Best Camera for Aerial Photography in Afghanistan?

KiowaScout · Jun 29, 2012

Alright everyone, I have a desire for a better camera than my little Sony point and shoot. I fly a reconnaissance helicopter and would like to be able to bring my own camera up this time on deployment because I think that I can get a lot higher quality pictures. My major concerns are as follows:

1. Size. My cockpit is very small, and I am super space limited for gear up on the dash.

2. Durability. My helicopter runs 99% of the time without doors, so we can get a LOT of sand, dust, and occasionally wet. I need something that can take it.

3. Image Quality. Being a photo reconnaissance platform, the pictures that I take can sometimes be rather important to some people. I need to know what would be best for catching both still and moving objects, while being taken from a moving and shaking platform (i.e., me hanging out the door of a helicopter).

4. Price. I am not budget shopping, but I do not want to spend as much as a new MacBook Pro. I'm looking for a good all around, get stuff done camera.

I have recently seen the Olympus OM-D EM5 camera in Popular Photography and I am intrigued by it. I like that it has a metallic body that is supposed to be dust and splash proof. Is this the only camera out there like this (in a non point and shoot format)? I'm hesitant because I've never personally held or seen one, but I like the look because of an old 35mm camera of my granddad's that I received as a high school graduation gift. The silver metallic look with the black faux leather or whatever covering looks very similar so I'm a fan of it's aesthetics. Despite liking it's looks though, I want to know what else is out there that I should be comparing with.

I know that this is probably not the most common form of question asked, but I figured it would spark a good discussion and hopefully I can learn from y'all. After this weekend I'll have some time and maybe a can post a picture or two that I have taken from my last deployment of some pretty neat mountainous areas.

Thanks in advance!

Patrice · Jun 29, 2012

Any of the Nikon pro and semi pro bodies will have metal bodies with dust and moisture seals. D200, D300, D700, D800(?), D2, D3, D4. Nikon top tier lenses will also have environmental protection. VR II lenses might be useful when shooting from an unstable platform.

I'm sure others will jump in here with many many more suggestions, some valid and some utterly ludicrous.

I worked out of 206's and 204's for a lot of years in the arctic and in the mountains (gazelles were a bit better there) and my pro body f4 never ever let me down.

sovietdoc · Jun 29, 2012

I think OP said he has very limited space, so big DSLR's are probably a no-go.

When you take photos from the heli, are you going to need zoom? If yes, just look at the most rugged point and shoot with good zoom. Make sure you look at how easy it is to use, otherwise it will just be a pain.

Espike · Jun 29, 2012

I think a Canon 7D might be what you're looking for. I don't know how much space you'd have in a Kiowa for something that size, but with a good strap, it won't fall out. The camera can take quite a bit of abuse, has a fast frames per second count, and has an auto-focus system that was designed for sports/fast moving targets. They go for about $1100 used. Pair this with a decent zoom, and you've got an excellent setup for aerial recon.

table1349 · Jun 29, 2012

I am a bit confused with some of your post. Are you looking for a mission critical camera? If so then you need a gyroscopic platform system for stability, which I would think an OH-58 recon helicopter would already have.

If you are wanting something for your own use then I would suggest you look at the Pentax 4/3 system. Small capable system. PentaxWebstore.com: Hybrid Cameras

Or take a look at the Pentax K30. PentaxWebstore.com: K30

KiowaScout · Jun 29, 2012

It will be semi-mission critical. Gyro stabilized binoculars and optics are not anything I need to go out and find on my own, but a good camera can be a little more complicated.

I like the looks/size of a 4/3 size camera. A larger Nikon/Canon concerns me because I brought one of those up two years back and that sucker took up a lot of space, not to mention it was the property of a ground guy & it seemed fragile at least psychologically to me because I knew that it was expensive.

I'll try to link a few photos of our cockpit useable area to lend clarification to my actual size requirements. Thanks for the ideas so far, please keep em coming!

