cave photography

larryone

I'm looking for a camera.
I know that anything I go for will be also suitable for everyday use, but if I'm going to get a camera, I want to get something that I can eventually start using for underground photographs...

so I'm suddenly put under some constraints. I definitely want to go digital for this. Cave photography is definitely going to involve at some point the use of additional flashes, so it's going to have to be able to use them. Thankfully, there are now firefly slaves available that will work with cameras that use doubleflash, so i'm not too restricted there...

Robustness is also a factor when it somes to caving, so this thing would have to have a full metal body on it

Sizewise, I'd want something reasonably compact - I want something that I can put into a waterproof container with the likes of a firefly slave flash, but still be able to carry it hands free.

I reckon something with 3x optical zoom and 5 megepixels would probably be suitable for this kind of thing? am I wrong?

are there any other constraints that any of you can think of? any particular models come to mind for anyone?

Oriel

Since you're looking to use additional flashes, that means you're going to have to go for a digital SLR, so you're looking at €800 or more. With that you'll be able to use a higher iso value, which means you'll find it easier to take photos in darker locations, which out having to need to use a flash.

larryone

sinecurea wrote:

Since you're looking to use additional flashes, that means you're going to have to go for a digital SLR, so you're looking at €800 or more. With that you'll be able to use a higher iso value, which means you'll find it easier to take photos in darker locations, which out having to need to use a flash.

WHAT!!??? are you sure? I dont have the budget for digiral SLR... are you sure this is necesary for aditional flashes?

http://www.fireflyelectronics.co.uk/pages/info.htm#BF1SPEC according to the firefly site, their flash triggers will work with most digital cameras...

Oriel

Well somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't know of any way to use a flash apart from using the part of the SLR where it connects to, the name of which escapes me know. So you'll either have to go film SLR or about €500 for digital.
Again, people please confirm this.

S.

Flipflip

sinecurea wrote:

Well somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't know of any way to use a flash apart from using the part of the SLR where it connects to, the name of which escapes me know.

S.

Hotshoe.

And as far as I know, thats the only way to get extra flashes on too.

I could be wrong but I've never heard of any other way in which it could be done.

Adn anyway, u sound fairly serious about this so I'd say going for a DSLR would be your best bet anyway.

Alun

1) You don't have to have a hotshoe on a camera to use an external flash. A flash synch terminal is sufficient, and these aren't limited to DSLR's. Even, my 5 year old Olympus 3030Z had one

2) Any camera, digital or otherwise with a built-in flash can trigger one or more slave flashes. These have sensors that pick up the flash from the camera and trigger the slave flash(es).

Flipflip

Well there ya go!!

Oriel

With a slave flash, is there not a significant amount of delay?
Also, what is a flash sync terminal, and how does it work?
And finally, what's all this going to cost larryone?

S.

larryone

sinecurea wrote:

With a slave flash, is there not a significant amount of delay?
Also, what is a flash sync terminal, and how does it work?
And finally, what's all this going to cost larryone?

S.

I have heard the word hotshoe before =0) I dont really know much more about slave flashes. The ones that firefly do I think are triggered by infra red. I think it's something like all standard flashes also flash an infra red signal (or simply have a specific heat that can be picked up by an infra red sensor) which is used by the likes of the firefly slave triggers.... (the likes of the ones I linked to in my previous post)

the cost of these things is something I would wory about at a later stage, right now I'm looking to buy a camera, and then later I can start to get the various add-ons needed for large scale cave photography. Alot of the smaller cave passageways that I'll be in will probably be ok lit with a normal camera flash and the usual head mounted cave lights that we use (14LED headsets... or carbide flames) The additional flashes only really come into play in large passageways, submerged passageways, and chambers...

So what I'm looking for is a camera that I can for the moment use for everyday stuff and small scale cave photos, but eventually use with slave flashes, tripods, dive cases, etc for more serious cave photos.
Something small enough to be highly portable in a cave environment, will be usable in dive cases, is robust enough for the environment in which it's to be used, (~95% humidity, 8-10 degrees celcius, tough environment with very rocky terrain) tripod mountable, and I reckon 3x optical zoom with 5 megapixels would
probably be sufficient (for now)

In terms of carrying the stuff, www.pelican.com do waterproof and robust cases of all sizes for carrying stuff. when it comes to caving it's really the smaller the better.

There was a casio exilim that I was looking at that I think might be ok for the job, http://www.exilim.co.uk/exilimzoom/exz500black/ and I think some models of the exilims have dive cases available.... but I have heard of some company that specialise in making dive cases for almost any commercially available camera, name of them has slipped my mind...

So are there any other models or brands that might suit that spring to mind for anyone?

larryone

found a pentax that can be used in shallow water without a dive case:
http://www.pentax.co.uk/product_details.php?divisionid=2&productid=1206&parentid=16

anybody ever used a pentax before? know anywhere in Ireland that stocks them? I've not seen the brand name in any camera shop I've been looking through so far... it might be the ideal camera for when I need!

Flipflip

well pentax are a fairly popular brand.

id say u might find em in Gunns on Wexford Street in Dublin.

larryone

Dont think I've been in there yet, will check it out.

cheers.

can anyone think of any other piece of kit the might fit the bill?

larryone

I've just noticed the Casio Exilims I've been looking at actually use pentax lenses!
Is this a common sort of thing with cameras?

sorry for the berrage of questions - I'm fairly new to this...