MP in a humid, tropical environment

Others already chimed in with good advices, the only one I can think of is be sure when you come back to CLA the lens, fungus is not detectable until they start to eat your coating.

I'm just curious, why selecting the MP, for the work that you mentioned, a DSLR seems to be more appropriate.
 
fdigital said:
I highly doubt a bit of humidity will hurt any of the leicas. In my part of australia we get pretty bad humifity. If my 30d can survive so can a mechanical leica.
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I lived in "Brissy" for over 5 months, the Congo is much, MUCH worse for moisture.
 
KM-25 said:
I lived in "Brissy" for over 5 months, the Congo is much, MUCH worse for moisture.
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I hope you guys know that my post wasn't scornful or attemping to be elite or rude in any way, I was rather just saying that I personally wouldn't worry about it. I understand that the congo is much more humid than brisbane but I don't think something like a trip to the beautiful congo should be hampered by dragging along little zip lock bags, de-humidifying box's and worrying about potential moisture gathering in your gear.

If I was going to the congo, I'd be willing to take my 1d classic or eos 1v, a 17-40L which is lightly weather sealed and a leica or nikon f3hp + zeiss glass and constantly have one of the 2 bodies hang off me bumping around in moisture and heat and dust.

The leica gear is very well built and very resilient to most things. As long as it doesn't get drenched its all good.

Thats just me personally.


By the way, I was actually born in africa and I've been more or less all over the continent :angel:
 
shadowfox said:
I'm just curious, why selecting the MP, for the work that you mentioned, a DSLR seems to be more appropriate.
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It is a very relevant remark --I think you might be right, sorry I didn't react earlier. However, since I don't own a DSLR I will go with my rangefinder material. I do have a very good (but not wheather sealed) Canon SLR system but want to carry simple, robust and relatively light equipment, a camera that is easy to focus in a low-light environment, and one that keeps working when the batteries are drained.

Best
 
I just returned from a week in the very rainy/humid/tropical back-country of Jamaica with my M6 (and a digital point-and-shoot). Everything performed flawlessly - keep a cloth with you to wipe away moisture and one back at camp for a good exterior cleaning when the day is done.

The M6 endured lots of banging, some mud, and the occasional downpour. Kept it protected from downpours with a combination of my body, a plastic bag, and my backpack.

Souping film right now - images to follow.
 
In the old days, people going to tropical regions would have their cameras "tropicalized." It's a procedure whereby all the lubricants and seals are cleaned off and changed for special ones dedicated to the wet and hot climate. There was the opposite treatment, called "winterization" for when you went to the poles or had to spend the weekend in a freezer waiting for the mafia guys to put their dead bodies besides the beef hindquarters. But I digress.

I don't know if modern materials like the ones used in the MP make these procedures irrelevant, but it might pay to ask your Leica dealer what they know about that. It's a costly process, and when you return to a temperate climate, you have to do the whole procedure in reverse, but perhaps it is what you need.
 
Neither have I heard of any 'tropicalisation' of cameras. If that is available; great! Still I think that a Leica MP will be about the best you can bring to Congo. Just any point & shoot will fall apart. - As my GSM phone did in Malaysia. I have used several of my cameras in the rain forests of Malaysia and sleeping out-door in the Norwegian mountains at minus 10C and with 0C in the tent - also a hefty humidity situation.

My advice:

Keep the camera out of direct rain and direct and intense sunlight.
Dry it every now and then and try to keep it dry.
Keep it packed in a bag together with old newspapers or tissue paper. Change paper when it gets humid.
Wash & dry your hands whenever you feel that you and the camera gets sweaty.
Whipe the camera clean with Cleanex or similar whenever you feel it is exsessively sweaty.
A problem in the tropics is fungis inside the lenses. Kill it with dipping them in a deep freezer for a few hours whenever you get a chance.
 
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