bridge or DLSR when faced with the elements?

[tom00_uk]

I have a 5 month working trip lined up to the waters of the southern ocean, between antarctica and south georgia.

while there i want to capture the seals, penguins, albatross and icebergs etc i come across,

with the extreme temperatures that are going to be faced from leaving the bridge and going out onto the deck would a DSLR or a bridge camera be better suited to the frequent temperature changes?

I'm expecting the gear to last but that said its going to be used daily so there is a chance it will fail and so im looking to not spend silly money, esp when in such a rough patch of sea it might get damaged.

Not sure if im flying out on the civilian route via Santiago or the RAF flight to the Falklands, if the latter then a bigger luggage allowance

what extras would be needed to ensure the best images to my abilities, with the bright conditions im guessing a lens filter will be required?

has any one any top tips on taking pictures of iceburgs etc, since i want to show the detail and not just a white mass next to the ship?

[MeadsMan]

All I can suggest,is that the higher priced lenses and camera bodies from Canon,are supposed to be weather proofed.You would need to look in more detail which ones offer this.You also could take a second spare body with you just incase,if your bridge camera failed,then you will have nothing to take photos with,but it would cost you alot of money.

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by MeadsMan

All I can suggest,is that the higher priced lenses and camera bodies from Canon,are supposed to be weather proofed.You would need to look in more detail which ones offer this.You also could take a second spare body with you just incase,if your bridge camera failed,then you will have nothing to take photos with,but it would cost you alot of money.

You might also consider that you may be able to purchase 3 or 4 bridge cameras for the price of one SLR body and the (possibly one or) two lenses you would require.
So you might not have to care so much if something broke or fell in the sea.

[andrewinpompey]

I'd have thought that DSLRs are just generally sturdier and better suited to these conditions. I'd get a second-hand DSLR if you think it may not survive (2nd hand, thus saving you some money).

A lithium battery will cope 10 times better with the cold (some bridge cameras use AA batteries only, but all DSLRs take lithiums). Also, keep a spare battery in your pocket so it stays warm (but protected so metal objects e.g. keys don't short it out). AAs will last literally about a minute in extreme cold before dying!

Take a supply of plastic bags (or purpose-designed waterproof covers) to protect from spray. A plastic bag held on with a rubber band round your lens will give considereable protection! And a UV filter on the end of your lens, for the same reason (better to wipe that clean than wipe the lens). Polarising filter might help with icebergs etc. (cut down on reflections).

A big factor would be not to expose your camera to sudden temperature changes. I guess the bridge wouldn't be well heated, but would be significantly? Coming inside could lead to condensation developing inside the camera... fine if you leave it for 15-30 minutes to clear, but if you then go outside 5 minutes later it could freeze... and you'll need a new camera. No DSLR will cope this this I suspect! Might there be some sort of space that would be at a temperature nearer to outside temperature, where you could leave the camera?

[tom00_uk]

i should think i will be able to store a touch case in the hook baiting area and so not have to bring the camera in and out from the sea side of operations to often, would leave it in there over night before taking out the next day if for any reason i needed it inside, and the box will have a load of dehydration crystals,

other option is to get a dive case then no worries about it being out all day, but the cost would put dslr out of the equation

i dont think i will drop it into the sea, but having worked in force 10s in the uk and had every thing that was not nailed down makes its way to the floor i realize its likely that during storms it will end up flying at some point

would this location and being used for work put it outside normal insurance protection?

[SteveF48]

What about a weatherproof compact camera like the Canon D10, Olympus mju Tough 8000, Panasonic FT1 etc? They are waterproof and rated down to at least -10 centigrade?
A bridge camera will have a longer zoom, but I don't know of any that are really weatherproof. Having said that my Panasonic FZ38 is still working after being drenched with sea spray
For quality you cannot beat a DSLR, with its larger sensor; but there's always a risk whenever you change lenses. The Samsung GX20 is weatherproof and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, as is the Pentax equivalent. Canon and Nikon seem to only make their more expensive cameras weatherproof.
A 18-200mm, or 28-300mm lens would mean that you wouldn't have to change lenses very often, though I see that Pentax make 18-55 and 50-200mm weatherproof lens, which would provide a good range.
Personally I would take several smaller cameras, if I was lucky enough to be going. Something for high quality and a weatherproof for everyday use. For occasions where you need a longer zoom, I thoroughly recommend Panasonic cameras with mega ois (optical image stabilisation), I've used mine at sea in low light and the results were very good.
I don't think that there's any point going for a very long (20x or more) zoom, because you really need to use a tripod with them most of the time. To me tripods on vessels at sea are just a waste of space.
Whatever you decide, use a UV filter to protect the lens; take spare memory and batteries; change memory cards every day, so that if one fails you haven't lost all of your work. A friend only took one card to East Africa on the holiday of a lifetime, it failed and he lost everything! I usually carry 3-4 cards and rotate them, so that a failure only costs a third, or quarter, of my images.

[squishy]

I hear that Olympus's weather sealing is very highly regarded. People supposedly wash E-3's under a tap if they get dirty.

[diggleken]

Thats pretty extreme, or could be, down there, so I dont have an answer, but a suggestion to try and contact some pro's who might have been in similar extreme situations, via their t'internet websites. Simon King, Gordon Yates,.........?
You must share your pics with us, or at least (as not in Britain)post some on flickr and let us know your site name.
Cheers
Ken

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by squishy

I hear that Olympus's weather sealing is very highly regarded. People supposedly wash E-3's under a tap if they get dirty.

This is an Olympus E1:



I have the E3 and have spent 10 hours on the summit of Cairngorm in driving rain at 4 degrees C with it, without any protection - it was just slung over my shoulder. Mind you, I didn't get many photo's on those conditions! The weather resistant lenses cover the range 7 to 300mm (or 7 - 420mm with the weather resistant 1.4 converter). The later range gives a 35mm FOV equivalent of 14 - 840mm. They are all rather expensive, but of superb mechanical and optical quality.

FWIW ISTRC postings stating that Canon are rather coy about the degree of weather resistance their cameras have. Also, I understand that whilst Nikon have weather resistant bodies, few of their lenses are similarly protected.

Jim

[DrNickBurton]

If you're concerned about protecting your equipment from the elements, it's possible to buy waterproof camera and lens covers from wildlife watching supplies. I have one, they're very good indeed, and protect also against dirt etc.

For photographing ice, dial in some exposure compensation to overexpose by about half a stop (it varies between cameras), as views containing mostly white will tend to fool the light meter on your camera into underexposing.