Film camers at high altitude

[areyouthere]

Hi, in May i will be travelling to Kenya/Tanzania border to do a hike at Mount Kilimanjaro. That's the tallest mountain in Africa and we are aiming at the summit - 5900m above sea level. The Uhuru Peak.

My question is, is film photography possible?

I have a few P&S/RF - LCA+, Vivitar wide and slim, Contax T2, Ricoh GR1s, and Canon QL17 GIII.

There are few concerns:

1. Batteries - i know that batteries will go out pretty quickly at cold temperatures. I'm planning to take lots of extra batteries and place them near my body all the time to keep them warm. But any other issues or advices?
2. Film - would the film still function at such high altitude, cold temperature?
3. Camera - what to do with the condensation issues? also, i heard about freezing up of the lubricants. Will my cameras be damaged if i use them on such high altitudes?

Please give me some advice, especially if you have experience with these yourself!

Cheers

 

[mervynyan]

no problem with any good film camera. I went up there with only one oly epic, put in the inner pocket. as long as you don't have altitude sickness. the trip is taxing but no difficult.

 

[JohnTF]

Shot at 4000 meters in the Rockies, no problems. The condensation problem would occur if you bring a camera from the cold in to a warm high humidity environment quickly.

I did meet a pro who had his Nikon F's specially prepared by Nikon for long term assignments in the Arctic, and had them serviced twice a year, but this hardly seems to indicate the same degree of need. Of course carry spare batteries, go with fresh ones in the camera to begin with, and carry a back up body.

You may wish also to slowly wind and rewind the film, but I do not think it should be that cold, the lapse rate should be about 4 degrees F per thousand feet, -- you might want to find out how cold it is at the summit, I am thinking like winter in Buffalo?

Your decent should be slow enough to prevent any condensation problems.

Back in the day when I could climb, I did a climb on Flat Top Mt. in the Rockies and later did the Grand Canyon, and considering my not so great conditioning at that time, I took a Nikonos, some candy bars, water, in a rucksack.

 

[sevo]

Kilimanjaro is not cold as far as mountains of that altitude go - indeed not worse than the Alps in summer conditions. No particular stress to gear, but, as Mervyn pointed out, altitude sickness can be a issue, the more so as the temperate climate can make you underestimate the extreme altitude you're at!

 

[nobbylon]

I did a trip to the Himalaya a couple of years ago and went up to 5600m. No problems whatsoever with film or batteries in an M6 or my Nikon D70 slr. I didn't have them in a bag, just around my neck and shoulder. Temperature was -17 celsius and @500 millibars. Cold dry air. Some compact digitals did have some problems with screens and batteries though. Mine where fine, have fun.

 

[areyouthere]

Thanks for the input so far.

I believe I will be alright in terms of battery life.

Not really sure about how to deal with the condensation issues though?

Also, I heard that the lubrications will 'change' in these climates?

 

[nobbylon]

For the amount of time you are there I really wouldn't worry about lube.
Keep your cameras on the outside of your jacket or in your sack as the warmth and moisture from your body could condense out when you take it out into the cold, dry, low pressure air.

 

[sevo]

Not really sure about how to deal with the condensation issues though?

Also, I heard that the lubrications will 'change' in these climates?

It is not so cold that regular lubrication should break down in normal daytime use - but if you intend to take out a ancient camera that has run relatively dry for night or sunrise shots, having it re-lubed with synthetic grease won't harm. And it is dry - if any, internal condensation might strike on the descent or on a luxury safari that has heated vans or tents.

 

[nobbylon]

One of my shots with the M6 and 'cron

 

[JohnTF]

Forgot, I did some hiking in the Alps one year + took the cable car up near Mt. Blanc, the battery in my Nikon did fail, but it was not new. Classic shutter jam due to dead battery, changed it out, hit manual 1/90, lost three frames. Absolutely no problem with the several camera bodies with me.

You are carrying several bodies and spare batteries where needed? ;-)

Regards, John

 

[filmfan]

I would bring a stylus epic because it is small and light. Don't weigh yourself down with an everything-proof F5 or anything...

 

[JohnTF]

I would bring a stylus epic because it is small and light. Don't weigh yourself down with an everything-proof F5 or anything...

That was my thinking when I took a Nikonos with me to hike the Grand Canyon, if it got dusty, you could dunk it in the Colorado or Bright Angel ;-),

lots of choices today though, I think I would want a couple of lenses to choose from, or now when I am traveling light I carry the Canon G9, have developed a healthy respect for it.

For film, a little Nikon -- with the titanium body?

You could make an argument for the Bessa L with the 12 and 25mm?

Regards, John

 

[Roger Hicks]

Check the pic of Sherpa Tenzing and Edmund Hillary at the top of Everest. Kodak Retina, as far as I recall.

Cheers,

R.

 

[JohnTF]

Check the pic of Sherpa Tenzing and Edmund Hillary at the top of Everest. Kodak Retina, as far as I recall.

Cheers,

R.

Was his Rolex modified? ;-)

Humidify at the bottom of the Grand Canyon was 100%, or so, after it stopped raining, when I was there in the summer.

 

[KenR]

Go to a travel medicine physician for meds to take to prevent altitude sickness as well as other shots and meds to take with you.

I found that 1 hour outside with my Bessa R4A in 20 degree temps weakened the batteries to the point where the camera was inoperable. 15-20 minutes later, after a ride home in a warm car, the camera worked fine. So a Bessa R_M or a Leica M would probable be a better choice if you knew that sub freezing temps were going to be prevalent for the entire day.

 

[Muggins]

Check the pic of Sherpa Tenzing and Edmund Hillary at the top of Everest. Kodak Retina, as far as I recall.

General consensus via Google is that it was a pre-war Retina 118 that he had picked up in an Auckland junk shop - possibly on display in Auckland somewhere?

Hard to think of a smaller camera for hillwalking without going subminiature, frankly.

Adrian

 

[underbyte]

Definitely a small, light camera with fresh batteries and maybe a small, light back up. I recently took a trip to CO up Longs Peak with a Ricoh GX100 24-72mm, good for wide and medium shots, very light weight. Good in daylight, not great in low light. I carried an extra battery and no back up and I was fine. I have also carried a Koni-Omega up Mount Elbert, that was just dumb. Travel light, have a back up if needed.

Plus, find a way to tether your camera bag to your pack or body. I lost a stylus epic when the case slid off my pack strap and tumbled down a mountain. I don't mourn the camera but I sure wish I had the photos from that week in the mountains. Wrist strap on camera, small carabiner and/or cable from camera bag to backpack = no lose your camera.

In 2003, I took an Olympus C2000z and a Nikon FA SLR up Mount Washington. The Olympus died from the cold but the Nikon was fine. It's good to have a back up or at least an extra set of batteries if it is going to be cold. Train, train, train, be safe and have fun!