The Right Camera for Climbing Mt. Rainier (as of January 2010)

You've spent a year training to climb Mt Rainier.  You've bought the gear, hired the right guide, taken time off work, bought plane tickets AND you want a great new camera to capture the whole experience.  The options these days are numerous and constantly in flux.  By the time you read this article new cameras will be released and others taken out of production.  This is an exciting time to be a photographer, and your climb of Mt Rainier will no doubt provide many opportunities for dramatic images.  It was the mountain after all that led me to photography in the first place.  So, what are my recommendations?

For me image quality is paramount.  In the past this absolutely meant bringing along a Digital-SLR with interchangeable lenses.  These cameras have large sensors and are easy to operate even with gloves on.  They also capture RAW files for maximum quality output.  The ability for a camera to capture RAW files is absolutely necessary if you want to produce high quality images.  There are volumes and volumes of books, as well as workshops, that focus on processing your camera's RAW output for optimum results.  Luckily there are a few "point-and-shoot" and compact interchangeable lens cameras available now that produce RAW files.  A camera with the ability to shoot RAW comes at a premium though.  These cameras will cost a little more than the basic point-and-shoot cameras available today.  It is worth mentioning that you pretty much get what you pay for when it comes to cameras and camera accessories.  If you are serious about high quality images then spending as much as you are comfortable with is probably a good idea.  Even if you don't know how to work with RAW files, you can set the camera to capture regular jpeg images and RAW files simultaneously.  That way if you get "The Shot," you can have a high end printer process and work the RAW file with you for output in a professional environment.

To get a camera that captures RAW files, you will be looking at high-end point-and-shoots such as the Canon G11, or the Panasonic LX3.  Another option is a camera like the Panasonic DMC-GF1, which is a compact body with interchangeable lenses, but without the bulk of a D-SLR.  The last option is to bring a Digital SLR with interchangeable lenses.  While a D-SLR will provide you with the best possible image quality, you aren't going to get that many shots if the large camera is living in your backpack.  I usually carry a D-SLR, but it is very liberating to travel light, and the new cameras that I mentioned above do a very good job.  (My personal favorite happens to be the LX3)  I can't overstate the importance of bringing a camera that you can actually use.  With a high end point and shoot, you will be able to keep the camera in a jacket pocket and shoot with one hand, so that the other hand can still participate in your primary activity of the moment... CLIMBING.  As an added bonus to having it handily parked in a jacket pocket, the battery will stay warm and last quite long.

When picking a point-n-shoot camera for the climb I would guide my purchase using these priorities... followed in parentheses with the camera that excels in that quality.
Does the camera produce RAW files?  (Both the G11 and  LX3)
Is the camera "pocketable?"  (LX3)
Does it have an optical viewfinder so that you can save battery power? Note that the LCD's while very good, are hard to see in very bright light and with Polarized sunglasses.  (G11)
Can I operate the camera with gloves on?  One hand? (G11)
Low light capabilities? For shots in the tent.. monks in monasteries on future trips!  (LX3)
Video?  Many of todays pocketable cameras capture pretty descent HD Video.... Why not have that too?!?  (LX3)
Built in lens cap? Don't want something to drop!!!  (G11)
Wide Angle? (LX3)
Zoom?  (G11)
Price.  (LX3)

The Panasonic GF1 that I mentioned earlier is a new generation of camera that should be given consideration as well.  These cameras put the large high quality sensors found in larger cameras into a much smaller body.  They also have interchangeable lenses for future flexibility.  These cameras are still bigger than the point-n-shoots mentioned above and cost more than a low-end D-SLR, but for their niche they are king.
If you simply must have the higher image quality, this type of camera is a very good option when weight and size matter.  These might be the best balance between size and performance…….  A subject that could go on forever.

In conclusion, I can tell you that the climber with the least amount of extraneous C@#P and the lightest pack on the mountain will have more fun than the others, and today's new RAW capture point-and-shoots are just the ticket that we have been waiting for!  Have fun, climb safely, and bring back some great images!

Adam

P.S. For another Mt. Rainier Specific tip click here.
For more information or to purchase most of the equipment that I use please visit here.