I currently have an issue with a trip that I will be going next month to Mt Everest Base Camp. I was told by our guide it is recommended to use Manual Film Camera as it is cold and very limited to a power source to charge batteries. I no longer have 35mm Film Bodies and was wondering with the community if anyone has tried using a DSLR?
I would recommend quite the opposite, film gets very very brittle in conditions like that and would probably have more issues than digital. I would say just invest in a few extra batteries and turn off your screen review to save juice. Keep the batteries inside your jacket as well, at least the one you plan on using next. You may also want to keep the whole camera under your jacket to keep the lens from fogging up.
Keep your film inside your jacket. Get a Nikon slr that accepts a cold battery pack. The lens will not fog up unless taken from a cold environment into a warm one--ie, from outside into a warm tent. There are precautions you can take to prevent condensation and fogging when doing this.
You could always take both, a trip like that deserves a back-up plan photographically.
That would quite possibly be the best camera for environments with no access to electricity.
But from what I've experienced ( 6 days in cold desolate -20 to -32 degree Celsius weather) a lithium ion battery will do okay. But alkalines are absolutely useless, don't even consider them at all. Perhaps its part of the reason your guide suggests manual film ? You'll get about 40-50% of your normal usable battery life with lithium ion in that sort of conditions.
The main thing is to make sure that they are NOT FROZEN over before you attempt to use them. Keep two in your chest /( inside parka/ wind jacket) pockets at any time and only put them into the camera when you're about to use them. Take them out and put them close to your body again once you're done shooting. The camera will be alright as long as there is no major SUDDEN temperature variation, so no worries about fogging unless you're immediately going into a warm tent. If that's the case, put your camera in plastic bag, bloat it up, seal it and let the camera rise up to the indoor temperature slowly, perhaps over an hour or so. Fogging won't occur if you allow this to happen.
As for how many batteries if you're to bring along the DSLR ? As many as you can afford to own and afford to carry. Possibly 1 for every 2 days you're there to be 99% safe (there's no 100% in those sort of extreme environments). Minimise the use of the LCD to maximise your battery juice. Bring a manual film camera for backup...
As for manual film camera, if you're not into film anymore , I think those disposable ones might be worth considering .. though I'm not so certain if they will work well in those sort of environments.
I was following an expedition on Everest with past season with the First Ascent team. They hired a professional photography (Jake Norton), who documented the whole thing. I believe he used a Nikon D300 without any issues, even at the summit of Everest. To charge the batteries he had a flexible solar panel. I'll try to dig up some more information later.
I went there last october. I used a 1DMk2 with two batteries, other than the battery goes quicker, there is no other problem at all. But two batteries should last for two days. It will be hard to charge them in the base camp cause there is no electric. They also use some generator to provide dim lighting. There is a china mobile station nearby, I am sure they have electric, if you are luck, you could recharge your batteries there. Other way is just bring many back-up batteries if you will stay much longer than a day or two.
PS: If you don't plan to climb up from base camp, you don't even need to stay over night, because you will only get owesome sunset view, sun rises on the other side from Nepal. Also sleeping in the camp is not a enjoyable experience. High altitude effect will kick in easily.
I am also considering a trip there during the Fall season and I have done several trekkings at similar altitude with various Canon DSLRs (5D and 10D), and with Velvia/Sensia slide film, with no problem at all. Batteries should just preferably be kept warm, so I would carry them close to my body, and remove them from the camera when not in use for extended periods of time (like night). That does allow me to get reasonable battery life despite the cold temperature. Not doing so may result in much shorter battery life (I had a battery almost drained after staying overnight in my 10D in very cold temp.
Have fun.
P.S. if you do take film, throw a roll of 3200 ISO into your X-ray proof bag. That'll greatly increase the chances that you can pass those valuable rolls of film around the X-ray machine.
Scubatography wrote:
I would recommend quite the opposite, film gets very very brittle in conditions like that and would probably have more issues than digital. I would say just invest in a few extra batteries and turn off your screen review to save juice. Keep the batteries inside your jacket as well, at least the one you plan on using next. You may also want to keep the whole camera under your jacket to keep the lens from fogging up.
