Travel Digital Photography Tips...

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2014
I'm studying abroad this summer in Europe for photo communication.



This year is the first year the program is going all digital- we're using digital SLR's.



I'm planning on bring my iBook with me as well as one of 3 cameras (Canon digital rebel, Canon 10D, the new Nikon D70- when it comes out, or the Nikon D100)- all depending on what I can afford. I'm leaning towards the digital rebel for price/performance. I don't really need the metal body of the D10 nor the price.



Anyway- I was wondering what other things people would bring on the trip besides the iBook and the camera?



Software- I've got photoshop, but I wouldn't mind having something like iPhoto, but faster and more professional?



Hardware- firewire hard drives, batteries, flash cards, etc?



Basically I want to be able to download the pics from the camera and organize them and maybe upload one or two a few times a week to my blog. I don't really need to do any editing while I'm there.



Keep in mind I'm going to be going to several countries in 6 weeks never staying in the same spot for more than a few days. I'll be in London for the longest (2 weeks), but other than that a few days here and a few days there.



Thanks for the advice.



peace.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47
    tacojohn,



    Software: If you've got PS, that's probably the best choice. I know the Canon 10D comes with a copy of Photoshop Elements, which is what I use - it's pretty good, and does a lot of what PS does.



    Hardware: I'd take at least one spare battery. Several CF cards, preferably in a large capacity. The cameras you listed will produce quite large files, so I'd suggest getting large cards (maybe 256 or 512 MB). Also, either take some recordable media with you, or pick some up as you need them. I know you will be storing the images on your iBook, but it would be nice to have a separate backup . A bulb blower might be a good idea, in addition tot he usual cleaning stuff.



    Finally, I know it sounds obvious, but I'd also take the manual . Just in case .



    Cheers,



    Dave.
  • Reply 2 of 47
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    A little tripod maybe, for some stunning late night or dark pics?



    As an alternative to iPhoto, I'd advice iView Media Pro. I use it myself and think it is very good for cataloging large amounts of pictures. It doesn't bog down when you throw more than a couple of hundred pics at it, which makes it a good bet for most anyone into photography. Be it beginner, amateur, student, pro. It allows for small edits as well, comparable to those in iPhoto (though probably better in iView Media Pro 2.0, I still use 1.5.6). It's a bit expensive though.



    I'd advice you to backup for sure. Take a small firewire drive, maybe even one of those bus-powered ones. They are small (use a notebook drive) and go up to 80 GB or something.



    Other than that: batteries depend on the camera of course. The iBook power supply is autoswitching between 110 (US) and 220 Volts (Europe), so that's no problem. You'll need a set of adapters though, to fit the iBook into all kinds of wacky European supplies. Also watch what the power supply for your camera says. You may find yourself forced to buy one of those 110 -> 220 Volts convertors. That's also an issue if you use plain AA rechargeables: you'll need to take this difference of current into account.
  • Reply 3 of 47
    Alright- so far on my list I've got...



    1. Small Tripod (good idea BTW)

    2. Large Capacity CF cards (maybe 2 512's if I'm lucky)

    3. Voltage changer thing

    4. Portable firewire hard drive (partly for backup and partly to store the photo's- my iBooks 20 gig drive isn't going to cut it)

    5. iView software

    6. Camera Manual



    more?
  • Reply 4 of 47
    asenasen Posts: 93member
    ISP ?



    If you are going to connect via dialup, then you will need a different connector for each country.



    Alternatively, find an 802.11b/g hot-spot.
  • Reply 5 of 47
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    get a good camera bag that can hold the camera, the accessories (except the tripod) and a small notebook/sketchbook. Make usre it closes well, has several compartments (don't let pencils and spiral bindings scratch the camera) and isn't easy for pickpockets to get into. Not just one of those over your neck types of bags, something substantial enough to hold your stuff, but light and small enough to walk around with all day. Make sure you have a good neck strap (mainly wide nylon straps, some leather or soft fabric at the neck) for the camera, and tie it to the camera well. Make sure it won't snap if someone grabs it or it gets hooked. Always cover the lens when you're not taking a picture. Comfort is really important for all the supplies you're going to walk around with.



    Carry around a clean sheet of white paper for white balance adjustments.



    ****Use manual shutter and aperture almost the whole time!****



    Save your flash as much as possible, take available light pics more often than not. Bracket your pictures. Use RAW format. Get multiple cards at slightly smaller capacities instead of one huge card. Always carry an extra battery or better yet, buy the battery pack so you can pick up AA's from the corner shop in an emergency.



