How do you take your photos underground now?

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

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fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Everyone probably uses different equipment to theirs when we first talked about this.
Personally I have a Sony RX100, very bad for picking up light in large chambers though, I have a cheaper canon s95 for that job. I use a fenix 3pd for 'head on' illumination, and some kind of 200 lumen torch for backlighting, occasionally a flash, other, cheaper LEDs or a candle or two, or something a whole bag of them.

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!

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NewStuff
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

A Sony NEX, the fastest Manual lens I can bear to take underground, and as much light as I can get my paws on.

I'm debating an f1.2 or 1.4 if I can snag myself a bargain.

Searching for the ever elusive Underground Titty Bar.

DDDWH CC

Wormster
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

ERRR with a camera! - I can't be doing with lugging the paints, canvas and easel around these days!

Better to regret something you have done - than to regret something you have not done.

sinker
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"Wormster" wrote:
....I can't be doing with lugging the paints, canvas and easel around these days!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yma O Hyd....

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

The cheapest camera I can find with manual settings ideally and an outdated Fenix.

A cheapo camera might not allow you to take the epic photos a good photographer like Ed can take but unlike some more expensive cameras that people bang on and on about, they do at least appear to allow you to focus properly.

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I've really wound down on the photography in the past couple of years, I only tend to bother now if its somewhere no-one else has pictures of because if you have 3 or 4 setting up photos it really eats into your trip time and pub time afterwards.

Still using the Canon Powershot D10 as its waterproof, shockproof, doesn't have an extending lens to get grit into, exposure to 15 seconds (longer if you install CHDK) and manual focusing if required.

Tend to use my warm XML zebralight for lighting.

Vintage Biloret tripod with a ball and socket head as it folds flat and it up and down in moments.

Mr Mike
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"fjällvandring" wrote:
I have a cheaper canon s95

What is the S95 like, I had always thought on paper they sounded good for a compact?

Anyway I use an Olympus XZ-1 in a dive case. With Fenix PD32UE and a home made 1500lm flood light.

Mr Mike www.mineexplorer.org.uk

Willy Eckerslyke
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

If it's an easy access, walk in mine with no SRT, then I use a Nikon D700 DSLR with an old, manual 28mm Nikkor lens. The camera's high ISO, low light capabilities are marvellous, though you need patience as its high ISO noise reduction process doubles the length of the exposure. If 28mm isn't wide enough, I just take extra shots and stitch them together in Photoshop.
Using the manual lens underground suits me to a T, I just guess the distance in feet and use the markings on the lens (I blacked out the meter markings for simplicity).
My tripod's an old Slik that I rescued from a skip, and added a Benbo ball&socket head. It's too heavy and the screw locking leg sections are a pain to use which is why half my photos are taken 18" off the ground. 😞

"The true crimefighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt, Robin"

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Fuji S9600 and MagnumStar plus an 3 X P7 LED photolamp made from an old Maglite head.

The Fuji is a big camera but has 10 second delay timer and up to 30 second exposure, also tough as old nails.

The caplamp does 3500 lumens of bare emitter, the output of the old Maglite conversion is conjectural, XMLs are better than the old P7s but it was made years ago band never needed fixing.
There is no switch, plug it into one of my standard 8V power packs and thats it, simples.

Tripod is an El Cheapo travelling tripod, £15 off ebay.

EDIT Should have added that the attraction of this set up is that I can work solo, which I usually do.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

sparty_lea
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

Still carting around my canon 450d and a fairly chunky tripod. Cable release gives me unlimited exposure times and so dont need carry much light other than a little fenix and scurrion.

There are 10 types of people in the world.

Those that understand binary and those that do not!

Cuban Bloodhound
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#11

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=797973

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#12

I take a Nikon D200 with Nikon 17-80mm lens and a sigma 10-20 lens. A few good bright torches and some big bulbs if they are needed 🙂

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

john_cribbin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#13

I've got the Canon S100 which is a superb camera with the advantage of shooting RAW. I've had some good shots underground - but it seems to take a long time hunting for focus or refusing to release while the £60 compacts around me are firing away nicely. Last time I used it I tried manual mode hoping it would fire on demand underground, but no such luck. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong in the setup, hopefully to be sorted for this weekends CRTT trip.

Can't rate the Nikon D7000 highly enough for low light photography.

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#14

"royfellows" wrote:
The Fuji is a big camera but has 10 second delay timer and up to 30 second exposure, also tough as old nails.

Rock on Roy.... built like a brick Sh*t house... LeeW and I have the latest Fujifilm HS20 & 30 and they are solid too.. as for a tripod.... Blue seaside kids bucket will do nicely sir!!!! :lol:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

exspelio
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#15

"ICLOK" wrote:
.. as for a tripod.... Blue seaside kids bucket will do nicely sir!!!! :lol:

Oh Dear, does it have to be blue ? , I can only find red or yellow 😞 😞

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

Dark Prince
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#16

All of my photos have been taken on either a Canon 300D, 450D, G9 or G11 with a tripod.

Nowadays i use a Retro LED Oldham insert on max (352Lumen) and a 1000 lumen ultra fire thing. In the past i've used Marty running round with a flare, Metzx flash guns, VW Passat hire car and a mine managers Toyota Land Cruiser!!.

DP

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#17

"exspelio" wrote:

"ICLOK" wrote:
.. as for a tripod.... Blue seaside kids bucket will do nicely sir!!!! :lol:

Oh Dear, does it have to be blue ? , I can only find red or yellow 😞 :(

We found that blue ones work the best, but a red or yellow one should be ok 😉 :thumbsup:

Luckily we both have the same camera (just newer versions) and I got mine (new) a few months ago for £250 (a little cheaper now); has a manual focus, 10sec timer and 30sec exposure, 24mm - 720mm lens (a good wide angle), ISO 100 to 12800, but we generally run on 100-400.

We both have the same cheapo (£15) tripod (just coincidence we are both tight ar**s). An depends on what we are photographing, but Ian waves his fenix tk41 about and or I stand still with a flash gun.

I suppose it depends on what you are planning to photograph, a big slate cavern is a big difference from a small vein working

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks