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It will definitely be a challenge with the Smena, but hats off to ya! I liken this to the way I was taught how to drive: learn on the most challenging car you can find; it's hard and make the learning curve steep, but once I learn, I'll be able to drive anything.
So, the Smena will challenge with focus (it's zone focus, not manual) and maybe motion blur, and there will definitely be some limitations that might make exposure challenging in lower-light conditions. If you have a smartphone, download a light meter app. I use LightMeter Free and find it to be pretty good (I have an Android phone but I believe there's also an iPhone version if you have Apple.)
BUT once you get the hang of it and understand how to work with the limitations, then you can have lots of fun playing
I'm a big fan of toy cameras. I don't like the light leaks, but I do like the dreamy look that you can get from a toy camera lens. So I get it.
I think the best thing you can do is to put it through its paces before you start the hike. Really test its limits. Take good notes as you do. The thing is with a camera like this is that the 'look' you get isn't going to work with all kinds of shots. It took me a few rolls, for example, to finally start to predict what was "a good Holga shot" for example. So also pay attention not just to the technical stuff, but also notice what kind of scenes look better with the particular lens artifacts of the Smena. Then it will be easier to predict even before you take the shot.
And in case of light leaks, buy some gaffer's tape.
Also, since you're already starting to develop, do research into push processing. It's essentially shooting the film at a higher ISO than it's rated (400 film shot at 1600 for example) and then lengthening the time of development to compensate. (Edit: This will buy you a bit more flexibility in low light situations.)
Suggestion: bring a Sharpie to write on your cannisters so you remember which rolls you are going to push. And remember, once you decide to push, you have to shoot the entire roll at that higher ISO, so keep that in mind if you still have some shots left the next day and have to shoot at 1600 in daylight. It's fine, you just have to remember that you're still pushing and adjust the settings accordingly.
Looking forward to your updates!
So, the Smena will challenge with focus (it's zone focus, not manual) and maybe motion blur, and there will definitely be some limitations that might make exposure challenging in lower-light conditions. If you have a smartphone, download a light meter app. I use LightMeter Free and find it to be pretty good (I have an Android phone but I believe there's also an iPhone version if you have Apple.)
BUT once you get the hang of it and understand how to work with the limitations, then you can have lots of fun playing
I'm a big fan of toy cameras. I don't like the light leaks, but I do like the dreamy look that you can get from a toy camera lens. So I get it.I think the best thing you can do is to put it through its paces before you start the hike. Really test its limits. Take good notes as you do. The thing is with a camera like this is that the 'look' you get isn't going to work with all kinds of shots. It took me a few rolls, for example, to finally start to predict what was "a good Holga shot" for example. So also pay attention not just to the technical stuff, but also notice what kind of scenes look better with the particular lens artifacts of the Smena. Then it will be easier to predict even before you take the shot.
And in case of light leaks, buy some gaffer's tape.
Also, since you're already starting to develop, do research into push processing. It's essentially shooting the film at a higher ISO than it's rated (400 film shot at 1600 for example) and then lengthening the time of development to compensate. (Edit: This will buy you a bit more flexibility in low light situations.)
Suggestion: bring a Sharpie to write on your cannisters so you remember which rolls you are going to push. And remember, once you decide to push, you have to shoot the entire roll at that higher ISO, so keep that in mind if you still have some shots left the next day and have to shoot at 1600 in daylight. It's fine, you just have to remember that you're still pushing and adjust the settings accordingly.
Looking forward to your updates!
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