    Have fun!
  • Reply 6 of 47
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    What about GraphicsConverter for software? It's great for batch conversion and name changes. Cheap too.
  • Reply 7 of 47
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    get a good camera bag that can hold the camera, the accessories (except the tripod) and a small notebook/sketchbook. Make usre it closes well, has several compartments (don't let pencils and spiral bindings scratch the camera) and isn't easy for pickpockets to get into. Not just one of those over your neck types of bags, something substantial enough to hold your stuff, but light and small enough to walk around with all day. Make sure you have a good neck strap (mainly wide nylon straps, some leather or soft fabric at the neck) for the camera, and tie it to the camera well. Make sure it won't snap if someone grabs it or it gets hooked. Always cover the lens when you're not taking a picture. Comfort is really important for all the supplies you're going to walk around with.



    Carry around a clean sheet of white paper for white balance adjustments.



    ****Use manual shutter and aperture almost the whole time!****



    Save your flash as much as possible, take available light pics more often than not. Bracket your pictures. Use RAW format. Get multiple cards at slightly smaller capacities instead of one huge card. Always carry an extra battery or better yet, buy the battery pack so you can pick up AA's from the corner shop in an emergency.



    Have fun!




    I have a burton backpack that I think will hold the camera, laptop, etc- I'm just a little worried about pick pockets...I think I'll just get one of those little paddle locks and lock the zippers together so the main compartment can't be unzipped...



    Why have multiple smaller cards?



    Will the back or front of my iBook work for white balance? Actually a sheet of paper might be a better idea...
  • Reply 8 of 47
    kwondokwondo Posts: 217member
    tacojohn,



    I don't know about Digital Rebel, but if you are going to pursue in photography, just make sure that your camera has full manual settings. It is "hokey" to say "em, teacher...should I have it set to BUNNY setting or TURTLE setting or FLOWER setting?"



    Deal with f-stop and aperature settings. As for browser media, der Kofp's suggestion of iView Media Pro is great: very fast and efficient (though v. 1 is so much better than v. 2). As for media cards, don't get too small of cards (before, recomm. was that if a card fails then you're not losing too much image) but since cameras are improving in res. captures, 2 or 3 512mb cards should be good. Just don't waste your money on Lexar brand with 8x,12,x,16x, whatever x, it's totally arbitrary and most of the time, they are problematic when downloading.



    Good luck...
  • Reply 9 of 47
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Don't forget your lensecloth. I do that all the time.



    I think 2-512MB cards are better than 1-1GB card because if you happen to loose one you will have a backup. A second battery is nice. I could have used one on my last vacation.



    I have a Canon D60 digital SLR and I found that it is MUCH faster to transfer files using a PCMCIA compact flash reader than a USB CF reader, but even USB is still a boatload faster than using the camera as a CF reader.



    EDIT: Oh yea, I use iView Media too. Great software.
  • Reply 10 of 47
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tacojohn

    4. Portable firewire hard drive (partly for backup and partly to store the photo's- my iBooks 20 gig drive isn't going to cut it)



    Well, I just realised that another advantage of a bus-powered HD (meaning it draws all its power from your computer's firewire port) would be that it's one less power supply to worry about. Make sure you get one of these!



    Quote:

    Originally posted by tacojohn

    5. iView software



    Do try it out first though. I know I like it, but you're the one who's gonna have to use it.



  • Reply 11 of 47
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kwondo

    tacojohn,



    I don't know about Digital Rebel, but if you are going to pursue in photography, just make sure that your camera has full manual settings. It is "hokey" to say "em, teacher...should I have it set to BUNNY setting or TURTLE setting or FLOWER setting?"



    Deal with f-stop and aperature settings. As for browser media, der Kofp's suggestion of iView Media Pro is great: very fast and efficient (though v. 1 is so much better than v. 2). As for media cards, don't get too small of cards (before, recomm. was that if a card fails then you're not losing too much image) but since cameras are improving in res. captures, 2 or 3 512mb cards should be good. Just don't waste your money on Lexar brand with 8x,12,x,16x, whatever x, it's totally arbitrary and most of the time, they are problematic when downloading.



    Good luck...




    The camera does have a full manual mode as well as manual focus. It also has shutter and aperature priority modes...



    I have a lexar 64mb card for my canon digital elph and haven't had any problems. I think I might just try to get a single 1 gig CF card that will pretty much stay in the camera- that way I don't have 2 512 cards to loose...
  • Reply 12 of 47
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Lens brush, microfiber cloth, a baby nasal aspirator. If you're going to get a mini-tripod for night shots you might as well get a plunger.
  • Reply 13 of 47
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    He can use a time delay on the shutter though, unless he's doing bulb shots. But if he has the money, it's always a nice thing.



