climbing question for you: what kind of camera would you buty if you wanted one for shots of climbs. to put it more clearly, i am planning to buy a point and shoot style 35mm camera and i wonder which one gives the best results. maybe you have some ideas?

-- Jeffrey Mathes Mc Carthy (jeffmac@darkwing.uoregon.edu), December 19, 1997

Answers

I don't know exactly what you mean by "best results". If it means sharpness, well-exposed slides, and adequate perspective, one of the P&S cameras which qualify is the Ricoh GR-1. I have one. It is very small and convenient to operate, its optics are first-rate (with a 28mm which is the widest lens available on a P&S), and it has all the necessary controls. All the other cameras which can give comparable results are significantly bigger and/or more expensive. The only drawbacks are the price ($400) and the fact that it does not have a zoom. However, I personally don't think that a zoom on a P&S camera is a good idea if you want the best results. If that's too expensive, try a high-quality, fixed-focal P&S in the league of the Yashica T4. I don't know all the current models.

-- Quang-Tuan Luong (luong@ai.sri.com), December 19, 1997.

One thing you might consider when buying a camera for climbing is the ability to compensate for the exsposure your camera sets. On snow your camera will think it needs to underexpose becuse of the intense light but this will result in a very dull gray shot. The light meter is calibrated for an "18% gray" medium, snow is not even close and will fool your camera. I have also had this problem with sand and bright granite. So, basically your camera will automatically underexpose to reach proper exposure to 18% gray so you need to overexpose to create an accurate representaion of the snowscape or sand or bright rock. For a mostly snow scene on a bright day go as much as +2 stops, if you have a camera that you can adjust. A good affordable option is the Pentax IQZoom 928, a 28-90mm zoom with +- 3 stop exposure compensation. It goes for around 200$ from B+H in NY. A 35mm SLR I consider to bulky to carry for most climbs I do but gives you many options, i.e. adjustable f-stop and aperture. I have not done much photography in scenes that would fool the meter the other way, darker than 18% gray where you would need to underexpose in low light situations (maybe dark forest or overcast days) to get a proper exposure but they exist. Probably too late for the original post but hope this is useful to someone.

-- Tom Verry (tverry@chaffee.net), May 11, 1998.

I highly recommend the GR1: 6.4 oz, fits into shirt pocket, super sharp 28/2.8-22 lens, 2 stops exposure compensation, aperture priority auto-exposure,excellent ergonomics. Lens reportedly as good or better than Nikon 28Ti or some of the pricier contax offerings. I've used it climbing with excellent results. For a detailed look, check out the excellent non-commercial web site devoted to the GR1: search under "Serious point and shoot photography"

-- Greg Ruskin (gsam126@aol.com), April 19, 1999.

Basically you have about five choices. Since I worked with each and single one of them I will give you my personal feedback. 1. Yashica T4Super 35mm f3.5 lens Carl Zeiss optics, superior sharpnes, weatherproof, strong durable easy to use, battery lithium (sucks in low temp.) little big. body plastic ($160) 2. Ricoh GR1 28mm 2.8 f-stop override, sharp image, big flexibility because of the aperture control, metal body, light, lithium battery, film will advance all way in and than as shoot progress will feed back into the roll (in case you open it your pictures are safe ($400) 3. Olympus Epic 35mm f2.8 average quality, bright lens, SMALL!!!, panorama switch, date, weatherproof, very light, lithium battery ($130) 4. Canon Elph/JR uses APS film you may have hard time getting it. Description same as above. ($130) 5. Basically any small APS will do but remember when you have a zoom you loose light and that will eliminate the best images/

E-mail me with questions about you camera and I will help you.

-- Matt Jachyra (polak187@aol.com), August 02, 1999.

K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) go with the Olympus zoom 70... it's small, light, takes great pics (even for a fumbleing jackass like me), and lets face it, the bigger and more complicated te camera is the less it will get used while climbing. Good luck, and reach out and touch someone. Travis

-- Travis Zuber (t_rav@hotmail.com), July 23, 2001.

In the vain hope of getting a sharp picture of myself in a dramatic pose, I many, many times brought the simple Kodak pre-loaded cameras you buy at the drug store; one version is for underwater photography, and is wrapped in a rubber housing, which makes it ideal for rock climbing. It puts up well with the constant banging against the rock face, and the pictures were as good as my guides could make them.

-- Michael McNally (michael_mcnally@hotmail.com), November 15, 2001.

This thread is pretty old, being 2002 have things changed? What currently makes for the best lightweight, easy to use camera for taking climbing or on backcountry hikes.

-- Steven Pulito (stevenp@seas.upenn.edu), April 06, 2002.