IS, but that apparently has been vetoed.
Otherwise, I'd concur with a digicam with a decent zoom, and preferably image stabilization. Dpreview.com has detailed and excellent reviews of these (but beware the discussion forums!).
Posted by Basil Greber on August 9, 2006 at 2:54 AM
Thanks! I know dpreview.com... and the forums. Athmosphere is quite a bit different there compared to here. Needless to say which one I prefer.
Basil
Posted by Brent Murphy on August 9, 2006 at 5:32 PM
When I'm hiking and climbing (mountain climbing, not technical rock), I carry my SLR in a LowePro Topload Zoom case at my chest, attached to my backpack's shoulder straps. This allows me to have easy access to the camera and accessories (but not a tripod, unfortunately). This setup works well for me. If she ends up going with a digital P&S, she should just get a small camera pouch and clip it to a shoulder strap.
On a side note, depending on the level of climbing we're talking about, she may want to consider using a length of accessory cord, attached to the camera's strap attachment and to her harness. I've used this while rock climbing, in case I should drop the camera. I usually use just enough cord to allow me to use the camera properly, with a little bit a slack left over. I just shove the cord into the camera pouch when I put the camera away, so I don't trip over it.
Don't really have any good suggestions for a camera, aside from what others have said above.
Discussion
12 repliesA friend of mine is planning to buy a digital camera for climbing and alpinism. She now has a Leica SLR, so she sure knows what good cameras & picture quality are! I suggested a D50 or EOS 350D for the light weight, but she thinks that they are still to heavy, too large, and too difficult to store while still maintaining quick access. What would you use?
Important to mention is that she wants to get the camera to be able to take shots of her alpine tours, and not the other way round (do alpine tours to get photographs).
So what would you do? Suggestions on (small but good) cameras, or storage systems (for DSLRs) that both ensure quick access but are no hindrance to climbing most welcome...
regards
Basil
http://www.photosafariindia.com/galleries/darjeeling/thumbs.html
Alternatively, a Canon G6 with a WA adapter.
However, I have to admit that I'd prefer an SLR with a couple of lenses (12-24 + 28-75, or 17-40 / 70-200). Perhaps one solution for your friend would be an improved method of carrying this gear? I find a belt/harness system to be invaluable while I am hiking in the Himalayas. However, if she is not a photographer, I can see why she'd be loathe to burden herself with an SLR while on a climb.
Vandit
Vandit: Is there any belt system that would allow her to carry a large backpack (so I guess you can't have the stuff at your back) AND be attached to a rope (glacier crossings, "real" climibing) via a waist harness (so having the camera in a pocket at the front is problematic as well)?
Thanks
Basil
Adding on a rope harness may be doable with this setup. I havent done any technical stuff for almost a decade (since I first shredded my knee), so take this for the outdated advice it may be, but a lot of the Nepali sherpas and guides I knew used very simple but robust systems of rope attachments. These would work well with the setup described above.
Alpine climbers tend to use a lot more "high-tech" (relatively, anyway) setups, and I am not too familiar with how those might have evolved to the present time, but given the limitations imposed by the backpack, that becomes moot anyway.
And given the carrying capacity of the waistpouch, it may be just as effective to shove a little camera into an inner jacket pocket.
Either way, I think a small compact would be the answer. A good friend of mine is pottering around K2 somewhere as I write this, and the LX-1 is what she's taken with her. If your friend wants a little more zoom, the S3 recommended above is also a good option.
Vandit
Kent in MO
Basil
8 mp, decent digital zoom, EXCELLENT glass, compact, light, water-resistant (to 15 ft) and I challenge anyone to tell the difference between it's pictures and my D200 at short/moderate zoom.
Sandy R
But I carry a Olympus XA for quick shots and the Rollei 35SE for staged shots. Above the snow line, especially if staying out at night ... film is still my prefered option ... no batteries and no noise at elongated exposures.
Both can be bought on ebay for a good price. Although the Rollei is zone focus, it is refered as it is mechanical and therefore cold/drain free, a dream with sunny F16 ( nice DOF), and a Zeiss lens made of Glass....
T
Otherwise, I'd concur with a digicam with a decent zoom, and preferably image stabilization. Dpreview.com has detailed and excellent reviews of these (but beware the discussion forums!).
Basil
On a side note, depending on the level of climbing we're talking about, she may want to consider using a length of accessory cord, attached to the camera's strap attachment and to her harness. I've used this while rock climbing, in case I should drop the camera. I usually use just enough cord to allow me to use the camera properly, with a little bit a slack left over. I just shove the cord into the camera pouch when I put the camera away, so I don't trip over it.
Don't really have any good suggestions for a camera, aside from what others have said above.