Mt. Everest & M8

If I ever get to the top of Mt. Everest alive I'll tell you. Hell, if even I ever get an M8 I'll tell everybody.

This question does pique my curiosity as to what gear individuals bring to photograph mountain expeditions. I don't think that digital would work too well at all at the higher elevations considering possible low temperatures. Battery life anybody?
Even film cameras would need to be 'winterized' and have all the lubricants/greases/oils replaced or removed so nothing freezes.
 
I would think that most climbs for this year are just starting. I think the window to make a summit bid is usually in late May so I doubt if anyone has had a chance yet.
I'm not sure how the battery's would last but if you kept it inside your coat with a hand warmer taped to it, maybe it would work... not sure if it would be worth the hassle though.
-Rob
 
This thread caused me to do some searching and apparently, a film crew once took an IMAX camera to the summit! These are not small units. But they are film based. 🙂
 
Yep, there is an IMAX film out there including summit shots.

I wouldn't consider anything battery-dependant for any expedition where such low temperatures are expected. FWIW, on the Midi-Plan traverse last year the static temperature was -21 centigrade and my partner's digital froze up totally; couldn't stay active for long enough to get it from the jacket inner pocket to take a shot. My (completely unmodified) Canonet worked perfectly. I plan to take the Canonet to the Himalaya this summer; I'm on a six-man team aiming for a first ascent in the Miyar Nala.

Of course, the most interesting camera ever to have been suspected of making it to the top is a certain George Mallory's Kodak Vest Pocket...

Jamie

p.s. oxygen is cheating.
 
Unless you are very experienced, the emphasis is very much on survival. Extra weight = more work = greater oxygen consumption. Im sure the camera would make it, but would you be able to trigger the shutter. Even an extra minute at the top is 'injury time'. I would definately leave my photographic gear at the base camp.

The Royal Navy did take dome Nikon D100's up Everest and I think everything worked except the LCD display could not be visualised. The images did record. If LCD's dont work then the advatage of digital capture is somewhat less over film. (Double stroke M3 to avoid film fracture is looking good?).
 
First ascent photos

First ascent photos

1953: Hillary and Tenzing conquer Everest
The New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, have become the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border.
They reached the top of the world at 1130 local time after a gruelling climb up the southern face.


A symmetrical, beautiful snow cone summit


Edmund Hillary


The two men hugged each other with relief and joy but only stayed on the summit for 15 minutes because they were low on oxygen.

Mr Hillary took several photographs of the scenery and of Sherpa Tenzing waving flags representing Britain, Nepal, the United Nations and India.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the Appendix in Hillary's book lists the camera used on the summit. I read the book ages ago and don't remember the make/model. Leica perhaps? In 1953 that would have been the logical choice.

As I recall, Barry Bishop and others used Nikon SLRs during the 1963 American Expedition including the first traverse of Everest.

The K.I.S.S. principle applies.
 
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I have a few friends up there I am to meet up with in a few weeks. They are to be the first American's to ski Everest. When ever I do the Colorado 14,000 peaks in Summer, I can take a digital, but if it is outside the warmer temps or much higher, the 5D stays home and the FM3A comes along.

I am strongly considering taking the M6, 28 2.0 & 50 1.4 ASPH to high camp though, the glass is better wide open.

Honestly, cameras, photos, they all take a far back seat to the task at hand, so the last thing we climbers want / need to worry about is a camera battery dying.

I use this approach in a lot of my work, I get better, more real images this way.
 
The M8 would be the last camera I would take to the summit. From all the post on this board and photo.net the camera can barely handle the normal day to day stuff...I highly doubt the camera would make it to the summit and still be working...

Take a all mechanical camera and some film
 
Well, I have used my M8 in -15 F temps here in Iowa this year and seems to work at least down to there cold soaking all day long. Yes nowhere near Everest Temps, but I don't plan on going to Everest anytime soon. as to day to day reliability - Not a single problem what so ever.

Gene
 
FWIW Chris Bonnington used an Oly OM1...

ps it was Barry Bishop's pix of K2 (IIRC) in NG mag that got me interested in photography in the first place...
 
I know of one pro climbing photographer who actually uses the Voigtlander Bessa (the one without the rangefinder in) with the 15mm lens. Its very light compared to a leica and with that lens in bright conditions and small appertures, focusing is hardly an issue. I suspect its a pretty good choice.

I bet there are a few very decent cameras burried in the snow up there (some along with their owners). I think it would be very difficult to take a decent picture when breathing low oxygen tensions. Ill bet most times you are doing pretty well to put one foot after another.
 
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