Shooting Egypt in color - digital?

[Dante_Stella]

Nothing like second-guessing yourself at the last minute.

I'm headed out to Egypt to see cities and some countryside. Given the dust, pollution and sand levels, is this a film or digital exercise? I've been to some deserts with fairly nasty fine sand (including the Fish River Canyon approaches in Namibia, where you could see it coming in through the door seals of the car) - and the prospect of having that kind of stuff near a digital camera is a little scary. I also like eye-level viewing.

So what's the recommendation? If it's film, I need to get moving on getting some Ektar 100. Wheels are up on Saturday the 13th.

 

[horosu]

I was there three weeks ago (Sharm-el-Sheikh but went on trips to Cairo and around Sinai) and took my M6 and the Summilux 35 ASPH.

Although I was frightened before leaving of the fine sand that would permeate my dear camera& lens, in practice I had no problems, provided I kept the camera in a camera bag most of the time and took it out for pictures. However, around St.Katherine's monastery and the tourist' places of Cairo I kept the camera in my hand using a strap.

What I think is a must, though, is a polarising fliter.

Egypt is magical.

 

[kxl]

I was there in May 2008, and while I brought both a film RF and digital RF, I mostly shot with the digital RF (R-D1s), and mostly with the CV 35/1.2. So, in your poll, I chose the M8. I contracted with a local cabbie to be my personal guide for the entire time that I was there, so I was able to see a lot of things that the usual tourists never get to see.

 

[f16sunshine]

Took a 40D to Burning man...... Nightmare of dust on sensor. I don't expect that the conditions will be so bad in Egypt but, I would highly suggest film and a sealed small digicam for quickies. Not simply to save the gear. More to save the PP time fixing dust spots.

 

[monochromejrnl]

no experience in Egypt but I spent some time in the Sahara (Morocco) and the sand was incredibly fine (imagine being surrounded by blowing cocoa powder)... Sand got into everything (took my wife two weeks to wash it completely out of her hair)... I was more of less prepared for it and limited cameras to the Yashica T4 Super (sealed P&S), Bessa L (practically a disposable camera since I got one for $80CAD) and my SWC (which was wrapped in a ziplock bag with a cutout that I duct taped to the lens shade), used the Ext VF to compose and a cable release to fire...

bring a good camera bag, the Crumpler 6/7 Million dollar home I had with me was horrible and not designed to keep out dust and dirt... ended up selling it immediately after the trip..

i say go with the HexarAF and the GW690III with a bag of film... archiving digital images is such a pain for lazy, disorganized people (like me).... ;P

 

[Dante_Stella]

I always liked the "one last mission" in the movies. They always sucker someone (usually a police officer) out of retirement for that last adventure where he gets killed. Eight rolls of Ektar 100 on the kitchen table.

 

[Dante_Stella]

bring a good camera bag, the Crumpler 6/7 Million dollar home I had with me was horrible and not designed to keep out dust and dirt... ended up selling it immediately after the trip..

I have some of the older Crumplers (Tall-e, 15Love, December Quarter) that actually have the dust-resistant tops. I agree - the new ones aren't that good at keeping stuff out.

 

[photogdave]

I chose the Hexar. I hate coming back from an exotic holiday with files full of ones and zeros instead of photographs.