Re: [Leica] Minilux - Aerial?

["Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>]

Since a thread has started on small cameras, here is a question for anyone
with high quality point and shoot experience.

My aerial photography is proceeding well, weather permitting. I am starting
to see some possible projects that would be  done best, believe it or not,
by a remote controlled airplane. Since I am fast turning all my hobbies into
business, I am looking forward to applying 15 years experience with R/C to
aerial photography.

I need a light-weight, motor-wind, 35mm camera, preferably with a high
quality 35mm lens. My Yaschica T and T-4 (Zeiss T* lens) almost meet the
requirements, but do not have an electronic shutter release that can be
fired by the airplane remote control servo circuits. Has anyone seen a point
and shoot that allows an electronic shutter release (which is basically just
a was of connecting a circuit inside the camera)?

Ideally, the camera would allow for shutter priority, so I could set it at
the fastest speed, then allow the auto exposure to only change the f-stop.
An R/C airplane could also carry a small SLR if it had all the features I
need.

Any ideas?

BTW, I shot some oblique photos out the Cessna 182 last week with a CL and
90mm Elmar-C. The air was really bumpy over beautiful wilderness mountains
about 100 miles east of Eureka, CA. We were flying low over the golden domes
of the St. Herman of Alaska Russian Orthodox monestery, and it was all I
could do just to keep the camera lined up through the open window. After
finishing the roll, I looked at a shutter speed no longer set at 1/250th but
at 1/30th! Apparently my finger was bumping the shutter dial in all the
commotion. It continually amazes me at how much more difficult photography
is from the air.

But it sure is fun.

Regards,
Gary Todoroff
Tree LUGger
>
>I owned the Minilux for about one month and sold it. Despite the superb
lens
>and the solid feel of the camera, I simply got fed up with the ergonomics