Galapagos - film or digital or both?

[expatCanuck]

The title pretty much says it all.
Once-in-a-lifetime trip coming up.
Digital or Film or both?

Opinions & suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

- Richard

[JTL]

The title pretty much says it all.
Once-in-a-lifetime trip coming up.
Digital or Film or both?

Opinions & suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

- RichardIt would make no sense to me whatsoever to leave a once-in-a-lifetime experience to the vagaries of film...now that you don't have to. The sensor in the D300 beats film as does the sensor in many other digital SLRs.

Digital: Shoot, review, shoot, review, shoot review and compensate as necessary to make sure you're getting the best possible results. Live histogram allows you to be sure about your exposure curve. Also, change ISO setting from moment to moment to suit changing lighting conditions. Additionally, you are in control of the processing (and post processing).

Film: Shoot...and possibly wait weeks to review (especially when away on a remote shoot). Double-check your exposure curve? Sorry, out of luck! Suck it up if the light changes (or carry multiple bodies each loaded with different ASA film). Processing? You are at the mercy of the lab.

At this point, shooting film makes about as much sense as traveling to South America by donkey does...

[namesalex]

i actually work at a Rite Aid and i am the 1-Hour Photo guy and to be honest. its so sketchy we could mess up anytime haha. if the chemical is a little off, YOURE SCREWED! or maybe i cut your negative wrong... youre screwed :[ but yeah since i started working there i just hated film because i never knew what could go wrong so easily.

[JTL]

i actually work at a Rite Aid and i am the 1-Hour Photo guy and to be honest. its so sketchy we could mess up anytime haha. if the chemical is a little off, YOURE SCREWED! or maybe i cut your negative wrong... youre screwed :[ but yeah since i started working there i just hated film because i never knew what could go wrong so easily.Is "One Hour Photo" your favorite movie and is the character of Sy Parrish your personal hero? :D:D:D

[namesalex]

haha seriously every time i say i work there everyone brings that movie up! and i really like that movie hahaha its really good.

[Rhys]

Quite honestly I'd say digital if you can afford the better gear. Don't go with the cheapest digital you can find - get something decent as this sounds like a once in a lifetime trip. Digital give you the advantage of being almost unbreakable - the cards can be x-rayed and dropped, sat on etc and will still work. Don't be a cheap ass - get lots of memory cards. Those bulk storage units sound great until you realise they're even more fragile than film. Drop one, sit on it, dump it in the sea and it's dead. Cards will survive all that and so will their data.

Try to get at least an XTi or an XSi and get plenty practice in before you go in order that you know how to get the best from the cameras. Get some decent glass. It's too late afterwards to say "I wish I had a better lens for that trip". You're spending a ton on the trip so spend a ton on the camera kit in order to get the most out of it.

[JTL]

Try to get at least an XTi or an XSi...Since the OP already has a collection of Nikkor lenes, I suggest that he stick with Nikon in order to maximize his dollars and get a D80 or, better still, a D300...;)

[FLiPMaRC]

Since the OP already has a collection of Nikkor lenes, I suggest that he stick with Nikon in order to maximize his dollars and get a D80 or, better still, a D300...;)

It's the Galapagos! Go for the D300 :D :cool: ;)

[Rhys]

Since the OP already has a collection of Nikkor lenes, I suggest that he stick with Nikon in order to maximize his dollars and get a D80 or, better still, a D300...;)

Yes but they're elderly AI/AIS lenses that won't work well on the current crop of Nikons. His Nikkor AF lenses might work but are unlikely to achieve stellar results due to the different way in which film and digital works.

[Prospero]

Both the D200 and the D300 work pretty well with AI-s lenses. The lenses will meter with your camera after you set the maximum apperture of the lens in the menu. You can also set up the camera's custum function button to allow you to set this by using the camera wheels.
You can use manual and apperture priority mode with AI-s lenses, and I believe most types of metering are enabled (except for 3d matrix).

If you have AI-s lenses, I would definitly consider buying a D200 or D300. In any case, I would definitly get a Nikon dSLR. Even without metering, the lenses are fun to use :).
Also, you will be able to use your old Nikon autofocus lenses.

[TDN169]

I would never trust film on an important trip-
* You can actually check your pics after you take them- make absolutely sure you got the shot
* Back up the pictures to a laptop each evening (I'm assuming you have electricity and a dry place to sleep)
* No worry about equipment being damaged and losing photos- smash up a digital camera and you still have your photos as long as the card is in tact.

Some pointers for digital in remote places:
Don't trust an HDD for backups. Always have a few high capacity memory sticks.- this one (http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/survivor.aspx)is waterproof to 600 feet, shockproof, garanteed for 10 years and stores 32GB, or 8,000 high res pictures. I'd take 3 or 4 to be sure- 2 copies of each photo.

Keep it dry, you may want to buy a waterproof box. If you want to shoot in tropical areas (Galapagos Islands are all right, on reflection), keep the front lens condensation free (I use a Skylight 1A filter with, of all things, toothpaste, rubbed into it to reduce condensation).

Good luck, and remember to put some of your pics up in the forum!

[Mo Manx]

The title pretty much says it all.
Once-in-a-lifetime trip coming up.
Digital or Film or both?

Opinions & suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

- Richard

I took 1500 or so images in 5 days in the islands, all digital. As already mentioned, take lots of memory cards. Use OS lenses if you can for handheld shots--you may not have time to set up a perfect tripod shot. I took a monopod and used it once. Most wildlife is close, so you don't need a giant long lens most of the time. Don't forget a polarizing filter for aquatic wildlife.

[expatCanuck]

I would never trust film on an important trip-
...
Good luck, and remember to put some of your pics up in the forum!
Some shots links here:
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=317385&postcount=171

[Rhys]

There're some great photos there. Proves the K200D is a formidable camera.

[Margus]

If you haven't bought a camera for your trip yet then you could take a look at Fuji s100FS (http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_s100fs/index.html) bridge camera instead of a DSLR. The camera is not a best choise for pictures of buildings and other constructions due to some purple fringing at the corners/edges of pictures. However this problem is not visible in wildlife pictures where there are no straight lines with high contrast. The zoom range is really good and the features of the camera are quite impressive.

[Margus]

Oops. Didn't read the last post, you are back already.... :D

[expatCanuck]

...Use OS lenses if you can for handheld shots--you may not have time to set up a perfect tripod shot. ...OS lenses ... ??

[Rhys]

OS lenses ... ??

OS - optical stabilisation.

This is commonly called Image Stabilisation, Vibration Reduction etc.