[Paddlewise] The Pros and Cons of being at sea (or elsewhere) with cameras.

I have gone through many creative phases in my life,
some of them with cameras, taperecorders, in short the works, 
some totally without - often not even with a pen and paper,
a medium I love.

Travelling abroad without, alone, without 'aids' can be intensive,
but there is then very little left when you come back home -
blurred memories, mixed with some intensive ones,
that survive.

Eventually, I come to the conclusion, that a light
camera, preferably waterproof, and possibly a small 
camcorder, also waterproof, is the best way. Pen and 
paper works for the real quiet moments, but a camera 
of some sort captures the moment in an instant, and they 
can be ideal support for your memory, say for your later 
artwork/writing.

I've tried bringing watercolour, but mosquitoes, rain, and 
humidity, makes it a waste of time and effort!

And I don't carry a 'wet film' camera any more - gave most of mine
away, as the cost of using them is prohibitive - even more so 
as time passes away. With a digital you can shoot as a madman 
(a.k.a. 'pro'), and still not owe your soul to the developers and film 
manufacturers!

I love a classic Sinar, a Swiss masterpiece of a blade 
film camera, but that is really not useful at all when 
you're on the move - unless you have a lot of people 
carrying your stuff! Likewise, a tapedeck, no matter how
nice, is just a lot of dead weight. Another favourite was 
the Hasselblad SWC, extreme wide angle

My ideal would be a high resolution compact digital camera -
one with a physically big CCD (or whatever those photo-capturing 
chips are called today), that also is waterproof. Sadly, 
I know of none! The bigger the chip is, the less the noise
it produces - very valuable in bad light! But that's maybe 
available tomorrow?!

Till then we have to make do with cameras with small chips, 
but high resolution (therefore noisy in low light), but they can 
still do wonders if used with a tripod, or like Mark's, which is 
connected rigidly to his paddle.

I have heard of no serious camcorder that's waterproof, 
no matter what make! But there are one or two that clamp 
on to your helmet, that can give a decent film snips of your 
activities, and some of these are waterproof, to boot!

My ideal set of media equipment weighs less than a kilo,
in total, including a tiny tripod. I have found that without it I can't 
remember as well the events, views and people that has passed 
during my travels, with my wife, with friends, or alone.

Just like writing about it afterward, or making a drawing, or two,
afterwards helps re-appreciate, and re-evaluate, the trip afterwards, 
so does other kinds of registration, like digital cameras, or camcorders,
mp3 recorders, whatever!

Better have a few pieces that work, than a lot that encumbers you,
just as it is in other walks of life!

my 2 cents,

Tord

PS Naturally, I am not yet down to just one kilo, but I'm working on it!
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