Picture Perfect Vacation

[TVEPFOX]

Like most families we're bringing our digial camera for still pics and a video camera to catch all the action.

Those little sd cards fill up fast on vacation. At home we dump them off on our computer and resuse them.

What do you do on vacation?

Do you buy a deck of memory cards, bring a laptop to dump video/photos, only take 24 pictures the entire week or is there some magical device that will clear the cards?

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We always have the laptop with us now so if needed (usually isn't) we dump pictures a few days into the trip, but when our laptop was out of comission a year or two ago DH & I both bought an extra memory card for our camera's. His is a Fugi Digital SLR (i think, don't hold me to it) and he has a 2G card, I think he gets around 900 pictures. Mine is a Olympic handheld 'regular' digital camera (that had to be repalced last time we were at Disney) and I have a 1G card I think I get about 500 pictures. And we don't do low resolution, at all. And usually average 1500 pics on a weeklong WDW trip. We picked up our extra memory cards a few years ago,now they are dirt cheap relatively speaking. Check office supply chains or electronic stores, they usually run them on sale every week.

Also if you really had to you can dump your cards onto a cd at the camera shops but it is expensive compared to anything at home, I think last I read about $20 a cd.

I re-read your post and saw you mentioned Sd cards, walmart.com 2 pack of 2G cards is $12 special buy right now. If you can fill up those two cards you are truely a photoholic! Also check your camera, some older models won't accept cards that big, some cap size at 1GB.

[qcmommy]

I have a 4gb card and am probably planning on buying another 4gb. I more than likely won't use it but I would hate to run out of space. Thankfully memory cards aren't that expensive anymore.

[utkscvol1]

We bring our laptop and unload every night. We also take pics of the back of our photopass cards in case we lose them, that way we still have the numbers.

[mom2rtk]

When we have the laptop along, I dump them into the laptop every day. But then every day or 2 I burn them to discs, which I drop into the mail addressed to home. I assume a laptop is valuable enough that it could be the target of theft. Worse than the loss of a laptop, I would be CRUSHED if I lost my pictures and had already erased my cards! I come prepared with self addressed stamped envelopes to put the discs into for mailing so it's not a big deal to do.

The last couple of trips, I didn't bring the laptop, so I bought up a bunch of extra memory. I went with 13 GB of memory but ended up buying one more card right before the Christmas parade in the MK on our last night there.

Unfortunately, my camera just died, and the new one is a new format. I just bought 2 8 GB cards, but I think I still need more.......... I need to make someone a deal on all those compact flash cards!!!!!!!

[dirtnap101]

I just bought an 8GB SD card online for $14.99, no tax, free shipping at Newegg.com. It holds 2500+ pictures at the highest quality setting of my 7 megapixel camera. A 16GB card is $32.

With gigantic amounts of storage at those kinds of low prices, you have your answer.

[prophotogal]

I have more than enough memory but I still will take my laptop to download and burn to dvds before coming home.

[AwesomeAg]

We used a 4GB SD card and had a back up 2GB SD card. On our 9 day trip I took 2246 pictures on the 4GB card, and still had room leftover. This was on the highest resolution setting.

Check Walmart... I was able to get my Kodak 4GB card there for $20.

[disneygirlinnj]

i bring my laptop every time. I heard there are kiosks at the photo stores where you can create CD's from your memory card but I've never tried it.

[qcmommy]

Originally Posted by dirtnap101

I just bought an 8GB SD card online for $14.99, no tax, free shipping at Newegg.com. It holds 2500+ pictures at the highest quality setting of my 7 megapixel camera. A 16GB card is $32.

With gigantic amounts of storage at those kinds of low prices, you have your answer.

I am going to have to check that out

[vcgirl925]

We bring our laptop. I'll load them onto the laptop every night while i'm taking a shower. Then i clear the memory card and start over the next day. I have a 16gb card but i'll bring our 8gb just for a back up just in case.

[mom2rtk]

Originally Posted by vcgirl925

We bring our laptop. I'll load them onto the laptop every night while i'm taking a shower. Then i clear the memory card and start over the next day. I have a 16gb card but i'll bring our 8gb just for a back up just in case.

Does anyone else worry about the possibility of theft with the laptop solution? Do laptops fit into the inroom safes????

[jrc-elpaso]

We bring our laptop - download pics every night. Then back them up on a portable hard drive. I usually put the laptop inside my carry-on bag during the day. I do plan to get a couple more memory cards as backup - I'd hate to have to buy an extra at Disney prices if one crashed.

[nothnbutherainsir]

Originally Posted by jrc-elpaso

We bring our laptop - download pics every night. Then back them up on a portable hard drive. I usually put the laptop inside my carry-on bag during the day. I do plan to get a couple more memory cards as backup - I'd hate to have to buy an extra at Disney prices if one crashed.

We do the same but we back them up on a flash drive. I usually put it in a drawer but I don't worry too much about it being stolen.

[prophotogal]

Originally Posted by mom2rtk

Does anyone else worry about the possibility of theft with the laptop solution? Do laptops fit into the inroom safes????

I take my laptop on every vacation. Most of the vacations in recent years have been cruises. I think there is more of a risk on a cruise than at WDW with the Stateroom Stewards cleaning the room twice a day vs Mousekeeping once a day.

I'll do the same security at WDW as I do on a cruise. The laptop will be locked up in a piece of luggage. Out of sight out of mind. Plus if noone sees you use it noone will know it is there.