Iceland - backup camera?

kingslayer · Jun 6, 2019

i am going to Iceland next month (July). I will be in the ring road for 5 days to photograph all the great waterfalls. I am an enthusiastic and wonder if I need a backup camera in case it gets damaged by the waterfalls. I am already bringing a lot of stuff and don’t want to deal with an extra camera to lug around.

Anyone have experience photographing waterfalls in Iceland ? Does it get very wet? How risky is damage to my camera? I have canon Eos RP that has poor weather resistance.

peter826 · Jun 6, 2019

I never travel overseas without a backup body. It could just be a point and shoot. Normally I carry an A7rii and then an A6000 as the backup. Same batteries, same lenses, etc. Enjoy Iceland!

phil from seattle · Jun 6, 2019

I don't see anything special about Iceland that would make a difference. Personally, I don't travel with backup camera per se - but always travel with two bodies. Typically, each day I will mount the two most likely lenses and then shoot whichever is appropriate at the moment.

mreynolds767 · Jun 6, 2019

I think a camera having an issue with a waterfall would be quite unusual ; assuming you just got spray and not actually submerge the thing.

Wiping the lens constantly and not having mist or streaks on the lens is the bigger problem.

Now salt water from a rogue Iceland beach wave that is a whole different story, and if bringing a backup body it would be for that fear more than any waterfalls.

phil from seattle · Jun 6, 2019

mreynolds767 said:
I think a camera having an issue with a waterfall would be quite unusual ; assuming you just got spray and not actually submerge the thing.

Wiping the lens constantly and not having mist or streaks on the lens is the bigger problem.

Now salt water from a rogue Iceland beach wave that is a whole different story, and if bringing a backup body it would be for that fear more than any waterfalls.

Maybe the right thing is to take a weather sealed camera.

mreynolds767 · Jun 6, 2019

phil from seattle said:
Maybe the right thing is to take a weather sealed camera.

Absent the OP having one of those, a cheap Rain Sleeve for the camera is another option.

I have one of these and would recommend it, the small is not very small.

Small Size

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._photo_740618_emergency_rain_cover_small.html

Medium Size

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...photo_740619_emergency_rain_cover_medium.html

You can go much cheaper and go with an under $10.00 solution from Op-Tech or spend much more and get one of those fully covered plastic housings for complete protection.

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Online Gallery here
https://www.mattreynoldsphotography.com/

kingslayer · Jun 6, 2019

mreynolds767 said:
phil from seattle said:

Maybe the right thing is to take a weather sealed camera.

Click to expand...

Absent the OP having one of those, a cheap Rain Sleeve for the camera is another option.

I have one of these and would recommend it, the small is not very small.

Small Size

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._photo_740618_emergency_rain_cover_small.html

Medium Size

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...photo_740619_emergency_rain_cover_medium.html

You can go much cheaper and go with an under $10.00 solution from Op-Tech or spend much more and get one of those fully covered plastic housings for complete protection.

wb2trf · Jun 7, 2019

In my experience the cloud of mist around the waterfalls and its relationship to where you can get to varies by the particular waterfall in Iceland. I do remember several for which there were places I was interested in standing from which I could not easily take photos because the lens would be blurred too soon and I didn't want my camera that wet. We emerged soaked, dripping from the mist. I'm not too interested in waterfall photos, but if that's your thing, and you think you need to be so close, you need a plan for dealing with it, for which a second camera is not really a solution.

Also think about shoes for slippery surfaces and rain gear for yourself, always a must in Iceland.

calson · Jun 7, 2019

Another approach is to have a P&S that is waterproof. I have the Nikon Coolpix AW for this reason and there are similar cameras from Ricoh, Sony, Canon, Olympus, and Panasonic. I went with the Nikon as it has a digital compass and GPS and automatically geotags every picture and it provides the view angle of a 24-120mm lens on a full frame camera.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 sells for $99 and so one does not need to spend a great deal for this type of backup camera or simply to have a camera that represents less of a loss should it get damaged or lost.

xedberg · Jun 14, 2019

kingslayer said:
i am going to Iceland next month (July). I will be in the ring road for 5 days to photograph all the great waterfalls. I am an enthusiastic and wonder if I need a backup camera in case it gets damaged by the waterfalls. I am already bringing a lot of stuff and don’t want to deal with an extra camera to lug around.

Anyone have experience photographing waterfalls in Iceland ? Does it get very wet? How risky is damage to my camera? I have canon Eos RP that has poor weather resistance.

When I went to Iceland I bought a backup camera just for that trip. Camera failure on day 2 of a 2 week photography trip would be beyond terrible. Thankfully never had to use it but felt reassuring to have it. Kept it in my car all the trip.

It can get very wet near waterfalls. Especially those that you can walk under/behind. My camera, lens and myself would be dripping. Definitely use a weather-sealed camera and lens if you want to get those shots. Some plastic cover and a towel helps.

What's equally bad is the constant moving between cold outside and warm car - keep plenty of silica pads and seal your camera in the bag when entering the car. There's also some sulphur in the air near the geothermal areas. Don't know if it's harmful but I had my only camera scare in one such area - camera would turn off and would not turn on again for a minute. No long-lasting impact as far as I know. Might have been the wet and cold.

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Iceland - backup camera?

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