In article <43s2oj$j1u@concorde.ctp.com>, nscho@ctp.com says...
>I'm going on a climbing/trekking trip to Nepal in a month, and I was
>wondering if someone got some good tips about photography at high
>altitudes. I know that the UV light makes a UV filter more or less
>essential, and that a polarizer can be handy, but that's it.
>Especially, does anyone know what filter I should/could use with b/w >film? I have recently started with b/w and I kinda like it, but I got >no filters and no experience. Any suggestions appreciated.
>Also, film recommendations, colour and b/w, are _very_ appreciated.

Sounds like a neat trip! Maybe a skylight (very light salmon color)
would be more useful than the UV at high altitudes to counter slightly the blues. If there is a lot of white snow, remember that the camera
is dumb, and only knows how to make middle grey from what is in front
of it (with mostly snow, I find it useful to read only snow, and open
up 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 stops from meter reading - though some newer AF
cameras "top out" in their meter range, so they are not accurate in
sunny snow or sand conditions [they force a more-or-less correct
exposure for bright scenes without compensation by miss-reading high
values - great, huh?]). For B&W film for us folks in the murky NE US,
I generally recommend skipping yellow filters (no effect on the murk),
and going for orange or red. But in the very clear high country air
you are headed for, a dark yellow (one stop) for moderate effect, and
a red (3stops) for extreme effects, might be a good pair to take.
Contrary to popular opinion, TTL meters do not read correctly through
colored filters. Take a reading off a NEUTRAL-color large surface
without a filter, then with the filter. Adjust the ASA until you get
the correct reading with the filter, i.e.: if the no-filter reading is
1/125th at f8, the dark yellow reading should be 1/125th at f5.6,
the orange filter reading should be 1/125th at f4, and the red filter
reading should be 1/125th at f2.8. When using the filters, apply the
needed changes to the ASA setting (or devise your own method using the
compensation dial, manual adjustments to the aperture ring, etc.).
With Nikons, I find there is about 1/2 stop underexposure with the
dark yellow filter, 1 stop with the orange, and 1 1/2 with the red filter -- so much for TTL meter accuracy with filters!
As far as film is concerned, in B&W I would recommend a good medium
speed film that is not cantankerous. (You are just starting to use B&W -
make things as easy as possible.) Kodak Plus-X (at 100) is forgiving of slight exposure errors, has a nice tonal range in D-76, has reasonable
grain and good sharpness. In the cold, dry air, static discharges
are a problem, so try to advance and rewind film slowly, preferably
manually. Also, film is very brittle, and must be handled carefully,
(especially at the end of the roll).
Hope this helps.