Antarctic expedition.. any advice

[albertknappmd]

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I have read through all the articles on the Luminous Landscape by Micheal Reichmann and Co. as well as several books on the history of the Antarctic. We leave for two weeks in late January on a tour run by Quark. This was also recommended by Michael. I will bring my S2 with 35, 70 and 180 lenses as well as two M8s with 24, 35, 50 and 90 lenses. Will bring circ polars as well as Lee graduated filters and several waterproof covers for all cameras. Of course the Gitzo and RRS rapid release. Luigi halfcases should help with warmth preservation..perhaps a bit?? Plenty of spare batteries and 32 or 64GB extreme cards...

Any other advice?

Albert

PS. plenty of scopolamine for Drake's passage!

[LeicaS2]

For a once in a life trip, rent a second S2. Then you don't have to switch lenses in the cold.

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[glenerrolrd]

Your longest lens is approximate 135mm fov.. if you look at LL they had some longer glass. You may also find the weather conditions too harsh for the m8s. I would have a D3S or. D3 x and 2 zooms 24-70 and 70-200 plus the new 2x . They aren t nearly as much fun as the M s but you maybe shooting wildlife and handling terrible weather. The d3x has the edge in DR but you have the S2 The D3s gives you the available light shooting.

 

The only Leica solution would be the 135apo to get 180fov and it's a great solution if you have enough light.

Edited December 19, 2010 by glenerrolrd

[albertknappmd]

Rodger-

You are most correct regarding the actual extent of the S2 telephoto capabilities at this time. My solution was to take the photos and then crop my way up to higher magnification by taking advantage of the 100MB files. The M8s will be unleashed on calm days if they happen.. what do you think?

[glenerrolrd]

I would want an industrial strength DSLR for this type of trip over the M8 s . Assume that the S2 is your desired first choice and that you have good coverage between 24-135 FOV . I always shoot with 2 bodies and mostly prime lenses to avoid requiring to change lenses so a rental is a great solution but expensive . You can not really change a lens in the weather michael faced on his trips. Without a 2nd body you may find yourself in driving rain,salt spray etc with an M8 ....I ve done this but feel I just dodged a bullet.

 

The newer Nikon zooms particularly the 70-200/2.8VR2 is a whole step over prior versions and offers the versatility of reaching 400mm with the new 2X. On a D3X you are not leaving much IQ behind (compared to an M8). With a D3S you get the extended range of ISO performance . IMHO its just a better tool for the assignment . This equipment is also easy to buy and sell used or rent.

 

 

 

I also find when around water that I can frequently just not get close enough . When street shooting I can go with a 50mm as a long lens but bring water into the equation and I am happy to have longer glass.

 

Generally when putting together a kit for a trip I look at a lot of images and try to anticipate the best possible solution . The S2 is a beauty for the landscape opportunities and has the advantage of handling and weather sealing. I always thought Leica should use this in their marketing. Its the solution I would want for this trip.....but my backup if the going gets rough or I need longer glass would be a C/N/S with a few zooms . And you need the weather sealed Pro bodies. Remember the Canon 5Ds that all failed before they even got on the ship?

 

I would also want a water proof PS that I could use in the boats and in any condition.

[dewittehd]

January is summer, so you will not face extreme cold, especially as you will not go beyond the Peninsula. I was there last year in november and the lowest temp we had was -2 Centigrade. I changed lenses whenever I wanted, even in snwo stoms on South Georgia. My opinion is that if the equipment can't stand it then I have the wrong outfit....

Lenses: basically I used the M6 with a 35mm, Bronica ETRSi with the 35 mm equivalent (both B&W) and the longest tele-zooms I could afford on the two Nikons. You do need something like 300- 600 mm if you hope to get whales. If you get whales, then use the highest fps you have, the shots don't always come back. The pinguins and seals are so close (down to 1 meter sometimes) that 35 - 75 mm will do, but it is nice to have something longer for the unexpected.

Bear in mind (I don't know the size of your ship but Quark uses typically ships with around 100 passengers)) that landings are by inflatables and when windy you will get wet, so keep your gear protected (although we took pictures out of the landing boats). Do not carry to much equipment (as I did) because you will spend more time figuring out which camera and lens to use instead of taking pictures.

Last of all, be prepared to have one of the most wonderful trips, unforgettable.

John De Witte

[albertknappmd]

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John-

 

Thank you for your insights... I am delighted that you actually brought and used your trusty M6 as the only mention of a Leica M in the antarctic was in a piece on Luminous Landscape which was not so sanguine... I will be bringing my S2 which is truly amazing along with the 35, 70 and 180mm lenses as well as my M8s and 24, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses.... The Ms will serve as back ups at least at first until I am acclimated to the daily routines and challenges... I will be on the Quark expedition called crossing the circle and there will be about 100 guests and 50 crew. we can expect two zodiacs a day and some kayaking.

 

As to protecting hear, I will have a Tenba back pack that is water resistant for zodiaks as well as several Storm jackets for the S2.. I could never find a similar storm jaket for teh Ms as they are ranfgefinders and hence expect to use the on "safe" days only... My Billingham is not ready for the antarctic and I will sorely miss it.. I am also bringing a large quantitiy of Zip lock baggies so as to avoid condensation along with multiple extra batteries especially for the M. I have asked Luigi to make me a thick leather half case for the S2: that project began one year ago and he is just about finished with it... It ships next week. The half cases for the M8s have always served me well in the past. My cases have an embedded screw that allows me to place a rapid release plate under it. Gitzo tripod and flash round out the equipment along with requisite computer and 250GB portable hard drive. Also Kaesaman polars and UVs of course!

 

I am so pleased that you enjoyed your trip and am sure that ours will be equally rewarding and memorable.. Will post photos upon return!

