jano
Evil Bokeh
I returned from a trip to Cerro Gordo & Bodie ghost towns, mono lake, and Yosemite this weekend. Took with me the ZI with 25 & 35 ZM lenses, 85/2 nikkor, and my sony f717 digital for infrared and quick color snaps. Had over 100 pictures with the sony, and 12 rolls of film with the ZI.
We got up at 4:30am to make bodie by 5:30am -- there was some special thingy setup for photographers to get them in early before the crowds for a nominal fee ($30). It was 15F (-10C) when we got there. UNEXPECTED. After 5 minutes, my fingers were in pain, yet I couldn't feel them, man that sucked. Took me 5-10 minutes to change film when I had to. It was even more painful getting the camera off the tripod to press the rewind-release button. However, the Sony didn't work, battery was too cold -- my friends who came along with their N and C dslr's had to swap batteries often due to the cold
The funniest part was when the sun finally made it over the peak, the valley lit up enough that I noticed the entire bottom of my ZI was caked in ice. ICE!! While focusing and composing, my breath condensed and FROZE on the body.
Anyway. After all the abuse, I need help getting my lenses cleaned. It was windy and dusty @ cerro gordo, lake mono got water spray on my various lenses and filters, bodie and yosemite just furthered all that, and I'm afraid to clean these myself. They look very dirty. Should I send them out? Where? Someplace lower cost, and preferably nearby. Ideas? I don't really care to hear your stories about "oh, that's why I always use a UV filter" blah blah blah, that doesn't really help me.
I'll have some photos if anyone's interested later
Jano
We got up at 4:30am to make bodie by 5:30am -- there was some special thingy setup for photographers to get them in early before the crowds for a nominal fee ($30). It was 15F (-10C) when we got there. UNEXPECTED. After 5 minutes, my fingers were in pain, yet I couldn't feel them, man that sucked. Took me 5-10 minutes to change film when I had to. It was even more painful getting the camera off the tripod to press the rewind-release button. However, the Sony didn't work, battery was too cold -- my friends who came along with their N and C dslr's had to swap batteries often due to the cold
The funniest part was when the sun finally made it over the peak, the valley lit up enough that I noticed the entire bottom of my ZI was caked in ice. ICE!! While focusing and composing, my breath condensed and FROZE on the body.
Anyway. After all the abuse, I need help getting my lenses cleaned. It was windy and dusty @ cerro gordo, lake mono got water spray on my various lenses and filters, bodie and yosemite just furthered all that, and I'm afraid to clean these myself. They look very dirty. Should I send them out? Where? Someplace lower cost, and preferably nearby. Ideas? I don't really care to hear your stories about "oh, that's why I always use a UV filter" blah blah blah, that doesn't really help me.
I'll have some photos if anyone's interested later
Jano
Last edited:
Olsen
Well-known
- Yosemite at minus 10 C degrees; you are describing a rather ordinary winter day here in Norway. That cameras are 'caked in' with ice is ordinary. I havn't yet tried my Zeiss Ikon under these circumstances, but will soon since the first snow and winter day is just weeks - days, away. Cameras that work good in wintery conditions are, first of all, manual cameras without batteries. Then solid stuff like EOS3, Nikon F5, D1s II etc. and all the Hasselblad stuff. Particularly Hasselblad! Like the FE203.
Sea spray from Mono Lake is not good, however. Isn't that salt water? Clean your camera surfaces and lenses with chemical tissue paper or wipe it with paper dipped in sweet water. Important: Get rid of the salt! Give the glas surfaces the same treatment and clean with dedicated lense cleaning afterwards.
Beautiful place, Yosemite, Mono Lake and all that. Just awesome. Can imagine that sun rise. Any pictures you will lay out here?
Sea spray from Mono Lake is not good, however. Isn't that salt water? Clean your camera surfaces and lenses with chemical tissue paper or wipe it with paper dipped in sweet water. Important: Get rid of the salt! Give the glas surfaces the same treatment and clean with dedicated lense cleaning afterwards.
Beautiful place, Yosemite, Mono Lake and all that. Just awesome. Can imagine that sun rise. Any pictures you will lay out here?