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07-28-2010, 02:27 AM - 2 Likes   #1
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Combat Camera's

I wanted to share some pictures of what Camera's are being used over here by Army combat photographers.

Currently the Canon 5d series are in favor as the photographers are asked to take 50/50 stills and video and this camera serves double purpose.

The other camera's in use are the Nikon D3.

I asked about reliability and the soldier stated that they both get broken frequently with the lens mounts being the most common. He said they had a box of broken camera's and lenses from his last deployment prior to Afghanistan (Iraq).

These camera's both have taken a beating well beyond what a normal user would put a camera though and are working fine.

I was VERY impressed with the K7 build quality as it seemed closer to the D3 (a tank) than the 5d. He asked a bunch of questions about the Pentax as you can see it is much smaller than the others. He said the Canon is preferred for weight but has issues in low light with focus in which case they just switch to manual focus.

I have to say I was a bit jealous of this Army job, I was a UAV (unmanned aircraft) operator and loved my job, still do, but having the opportunity's this guy does for pictures would be fun (minus the combat). They carry both M4 rifle and M9 pistol as well as camera's and body armor. Total gear is @ 60 pounds typical without a pack.

Lee

(Shots taken at 6400/3200 and 1600 iso on the canon sx200is) I wanted to see how iso performed, worked pretty good in really low light.

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07-28-2010, 02:43 AM   #2
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Nice- I like now the Pentax doesn't need to have that protective rubber coating

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07-28-2010, 02:59 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
Nice- I like now the Pentax doesn't need to have that protective rubber coating
He really liked the K-7, the compact size is really really nice after you play with the other two. I have to say the viewfinder is damn nice on that D3 but it's a monster of a camera to wield.

I played with both and that Canon feels slower than my K7 for AF speed under dim fluorescent lighting. The D3 was very fast and expected with their reputation for AF.

They don't use those D3's because of video go figure, they use the Canon as primary because it's video is superior and they are required to shoot video.

Be proud of your Pentax build quality as it felt just as tight and sturdy as that 5000+ D3. Also he liked the K7's control layout and mentioned the Canon's was not great.

They get all the fun with pictures no limits as to what they photo as it's getting screened later on, i'm sure he has one hell of a personal photo collection.


Lee
07-28-2010, 03:50 AM   #4
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Very interesting, thanks for posting. There are really environments where the dust and water proofing is important.

07-28-2010, 01:26 PM   #5
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Interesting video is a big deal, thanks very much for the post.
07-28-2010, 01:39 PM   #6
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So the K7 was actually used in the same environment as the D3 and 5D by an army photographer or was it there simply for scale?
07-28-2010, 01:52 PM   #7
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The K7 is mine but used in the same environment, I probably am much more cautious then he was with his as they are issued and if you break it they just give you another. The army sees them as expendable and cheap relative to most everything else.

The Canon was selected because of the video capability. I felt that the k7 resembled the D3 much more than the canon in build quality which is saying a lot as that D3 was a tank.

Notice just how scraped up that D3 was?

And K7 out here in Afghanistan, it's doing fine!



07-28-2010, 03:03 PM   #8
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ANOTHER Combat Photographer Thread...COOL!

I've got new for ya'. They ain't built a damned camera that's bulletproof. I've been there, done that, and killed two cameras in Vietnam.
I will say that we never had any problems with the Spotmatics having lens mounts broken. Dropped in a rice paddy and fungus between lens elements .... yep. Other than that, none of of them can survive the day to day rigors without some sort of issues.
07-28-2010, 08:12 PM - 1 Like   #9
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I wish I could get a picture of the box of broken camera's that would be great comedy. Being that things like a hellfire missile go for about 100k I guess camera's are a bargain for the military. I wonder what they do with all the used equipment? A beat up but functional D3 would be a good find if it was very inexpensive.
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