Going off Topic ? I need a camera to take the first nude portrait on the surface of Mars?

sevencrossing

Cars. Sports. Speedboats.Yawn.

Wake me up when you are done with the boring stuff.

LOL! Try this Godless.........I need a camera to take the first nude portrait on the surface of Mars?</</b>blockquote>

warprints

NASA seems to be quite happy with Nikon kit. So I think it would come down to -- do you get a D4 or wait for the lighter, with more "reach" D400? Since gravity is not as strong on Mars, and assuming the nude isn't too far away, I'd go with the D4.

John

The first question we have to ask ourselves is how the other environment will affect our camera systems.
I see 3 main components that need to be evaluated:
- Pressure
- Temperature
- Radiation

For temperature we can expect around -55°C. This would be on par with Antarctic temperatures on earth.
So, given adequate protection a weather sealed pro body might do the trick.
We know the D800 is up for the job.
http://nikonrumors.com/2013/01/26/guest-post-my-year-in-antarctica.aspx/
I assume the same goes for the D4.

Then we have radiation... Because the weaker magnetic field (so weaker protection layer; loop up Van Allen belt for the effect I'm referencing) and the thinner atmosphere, high energy cosmic and/or solar particles are more likely to reach the surface. This might induce some bright pixels and some trails on the sensor image (such as streaks of light). I suggest taking a few shots of the same image to be sure of having a good end result.
Oh, and shoot in RAW so you can remove more sensor noise in post processing.

The biggest issue is the pressure difference. I suggest allowing your camera to slowly experience the pressure drop. Otherwise, something might rupture or the pressure might shift some internal elements (such as lens elements or the sensor).
But if you let the pressure drop over a couple of days then the camera will probly survice.
Just make sure you use a pro (metallic) lens.

So... I would take a D800 with a 70-200 f2.8 lens.
Is this the best choice?
I don't know for sure. The D4 might be even better but I do like the higher resolution and greater dynamic range of the D800. As for film camera's. They might very wel provide a viable alternative. The only reason I did not chose them is because this exposed film would be in transit back to earth for at least half a year. That's got to be bad for image quality.

Al last but not least. Don't forget your grey card for the white balance settings.

gabbott66

I would be less concerned about the camera's survivability in this environment, and more concerned about the model's. At that temperature and pressure, you'd have a window of about 15-30 seconds to take your shots before it becomes a "Faces of Death" photo shoot.

So you'd need a camera with a high frame rate.

Msmoto

Please...

http://4.static.img-dpreview.com/files/news/0353350380/Mastcam-34.jpg?v=1955

And...only 2 MP

obajoba

There's some shoddy machine work on that beast...

heartyfisher

Mars itself is a key element of the photo i think an environmental portrait style of photo is called for.
* due to the harsh environments
* no need for thin DOF,
* weight restrictions in transporting all the gear to mars.
I think the best option is the tough new Nikon AW110 .. Though the GPS probably wont work there.