Best Camera for Aerial Photography in Afghanistan?

[unpopular]

ok. according to that data, if I am reading it right, you have a 38-380mm, full frame equivalent lens. So you'll need a 4/3 system lens that is about a 20-200mm zoom, or an APS-C zoom that is 24-240mm to meet that performance.

They do make these lenses, but my guess is that the shorter focal lengths aren't used much, and you'll be better off with a longer lens than a shorter one. Something like a 70-300mm lens is probably going to be more useful.

As I said before, 4/3 is a good option because of crop factor. Because the sensor is smaller, the amount of magnification you'll get will be more with less focal length, this is the reason why your point and shoot has a 6.3-63mm lens, but can still zoom in from a long distance - because it has a tiny, tiny sensor you're essentially cropping the image. This is done optically, not in camera or anything like that, so you still get a full image, it's not like cropping in Photoshop. For the 4/3 system, a 70-300mm lens will be equivalent to a 140-600mm lens on 35mm full frame. Not the best if you're 5' from the subject, but great if you are 200' or more from the subject.

Normally small sensors have noise issues, but in your case since you're shooting mid day in an arid region, that's not going to be a problem. Keep your ISOs low and you'll be fine.

I don't think I've ever said this, but in this case I think the 4/3 system is definitely right for you. If I had my choice, I'd go with your initial idea with the OMd: it's weatherproofed, ergonomically, smallish, and hell, man, it looks cool!

Here is a lens you might want to research:

Olympus 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Zuiko ED Zoom Lens for Olympus 261057

 

[unpopular]

Also, with a smaller format, everything tends too shrink, including the lenses. So, despite my initial concerns, I really think 4/3 is the way to go.

 

[matthewo]

d5100 and 18-200 vr1, should get you in around $1000. and still pretty small and take pretty good pictures.

if your looking for anything smaller i dont think you would be looking at a dslr...

 

[Crollo]

If I were in your position, I would say screw the photos and go straight for the GoPro.

How helpful.

 

[lonewolfsx]

The Olympus OM-D is a pretty nice camera, and will definitely work and it is weathersealed (the kit lens too), but my only reservation is the contrast detect autofocus system. I'm a huge fan of the Bell 206's and variants and been up in them before, so I understand your space limitations. The pictures you showed earlier were actually really darn good considering what you were using. I'd kill to get cool pictures like that...

One question, are you flying as well as taking these pictures? or are you passing control off to your second pilot? If you're flying at the same time, one-handed control of the camera might be an important thing to consider. Another factor is the viewfinder, the Olympus will be fine using it's rear LCD to compose the pictures. However:

Obviously a DSLR will AF really quickly and the image quality will be exceptional, so if you can fit it I'd lean that way to be honest. Some of the Pentax SLR's are pretty small and effective (The K-5 is tiny and weathersealed very well, plus shoots 7 frames per second), and Pentax also makes some pretty cool telephoto lenses (like the 60-250mm f/4, which would be fantastic for these pictures). You'd lose the wide angle (don't bother bringing up a second lens, you won't have time to change lenses and you might drop one... if it were that important bring a second body. I know... space concerns), but it's a fantastic quality solution and will AF enormously faster than the Olympus or ANY 4/3 camera. Then again, you could leave the Olympus OM-D on continuous AF and as long as the aperture is pretty high (assuming many of your flights are during the daytime?), it shouldn't be too hard to keep stuff in focus, at least enough to see some details.

One last note, the SLR's have LiveView on the back LCD screen, so if you find yourself having to use the LCD instead of the actual viewfinder, this would negate the advantage of AF speed that DSLR's have over the Olympus and other 4/3 cameras.

EDIT: I gotta say, I've been eying that olympus OM-D for a while, if I had the cash to burn I'd have bought one already, looks super fun to use. Obviously you'd probably be sticking to Aperture Priority or Automatic in the helicopter, but I like the manual controls, super cool. Need to keep adding to my Nikon system though, I shot my first wedding last weekend and was getting killed during the reception because I didn't have a flash I could bounce off of the ceiling.

 

[unpopular]

Lonewolf - is AF really necessary with aerial? I assumed it wouldn't be and that you could, and would be better off, just preset focus to infinity...

 

[KiowaScout]

Ah, crap, lol.
I'm still locked between the Olympus OMD EM5 and the Pentax K5 / K30 then until we figure all of this out together!

