Traveling Digital Questions.....

Randall · Nov 15, 2004

Digital cameras are great and I'll soon have one for my underwater adventures....but I have a question or two (three actually) about traveling to dive sites far far away.
1. Digital image storage - Are there any devices out there, other than laptops, that allows you to download your pictures while sipping margaritas after a hard day of diving? or do we have to invest in mass quantities of CF cards and do it when we get home?
2. Mass quantities of CF cards - (which I strongly suspect is the case) How many do ya'll take on a 7 day dive trip and how do you protect them from becoming toast in airport x-ray scanning machines?
3. Baggage? - Do you take your equipment onboard with your carry-on, or leave it in checked baggage ?

Thanks!!

utnapistim · Nov 15, 2004

Hi,

regarding storing CF data, you might consider getting a PocketPC or PDA, eventually with an external HDD. I have a PocketPC with an integrated CF reader. I'm not sure I can get an external HDD that would connect to it easily, but when I go in longer trips I take my laptop with me anyway.

Regarding carying the CF cards, you can put them in your handbag; the x-ray wont destroy them (at least it did nothing to mine: they were one in my camera and one in my pocket pc).

diversteve · Nov 15, 2004

Randall:
Digital cameras are great and I'll soon have one for my underwater adventures....but I have a question or two (three actually) about traveling to dive sites far far away.
1. Digital image storage - Are there any devices out there, other than laptops, that allows you to download your pictures while sipping margaritas after a hard day of diving? or do we have to invest in mass quantities of CF cards and do it when we get home?
2. Mass quantities of CF cards - (which I strongly suspect is the case) How many do ya'll take on a 7 day dive trip and how do you protect them from becoming toast in airport x-ray scanning machines?
3. Baggage? - Do you take your equipment onboard with your carry-on, or leave it in checked baggage ?
Thanks!!

Thread discussing storage options:
http://www.scubaboard.com/t75878-.html

I don't think x-ray affects CF cards - at least it never did mine. Static electricity is a different story...They sell media storage holders on eBay.

I carry all my electronics onboard, including my laptop, video housing, camcorder, reg, computer. My buddy carries a still camera and his laptop. Although we use it more for watching movies on DVD's than for downloading images - he's got a 40GB microdrive in the camera so we've never managed to fill it up.

I wouldn't check any electronics, mostly because I don't have hard-sided luggage and I don't trust baggage handlers especially since you can't lock your checked bags anymore without a lot of extra fuss.

Damselfish · Nov 15, 2004

You can buy portable standalone CD burners, you just stick the card in and it burns the contents to CD. Storage only limited to how many blank CDs you take along. You can even make 2 copies and pack them different places if you want to be really paranoid.

I'd avoid checking any kind of camera or electronic gear if at all possible.

Scubatooth · Nov 15, 2004

randall

look or google the following names and you should come up with some portable picture holders, image tank, nixvue vista, delkin picture pad and so on you will get a good idea pretty quick, as this is what i will be going to soon. so i dont have to carry the laptop and external harddrive with me on shoots (but does allow me edit on the spot if need be).

as for gear it never leaves my side as its way to valuable to me its all carry on. because if you read carefully the airlines conviently wrote on the agreement that there are not responsible for electronic devices in checked bags (convient for the thieves). just a personal opinon but all camera gear stays with me as i cant afford to lose it,

Tooth

LChan · Nov 15, 2004

I always take my laptop but if space and weight is a factor ...

I have an iPod with 40gb of hard drive space with a Belkin media adaptor that allows me to download compact flash directly to the iPod. It works really well, and I have music to listen to on the trip. You can't look at the images thou except on the camera screen. You lose out on the instant gratification! It is almost like taking pictures with film. I am not sure if the new iPod with the color screen will allow you to look at your download pictures.

ssra30 · Nov 15, 2004

I usually just bring a laptop mainly because I want to be able to view all the pictures carefully. Most of the image storage devices have 1-2.5 inches LCD monitor which is ok for casual viewing but is not big or have enough resolution for you to inspect the pictures carefully especially the focus. When I go on a long trip, often I will have opportunity to dive a the same site a few times so it is nice to know if certain thing did not quite come out right so I can retake the pictures rather than coming home to be disappointed by the result and do not have a second chance.

astrl · Nov 15, 2004

I use the standalone CD burner. Mainly because I don't have a laptop and the burner was the cheaper of the two.

Beyond that, it has worked great for me. It is smaller to carry/pack which helps alot. But you can't view your images on it. :ne_nau:

astrl

DesertEagle · Nov 15, 2004

I'm getting an Epson P-2000. The unit has a 40GB hard drive but the best thing is the 640x480 VGA display. It has a built-in CF slot, can display NEF and Canon RAW files and will play MP3 and MPEG movies. Here is the PDF brochure:

http://www.epson.com/cmc_upload/0/000/051/004/P2000_InfoSheet.pdf

Charlie99 · Nov 15, 2004

Lots of Internet Cafes are able to burn a CD, so all you really need to bring is the USB cable for your camera.

Traveling Digital Questions.....

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