Hope this helps! Have a blast and come home safe!
1- film hasn't gotten "brittle" for many a year. the film base material is a polyester material that is real sturdy. you do want to avoid motoring through you body due to static build up on it that can/will show up. thousands of images have been made using film from base to summit on all of the highest peeks in the world. i have to say a good manual operated film camera can turn out to bethe most reliable arching tool out there. it is unfortunate the the best arching film has been discontinued. keeping the whole camera under the jacket you are wearing and perspiring ing may not be the best advice to prevent moisture build up in and on the camera. the human body is constantly blowing off water vapor.
jmana wrote:
I was told by our guide it is recommended to use Manual Film Camera as it is cold and very limited to a power source to charge batteries.
This recommendation reeks of the CYA that is mandatory in today's litigious society. I can't tell you what to do but if it were me, I'd take my D700 and three batteries and I'd be good to go. dave
Your guide is correct. I think a Nikon FM2 (as MAx mentioned) and an appropriate manual focus lens will do. No batteries needed except for the meter. KEH has one for $132. Get that. There are other choices but this should work well. there are equivalent choices from Canon, olympus and Pentax. Use negative film and NOT slides. Film has a significantly wider exposure latitude (more forgiving)
Although you may be able to succeed with a DSLR, there is a HIGH probability that you will get no pictures with one. If you are going on this trip for purely photographic reasons, have great expertise with digital cameras in this environment and are willing to expend energy babying the camera equipment, the DSLR may work. I doubt that is the case.
I trekked to Mt Everest base camp November 2008. One thing you need to be very careful of is weight. I carried a 1DM2, and in my opinion this was very heavy hanging from my neck. Another person on the trip was carrying a 40D and I would have given my eye took to swap (weight wise only). As it turned out I only took my camera out of my pack when we stopped - where as the other person carried his on his neck the whole time. He ended up taking a better range (and more) shots that i did.
The trek is very steep and you do climb a lot of steps. If your camera is hanging from your neck you can bump it or at times your knees could bump it climbing. Believe me when i tell you at 5500 meters (base camp) there is only 50% oxygen in the air and even a water bottle feels like you are carrying a brick.
Battery wise i trekked for 12 days and took about a 1000 shots but only used two batteries. I normally get at least 800 shots from each battery so maybe they were reduced by about 40%. I did turn off the review screen and I did turn off my camera every time when i finished with it. There is absolutely no electricity on the trek. This time of year there will be no climbers at base camp (I think the climbing season is in May), so don't expect any generators etc. It is not even a good idea to take a charger with you (just extra weight again).
I would also minimize your lens selection. I did take a 24-105 and had planned to take the 100-400, but I am so glad i left it back at my starting point.
Best of luck on your trek, it is an amazing experience.
I did the Everest Circuit trek in 2006 and took a Nikon F3HP, backed up by a point and shoot digital that takes AA batteries.
The F3HP performed perfectly, but I would have no problems taking a DSLR if doing the trip again. One other guy on my trip did this without any problems. Take 3 to 4 batteries and keep the camera in your sleeping bag at night.
Weight is definitely an issue, so forget about the pro bodies. If it was me I'd go for one body with a 24mm manual focus prime (assuming full frame sensor). The mountain views are so expansive that you will not use normal to telephoto range much at all. I took a 50 prime in addition to the 24mm and used it less than 10%. An alternative solution could be a crop body with a 10-24mm zoom (or similar).
A polariser will definitely help, you will get amazing dark blue skies (weather permitting). The effect is much more dramatic than at lower altitudes.
The environment is dusty so you want to minimise lens changes. If it was me I would take a high end P&S (LX3?) for the rare shots that you want to zoom in more, and also great for the people shots.
The Everest area is definitely one of the most photogenic places in the world, enjoy!
(Not speaking from experience...) but I remember reading from the late/great adventure photographer, Galen Rowell, that his (film) cameras had to be de-lubed because normal lubricants would congeal at very low temps and make the cameras difficult to operate. I'm not sure that this would pertain to modern Digital cameras as they use much less (and different) lubricant.
dave