rassa5

I am going to Antarctica next month, and I was wondering how to keep my cameras dry in a zodiac, especially if a rogue wave comes aboard. Lowepro sell expensive dryzone backpacks, and other people have used a crumpler satchel bag. i would like easy access to at least one camera, but it may be difficult if I put them in a drysac.
I am planning to take both my cameras ashore with me: Nikon Z7 with 28-300 mm lens, and Nikon D750 with 24-70 mm lens.
I would be grateful for your thoughts and suggestions.

Thank you

rassa5

ELNikkor

I'd have one in the drysac and one inside my parka. When a photo opportunity might arise, have the zodiac driver stop, pull out the one from the parka and shoot. Chances are, you won't be out in a Zodiac if the seas are high.

Ballangrud Loc: Vermont

I went there a few years ago and kept my camera inside my parka. We never experienced any large waves while riding in the Zodiacs. The water was usually calm at each of the sites. We took the Tauck tour.

cytafex Loc: Clarksburg MA

I've done lots of river trips with large rapids and use Watershed Drybags. The top seal is like an industrial ziplock that is quick to open and seal and won't leak if sealed properly. I have one that is large enough to put my padded camera case in and can easily take out just the camera or whole case as needed. Highly recommended!

Hereford Loc: Palm Coast, FL

Ok, Having done Antarctica last year for 14 days, here is what I found helpful. Zodiacs only go out in calm seas, which is what we found everyday sailing between the peninsula and off shore islands. The high mountains block the winds. Zodiacs are driven at fairly high speeds getting from the mother ship to the shore which makes for a lot of wakes to plow through. This is where your camera is in danger of taking on a wad of salt water spray in the low riding zodiac.

I only took one camera hanging around my neck and zipped it under my loose fitting windbreaker, which made it easy to get out when a photo op came up. And the operators usually slow down or stop when a photo op comes, leaving time for you to extract your other camera. I kept an extra lens in a convertible dry sack/back pack. I saw more than a few careless people getting their valuable equipment drenched with salt water.

tonyjag Loc: Bolton, Ma.

We were just there on the Nat Geo Explorer in December. As many have noted, they don't run the Zodiacs if the water or wind are too severe, limiting splash danger to high-speed runs or crossing wakes. We never got wet at all. I used a Peak Design 10L sling bag, which is water resistant and big enough to hold my new D7500, a Tamron 18-400 which hardly ever came off the camera, a Nikon 50mm, and Nikon 16-85. My son had the same bag with my backup D5300 and Tamron 16-300. These bags are great for flying as they are small enough to count as a personal item...neither check-in nor carry-on. We also had waterproof roll-top bags that each hold one Peak Design 10L sling bag, but weren't really needed in our case. I also had my new Samsung S10+ phone as further backup and for wide shots. On Kayaks, i took only the phone.

Many people had DSLRs, but no one attempted to change lenses on board a Zodiac, so i think your plan of taking two bodies is wise. However, when zoomed widest, the Z7 with 28-300 covers all but 4mm of the D750 with 24-70, so if you only take one camera on the Zodiac, it would likely be the Z7.

With multiple cameras, if you do post in time order, it is important that they are all set to the same time, usually local time. If you have GPS, don't set the camera to get time from it because, where available, it may unexpectedly shift you into a different time zone. I am struggling with getting 10,600 images from 3 cameras in sync.

It is summer there, so plenty of light and almost no night. Have a great voyage!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

We went a 3 day raft tour a few years ago in Colorado. Had a blast. I forgot the one thing that I most wanted to pack. The water proof camera bag. The guide had a bunch of 2 gallon Zip Lock food storage bags for the forgetful. Solved my problem. It worked. When you think about it...why wouldn't it?? I think the Z7 would cover all your bases. Just my $0.02. Have a great trip.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I live in Florida and love birding, for my small boat I have Pelican cases, the are hard shelled and water sealed, a pro turned me on to these. They may seem a bit expensive but not near the expense of replacing my gear.

https://www.pelican.com/us/en/products/cases/camera-cases

mikedent Loc: Florida

Hi all- best wishes to you on your Antarctica trip. We are planning for such a trip for 2021 and I'd like to ask about peoples' experiences with the different cruise lines or tours there. It seems many depart from Ushuia (sp?) at the end of South America and then ship across Drake Passage. Any suggestions or observations on the various companies would be really appreciated! Thanks- stay safe.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

What ever you get, nothing will stop salt water from getting in front of your lens, even a protected lens, and salt water is hard to remove when your bouncing in a zodiac. I have been on Zodiac rides in smooth water and carried my Sony pocket HX 90 camera and got great shots.
No one can predict the weather, you could be out in smooth one minute and 12 foot waves the next with little warning.
WARNING, many have lost their camera's regardless of weather protection. MY STRONG SUGGESTION for Antarctica Zodiac rides is a WATERSEALED point and shoot like the Nikon Coolpix AW130 or other similar camera product, WITH a floating wrist loop.
DO NOT GO PAST GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200.00, AND DO NOT TAKE YOUR NIKON Z ON A ZODIAC. YOU WILL BE SORRY.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

The most important thing....insurance.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Really, you lose your camera because of your unthinking foreknowledge, you have no camera for the duration of your stay, you miss once in a life time images and your happy because you have insurance? Are you nuts? DO NOT TAKE THE Z CAMERA ON THE ZODIAC, PERIOD.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I like to shoot from a kayak but have been relegated to using a weathersealed Fuji bridge camera around my neck while sometimes I might bring my Panasonic G9 in a dry bag. I gifted myself an Outex Pro cover for the G9 for Christmas and I'm looking forward to trying it out next week in Florida.

tonyjag Loc: Bolton, Ma.

We were extremely pleased with the Lindblad/Nat Geo trip on the Nat Geo Explorer in December. We experienced great service and they really cater to photography, from seeking out interesting and rare wildlife to experts and even a B&H photo locker with equipment to loan.

Here is a submission to our local small town newspaper:
"Tony Jagodnik (Bolton) with son Andy (Ohio) visit Port Lockroy, established by the British in 1944 as Base A to secretly monitor German shipping during WWII. The site was recently restored as a museum and the only functional Post Office in Antarctica. It is surrounded by a colony of Gentoo penguins. In the background is the National Geographic Explorer, which [disembarked from Ushuaia then] brought our MIT Alumni group and others through the Beagle channel, past Cape Horn, and through the Drake Passage on this amazing Journey to Antarctica. We sailed for almost 2500 miles, reaching as far South as 65° 07.7’ Latitude (ice limited), had great summer weather, and saw many species of birds, seals, penguins…even a few emperors usually only found further south.. and whales, including rare Type D Orcas. We walked with the penguins and joined them in the water in Zodiacs or Kayaks."

I have just switched from Aperture to Lightroom Classic and am learning it by working on the 10,650 pictures we took with 3 cameras.

(Download)

photoman43

You could possibly use something like this:


https://www.sierra.com/klymit-25l-splash-backpack-waterproof~p~799yg/?filterString=s~waterproof-backpack%2F


https://www.sierra.com/trekgear-25l-backpack-waterproof~p~627py/?filterString=s~waterproof-backpack%2F