KiowaScout · Jun 29, 2012

Hopefully these few pics help to illustrate our size limitations..

Oh, and that little oval bracket and small hole forward of it are where a rifle sits, so that's some 'claimed by default' space already

DorkSterr · Jun 30, 2012

D700 + 70-200 + TC 1.7.

cgipson1 · Jun 30, 2012

+1 on the D700! That is an "issue" body for the Navy, and some special units!

Front Lines: Life as a US Military Photographer | Popular Photography

KiowaScout · Jun 30, 2012

Okay, I appreciate the recommendations. I'll have to look into those mentioned for sure. Just curious; would there be any glaring CONS to the Olympus OMD EM5? I'm just curious if for any reason it would be an actually poor choice.

I'll get a little more time tomorrow to really review the information y'all have provided in depth. I just proposed to my girlfriend today & now she's a fiancé so I'm spending time with her for the time being. Thanks for the info so far, everyone keep it coming!

unpopular · Jun 30, 2012

One nice thing about the 4/3 systems is that they will have a larger crop factor, meaning better telephoto. I don't know really why you're stuck on the OMd, it's a cool camera and all, but it hasn't been proven, I am not even sure if it's weatherproofed.

sovietdoc · Jun 30, 2012

4/3 systems aren't weather proof, there is one olympus that is but it costs $1200.

With your cabin size limitations you could sneak in a DSLR but the question is, how much zoom do you need? Are you going to just take aerial photos, or do you need an ability to considerably zoom in?

unpopular · Jun 30, 2012

Hmm. it looks like the OM-D is weatherproofed? Maybe this would be a good option...

KiowaScout · Jul 6, 2012

Hey everyone,
I know that I'm a little behind with an update of what I've found, but it's been a little crazy around here lately for me and I finally got some free time. As I've been researching a lot of the above recommendations, I have to say thank you for all of the input and that everything kept me busy looking at for quite a while.

I've settled on a personal budget limit though since I will be doing this more as a personal endeavor. We may be getting issued some crazy equipment as long as I keep helping press for it! (gyro stabilized lenses, night vision adaptations, etc).

With that said, my own budget is not that crazy, so I've set a basic $1500 limit on myself, give or especially take depending.

The size issue is taking over more and more for my requirements and desires. I've noted that while searching, aesthetics do not really matter to me, just functionality and ergonomics if possible. I am required to wear nomex flight gloves at all times, but they do offer pretty decent dexterity and ok tactile sensation, but hard to hit buttons could become an issue for me.

On the last deployment I pretty much exclusively used a small Sony DSC-H20, 10x optical zoom, 10 megapixel camera and it's size was perfect for pocket carry and took decent but not too great photos from the bird. I did find myself carrying it almost always however, while a few of the guys with larger DSLR's may have had a nicer camera, but it was rarely with them. I got lucky that I never got my Sony too wet or nasty, but always cursed having to baby it for that reason.

So, I need something that I can cram into the smallest pelican case possible, and will in turn stuff the case into a small camel bak or similar go-bag for when I'm not in the bird. I do intend to also carry it around while not flying, but this time around I will unfortunately not be at Bagram and there will probably be less to photograph unless in the air.

In conclusion, I think that this pretty much leaves me with a battle of the Olympus OMD EM5 vs Pentax K30? They both appear to be weather proof, and I really want a rugged and weatherproof camera & lens combo. After taking my little Sony up last week I was in a bird that had a bad hop to it (the rotor blades were a little out of balance but it reminded me that this is not an uncommon occurrence and happens even more often during deployment). While bouncing a bit and taking pictures at that little camera's most extreme zoom, I was unable to get a clear picture or good focus. It made me remember how important image stabilization and/or auto focus will really be for my requirements. Shooting on burst has always been my best option and then I sift through the hundreds of photos to find the clear ones!

So, given all of that, the 4/3 size seems to be where it's at for me and auto focus and image stabilization are key. Which would you choose? Thanks a lot everyone for the continued feedback!