Film and/or digital SLR...
 

Hello All,
I am sitting over this question for a while now, and felt I could take the opinion and advice of the experienced members of this forum.
I am a amateur photographer and shoot film Black and white for passion and digital ease of use. I am planning on an overland trip in Africa and am confused regarding the gear.
- Have a Nikon F5(film camera) and want to invest on a DSLR. I will need FX lenses to use on F5. and want to have common lenses between DSLR and F5
- Dust proof and water proof pannier or tank box for easy access and safe storage.
- Xray safety of films and availability of positive / slide / transparencies films and B and W films in Africa.

Are two SLRs too much of a burden in a over landing solo Africa trip?

Thanks for your advices in advance.

Pare.

I often carry one DSLR and one SLR for backup, as long as you can use the same lenses it's not to bad.

I haven't bought film in Africa the last years but it used to be hard to get good color-positive film, it might be even harder to get B&W-positive. If you don't need a huge volume it might be easier to bring your own film or get it shipped.
Usually I shipped film back home when I had 15-25 rolls and I've never had a problem with x-ray but I always used ISO50/100.

In this day and age why would you take a film camera, anf Nikon lens are compatable with DSLR with maybe a few redused fuctions. Everything I did with film -minus darkroom chemicals - I can do with digi, and I don't need to decide wich format too shoot in as I can convert it too B&W, transparency, IR or whatever later. OK I do kinda miss the darkroom and seeing that magical moment of getting a print right, bit this is c2010 now.beer

Pare - I really wouldnt take an F5 on a bike, its an awesome camera, but rather take an F100 (loathsome camera) or an F6 or F4 as the larger size of the F5 simply cant be justified when on a bike - thats enough space for another lens.
I would always take an Fm or Fe 2 with me as well if I were taking an F100.

As for the FX lenses - you can fit an FX lens to any body digital or not, just understand that it multiplies the focal length effectively by 1.6
For a Nikon user I would take a Digital body the D700 and a Nikon FM2 with 3 lenses, 80-200 2.8 and 1.7 extender with a 24mm and 50mm



Ali Baba - where are you getting Black and White positives - I havent seen any since Scala and the only other way o know is through a reversal process, of which Ilford do the chemistry but there is very little support in the UK I know DLAB7 in the States offer this service, but from the UK its too impractical.

But on a motorbike you need compromise - and Panasonic / Olympus micro 4/3rds have this totally covered.

Panasonic GF1 or Olympus eP3
Olympus 9-18 = 18mm-36mm
Panasonic 14mm f2.5 = 28mm
Panasonic 20mm f1.7 = 40mm
Panasonic 14-42 X = 28mm-84mm
Panasonic 45-200 = 90mm-400mm
The size of this kit is ludicrously small for the range that it covers

The Olympus 12mm f2, is 3 times the price and at least twice as big as the Panasonic 14, so its out for me.
There is also an Olympus 45mm f1.8 that I would simply love to take with me, but dont think I could find a place for it between the 14-42 and the 45-200 I am sure I would, but I would then take out the standard zoom, which is so small i would take it anyway...


As for the other bodies, As a Photographer who mostly uses Manual mode, the GF2 and GF3 are a waste of time, but they are smaller and offer better video.
If you like a viewfinder, the G3 and GH2 are awesome, as is the EPl-2 instead of the EP3 Plus the Olympus viewfinders are very good.

These cameras also accept an adapter for most other mounts so you could attach Nikon lenses - 2x multiplier, manually focusing and take an FM2 body as well.

(Colourama in Nairobi has most Fuji films in stock, and can arrange stocks for you in advance - plus they can develop for you there - transparencies 3 day turn around.)

I do miss the days when you just threw your film SLR in your topbox and 10 rolls of Fuji and that was all. Taking a DSLR, battery chargers, leads and possibly a laptop or hard-drive with you is a bit of a pain. It's just the immediacy of digital is addictive now. On my last trip I took my 5D2 with a 50mm on it and a S90 in my pocket. This seemed perfect and not too bulky. Lots of SD/compact flash cards is what I do but I'm not away for over a month.

If you want to shoot film as well it makes sense to have 2 bodies, digital and film, that use the same lenses. I can't do this as my film camera is an FM2. Then again I could buy a Canon EOS film body which wouldn't be too expensive, you can get dream cameras from the 80's for peanuts these days.

I imagine that the light is amazing in Africa and film just captures it so much better so I understand why you would want to.

Pare, I'm presuming you went to Africa this winter so what did you end up taking with you?