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Cameras for Dark and Wet Locations?
Lorenzo de Medici asks: "In August I have the great pleasure of being able to hike all sixteen miles of the Zion
Narrows. I'd like to take along a camera, but the problem is that the water level in the Narrows can be unpredictable, with flash floods arriving with little warning. Light levels tend to be low as well. Does anyone have any advice on what kind of camera I could bring that would survive yet still bring in decent photo quality?"
They make waterproof disposable cameras. If your local photo shop doesn't carry one, amazon has them here. If you don't think one will be enough, buy two or three. It's still cheaper than the cheapest waterproof reusable camera. It's relatively dark underwater, so these things tend to have higher-speed film (meaning a lighter picture), too.
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Get yourself a waterproof bag to store your camera in, and get the camera from somewhere with a nice warranty like Ritz (in case it breaks).
Or get yourself one of those professional underwater cameras.
As far as lighting issues, either a nice external flash, or a nice lense should help.
Is the classic 35mm wet/dry film camera. Nikon optics, rugged, just what you need. I don't think they are currently produced, but there are plenty of them available on ebay.
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
Look at the Stylus Epic as well, but ditch the ziploc and get an OtterBox.
Any photographer worth his salt knows the old put the camera on a tripod and use long exposures for shooting in low light trick.
As for wetness, just get any popular camera that has a waterproof housing available as an option. These housing are typically very rugged and probably also afford the camera a greater degree of resiliance to physical damage.
-73, de n1ywb
www.n1ywb.com
It would probably be much more advantageous to post your question on photo.net. Be sure to include whether or not you want to shoot film or digital and how much you are looking to spend.
There are places outside the park that rent stuff specifically for hiking the Narrows. I was there last fall and rented shoes, a staff, and a dry bag to keep my camera and lunch in. Spend the money on the shoes, it is so worth it. Most people had their own shoes on. Sure, hiking boots are meant to withstand getting wet. But they aren't meant for hiking 3 hours through a river. Having your regular boots dry later is so worth the cost of the rental. And you can rent a stick too! Actually, no joke, the hiking staff was very useful in various instances, mostly as a pole vault. Often, the water is clouded enough that you can't see what you are stepping on, so having it to balance yourself is very helpful. Plus, it is a nice, straight piece, perfect for twirling and pretending you are a bad-ass bo-weilding ninja. Turned out I really didn't need the bag, but that is only because the water was very low and I never fell in anywhere.
Its been commented on before that use a plastic bag. Its been a "funny" comment but in fact
They make waterproof plastic bags that you can put and use the camera in. These bags aren't cheap (about 100$) although cheaper than a full hardshell case. There not just plasic bags because the have some glass/plastic you attach the lens to so you can shoot with the camera in the bag. It seems perfect for your use.
As for the dark conditions get a bright lens (f1.8 to f2.8) and/or use 400 or 800 iso film.
check adorama for other makes/models but here is an example
http://www.waterproofcases.net/ziplock.html