Hello guys,

I am from brazil and i have to buy a camera tht supports moisture, umidity, to underground mines.
Do you have any suggestion?

It has been a long time since I was in the camera market, but for those sorts of conditions maybe a go-pro might be the answer?

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i thought on that. But i still think there is something more professional, more specific.
Thanks!

I believe that there are some reasonably priced waterproof cameras on the market, but for underground use you will need a fairly wide angle lens, and an open shutter option for light painting.

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Something like this would probably cope with most things a mine could throw at it:

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk/en/digital-compact/description/RICOH-WG-30.html 

I use a Pentax digital SLR underground constantly, and that's coped fine under most conditions, so I'm sure this sort of camera would be more than suitable if you're worried about excessive humidity.

Actually, having read through the spec, it seems a quarter of a second is the longest exposure, which won't help much underground with lights - unless they're Roy's!

A friend showed me this:
http://www.nikon.com.br/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-aw130.html 

But i don´t think the 30 meters will give any guarantee against humidity.

Low budget Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30, otherwise Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT5 or Olympus TG4.

FT5 offers best image quality of the three, wifi-control, 'manual' control and long exposure (15" and 30").
TG4 offers wifi-control, 'manual' control, raw in some modes and Live-Composite. The last mode is nice for light painting, as you can follow the results on the screen and add more light where needed.
FT30 is just a basic camera which will do the job, but some people might not be happy with the image quality which is still better than Ricoh/Pentax WG-series in most cases.

The best thing out there at the mo for what we do WITHOUT the bulk is definatley the Olympus TG4 the live composite mode is amazing ( up to 3 hours exposure )and it is waterproof to 50 feet, i use this now both above and below the water and it really is a triumph Approx £300 Olympus have nailed it and the lens is pretty wide as well, it punches WAY above its size :thumbsup:

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There are a lot of bridge cameras and compact cameras out there that claim to be or are rated as waterproof, but unfortunately unless you want to spend a $1500 then most of them are unsuitable for underground use due to limitations on ISO settings and long exposure times.

You would probably be better buying a Canon or Nikon DSLR and invest in a silicon rubber waterproof bag for it that are purposely designed to take cameras and allow use whilst in the bags.

Peli Cases also sell some very good silica gel boxes for preventing moisture, a couple of these inside the bag will help with the humidity problems, and when they become inefficient they can be placed in an oven dried out and reactivated.

Also condensation problems within the camera are not normally caused by Humidity but rather the temperature difference of your equipment and the temperature of the environment. If you take a warm camera into a cold cave it will condensate moisture onto it, it's the same if you take cold equipment into a warm space it will fog up, the easiest option is to acclimatise the equipment first to the same temperature of the location you are going to.

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I regularly take my TG4 on shallow dives ( up to 30 feet ) without a housing and it performs fine underwater as long as its is prepped properly and not abused. Both these photos were taken last week on a shallow dive in Holme Bank without the housing, testing a few settings. The file size is very small so may look a bit soft , the larger files are sharp, lit by greenforce video lights

🔗109036[linkphoto]109036[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗109035[linkphoto]109035[/linkphoto][/link]

I also dive deeper but the of course then it goes in its housing

;)

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I seem to be unexpectedly in the market for a new camera since taking mine out and finding the battery swelled up inside :(

I've grown tired of lugging a Pelicase around with me and the constant struggle to keep stuff clean and dry. I'm thinking of a 'tough' type camera that can be tucked into an oversuit pocket but still get good results with long exposures etc.

I'm expecting to be in some humid environments this year as well......

Is the Olympus TG 4 still what people would recommend?

The 4 is good and there is a 5 now both have the live composite mode on them for excellent cave / mine photography the 2 and 3 dont so avoid these unless you just want topside stuff.

If you look at the August pic in the calendar that is done with my TG 4.

I love this camera as it does fit in your top pocket and the wide angle lens that you can get gives your chamber shots a whole new dimension :thumbsup::thumbsup:

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I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT2 and I'm happy with it, because it takes enormous amounts of abuse without complaining. I'm sure you can find cameras at the same price that take better pictures but I'm not sure if you find them that are more robust!

Is that one waterproof Margot ?

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Very!

What you need is a Kinnear half plate bellows camera; if it was good enough for J.C. Burrow........

:thumbsup: very mobile LOL

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What you need is a Kinnear half plate bellows camera; if it was good enough for J.C. Burrow........

Can one still buy flash powder?

For a good picture in any environment buy a Hasselbad x1d, with a 20mm wide angle lens

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I personally find* that the best results are achieved by eschewing the fad of the daguerreotype and its many demonic offspring and using the only true way to capture the vision and feel of any location whether in the world of light or the gateway to Hades, namely oils on canvas.
I find that ** it is best to invest in the top quality mahogany and brass 'Exploring the Dark Continent' range of easels and associated equipment as it is the only type capable of withstanding the rigours of proper exploration and has the added bonus of being seen as a powerful talisman by the natives hence protecting both yourself and your team of bearers from heathen practices.

* - a lie
** - another lie

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