When to Carry Your DSLR
Oct 3, 2019 13:10:18 #
I'm a member of as search and rescue team. Yesterday we were searching for a lost couple in some relatively nasty terrain. Thankfully we were successful and rescued our subjects. Anyway, one of the members of my team (a professional photographer) was carrying a DSLR with a fairly large zoom lens. As we ate lunch I made the comment that it was brave to carry such a thing there.
His response: No, it isn't brave, it's stupid.
I do not expect to see him carrying that camera on a mission again.
His response: No, it isn't brave, it's stupid.
I do not expect to see him carrying that camera on a mission again.
Oct 3, 2019 13:12:27 #
You don't create great images while admiring your cameras on the shelf.
Oct 3, 2019 13:17:05 #
True, but
a. On such missions we are already typically loaded to the gills with gear we need to function in that kind of terrain and to treat the injured if necessary. Every extra pound adds difficulty.
b. That kind of terrain provides the risk of falls and other accidents that could damage both man and camera.
a. On such missions we are already typically loaded to the gills with gear we need to function in that kind of terrain and to treat the injured if necessary. Every extra pound adds difficulty.
b. That kind of terrain provides the risk of falls and other accidents that could damage both man and camera.
Oct 3, 2019 13:24:50 #
halraiser wrote:
True, but
a. On such missions we are already typically loaded to the gills with gear we need to function in that kind of terrain and to treat the injured if necessary. Every extra pound adds difficulty.
b. That kind of terrain provides the risk of falls and other accidents that could damage both man and camera.
a. On such missions we are already typically loaded to the gills with gear we need to function in that kind of terrain and to treat the injured if necessary. Every extra pound adds difficulty.
b. That kind of terrain provides the risk of falls and other accidents that could damage both man and camera.
I agree. Unless the team member's responsibilities included being the official photographer with company equipment, their personal equipment did not belong on the mission.
That said, if one bought a DSLR to capture images (or the company / government unit made the investment), you have to have the equipment with you to actually capture images.
Oct 3, 2019 13:37:38 #
Living entails risk if you care to have a full and interesting life. Bringing a camera is the least of it! 
Oct 3, 2019 13:45:24 #
halraiser wrote:
I'm a member of as search and rescue team. Yesterd... (show quote)
Probably something to discuss with team members. Wouldn't matter to me unless I was the one being rescued.
---
Oct 3, 2019 13:50:58 #
Item 1. The guy with the DSLR was a member of the SAR team and hopefully smart enough to realize the magnitude of his mistake and I don't mean risk to his equipment.
Item 2. On a SAR mission the first concern is always the safety of the team. Always! What was the team leader thinking to even let this guy go?
Item 3. As we know who shoot expensive DSLRs and lenses, we will automatically sacrifice our bodies to save our equipment, and suddenly the emergency has additional victim(s).
Item 4. If photo documentation is needed, this is the type of situation where a cell camera is the perfect solution.
Item 2. On a SAR mission the first concern is always the safety of the team. Always! What was the team leader thinking to even let this guy go?
Item 3. As we know who shoot expensive DSLRs and lenses, we will automatically sacrifice our bodies to save our equipment, and suddenly the emergency has additional victim(s).
Item 4. If photo documentation is needed, this is the type of situation where a cell camera is the perfect solution.
Oct 3, 2019 14:09:04 #
Yup, he was smart enough to learn from the event. And I agree, a cell phone or small point and shoot, even the camera on my GPS are adequate for what we need. The guy did get a good shot of tracks we found which might have eventually become useful had we not found our subjects. However, a cell phone shot would have been quite adequate with the added advantage of being able to text the image back to base had we had good cell connection.
Oct 3, 2019 14:12:54 #
I have, in some box in the garage, a Peak Design Capture Clip that I used to use when hiking. Glancing down one day on a trail, a Nikon D800 hanging from the strap of the pack, I realized that if I took a fall, $3000 of camera and lens would be toast.
Oct 3, 2019 14:16:29 #
If this is an invite for a discussion of what would be an better idea, I prefer a pocket sized Canon Powershot or similar. I have a GX9 II that is the size of a deck of cards that fits in my pants / shorts front pocket. The camera captures in 20MP RAW, fully editable as any DSLR. The lens isn't the premier lenses of a DSLR, but otherwise the results are excellent and certainly on par with the kit lenses of a DSLR package. I'd rather have the smaller Powershot and the RAW files than my personal cell phone in a risky situation.
Oct 3, 2019 14:18:04 #
Unless there is a safety component involved which the team leader should oversee then what is the problem? That is what insurance is for!
Oct 3, 2019 14:31:13 #
Seems to me, if you're on a search-and-rescue carrying a long lens makes no sense. As Curmudgeon says, the primary mission is to find and rescue, and extra weight and equipment may interfere with the mission. Stupid idea to take that lens, or the camera that would hold it.
Oct 3, 2019 14:37:39 #
Fairly large? Are we talking a 70-200mm or a 150-600mm? Never mind, the DSLR itself counts as fairly large! My Olympus E-M5 II with 14-150mm and 2x DTC can equal any of that.
Oct 3, 2019 15:04:47 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
If this is an invite for a discussion of what woul... (show quote)
Not an invitation on my part cameras at all. My comment was to clearly point out SAR missions are not a place for an untrained person. This person with the DSLR and long lens was clearly not well trained. He would never have done that on one of our teams. Second the team leader should be relieved and replaced for putting his team at risk.
Oct 4, 2019 05:44:06 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
If this is an invite for a discussion of what woul... (show quote)
As a Panasonic GX8 owner I browsed for a GX9 mk2 to no avail. Did you mean Canon G9X mk2?
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.