 

Thanks again,

Albert

[albertknappmd]

John-

 

Thank you for your insights... I am delighted that you actually brought and used your trusty M6 as the only mention of a Leica M in the antarctic was in a piece on Luminous Landscape which was not so sanguine... I will be bringing my S2 which is truly amazing along with the 35, 70 and 180mm lenses as well as my M8s and 24, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses.... The Ms will serve as back ups at least at first until I am acclimated to the daily routines and challenges... I will be on the Quark expedition called crossing the circle and there will be about 100 guests and 50 crew. we can expect two zodiacs a day and some kayaking.

 

As to protecting hear, I will have a Tenba back pack that is water resistant for zodiaks as well as several Storm jackets for the S2.. I could never find a similar storm jaket for the Ms as they are ranfgefinders and hence expect to use the on "safe" days only... My Billingham is not ready for the antarctic and I will sorely miss it.. I am also bringing a large quantitiy of Zip lock baggies so as to avoid condensation along with multiple extra batteries especially for the M. I have asked Luigi to make me a thick leather half case for the S2: that project began one year ago and he is just about finished with it... It ships next week. The half cases for the M8s have always served me well in the past. My cases have an embedded screw that allows me to place a rapid release plate under it. Gitzo tripod and flash round out the equipment along with requisite computer and 250GB portable hard drive. Also Kaesaman polars and UVs of course!

 

I am so pleased that you enjoyed your trip and am sure that ours will be equally rewarding and memorable.. Will post photos upon return!

 

Thanks again,

Albert

[albertknappmd]

John-

 

I will also use the Sandisk Extreme 64GB CF cards as well as the Transcend 64 GB card that David Farkas sole me with the S2. Sandisk 32GB SD cards for teh S2 and 16GB ones for the M8s...

 

Unfortunately my 180mm S2 telephoto lens is the longest piece of glass and if I miss the ultimate whale fin shot, so be it. I am gambling on the superior resolution of the S2 and if I can crop even 50%, then I have in effect a 260mm lens (210mm in 35mm parlance...) We shall see...

Any other suggestions form you or anyone else sorely welcomed!

 

Albert

[peterv]

I'd think 250 Gb would not be enough storage space for your S2 and M files. I suppose the used Gb's will add up pretty quickly on such a trip.

 

When on a photo trip I always bring two of these:

 

LaCie - Rugged Hard Disk - FireWire 800, FireWire 400 & Hi-Speed USB 2.0

 

One for safety back-up of all the DNG's and one to work from if I want to edit my images.

 

This method should keep your laptop's hard drive uncluttered and fast.

 

Have a good and safe journey and please post some of your work here.

[albertknappmd]

I have the LaCie. will get another one..

[dewittehd]

John-

 

 

Unfortunately my 180mm S2 telephoto lens is the longest piece of glass and if I miss the ultimate whale fin shot, so be it. I am gambling on the superior resolution of the S2 and if I can crop even 50%, then I have in effect a 260mm lens (210mm in 35mm parlance...) We shall see...

Any other suggestions form you or anyone else sorely welcomed!

 

Albert

 

A lot depends on the whales :-) and on the ability of the captain or the Zodiac-pilots to close up. We had to literally drift for one hour in order to get close to a small herd, and I was using 450 to 600 mm equivalent telephotos. On other tours the whales almost where in touching distance, so who knows.

What we do with our pictures is transfer them immediately after the landing to s small laptop. With up to 600 images a landing it pays to do this. Of course our files are only 14 Mb......

Good luck and please post some pictures.

Oh yes, regarding the M6, do not forget that this was one of the cameras favored by war correspondents!

John

[albertknappmd]

So true, John....:D:D

[Constable]

Just to let you know, I was using the S2 outside in -16C yesterdaywith absolutely no problems

 

Ed

[albertknappmd]

Did you need to use a zip lock back when your returned home so as to preclude condensation?:confused:

[kidigital]

Hi Albert,

 

I've been using the S2 quite a bit over the past several weeks in temperatures from 0 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit ... it really hasn't been any warmer during that time. I've had no issues using the camera for hours at a time outside. I'm not one for babying my cameras, so I don't think twice about transferring the S2 between cold and warm weather. If I had any issues, I'd be looking for another system as the winter here in the midwest can be long and cold. I also used my M9 relentlessly in the cold without any issues.

 

The upside in using the S2 outdoors in the cold includes the excellent ergonomic design which translates into being able to use the camera fairly easily with or without gloves. Also, cold weather battery life in the S2 is fantastic ... it greatly outlasts the battery life of the M9 and rivals the life of the best DSLR batteries.

[carstenw]

I have the LaCie. will get another one..

 

Which Lacie? I would get either a redundant drive, twice, or a simple drive, four times. You don't want to lose shots due to a drive failure! I might even bring more, since if one really does die, then you are left with the other one with no redundancy for the remainder of the trip, a scary proposal.

[Constable]

I agree with Kurt 100% I had Zip-Loks with me (hot car, saturated water vapor) but didn't need them. battery life is brilliant. With the multifunction grip (i.e. two batteries) had no problem with 800 shots in a day and no obvious reduction ofbattery below 100%.

 

On the same day the M9 went to 85% and the D3X stayed at about 100%

 

Ed

[wattsy]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the OP is going on a two week tour rather than an expedition. Sounds like a great holiday so why make it so complicated? When I go on holiday I like to enjoy it as a holiday: a Leica M and a couple of lenses always do it for me. Personally I'd be more interested in obtaining a decent pair of binoculars than worrying about how many hard drives I'm going to need to ensure redundancy.

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[carstenw]

A two week trip to Antarctica is quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime event. Thus the need for some insurance. Besides, there is room on a boat. It is not like you are walking around Egypt or something.