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RioRico
I was supposedly a combat photographer, but was never sent into combat. Whew. Most of the US Army war photogs I knew were TOTALLY fucked -- they reached Nam, somebody responsible took a really good look at'em, and gave'em a Nikon F instead of an M16.
What's a good cam+lens kit to carry into a battle zone? Depends on 1) how long you'll be in the boonies without fresh supplies, 2) how much stuff you'll have to carry yourself, 3) who you expect to shoot at you, and 4) who you expect to NOT shoot at you. And 5) who's paying for your stuff.
Digicams and AF cams require batteries, lots of batteries. Big lenses make nice bright targets. Stuff you take to the field ALWAYS gets clogged with sand, dirt, mud, blood, etc. And in hot action, you'll ALWAYS leave something behind.
So if you're freelancing, you'll want 1) a couple ultrazoom PNS digicams with LOTS of batteries and memory sticks, 2) a couple rugged manual 35mm cams with LOTS of film and a few duplicate lenses (20+50mm, a 70-200 zoom), and 3) waterproof dirtproof bags. Make sure all your gear is disposable, not collectable.
If you've a staff lensman, get your employer to supply the kit. It's always better to let the corporation take the losses on destroyed gear.
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