| daveontrek.co.uk | Technical Information | ||||
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Camera Equipment-
Nikon F70, 35mm SLR.
Fuji 35mm compact with fixed 28mm lens.
I use the Nikon for my slides and the Fuji compact for prints. Although I have a digital camera, using it on trek is impractical due to the demands on battery consumption. There is no real means of charging batteries whilst on trek; even where there is electricity in lodges the supply can be erratic. The cold temperatures would mean using a vast number of them, which is not only a problem in terms of carrying, but also a environmental issue for disposal. I always bring batteries home for disposal.
For most of the time I use auto exposure with the camera set to 'programme mode', and the exposures are usually fine. However, I do try and think about the scene and where I think some adjustment is needed I will either use manual settings or will over ride the suggested auto reading with exposure compensation.
Lenses-
When trekking, I often carry two zoom lenses, a 28-105 and a 70-210 which I find adequately cover most situations.
There is a school of thought where prime lenses would be better for coping with lower light conditions as they offer wider aperture settings. Again, its a matter of preference and I like the convenience of having one lens attached to the camera which I carry in a Camera Care System pouch so that the camera is readily at hand.
Film-
Fuji Sensia slide film - mainly 100ASA, and the occasional 200 and 400ASA.
Jessops print film 200 ASA
I generally find the 100 ASA slide film is adequate for my needs. I have tried 400 which I find too grainy for landscapes so have recently stopped using it. As I don't use a tripod on trek (too much to carry) I have considered getting another camera body which I could load faster film in and use for the occasions when the light is low, but again it's a question of how much kit to carry around with you.
I find that slides offer me a greater variety of use when I get back from the trek. I can project them in the normal sense (I still find a well taken image, projected onto a large screen, takes some beating) or, I can scan them into the computer for web use or incorporating into word documents and producing journals of the trips.
The print film provides the images for small photo albums which I use for family and friends. Every time I take the film in for processing I get a free film so hence the choice of brand.
Digital-
For scanning slides and negatives into the computer I use a dedicated film scanner (Nikon Coolscan) which I believe is a better option than a flatbed. In some cases the images are cropped to make a tighter composition before they are adjusted in Photoshop for contrast, colour cast etc.
I save the files as JPEG optimised for the web using Adobe Image Ready (shipped as part of Photoshop).
The majority of images in this site are adjusted in the same way that they would have been for normal darkroom printing.