Good ol' 35mm Cameras...

SR-T 101. And a 28mm f/2.8 Rokkor.

I still use an Eos3 regularly and had a Nikon FE until quite recently. The older camers, like the FE, have far less electronic bits and pieces, much more mechanical, thus cheaper to fix. But the Eos3 and of course the 1 series will feel exactly like a modern digital.

If I was looking right now, with the prices at rock bottom, it would be to medium format.

A comment was made about needing 45 35mm films and 1600 frames. That assumes the digital "keep the shutter pressed until the shutter melts" school of thinking. Think about each shot so each is as good as it can be, both in composition and exposure, and theres absolutely no need for 45 films.

PhotoJourno wrote in post #7759416
Thanks for the great comments.

Let's create a ficticious situation that somewhat recreates some of the hardships I might be encountering. Pretend each of you must face this assignment (Challenge if you will), and maybe share how you would deal with it FROM A PURELY TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW.

Ready? Here we go...

Regardless of what's led up to this point, you are about to embark on a trip. The objective, is to jump on a train, any freight train, and survive 14 days, trying to get as far away from Point A as possible, and in the meantime capturing the entire adventure on still images and documenting the stories, etc.

The clothes on your back, and maybe a couple spare undies and socks inside a regular school backpack. Maybe a hidden pouch with a Drivers License and a Press credential.

You will not only meet some hardships of your own, but also encounter some interesting and others not so kind folk. What would you do to be as well equipped for this trip as possible, without risking thousands of dollars of gear (thus making yourself a target for a brick in the head) and still accomplish your goals? You'll have a collegiate writing pad in the backpack with a few spare pens.

14 Days. No laptops, no cell phones, blending with the environment, and its characters.

Now it's your turn

Given your scenario, including the need to reduce the amount of attention you get, the FM2 sounds like a great choice. It is small, unobtrusive and 'non-pro-looking' (in the eyes of the masses). The silver oxide 6V should last you easily many dozens of rolls but carry a spare anyway. There is no 'off' switch on my own FE2 and it lasts anyway. The FE2's got a 1/250 mechanical backup speed (marked M250 on the dial) although most of it is aperture-priority quartz timed goodness, so it uses a tiny bit more battery than the FM.

A small zoom or some small primes and a ton of ISO 400 neg film. If you plan to go old school, black and white will give you flexibility. I have shot Ilford Delta 400 at anything from ISO 100 to ISO 1600 and had it come out decent.

PhotoJourno wrote in post #7759433
Very interesting. So in your opinion any weather issues, or anything else that may come in the way, would not favor an old mechanical film camera over say a 1D ?... I am asking sincerely, because I feel somewhat stuck at that point.

Also, a 30D with a Tammy or Siggy ... makes me wonder. Not a zillion dollars in gear in case if breaks, falls, etc.... but will it make it?

I am kinda with him on this except the 1D digital is pretty big and hefty and attention getting, however his points about digital being a huge advantage are indeed valid. You need not worry about film speed or having the right type of film when the shot presents itself.

You probably should not drown the FM or FE though. They are not as throughly sealed as contemporary Canon's - yup progress changes a lot of things. I am willing to bet on the better weather resistance of modern Canon's built for that purpose. The old Nikons, great though they may be, aren't gasketed.

And here's a low-tech countermeasure you could easily incorporate into your plan: zip-loc bags. Rain? Snow? Stuff the camera in the ziploc. I don't even use ziplocs - I use garbage bags. They make great raincoats for the camera operators as well


I might compromise if I were you. A small AA-powered Canon Powershot digital with a big fat SD card. Put lithium AA's in it, good for hundreds of shots. Then take the mechanical Nikon and a couple dozen rolls of film. Put the Powershot in the Ziploc. Surely there will be slightly sunnier days, and you can use it then

Plus the Powershots, say, A590 IS, are not that expensive - it wouldn't break your heart if the worst really happened to it.

Also, I seem to recall one of POTN's own carried a 20D and 28-105 USM zoom through a war in Iraq. The camera came back just fine..

Yeah a 1D is pretty hefty. But there really aren't any other options if you want a digital that's gonna withstand all a digital can withstand. Unless you switch to Nikon.

As for attention-getting, in my experience that's more of a lens attribute than a body attribute.

When I shoot film, I use an old manual focus Minolta kit. It'll run for months on a single tiny battery. I use a Rokkor 50 f/1.4 and 135 f/2.8. Works quite well (and the viewfinder is bigger than my 1Ds II's.

The original Nikon F was (and still is, in my opinion) an extremely rugged camera. My pair has survived over 40 years and both are still in quite good condition. I have never babied them.

Nikkormat FS...no light meter (or that bothersome coupling pin) which means no electronics inside needing batteries that could corrode even without batteries (like the FM series, which WOULD be my choice if not on that proverbial island/desert)...metal seiko shutter in a single sealed body...The F just has too many parts...The FS was my first SLR...very durable and works with all my nikkors of course.

Philscbx wrote in post #7759659
Let me guess, you were snowmobiling and took a tumble.

Tripped actually, Face first into a snowbank..

well camera first into the snowbank, but i followed atop it

Agnu wrote in post #7759766
Canonet QL17 GIII. Period.

Actually this is a pretty good idea, or some other little rangefinder. I love my Canonet because not only is it rugged and compact, it can be fully mechanical, so if the battery dies, you can keep shooting. All you lose is metering.

The Canon suggestion is nice, but since the move to EF, none of the EF bodies have been really compact or rugged IMO (save for the 1-series, but they aren't compact). They can be very cheap though. I got my Elan IIe for $50.

Had a chance to read all the posts, and very good points are brought up.