The good thing is that there are actually three no kidding camera stores downtown here in Savannah and I'm going to hit all of them today to get my hands on some cameras.

I've really been reading up more on the size specs and last night I ran up to Sam's Club and they didn't have much, but did have a Canon 60D. Not only no, but hell no! That thing is giant. Now please don't get me wrong. I do not even come close to doubting whether or not it's a great camera; in fact I know someone who has one and I know that they get incredible reviews and many thumbs up from all around.

For me however, there is no way something so large would work as I would almost never use it and would literally have no where to put it. As was mentioned earlier by manaheim- I'd be sticking a Cadillac in a VW trunk. There just isn't the space.

Later this afternoon I'll try to update on a few things that I've seen and handled. I may even post a pic of a new to me camera. Thanks for the continued discussion.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

If I were in your position, I would say screw the photos and go straight for the GoPro.

How helpful.

Thanks, I'll be here if you need anything else...

 

[unpopular]

Ah, crap, lol.
I'm still locked between the Olympus OMD EM5 and the Pentax K5 / K30 then until we figure all of this out together!

The good thing is that there are actually three no kidding camera stores downtown here in Savannah and I'm going to hit all of them today to get my hands on some cameras.

Relatively large city with one of the top photography schools in the nation, not that big of a surprise.

 

[KiowaScout]

Surprise it was; there aren't crap for camera stores here. One was shut down & for rent, one was just plain ol rude over the phone when I asked whether or not they had ANY Pentax or Olympus cameras available (the guy actually got pretty snooty and indignant when I asked about Olympus for whatever reason), and the third was pretty funny as they mostly had 35mm and the guy was happy to actually explain to me that the new digital cameras on the market (they may have had 3 or 4, no lie) were neat because one could use the screen on the back to see what is being shot without the use of the viewfinder. What a break through! I just left amused and was still nice, I promise.

lonewolf & unpopular- Your contributions on this page have been great for me and I mulled over much of the data and considerations over the phone that you both presented today with an old professional photographer that I know who has been out of the game for a while, but you definitely brought her back in. Gotta always trust a kernel of wisdom or two that ol' mom has to say, right?

She also agrees that the decision in my case between the Olympus OMD EM5 and Pentax K-5 is a damn hard one to make, and she really couldn't give an answer except that she believes that I should narrow it to between those two options. Given how much more I've looked at and read today, I'm tending to agree.

Tomorrow I am going to try to run up north to South Carolina or south to Florida (that just sounds confusing when I read it!) to hopefully get my hands one of these illusive cameras. Thank you for the insight gentlemen, I'll stay in touch!

 

[KiowaScout]

Well, I am just going to have to order one or the other sight unseen I guess.

As I lean more and more towards the Olympus simply for it's size reasons, I have one major reservation about getting it still. That is lens selection. It appears that not only is the K5 slightly less expensive if I just buy the body and select another lens or two, but there are a TON of lenses available for the Pentax and I'm just not seeing that many for the Olympus. I like the 70-300mm that you linked to unpopular, but I'm not sure how weather sealed or durable it is?

I will be further trying to convince myself to purchase the Olympus by this evening so long as I can find a good general set up for my far shots requirements while flying, and lighter and smaller with less zoom while walking around like everyone has mentioned in all of the previous posts.

 

[KiowaScout]

Oh, and lonewolf- I will not be flying and shooting (cameras anyways) at the same time. In the event that I need to take a photograph while flying it only takes a few seconds for me to initiate a transfer of the controls. If I'm in the 'observation' seat, I'll take many many pictures at will and can order the helicopter into position for where I want to be in relation to the target or subject.

 

[KiowaScout]

In Closing:

Ok, bought the Olympus OMD EM5 w/ 12-50mm f/3.5-6.2 lens, silver color, for $1299 shipped and no tax. Given that this lens is weather proofed & this camera seems to be backordered or out of stock pretty much everywhere, I think that I did well enough. It took me all day just to find that deal & the seller ran out within hours of me finding it. 5 of these kits went in under two hours!!

There is also a promotion in effect from Olympus until the 21st for either a free flash or adapter for other lenses; both accessories being +$160 a piece & were on my eventual buy list so that's cool.

Seriously, thank you everyone for the insights & education. I am super pumped & very happy with my decision. Once I get closer to my deployment date I will get a nice lens for those far away shots that we've been discussing on here. I will also post a few aerial shots here & there with my toy!