NatDeroxL7 wrote in post #9282506
These questions are primarily for any soldier, or photographer who has been to Iraq/Afghanistan as a combat photographer.
I am an officer in the Army, but also a pretty serious hobby-photographer. I'm leaving for Afghanistan in March, and am trying to figure out if:
A) Should I bring my 50D w/24-105L or should I buy a small point and shoot camera?
and if so
How should I get it there, I know I need a Hard Case to keep it in during travel so it has a decent chance of surviving an IED blast, but a big blastproof case can't be brought on the plane over. Is it worth the risk of losing it to have my parents ship it over in the case?
How many memory cards should I bring? Should I just take pics until the card is full, then send the card home and wait to process them, pop in a new card; or should I try to use one card, and process the pictures on my laptop and make final decisions on processing and just email home JPEGS or burn them on CDs?
If my camera was destroyed in combat, what kind of insurance/warranty covers that and how do I get my camera insured/covered, would it be reasonable to assume I can get a replacement quickly?
What other issues that I might not even know of have you encountered in regards to photography in a combat environment?
And for this particular forum - What equipment do I need. Right now I just have the 50D and the 24-105 L lens, plus a circular polarizer and a UV filter/protector.
Some clear advantages I see in bringing my camera are:
-It would be infinitely better for intelligence collection than the army-issued point and shoot camera
-Incorporating a personal hobby into the deployment reduces stress and helps keep things in perspective
-I could potentially end up with a marketable product at the end. Many soldiers have written books about the war from a soldiers perspective, but few have made photo-journals or similar products.
-It would allow me to continue to develop unique skills and experiences that could lead into a post-military career.
Any thoughts on the matter?
