DSLR or P&S for Extended Trip to Rainforest

psesinkclee

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I'mm be taking a long research trip (over a month) in the rain forests of Cameroon and Gabon in May/June of this year and am trying to figure out what to bring to photograph everything.

It is going to be the beginning of the rainy season and will be hot and humid most of the time (not staying in air-conditioned houses, think tents).

I currently own the following: Nikon D3000, Nikon D90 (with battery grip), Nikon 35mm 1.8, Sigma 50mm 1.4, Nikon 18-55 and 55-200 kit lenses, and Tokina 11-16 2.8

I am worried about bringing a dslr with zoom lenses (since they will be taking in and pushing out moist hot air all the time, risking mold and water build up). Waterproof housing for the D90 or D3000 is too costly, bulky, risky for me (and I'm not sure how long those will hold up over such a long time in the forest).


I've been thinking of getting a nice P&S like the Canon G12 or Nikon P7000 but don't want to make that investment and have a ruined camera when I get back (I would use it as a backup with my d90 when walking around after the trip). I may also be stopping in Europe on the way home for a week or so, and a decent camera would be really nice.

Any suggestions would be helpful on what to do in this situation.

Thanks.
 
Photography trip or travel trip when you will take photos?
Ideally for photography trip (apart from the bulk if you are hiking a lot of it) would be two bodies; wide on one and tele on the other - all weathersealed and you never change lenses unless in 'controlled' conditions.
My thoughts; if the environment is really tough enough, is that even the P&S that have extending lenses will tend to suck in some of the warm, moist air too which could be just as problematic. At the cost of image quality you could look at the range of waterproof/weathersealed P&S's out there these days.
 
Its a research trip with extensive hiking and I will be essentially outdoors for over a month. I want to bring along a camera for the wildlife, plants, and people I work with.

Getting new bodies and lenses is way out of the question (I'm a graduate student and don;t have thousands of dollars to throw around right now).
 
That's a tough one. I'd be tempted to take my DSLR and get a good raincoat for it but can see how a good P&S would be more convenient and worry free. I carried my DSLR in SE Asia for a 3 week visit, got rained on and sweated on almost daily without damage but I did my best to protect. If you take a P&S you will indubitably miss some real opportunities. Take the D3000 and the 2 Nikon kit lenses. If they fail then you haven't lost the world ;)
 
If the photography is just going to be a personal thing, I would look to the G12 - small, convenient, and well built.
 
I've finalized my research plan, and will be needing a camera. I am surveying the habitat in carious areas and would need a camera to take photos to look at later if I need to. I have a handheld GPS unit to record locations (do not need a camera gps unit). The "wet" part will be about 3 weeks of living in the forest.

ALSO, I recently got a Nikon D7000. So if I go with a DSLR, I will probably bring the D3000 or the D90.


Now, when doing these habitat surveys, I'll be stopping every 20meters or so and taking photos in all directions. I'll keep the camera away while walking, but will have to take it out often. I was thinking of bringing a drybag or even a small pelican case with silica gel and desiccation packets to keep it dry during storage at night and while traveling around. Any advice on this idea?
 
Hi if you want i could ask my couson what he took he has been out to the amazon rain forest a few times. As a photogrpher and did some work for the BBC tv in england he met some tribes and some have been known to be cannibal's lol.
 
Hi if you want i could ask my couson what he took he has been out to the amazon rain forest a few times. As a photogrpher and did some work for the BBC tv in england he met some tribes and some have been known to be cannibal's lol.

That would be great if you could ask him about it :)
 
When do you go? I will email him about it see if he can help do you just want to know what you posted in your first post?
 
When do you go? I will email him about it see if he can help do you just want to know what you posted in your first post?

I leave in the last week of May. Basically if I were to bring a DSLR with me, what precautions should I take (like zooms or primes, cases, desiccants or silica to dry it out). I'll be there for three weeks in the really humid places. Taking photos all day of the forest to asses the vegetation.
 
You might want to consider a weather sealed camera like the D300 or D200. Or even a non-digital film slr like a nikon Fm or Nikon F2as.

There are some point and shoots that are made for harsh conditions--waterproof and shock resistant.

for example:
Olympus-u770SW-Waterproof-camera.jpg
 

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