Tararuas Tramping: Southern Crossing, New Zealand (HD)

Some footage of a trip over the Southern Crossing during a weather warning. The trip was to test out a new "hardened" camera and a new jacket, as well as trying out high def uploads on YouTube.
The camera is a Pentax Optio WS80.
The jacket is a Sierra Designs Isotope.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Tararuas
• Southern Crossing
• Pentax
• Optio
• WS80
• Sierra Designs
• Isotope
• Field
• Kime
• Alpha
• Hut
• Mount Hector
• Kaitoke
• Otaki
• Hiking
• Tramping
• New Zealand
• Ice
• Snow
• Lightning
• Hail

[amarilla1985]

Hello!

It's a very creative video! The images are great, but the sound is not that good :( Could you tell me if there's a time limit of recording videos? I mean what is the maximum length of one video? Can you use the zoom while recording?

Thank you for your answer! (I am just asking because I am planning to buy this camera.)

P.S.: Could you upload a short night shot video you took with this cam? Thanks!

[sdmcauliffe]

No, the sound quality is quite poor. It is 8kHz PCM audio, which means it will always have a tinny metallic sound to it, and performs particularly badly on higher pitch sounds.

You cannot adjust the zoom while filming unfortunately. Likewise, the focus remains fixed throughout the shot. That severely limits the things you can do as compared to a proper camcorder. But this thing is tiny...

[sdmcauliffe]

You can record up to 2G of video at a go because of the filesystem it uses on the SD card. That equates to around 11 minutes of video per shot, max. But for most purposes, that's okay. On an 8G SD card, you can record a total of about 40 minutes. The video is just stored in MJPEG format, which is why it takes up quite a bit of space.

[sdmcauliffe]

Video at night is very grainy and not much use for anything. That will be true of pretty much any video camera though, especially a compact. There is a little footage in that clip in a dark part of forest, that is quite grainy. At night, it gets worse still.

[sdmcauliffe]

Performance in rain, mud, etc. is good, however around freezing temperature the battery life drops to nothing. You need to keep the camera a little warmer prior to shooting or it will think it is flat when it isn't really. Once it warms up again, all the life comes back into it. This is a limitation of Li-Ion battery chemistry/technology.

[sdmcauliffe]

Picture quality is great, and video in decent light is really quite nice too.

Overall, it's a great camera for rugged outdoor use. If you like to travel light like I do, I would say this is currently the best camera on the market for purpose. But don't expect studio quality sound from it.

[rijkent55]

I really enjoyed this video, and you've done very well under difficult conditions, which reflects the realities of weather uncertainties in NZ mountain tramping. Thanks very much for sharing !

[ultrapulse2000]

this is the fourth time i have watched this video today ahahaha i love it!!!!

[LewisMattTramping]

This is the best tramping youtube video ever well done.

LewisMattTramping

[seamanjive]

Thanks for this great vid - I lived in Wellington during most of the 80s (I'm from London) and spent a lot of time in the Tararuas. I did the Southern Crossing a few times in both summer and winter. These images brought back a lot of very fond and emotional memories - great job and thanks again. I miss it so much . . .

[poolboyinla]

The video quality looks good. The audio is crap.

[Emurlyjayne]

WOW The quality is amazing :)

im so buying this camera

[kiwikid1950]

I console and emphasis with you, I spent 30 years tramping these hills, now I live in the States.... never to seethe hills of Gods Own again.... (well, most undoubtedly anyways). Arr the South ranges, middle crossing,. But how many of the huts, I see, have been updated..... Like Tauherenikau hut.... all will change over the years

[TheForgottenRiver]

Thanks... I really enjoyed watching this and bought back some great memories from when I lived in the Hutt Valley some 30 years ago. As a member of the HVTC I spent as much time as I could in 'the hills'. Unfortunately I live in the UK now so any chance of some more like this? And to all you young people thinking of heading off overseas... don't!... just stay there and enjoy. Cheers, Tony.

[dmays67]

Really enjoyed your video esp since I rely on others for getting me to and from road ends into the Tararuas (my fav tramping loc). Thought the shots gave a very true portrayal of what tramping in the Tararua range is all about - wet, snow, windy and hard slog! Not getting down on it - it is still a place of great peace and beauty and one I return to often.

[amarilla1985]

Thank you so much for you detailed answer!