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Gear and Gadgets: Questions on choice of the tool for the job and the lke! Preparing a grand tour of Bolivia high deserts

Since this prefix was kindly invented by Asher for a recent thread of mine, I will continue to use it here.

Previously I posted that was ready to sell my PhaseOne P24 and go 5D2 --the lenses to go with the EOS was one topic of conversation--, and the first move. A fast one for the demand of the gear-- was to sell my Nikon D300. That phase is complete. No more DX.

My budget lets me get the Canon and about 2 lenses since I am NOT selling the MF just yet.

I will give the system a chance now that a friend invited me to go to a natural reserve known for its spectacular views in the high plateau of Bolivia.

It will be a 5 day tour of salt deserts and red lagoons with flamingos, so lets see what the MF back can do.

This will be the first such trip I do with the system that was used before to document art work in Manhattan --when it was paid off with such assignments--

The theme of the experiment is: Can we be content with old digital gear? --(a bit in reference to a thread about upgrading from a Mark III to a Mark IV)

Probably the challenge will be juice management at low temperatures (I only have 3 batteries), but the good thing is that most of the time we will be in a car where batteries can be charged and/or at night hotels ...

The other missing aspect is lack of a long lens --longest is a 150mm Mamiya and a 180mm fujinon via an adapter--... To be continued

ps I will be going to the Reserva Eduardo Avaroa Bolivia

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&h...rva+eduardo+avaroa+bolivia&btnG=Search+images
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Leonardo,

How high is it and when are you going? Sounds exciting! Are there native folk living there or just wild animals.

Asher
 
Asher, I will be able to elaborate more on questions like that when I am back, but it is very high --and cold-- land, some is more than 4,000meters over sea level 20,000feets?+ This is a National Park, or protected area, but there are some towns, hotels and refuges --one is constructed completely of salt--. I will take my 8 year old alone with my friend that works for the Danish Embassy as natural reserve advisor's son (8). We have to pack for at least one very cold night and for walking in a windy cold desert environment...

I will see if the Phase One and the 4 prime lenses is a good equipment to hold on to indefinitely (One day I can upgrade to a 50mp Phase One since prices seam to be coming down and I have the lenses)

I will be checking how much juice I get with 3 batteries (the back also shoots with power from my MacBook Pro alone) and how I fast I can work in cold windy conditions.

But also Image Quality. It will probably be good since the optic is non-zoom, the sensor size is two times that of a Canon or Nikon full frame...

I also made an adapter that I can mount in front of the Mamiya to shoot with my Fujifilm 180mm view camera lens that I want to test on the field. The adapter permits me to shift the camera to make two captures of the image circle, but that may be topic for a different thread.
 

John Angulat

pro member
Hi Leonardo,
This sounds like a most wonderful adventure!
The only addvice I might offer is to keep your spare batteries tucked in close to your body at all times.
The low temps will sap so much of their available power.
Also, if you're not actively shooting, the same goes for the camera's battery. Remove it and keep it toasty warm!
Good luck and I'm really looking forward to seeing your images.
 
thank you John, that is a good advice. I think that power is one week point of the back, but I will be able to re-charge in the car --there is a trip I also want to do that implies walking for 3 days with no place to do that--..

I will do a test tomorrow with a fully charged battery to see how many consecutive shots I can get from one...

The good thing is that I am used to turn the back off by removing the battery a procedure that is very easy, but I can also make a small battery cover since half of them stick out of the back.

thanks again
 
I found a place that rents -18 degrees sleeping backs for $2/day -it is Bolivia after all-. I also charged the batteries and was shooting at random in my patio with the batteries (I have 2 old 1 new) 2000nAh Li-ion7.2V and I got tired of shooting just with one of the old, so I think that I will be safe for one day of shooting with the 3 of them. (the computer can be a back up since the back shoots with FireWire power too)

So things are going well on the packing and preparing front....
 
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