Re: Condensation on Jungle flights/theft

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

>>>When I opened my case, condensation formed on and in every bit of 
>>>equipment in the case and I was not able to use a single item in 
that 
>>>case for the time I had at that particular village.

>Was the Halliburton checked into the flight with the rest of the 
baggage?
>If so, they are usually exposed to  low temperatures (unlike cabin 
baggage)
>during the flight and water vapour will condense on the cold equipment 
when
>the bag is opened.  Leaving the equipment exposed will eventually 
allow the
>water to re-evaporate but the faster way is to place the whole lot of
>equipment into a humidity settable cabinet at room temperature.  
Sometimes a
>hotel air-conditioned room will also work.

>I find that the best prevention is to hand carry the equipment on 
flight.
>Dan K.

Maybe I didn't make this clear enough in the earlier posts,  I flew in 
a 4 seater Cessna plane.  My take-off strip was maybe a 1000 ft higher 
than the dirt landing strip in the middle of nowhere.  It was about a 
40 minute flight and I don't remember being any higher than 5000 or 
6000 ft above sea-level.  My case was located behind me in the cabin of 
the plane.   I had pulled one camera, one lens and a flash out of the 
case at the hanger to take photos of the pilot in flight.  I had been 
working near the hanger for about a week, so my EQ was at climatized.   


When you land anywhere in the jungle, people come to the airstrip as 
that is about the most exciting thing that happens.  After a few 
minutes they disappear back into the jungle.  Since it was an emergency 
flight, we landed, loaded the infant and mother and a few things from 
the village and took off again. 

The only reason I liked using Halliburton cases in the first place was 
that I could lock them and I didn't have to worry about curious hands 
finding their way into them while I'm working.   I never had anything 
stolen out my Halliburtons as you can't slice it open or lift EQ out of 
it.  I can also leave it relatively unattended in many locations where 
I work without incident.  It does attract much attention out on the 
street however and I've had to confront pick-pockets who were following 
me, or rather the case.   They think I a am tourist and are quite 
intimidated, not to mention surprised when I tell them to get lost in 
near perfect Spanish.   Pickpockets are of a different breed than armed 
muggers, I would not verbally confront mugger-types as distance is a 
good thing.  Rather, I stop in the doorway of a store or small shop and 
visually confront them.  If  they realize that you have spotted them 
and are getting a real good look at them and their partners, more often 
then not, they will nervously leave and move on to a more unsuspecting 
target.  I stop every so often and get a good look at who's around 
before taking photos.  Thieves like working you over while you have a 
camera at eye-level so it helps to look around first.   
Eventually though, you will have something stolen if you work on the 
streets long enough.  I have everything insured for new replacement 
values.

I rarely use a Halliburton metal case anymore, instead I use one or two 
of 4 different Domke bags (or carry two cameras under my jacket) based 
on  how much gear is required for the shot.  I've only had three items 
stolen on location, one camera in a touristy old church, my Seiko watch 
on a bus, (that person was really, really good) and a flash on the 
field at the Ecuadorian Soccer Championship.  But my office was broken 
into and I lost  my bag of fast lenses.  A  Canon fd 24 1.4L a 50 1.2L 
and a 135 f/2. 

I'm digressing.  Back to the list.  I sent my membership dues to the 
Leica Historical  Society of America today,

Viva Leica!

Viva!

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador