>> Reading about your trips and seeing all the wonderful pictures is a great motivator for me to develop skills which will allow me to paddle in such lovely places. I do wonder, however, what kinds of cameras you use. Are they waterproof? How do you protect them on trips? Any other photography-related suggestions? Thanks in advance! -Jessica >> I use a Nikonos V I've had for many years. It's an expensive camera designed for SCUBA diving, so it is good down to 100 meters, but it has no autofocus or other focusing aid (you have to estimate the distance and set it manually on a scale), and no built-in flash. Also, it doesn't float, so I always tether it to my PFD. It does have has interchangeable lenses and manual or automatic exposure. I've never had a moisture problem with it. My wife has had two Minolta Weathermatic 35s, which supposedly are good to three meters, but eventually both admitted moisture and stopped working, even though she took them no deeper than half a meter or so when rolling. The second one failed just after the warranty ran out. Unlike the Nikonos, the Weathermatic floats. The main advantage of the Weathermatic over the Canon Sure Shot A1 is that it has two focal lengths: 35mm and 50mm. The Canon Sure Shot A1 is another (supposedly) waterproof camera. It is rated to five meters, has a better viewfinder than the Weathermatic, but only one 32mm focal length. Like the Weathermatic, it is autofocus, auto exposure, and floats. Don't buy a splashproof camera unless you protect it like a non-splashproof camera; those babies are not designed to be immersed! Probably the biggest problem with all these cameras is keeping water drops off the lens. I have a lens cap on my Nikonos but was never able to come up with satisfactory protection for the Weathermatics. It's a good idea to carry a dry tissue or pieces of paper towel in a ziploc bag for wiping off the lens. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I use a disposable camera from Fuji (8.99 at the grocery store), carried in a ziplock bag. When I want to take a picture, I take the bag off. I carry it in the inside pocket of my flyfishing vest (zippered). *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I have the same dilemma, Joan. Since I take a lot of photos to publish in the newsletter, I have tried many different solutions. The camera (Minolta Weathermatic) must be accessible at all times. I tried keeping it upside down on the deck (to help reduce waterspots) but I was inadvertly always hitting it with my hands/paddle. I used to stuff it in the front of my PFD to keep the lens free of waterspots. However, this can be uncomfortable and during winter causing the lens to fog up. Lately I have been looping the camera strap in the armhole of the PFD and tossing it over the back of the PFD on the far side of the strobe. This seems to keep it from sliding around when I am leaning and edging. But . . . if I had to execute a roll without first better securing the camera (combat situation), it will hit me in the head. Hopefully if this happens, I will be paddling with other Paddlewisers who participated in the unconscious paddler discussions and they'll know just what to do. :-) Debbie Reeves (still seeking a better camera storage solution) Sandy Hook, NJ > ---------- > From: volinjo_at_juno.com[SMTP:volinjo_at_juno.com] > > And anyone > else: Where do you keep your camera when paddling? I try to have a > clear deck (I can't manage to get rid of my spare paddle, but other than > that, I don't want anything on deck. I stow my water bottle in a > knee-hole, my pump in an under-deck bungie, paddle-float & sponge behind > my seat. But I can't figure out what to do with the camera. I tried > fitting it in the under-deck bungie, but it's not secure there, and I > find it banging around in the cockpit. I could put it in the day hatch, > but I want it to be immediately accessible if I want to take a picture. > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:03 PDT