I reckon there are several aspects that concern me for this upcoming adventure.

- Visual factor. As mentioned by lightstream above, the ability to pass by as a regular camera -I am pretty sure- would be outstanding. I will have no one else with me, and will be meeting all sorts of characters, some good, others with an uncanny inclination towards shiny objects, specially if they've not yet made it their own property. So with this in mind, I have even thought of one of those olympus PS cameras for less than 200, that is waterproof to a degree, and what not.

- Technical Factor. At this point I see myself taking two types of photographs, wide-normal angles (meaning anything from 17 to 50mm) for purpose of capturing a scene developing around me (fast aperture would really help for low light, indoors) and portraits. So nothing longer than that is needed. Digital would be nice, yet I have got to be ready to drop what I have and walk away. So the 1DsMkIII with 17-40L is probably not the way to go, specially since I will not receive the fruits of my labor until I have completed and pitched the project to a story seeking jackal.. I mean publication. FPS rate? This would be one of those situations where I would rather have the camera be not as noticeable, and take an extra moment to shoot properly. Digital or not, I am only planning on taking very deliverate frames, and not just finger to the shutter as one can be acustomed with digi cameras. Oh!.. Rangefinding is one of those things that would be a plus, though not required for operation. Always helps me speed up the process of nailing a quick frame, though one has always the license to tweak things a bit further.

And lastly no, I am not doing any glamorous super secret shooting anywhere in the world, dropped with some navy seals or anything like that. Part of an ongoing project I have been working on and writing for, requires me to sort of hang out with an unpopular sector of a certain society, some of which won't mind my presence, most of which will definitely have something to say. At any rate, I have failed to get support from law enforcement agencies in case of a bailout request, or even keeping some means of protection with me. This is a balls to the wall commitment.

I really liked what someone said early. These crazy arse projects often do yield some really good photographs, so this is why I am hesitant to show up with a 1D3 and a white lens (say to the Memphis Projects) and try to walk around unnoticed.

This is why in my original thought, a regular old looking SLR would give me reliability, independence from a computer, and film rolls could be stowed in their plastic tubes on a pocket or ziplock) until one is done. And if all else is lost, I can still walk away with what is hopefully some good frames.

Anyhow, off to look for some of the models mentioned here, just having a look at online reviews, prices, etc.

PhotoJourno wrote in post #7761454
Had a chance to read all the posts, and very good points are brought up.

I reckon there are several aspects that concern me for this upcoming adventure.

- Visual factor. As mentioned by lightstream above, the ability to pass by as a regular camera -I am pretty sure- would be outstanding. I will have no one else with me, and will be meeting all sorts of characters, some good, others with an uncanny inclination towards shiny objects, specially if they've not yet made it their own property. So with this in mind, I have even thought of one of those olympus PS cameras for less than 200, that is waterproof to a degree, and what not.

- Technical Factor. At this point I see myself taking two types of photographs, wide-normal angles (meaning anything from 17 to 50mm) for purpose of capturing a scene developing around me (fast aperture would really help for low light, indoors) and portraits. So nothing longer than that is needed. Digital would be nice, yet I have got to be ready to drop what I have and walk away. So the 1DsMkIII with 17-40L is probably not the way to go, specially since I will not receive the fruits of my labor until I have completed and pitched the project to a story seeking jackal.. I mean publication. FPS rate? This would be one of those situations where I would rather have the camera be not as noticeable, and take an extra moment to shoot properly. Digital or not, I am only planning on taking very deliverate frames, and not just finger to the shutter as one can be acustomed with digi cameras. Oh!.. Rangefinding is one of those things that would be a plus, though not required for operation. Always helps me speed up the process of nailing a quick frame, though one has always the license to tweak things a bit further.

And lastly no, I am not doing any glamorous super secret shooting anywhere in the world, dropped with some navy seals or anything like that. Part of an ongoing project I have been working on and writing for, requires me to sort of hang out with an unpopular sector of a certain society, some of which won't mind my presence, most of which will definitely have something to say. At any rate, I have failed to get support from law enforcement agencies in case of a bailout request, or even keeping some means of protection with me. This is a balls to the wall commitment.

I really liked what someone said early. These crazy arse projects often do yield some really good photographs, so this is why I am hesitant to show up with a 1D3 and a white lens (say to the Memphis Projects) and try to walk around unnoticed.

This is why in my original thought, a regular old looking SLR would give me reliability, independence from a computer, and film rolls could be stowed in their plastic tubes on a pocket or ziplock) until one is done. And if all else is lost, I can still walk away with what is hopefully some good frames.

Anyhow, off to look for some of the models mentioned here, just having a look at online reviews, prices, etc.

Ahh, I understand your point then....my 30D does call attention to itself [I usually get the people asking about the battery grip, and sometimes the mass of glass i have in front of it]

I'd suggest a Lumix G1, it does look like a superzoom...but im not sure you want to spend that much.....

Maybe a G10?

I'd take a Nikon F3 or Fm2 plus a 35 f2 and 85 f1.8. Going the expensive way it would be a Leica M6. I just love the feeling of these cams.

breal101 wrote in post #7759440
For me it would be an original plain Nikon F without a doubt, it's a great camera and works as a weapon as well. They can't cost that much, film gear is dirt cheap, you don't need or want a mint condition camera.

My vote, too. The Nikon F is the bulletproof camera.

And if you get in a bind, you can swing it around your head like a mace and do a lot of damage to malefactors.

A Nikon N maybe.

But after going digital for a few years I couldn't even imagine fooling with film cameras again!

I just came up with an interesting option for it..

a Rebel T1i with a 17-50 f/2.8 and a 70-300 DO IS