Last May (2002) I sent one of my OM-4Ts and a 21/3.5 off with a colleague on
a elderly US Army Huey. When he got to the 100 m long coral island some 30
miles away on the atoll perimeter, he placed the camera where I'd told him
to: on a tripod duct-taped to some large coral boulders out in the surf on
the ocean (windward) side. He aimed it as I had figured it a few days
earlier when I was allowed on the island, with our missile launch station
framed in the lower left corner of the viewfinder and lots of open Pacific
surf and sky in the rest of the view. He then retreated under a trailer and
waited with the remote cord while some other guys on another island a couple
of hundred miles away launched a tactical ballistic missile more or less at
his island. When our missile launched to intercept the incoming one he
started squeezing the remote button. We got a stunning series of shots,
including the intercept flash, which has been widely used by the company and
the Army.
When you need to get the shot, you risk the camera. Of all of the hazards:
several rain squalls, tropical humidity/salt spray, breaking waves,
intercept debris raining down, etc, the one that really concerned me was
that trip in the Huey. Ted survived an autorotation after compressor stalls
a few days earlier in a sister ship. The camera made it back and after a
careful wipe down is still serving me faithfully. I don't know about the
Huey.
Gary Edwards
www.peopleplacesflight.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of petertje@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 12:35 PM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Camera -- to abuse or not ?
Hi,
This is a question that I've been asking myself for some time. Suppose
you're on the road with your favourite body and lens. For me, that's a 4Ti
with a 90mm/f2.0. For others it could be an OM2SP with a 250mm/f2.0, or for
you it could be your old but trustworthy OM1 with a 50mm/f1.8. It doesn't
matter too much.
It's raining like hell. Maybe you're on a little island and there's plenty
of spray from the sea. Maybe you're in a sand storm in a desert, or in the
woods with plenty of crap flying around.
Do you take out the camera to take a picture of that oh-so impressive
weather ? Knowing that it might work this time and next time, but one day
it will break your favourite camera ?
I was considering this while visiting south Ireland (Co.Kerry). In the
woods, it was really hot and humid and the rain came pouring down, and a
companion's Min*lta whish-bang plastic-fantastic gave up. My OM happily
shot everything I wanted. I'm not going to stop myself from doing this, but
I know that one day, I might find a group of nice vegetables inhabiting my
beloved lens, or worse.
How do you feel about this dilemma ?
Peter.
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