Charging M8/M9 Batteries in the Amazon...

[ampguy]

DRF is much smaller

DRF is much smaller

Bring 5 charged batteries (and the charger), plus a few SD cards.

That will give me an equivalent of over 50 rolls of 36 exposure film. Ever try lugging 50 rolls of film through the jungle with lions and tigers chasing you?

Netbook with Picasa on USB/ubuntu runs < 15W, < 25W if I need to fire up the hdd.

I used a pocketable solar panel for my cell phone: never had enough power to charge a battery, only to use the phone while the panel was connected and the sun shining.
Next year when visiting the same festival I brought a hand crank: no solution either. Empty phone again.

You would need to haul fairly large solar panels or a rather high power crank. Hope you're not going to leave your boat or vehicle...

Bring film. Face it: there's only so much your DRF can handle.

 

[emraphoto]

Here are my experiences.

Firstly, you might be surprised how far the grid spreads. To get off it requires a concerted amount of energy. Power is usually available unless you are WAY off the coca cola grid.

In those circumstances don't bother with trying to charge, bring an m6 or something as staying in one place for extended periods of times is ill advised.

I carry one of those converters with multiple attachments for everywhere, it's about half the size of the m8 charger and that is all I have ever needed. Make sure you get one that converts vs. just an adapter.

 

[Leica All Day]

Film.

If it's a bit less remote than the Amazon -- I was once in Dharamsala when the power went out for a week -- there is often someone around with a generator. And of course there are cigarette lighter chargers.

Cheers,

R.

Same thing happened to me when I was in Dharamsala about 10 years ago.....luckily the only camera that I had with me at that time worked just fine....gotta love the Hasselblad.........but yeah, I remember some of the restaurants and guesthouses were running generators.....

cheers, michael

 

[Roger Hicks]

I imagine you'd probably want a camera with good weather sealing (1D MKIV for example) as opposed to a M9. Otherwise best bet is to carry multiple batteries. I'm sure you could set up a solar charger too and just plant it on your pack to charge a spare battery while you shoot.

Why?

Are you planning on leaving it out in the rain? Or dropping it in the Amazon?

I've never spent any time in the Amazon region but I have some experience of India during the monsoon. I'd have no hesitation in using Leicas.

How much time have you spent shooting under extreme weather conditions? And how many people do you know whose Leicas have packed up as a result of heat or humidity?

Cheers.

R.

 

[jaapv]

Tina Manley dropped her M8 into a river in Honduras, in the rainy season too - the camera was fine.

 

[Pablito]

......you just need to bring a lot of batteries.....
Well that was my solution, seemed like the best and only solution. Not gonna mess with solar power gadgets... Was not in the Amazon but a place like the Amazon. Nowhere near an elecrical outlet for over a week. Simple.

😕

 

[Leigh Youdale]

......you just need to bring a lot of batteries.....
Well that was my solution, seemed like the best and only solution. Not gonna mess with solar power gadgets... Was not in the Amazon but a place like the Amazon. Nowhere near an elecrical outlet for over a week. Simple.

I think the power output from a portable solar panel might be OK for a cell phone but maybe not enough to charge up an M8/9 in the daily sun hours available with any certainty. You'd need to check real (as opposed to theoretical) outputs very carefully before heading down that track. I know you can get them big enough to power up a laptop but that might not be practicable.
Sounds like some spare battery capacity, a 12v car charger and a 110/220v charger might just about cover it. Plus a lot of storage cards since you won't be able to run a computer as well. Or you could use film!

 

[myM8yogi]

In addition to the advice I gave earlier, I have to concur that if you are going to be away from power for a very long time, take an all-mechanical film camera. You can put together a very good OM1 setup for not very much money at all. Alternatively, take the digital M but make sure you have a film backup with you too. I used a Yashica T zoom when I was in the Amazon. It' does not allow manual exposure, but it does have (slow) 28-70mm Zeiss T* lens and is highly pocketable. If I was doing it again, I would take a Bessa or CL backup that can use the RF lenses when the dRF runs out of juice.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

How about the freecharge 12v hand crank charger ?

http://www.freeplayenergy.com/product/freecharge12v

maybe just enough for that one last decision moment ?