Through the desert and across the Andes: The Rallye Dakar 2010 puts Sachtler’s equipment to the test

The drivers participating in this year‘s Rallye Dakar arrived in Buenos Aires on January 17th. The route they had to follow led them through Chile’s and Argentina’s diverse and rough landscapes. The Dutchman Léon Jansen and his Dakar Press Team were on the road to document the adventurous race – fitted with Sachtler’s robust Support Equipment.

Léon, the Rallye Dakar, one of the toughest races in the world, is a challenge not only for the drivers and their cars. The route, leading almost 10,000 km through the desert and across the Andes exposes both cameras and accessories to extreme conditions. What do you expect from your equipment under these circumstances?
Our equipment has to keep working throughout the rally. This year the temperatures were higher than in 2009: The equipment was exposed to temperatures of 55° in the Atacama Desert. The products get very hot, because of the direct sunlight. In Chile we even experienced a UV-index of 11, that is the highest in the world. At the same time our gear has to resist dust and wind. None of this was a problem for the Sachtler products. They have never failed us and are still working perfectly fine, even after the rally.

This year, you had the new Video 18 S1 fluid head as well as the lightweight Speed Lock CF tripod with you.
We chose the new Video 18 S1 fluid head due to its durability and smooth panning. It is also perfectly suited for the rally’s circumstances, because the fluid head is constructed in such a way that it is well protected against external damage. The Speed Lock tripod was the best choice for the walks through the dunes because of its light weight. Despite its weight it is still very stable to film with.

You also worked with the camera stabilizer system artemis DV Pro MD.
We used the artemis for walks through the dunes and for jerk-free film images in the bivouacs. The artemis absorbed the shocks very well when walking. Although the camera stabilizier system is a bit more delicate than the rest of the equipment, it also resisted sand and dust without any problems.

The Sachtler products were popular, not only with you and your team...
Oh yes, they were so popular that they were stolen in Tocopilla. That night we stayed in a hotel in town. The thieves cracked open the storage boxes on the roof of the car and took some tents, sleeping bags and matresses. Unfortunately, they also found and stole the Speed Lock tripod.

These extreme conditions require robust equipment. But the work is also quite demanding for your team.
When working on such a project you really have to like what you are doing. Good stamina is a prerequisite as you have to drive roughly 800 km a day off road, film in temperatures that reach 55°C and you can’t sleep more than 3 hours a night.

In front of the camera, the drivers are engaged in a rapid race. What is it like behind the scenes, do the reporter teams challenge each other?
There is no official challenge between the press teams, but it is a challenge to find the best spot for good pictures and film images. Our team is the only one filming at the racetrack. When looking at the pictures of other teams after the race, it is obvious that we have a great advantage, namely the size of our team. Because we have more photographers we can deliver more good pictures to the media.

Thank you, Léon. The quantitiy of footage has to be evaluated. We are looking forward to seeing the result.
Léon Jansen’s detailed user story is coming up soon on Made with Sachtler. Visit our website to read more about last year‘s “Adventure Between Two Oceans”, the Rallye Dakar 2009.