Cold-Weather Hiking Camera: Recommendations?

I know somebody who is going to Nepal in November on a hiking trip and
wants to take a digital camera with them.

They are kind of fixated on the Sony RX100-ii.

If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?
--
Pete Cresswell

PeteCresswell:
If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Which is to say, it would fall into a pothole.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Pros on expense accounts have bearers to carry spare equipment--bodies,
charged batteries, and what-not, by the ton. Especially batteries when
they face extreme cold. Best your friend hire at least one person to
carry batteries, and that batteries and camera bodies be insulated from
the cold. Such a trek is photographically very difficult without a base
camp or a series of base camps with electric generators. Solar chargers
are an option, but portable ones tend to have low capacity.

Ultimate recommendation: a vacation at Caneel Bay, a luxurious and
lovely tropical resort on St. John, USVI.

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm

On Thu, 13 Aug 2015 23:14:27 -0400, Davoud wrote:

PeteCresswell:
If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Which is to say, it would fall into a pothole.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Pros on expense accounts have bearers to carry spare equipment--bodies,
charged batteries, and what-not, by the ton. Especially batteries when
they face extreme cold. Best your friend hire at least one person to
carry batteries, and that batteries and camera bodies be insulated from
the cold. Such a trek is photographically very difficult without a base
camp or a series of base camps with electric generators. Solar chargers
are an option, but portable ones tend to have low capacity.

Ultimate recommendation: a vacation at Caneel Bay, a luxurious and
lovely tropical resort on St. John, USVI.

That's interesting. My 70-year-old wife is planning joining a
tour/expedition to Nepal to see a snow leopard in the wild. She is
talking 18,000 ft also. (She's mad).

Her thoughts are presently to take her Canon G12.
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

On Thu, 13 Aug 2015 20:17:30 -0400, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

I know somebody who is going to Nepal in November on a hiking trip and
wants to take a digital camera with them.

They are kind of fixated on the Sony RX100-ii.

If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Take a camera and keep it warm inside several layers except when actually
in use. Cold weather will grossly reduce the battery useability.

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

I know somebody who is going to Nepal in November on a hiking trip and
wants to take a digital camera with them.

They are kind of fixated on the Sony RX100-ii.

If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

I spent 4 days at 10,000 - 13,000ft in the snow at bitter cold at times. I
took my 3 day old 7D mk2 and a 10-22 and a couple of batteries. I took about
750 photos and didn't need to use the second battery even though the camera
was either in my hand or on a strap clip on my rucksack.
Some people may not want to carry that much but if I'm going to all that
effort I'm gonna take the best equipment I can.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uemu0h9vji...13.15.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0bb5lg232j...19.36.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/purzx5fmv4...18.48.jpg?dl=0


--
sid

That's interesting. My 70-year-old wife is planning joining a
tour/expedition to Nepal to see a snow leopard in the wild. She is
talking 18,000 ft also. (She's mad).

Her thoughts are presently to take her Canon G12.

I hope she has plans to properly acclimate to the altitude. I live at
4500 ft and doing much above about 10,000 is taxing.

In article , ray carter
wrote:

That's interesting. My 70-year-old wife is planning joining a
tour/expedition to Nepal to see a snow leopard in the wild. She is
talking 18,000 ft also. (She's mad).

Her thoughts are presently to take her Canon G12.

I hope she has plans to properly acclimate to the altitude. I live at
4500 ft and doing much above about 10,000 is taxing.

10k is not a big deal and is only slightly higher than an airplane's
pressure (8k).

if you *live* at 4500 ft and have problems with 10k, you may have
respiratory problems.

i was in colorado springs for less than a day before i went to the top
of pikes peak (14k ft) without issue.

18k is definitely a bigger concern but many people handle it just fine.

Per Eric Stevens:
... 70-year-old...talking 18,000 ft also. (She's mad).

I would be seriously concerned about that. From what little I know it
sounds suicidal for somebody that old. Maybe you could connect her to
some more expert advice on the subject.
--
Pete Cresswell

On 2015-08-14 17:49:19 +0000, Tony Cooper said:

On 14 Aug 2015 16:05:59 GMT, ray carter wrote:


That's interesting. My 70-year-old wife is planning joining a
tour/expedition to Nepal to see a snow leopard in the wild. She is
talking 18,000 ft also. (She's mad).

Her thoughts are presently to take her Canon G12.

I hope she has plans to properly acclimate to the altitude. I live at
4500 ft and doing much above about 10,000 is taxing.

Just standing on a step ladder puts me above sea level.

In Florida, standing on a step ladder will probably bring your eye
brows up to sea level.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 8/14/2015 11:29 AM, sid wrote:
(PeteCresswell) wrote:

I know somebody who is going to Nepal in November on a hiking trip and
wants to take a digital camera with them.

They are kind of fixated on the Sony RX100-ii.

If you took everything I know about digital cameras, rolled it into a
ball, and set it on the edge of a razor blade; it would look like a golf
ball in the middle of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Having said that...

I am trying to tell them that they should think seriously about water
tolerance - maybe IP-66 or something. Also, they are going to be hiking
in snow at altitude (12,000-18,000 feet!) with temperatures sometimes
below zero and I am guessing that the temp will play a roll too.... and
then there is battery charging/replacement.... and on-and-on.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

I spent 4 days at 10,000 - 13,000ft in the snow at bitter cold at times. I
took my 3 day old 7D mk2 and a 10-22 and a couple of batteries. I took about
750 photos and didn't need to use the second battery even though the camera
was either in my hand or on a strap clip on my rucksack.
Some people may not want to carry that much but if I'm going to all that
effort I'm gonna take the best equipment I can.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uemu0h9vji...13.15.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0bb5lg232j...19.36.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/purzx5fmv4...18.48.jpg?dl=0



As a photo, I like the first & third. The 2nd is a nice memory.

--
PeterN