If you are trapped in ancient time, what would you take?

Let's say, through the act of god, or whatever, that you've been
transported back through time for a few thousand years. Would you've
preferred that you have a digital camera? Or a film camera?

If you just happen to have a digital camera, say a Canon digital rebel
(or D Mark II, or Nikon D2x, whatever) with a fully charged battery,
and say a 1GB compact flash (heck, say a 10gb cf). How would you use
it? It's unlikely that you'll be able to charge the battery once it's
gone. If you will never make it back to our time, do you think the
compact flash will retain its data for a few thousand years? Under
the assumption that it might retain the data for a while, how would
you shoot? Are you gonna shoot raw? JPG, what compression level? What
do you think is more worthwhile to archeologists, 1000 medium grade
pictures, or 500 higher grade pictures? Or 200 raw pictures?

On the other hand, if you happen to have say a film camera, with a few
roll of film, say 10-20, what would you do? For the sake of argument
I'll assume the film camera also takes battery, but those batteries
might last a bit longer. However, there's no place to buy additional
battery or develop the film, so it's also unlikely that it will last a
few thousand years for us to see anyway....

If we change the scenario a bit, let's say you get 'rescued' after 3
years, but you don't know that, but you are under the assumption that
you will be rescued after some time, how would you use your camera to
document this once in a lifetime never before possible encounter to
the world? If you have your pick of equipment, what would it be?
Whatever you pick, it has to fit in a backpack.

Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries

Or, I could use a fully mechanical film camera and some bulk films.

Raymond

wrote in message
...

Let's say, through the act of god, or whatever, that you've been
transported back through time for a few thousand years. Would you've
preferred that you have a digital camera? Or a film camera?

If we change the scenario a bit, let's say you get 'rescued' after 3
years, but you don't know that, but you are under the assumption that
you will be rescued after some time, how would you use your camera to
document this once in a lifetime never before possible encounter to

Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries

Or, I could use a fully mechanical film camera and some bulk films.

Raymond

Won't matter what camera you take. No electricty to operate recharge your
digi batteries or run your computer, no chemicals or processors to handle
film.
You would be better off taking drawing pads and a box of pencils.
Oh Yeah watch out for the man eating animals.

Mike wrote:
wrote in message
...

Let's say, through the act of god, or whatever, that you've been
transported back through time for a few thousand years. Would you've
preferred that you have a digital camera? Or a film camera?

Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries


The first GPS' test satellites flew around 1980 and a navigable
constellation didn't appear before about 1994. So leave the GPS
at home for this trip to the past.


--
--e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

The first GPS' test satellites flew around 1980 and a navigable
constellation didn't appear before about 1994. So leave the GPS
at home for this trip to the past.

ROFL.

This is so hilarious. I actually read the GPS in the original post but didn't
notice.

To the original poster, make sure you gather some ancient chalk and a rock, and
engrave something in stone. Perhaps some reference to modern culture. That'll
probably be all that'd survive the blast to the past.

In rec.photo.digital Alan Browne wrote:

The first GPS' test satellites flew around 1980 and a navigable
constellation didn't appear before about 1994. So leave the GPS
at home for this trip to the past.

True. I've forgotten about that. Damn!!

Raymond

If you brought any advanced technology you would have been killed for
witchcraft. No matter how hard you tried you would not be able to convince
them otherwise.

Jimmy

wrote in message
...

Let's say, through the act of god, or whatever, that you've been
transported back through time for a few thousand years. Would you've
preferred that you have a digital camera? Or a film camera?

If you just happen to have a digital camera, say a Canon digital rebel
(or D Mark II, or Nikon D2x, whatever) with a fully charged battery,
and say a 1GB compact flash (heck, say a 10gb cf). How would you use
it? It's unlikely that you'll be able to charge the battery once it's
gone. If you will never make it back to our time, do you think the
compact flash will retain its data for a few thousand years? Under
the assumption that it might retain the data for a while, how would
you shoot? Are you gonna shoot raw? JPG, what compression level? What
do you think is more worthwhile to archeologists, 1000 medium grade
pictures, or 500 higher grade pictures? Or 200 raw pictures?

On the other hand, if you happen to have say a film camera, with a few
roll of film, say 10-20, what would you do? For the sake of argument
I'll assume the film camera also takes battery, but those batteries
might last a bit longer. However, there's no place to buy additional
battery or develop the film, so it's also unlikely that it will last a
few thousand years for us to see anyway....

If we change the scenario a bit, let's say you get 'rescued' after 3
years, but you don't know that, but you are under the assumption that
you will be rescued after some time, how would you use your camera to
document this once in a lifetime never before possible encounter to
the world? If you have your pick of equipment, what would it be?
Whatever you pick, it has to fit in a backpack.

Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries

Or, I could use a fully mechanical film camera and some bulk films.

Raymond

In article ,
says...
Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries

Too bad those GPS satellites won't be launched for hundreds of years to
come.

I'd take a rollfilm camera, B&W film, powdered developer and fixer and
process what I could, plus depending how far back-Greek, Roman times?
Middle Ages? Revolutionary War? -some chemical info to make photo
chemistry and also sensitized plates. A press camera capable of taking
glass plates or silvered Daugerrotype tins might be a winner too.

I'd also take a few rolls of Kodachrome on the off chance that stored
it might survive until modern times, if kept cool.

Personally, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't want to go that
far...my preferred times would all be within the era of relatively
modern photography. And photos wouldn't be my concern. (A list of
lottery numbers for foreign lotteries and some football and baseball
scores, that's the ticket.)

I would take some modern technological wonder that would totally startle the
ancients and take pictures of their reactions. I've always wondered what it'd
be like for the ancients to see modern stuff.

For example, if i went back to the early days of cinema i'd take a movie like
the first matrix movie and show it to an early filmmaker, like someone from
1932 when they were excited with their talkies. It'd totally captivate him, i
think. I'll tell him that's how the future is. The LOTR triology, played as if
they were one movie, would be another option.

Or i'd take a motorbike and race past some medieval horsemen or some camel
caravan on suitable terrain. Gotta wear a helmet too for the superhuman effect.


Or hey, a machine gun, though i wouldn't like to kill, but that'd get you some
serious respect and some "wow" factor, especially in some major prehistoric
battle. A grenade bomb would probably scare off an army. Though probably not,
those guys fought dragons!

I'd take a laptop filled with porn and show it to the monks in the levant. I'd
show them gang bangs, threesomes and swingers and tell them that's the social
norm of the future. I'd take a photo of their face when told that.

I'd take a DVD filled with text and show it to johan gutenberg. He'd be amazed
to see how many volumes are contained in this little thing.

I don't know, what else would startle the ancients?

wrote in :

Me, I think I'll take a DSLR that takes AA battery and a few GB of
compact flash, and a solar AA battery charger, and a GPS that writes
the tracklog to compact flash and virtually unlimited waypoint
storage, that also takes AA batteries

When you try to use the GPS you would introduce the word "DOH!" to the
ancient civilization.



--
Mark Heyes (New Zealand)
See my pics at http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~markh/
"There are 10 types of people, those that
understand binary and those that don't"