    The reason to have multiple smaller cards is in case one or two get lost, stolen, corrupted or broken, you still have storage. It's a bit more expensive but it's worth the security. Security and comfort are your main goals for your equipment, outside of the actual camera function, when traveling.



    Petty theft types of crimes are very common in European urban areas, especially in poorer nations in the South. The flip side is that it's highly unlikely someone will corner you, pull a gun or knife on your to steal your stuff. The thieves in Europe are exceedingly lazy to the point that if you catch them in the act or just after, they will sometimes just put your stuff down rather than try to escape with it or *gasp* run. But if the police catch them, that's another story.
  • Reply 14 of 47
    The best tip I've read so far is blank media. Backup, backup, backup. I'd say burn 2 discs for each set of images. Ship the second set of discs through a reliable courier back home. Just in case you lose the discs while traveling, plus you never know when they may lose your luggage.



    BTW check with your airline to see if the new guidelines that allow professional photographers carry an extra carryon for equipment applies to students. I believe it should, or just lie and tell them you're a pro.
  • Reply 15 of 47
    It's too bad none of the iBooks have a PCMCIA slot, eh? It's saved me numerous times on my PowerBook and as Ebby said is much faster than USB connections. And I still haven't found a third-party full-size Type I/II reader that works (would be up a creek if Apple had decided not to include it --- my DSLR uses only the full-size cards, it's old ).



    If you're traveling like you say, the metal-body EOS 10D may not be a bad idea. I'm not very familiar with the Nikon D100, though -- is it magnesium alloy? Anyhow, as a blooming photographic genius, your equipment's going to have some rough times. Don't choose something that's going to die as soon as you drop it a few inches above the ground. This is why the Nikon D-series and F5/100 are so incredibly popular with abusive photojournalists, heh.



    Exciting things for you this summer --- congrats! Do let us know what you decide on.
  • Reply 16 of 47
    Quote:

    originally posted by fred_lj



    If you're traveling like you say, the metal-body EOS 10D may not be a bad idea. I'm not very familiar with the Nikon D100, though -- is it magnesium alloy?



    Yes it does have a metal frame. Here's the link.



    It's a decent enough camera. Better battery life than a D1X. Due to a number of advantages the images froma D1X are still better than a D100.
  • Reply 17 of 47
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    Petty theft types of crimes are very common in European urban areas, especially in poorer nations in the South.



    Indeed, nothing to worry about, if you keep a close watch on your stuff, but something to take into account nonetheless (it probably holds true for most every major city around the world).



    But other things may happen too: your HD may fail, for example, or something else could happen, causing you to loose your entire set of originals and backups, therefore, you'll need to work out some backup scheme before you go, and keep to it. Laziness is the mother, or at least the aunt, of all loss. Burn to cdrs regularly (as soon as you got the amount to fill one, or even sooner), and do store them somewhere else then yourself, your computer and your HD.
  • Reply 18 of 47
    I guess the main point everyone is trying to get accross is BACKUP!



    I have one problem. I don't have an internal burner for my iBook! Its only got an internal DVD Rom... I don't really feel like lugging my LaCie D2 burner all over Europe. I wonder if I could eBay the external burner and get an internal one installed by someone?



    Is there a place that does this and maybe could install a 60 gig hard drive at the same time?



    That way I could have the images on the hard drive and burn 2 copies of each shoot for backup...



    Its just I'm on a budget and don't really want to spend a ton of money! Thats why I was leaning towards the Rebel- its gotten great reviews everywhere. The plastic body doesn't really bother me- I tend to take good care of my tech equipment and a $1000 digital SLR would be no exception. I think the 10D might be overkill...



    Does anyone actually know the specific differences between the 10D and the Rebel besides the metal vs. plastic?
  • Reply 19 of 47
    Hope this does it.



    Basically the same sensor. The main differences are the versatility, and durability. But the image quality should be the same with either.



    Edit: The other question is whether you already have glass for Nikon or Canon. That is an investment. If you have one, stick with that.



    The differences I've heard through the photo community in my neck of the woods is that the color accuracy is better on Nikon systems but Canon has less problems with noise. Never used the Canon systems but they're a well respected system.
  • Reply 20 of 47
    rather than lugging a burner around just take your flash card to a photostore and let them burn it for you. alternative buy an ipod and back up your photos from the ibook
Sign In or Register to comment.