Fujifilm UK Press Release

A polar first, and maybe a last. Captured on Fujifilm - Fujifilm memory cards to document a historic journey to the North Pole and beyond

Fujifilm is proud to announce that its CompactFlash cards have been selected for Adventure Ecology’s epic expedition across the ice of the Arctic ocean, from Russia to Canada via the North Pole. Due to the rise in global temperatures, this transcontinental ice route may soon be inaccessible by man, and the images documenting the team’s journey will become our last record of this path. The four-person team, including Britons David de Rothschild and photographer Martin Hartley, departed early March from Cape Arctichesky in Russia and are travelling across the ice towards the North Pole, then on to Canada. The trip will cover 1,240 miles, and, if completed, will be the first time that Britons have made the surface polar crossing from Canada to Russia. Images and reports detailing the expedition’s day-by-day progress can be viewed at: www.adventureecology.com/mission1

With the team attempting to capture images in such extreme conditions, it was imperative for Martin Hartley to choose memory cards that can withstand temperatures as low as -50ºC. In temperatures this low, electronic equipment is put to the harshest of tests; metal conductivity and plastic rigidity are severely compromised. The explorers need 100% trust in the technology, as replacing a memory card without gloves could result in severe frost-bite.

The high performance cards have been designed to perform in these extreme conditions.  The cards’ components and metal casings have been specially selected to allow the card to be fully operational at -50ºC. In addition, the cards’ low power circuitry and auto-sleep function make efficient use of the battery power of the supporting camera. This allows the card to be confidently used in environments where additional power supplies are scarce.

Duncan Way, Fujifilm’s Senior Product Manager for Digital Media, said: “Our technicians relished the challenge of creating products that the Adventure Ecology team could rely on in such an extreme environment. Fujifilm has a strong reputation for developing trustworthy and reliable products and these cards join a well-established range of Fujifilm media storage. The journey these brave explorers will embark upon is nothing less than historic and we were honoured to help document this trip for future generations. If we can do our bit to raise awareness of the potential impacts of climate change, then we’ll be especially happy.”

Martin Hartley, Adventure Ecology team member and photographer, said: “As a film user, Fujifilm came to be a brand that I could rely on - it follows that I would want the same level of reassurance when I record my images on digital media. Although the safety of the explorers is any expedition’s first preoccupation, getting the images back safely is our number two priority. We’re hugely excited by the challenge ahead and know that with the help of Fujifilm, our equipment won’t fail us.”

Availability & pricing
The adapted expedition Compact Flash cards are not commercially available at the time of writing, however special enquiries can be addressed direct to Fujifilm UK.*