geologist seeking camera

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as a geologist, i'm fairly brutal on anything that i take into the field with me. i try hard not to let my camera go bouncing down the mountain, but every once and awhile it happens. added to the fact that i need something that won't die when you drop it, i also want something that isn't automatic, since they don't sell batteries in the middle of the alaskan wilderness. i need to own a macro lens to take pictures of some of the small scale stuff and a zoom lens to deal with the overall shot of the area.

at the current moment, i'm using my dad's pentax ME super, but it will be eventually reclaimed (he loves it). what i'm looking for is advice on what might be a good camera to invest in.

any ideas? advice?

elli

-- elli (szerade@yahoo.com), March 07, 2001

Answers

You might consider a Nikon FM2N: manual, all-metal, compact, tough, battery-dependent only for the meter.

-- Gary Watson (cg.watson@sympatico.ca), March 07, 2001.

I'll second Gary's suggestion of a Nikon FM2N, Elli.

For a while it's been the only game in town for those who need a new mechanical 35mm SLR. On the one hand, there are the inexpensive beginner cameras -- aimed at the teenage learner. On the other hand, there are the $2000 or so Contax S2, Leica R6.2 and Olympus OM3-Ti -- aimed at the middle-aged lover of fine engineering. In between sits the FM2N ... and only the FM2N.

It is the mechanical workhorse for the professional and serious amateur -- as well as for a small number of dedicated learners who want to understand photography fully, before taking the short cuts of automatic exposure and focusing. It inspires the same sort of affection that you have seen the ME Super inspire.

If you can accept the weight, you might to do well to have two secondhand bodies (one black, one chrome so you can tell which has which sort of film) rather than one new body: even a Nikon may not survive being dropped off a mountain.

About a month or so ago, Nikon announced the FM3A, a new manual focus camera which is to replace the FM2N. As well as having mechanical control for its shutter it also has electronic control for when you have a battery and want aperture-priority auto-exposure. I have no idea whether this means that the price of the FM2N will go down (as the result of being superseded) or will go up (as the result of a rush to buy the last fully mechanical Nikon).

Macro lenses: Nikon makes 3 manual-focus macro lenses -- 55mm/2.8, 105mm/2.8 and 200mm/4. The 105mm/2.8 is probably the most frequently used in the field, and it will double up as a portrait lens if you are not alone. (Bias warning: this is the one I chose for myself.)

Zoom lenses: The 28-85mm/3.5-4.5 is the classic for this sort of thing, though the 35-70mm/3.3-4.5 is half the weight if you can live with the limited range. Alternatively, the AF 24-50mm/3.3-4.5 gives you greater width, but may seem plasticky compared with the manual focus lenses. (Lack of bias warning: I would choose to take 24mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.4 primes for scenics and low light.)

Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), March 07, 2001.


Elli,

I am geologist my self, I have been using a FM2 for long time, it has never died on me. It has survived every climatic condition from Southern Mexico to Northern Canada. It has been smashed by rock samples, dusted by sediments and tills and still working as day one.

I carry a 55 mm macro. Working distance is not great but rocks don't seem to matter. I also carry a 24 mm wide angle lens and rarely a 135 mm. All manual lenses. They fit on top of my back pack in a padded fanny bag.

Belive me, you can't go wrong with a FM2

Jorge

-- Jorge Ortega (ortegajorge@globetrotter.net), March 07, 2001.


I'll add to the others that the FM2 is a real workhorse camera, and is in my bag as a back up to my F3. It has never failed under the harshest conditions, (artic cold , desert heat).

The best reason to acquire one is the readily available line up of outstanding used lenses sitting on the used shelves of camera stores everywhere. So many people have bought into the plastic toy lens concept, and have abandoned real classics. For well under a thousand Dollars you can buy a full outfit of lenses that have not been eclipsed by ANY autofocus lens optically, and to which there is no comparison mechanically. I have had several autofocus Nikkors fail in a very short period, yet I still use 1970's vintage manual focus Nikkors everyday without any problems. For rough and tumble field work, I will only trust the real metal "proven in the real world" AI / AIS Nikkors.

Look for the 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.0 or f/1.4, 55mm f/2.8 Micro, 105mm f/2.5. Dollar for Dollar, you can't buy better lenses (and I use Leica gear also). For the price of a Nikon F5, you can buy a brand new warranted FM2, and all of these lenses (used)... plus a lot of film!

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), March 08, 2001.


I am a petroleum geologist, and I have worked in the desert (Oman), tropical heat (Mexico), and Russia (-21ºC). I would like to put on a good word for the EOS cameras that I have used in those conditions: EOS 300, and EOS 30. I would not be too confident in any camera surviving a drop without consequences, even the FM2. If you are going to work in harsh conditions, you need a "weather proof" camera body, in the category of an F5 or EOS 1V. The latter is currently the only 35mm camera that is completely sealed against water and dust, with O- rings. As for batteries, I would recommend a battery pack; I know the FM2 works without batteries, but can you meter without the help from a built in meter? Unless you carry a hand meter. Trust me, it is a lot easier to do macro photography with a TTL available light and flash light meter. If you do not believe me, just read John Shaw's "Close ups in Nature", even if you subjects are not alive.

-- Paulo Bizarro (pbizarro@cggp.pt), March 08, 2001.


Go for the Nikon FM2, it is in my opinion one of the best cameras you can get that doesn't need batteries. However, it may be an idea to look at Nikon's new FM3A, fully automatic, but has a hybrid battery independant shutter, seems quite nice. Or if weight is a consern, try an olympus OM1n with the 55mm macro, a very light but pretty durable piece of kit.

-- David Kirk (david_j_kirk@hotmail.com), March 08, 2001.

Well...you got many good suggestions. Most are a bit expensive...especially the Nikons, for what you want to to. You need an 'ol work horse! I will suggest this: Buy 2 or 3 Pentax K1000 units with good SMC 50mm lenses...about $100 each used (see eBay auctions)...they are like indestructable tanks. If it tumbles down the mountain it will probably still work fine. When i worked in a camera store we used to roll them across the flooe to show the customer how durable they are!

Other than that, I would strongly suggest that you buy a couple of Olympus Epic f/2.8 cameras...these are pocketable, point and shoot cameras, with a millionaire's lens!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), March 10, 2001.


Elli, you need a good quality, tough and reliable mechanical camera that can take a macro and a zoom lens; I share the opinion that the Nikon FM2 is probably the most economical model that fulfills these criterias, which is why almost everyone is recommending it. Alternatively, you could also consider a used Nikon F3, F2, FM or EL2; they'll fit the bill too, at about the same price of a new FM2 (well, except for the F3, which probably cost a little more). If you like Pentax, look into a used LX, which is a tough camera designed to professional standards with extra weather protection, and you can use you dad's Pentax lenses on it!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), March 11, 2001.

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