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

wrote:
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

You obviously never saw the Gilligan's Island episode where they
recharged their radio batteries with coconut cups and water, or
whatever.

--
Whose cruel idea was it to put an 's' in the word lisp?

wrote:

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

Don't forget your GPS Satellites.

Phil

Kibo informs me that MarkH stated that:

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.

Indeed. I'm guessing that the OP doesn't know what the acronym 'GPS'
actually stands for.

--
W
. | ,. w , "Some people are alive only because
\|/ \|/ it is illegal to kill them." Perna condita delenda est
---^----^---------------------------------------------------------------

I would probably take a Nikon F5. I would then seek out the ancestors
of a few key people, and use it to bash their skulls in.

Other than that, what possible use would I have for a camera that far
back? I'd be too busy trying to invent toilet paper...


- Al.

--
To reply, insert dash in address to match domain below
Online photo gallery at www.wading-in.net

Lionel wrote:
Kibo informs me that MarkH stated that:


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.


Indeed. I'm guessing that the OP doesn't know what the acronym 'GPS'
actually stands for.

Maybe he thinks those things have always been up there. Grin.

Lionel wrote in news:2vhfd0t8145e4m99u35kji6b3ulvseu5s1@
4ax.com:

Kibo informs me that MarkH stated that:

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.

Indeed. I'm guessing that the OP doesn't know what the acronym 'GPS'
actually stands for.

I’m sure he realised it stood for Global Positioning System, but didn’t
stop to think about how it worked.



--
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"

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 17:48:42 +0000 (UTC), wrote:


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?

I'd take Paris Hilton.

Then I could ask for room service...

Sabineellen wrote:

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.

By doing that you would kill the initiative that in proper
evolution and creativity brought us to the point where films like
the Matrix could be made. Not that there was much point to the
stupid movie.



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

"The Dave©" wrote in message
...
wrote:
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

You obviously never saw the Gilligan's Island episode where they
recharged their radio batteries with coconut cups and water, or
whatever.

True. The Professor could make a nuclear reactor using sand and palm trees,
but couldn't fix a hole in a boat.


--
Whose cruel idea was it to put an 's' in the word lisp?

Kibo informs me that "Bouser" stated that:

"The Dave©" wrote in message
You obviously never saw the Gilligan's Island episode where they
recharged their radio batteries with coconut cups and water, or
whatever.

True. The Professor could make a nuclear reactor using sand and palm trees,
but couldn't fix a hole in a boat.

Now you know the difference between a physicist & an engineer.

--
W
. | ,. w , "Some people are alive only because
\|/ \|/ it is illegal to kill them." Perna condita delenda est
---^----^---------------------------------------------------------------