ADVICE --Please--Digital Camera for 7 Day Eastern and 3 Days @ WDW

[princess crazy]

Was hoping to get some advice from some of you here who have done this before.

We are considering purchasing a Kodak Easyshare digital cam for our first ever 7 day Eastern and then 3 days at WDW after. Problem is I don't know much about digital cameras except that I'm ready to try one and love the option to be able to preview what I'm taking a pic of. I know that we will need memory cards and am wondering how many pics on average any of you have taken on the 7day? I was thinking of getting 2 cards maybe 256 but am not sure if this will be enough or too many for our 7 day Eastern and then 3 days at WDW after.

I would like to get at least 2 to have a back up in case of loss or if something were to go wrong with one. I'd appreciate any advice you all could give me as I don't know much about digitals but am excited to try one on this trip.

Also is there a safe way to back up my pics while I'm on board or at WDW? I don't even know much about the processing of the pics--am especially wondering about when I get home----thinking of possibly getting the printer that goes with this camera but I know that is not always economical but I'm also clueless as far as the ways to process my pics after I'm home. Can I take the card to say Walgreens or somewhere and have the pics developed there?----I know this sounds dumb but as I said I don't know much and am just now learning. I know that they can be put on a website when I get home but I am really wanting the pics printed out.

So any advice would be greatly appreciated as a purchase will have to happen soon if we decide to do this ---we will be leaving in a few weeks!!

Thanks alot you are all so great with your advice here and I'm hoping to be able to get some really great pics this time since it's our first ever 7 day!!

 

[Viking]

Storage capacity of your cards depends on the resolution you choose. Rule of thumb:
1 Megapixel ~ 300KB per pic. My Nikon i.e. has 5 Megapixels and a picture as a JPEG-file on the card consumes about 1.5MB. A 256 card gets me about 120-150 pics.
As far as I know downloading is available at Shutters, but knowing the prices of DCL, I recommend getting an additional card.
I only print pictures I want to give away as a gift. Usually I burn everything on CDs or DVDs and watch them on my computer or TV.
Yes, you can take your cards to Walgreen's or Eckerd and have them printed.

 

[moocow35]

Princess Crazy,

I'm just learning also, so sorry no help there, but I did want to say that I just got the Kodak Easyshare DX7590 and I love it! I haven't purchased the printer dock yet, but did have one print (to test) done by ofoto, and I couldn't be happier.

Thanks for starting this thread, as it will be a learning experience for me as well!

Enjoy your cruise!
Robin

 

[kellimomo3]

I have had the Kodak Easy Share for over a year and I LOVE it!! Good choice!! We are bringing it for our two week vacation, one week parks, one week cruise on Magic. I am bringing two memory cards, 256mb & 512mb. I am not planning on downloading to a CD at Shutters because I have heard that the discs don't format well. I figure those two mamoery sticks give me about 500 pictures. I should be able to capture our vacation with that!! The great thing about digital cameras is that you can review and delete unwanted photos, so you end up actually printing less. I use OFoto and plan to download them all when we return!


Kelli


LOOK AT MY COUNTDOWN!! I'M FREAKING HERE!!

 

[crainbow]

Princess Crazy,

I'm just learning also, so sorry no help there, but I did want to say that I just got the Kodak Easyshare DX7590 and I love it! I haven't purchased the printer dock yet, but did have one print (to test) done by ofoto, and I couldn't be happier.

Thanks for starting this thread, as it will be a learning experience for me as well!

Enjoy your cruise!
Robin

Don't buy the printer dock. It will cost you about $.75 a print. Go with another printer to reduce that cost. I just purchased an HP8150 and the prints that it puts out increadable. And it doubles as a printer also.

Chuck

 

[DrCavin]

I am not planning on downloading to a CD at Shutters because I have heard that the discs don't format well.

Shutters loaded a program that allows you to view your pictures from the CD and it autostarted when the person put it in her PC. You don't have to use the program that Shutters loaded and the CD will have your pictures on it the same as if you burned a CD of them.

Shutters charges $14.95 per cd for the service.

To the OP, we took about 300 pictures during the week, that includes ones that we did not keep. Don't bother with a printer to just print your photos, more economical to take them somewhere & have them done. There are devices available that allow you to download your pics so you can then start filling the card up again.

To get some insight into the digital camera world look at:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/
If you click on accessory reviews then go to image storage devices that explains the devices for downloading pics.

Enjoy your cruise.....

 

[princess crazy]

Thanks so much for your replies everybody!

We are considering a 4-5 MP camera but I am so confused with all of the different Easyshares that Kodak offers. Is it beneficial for me to get the one that comes with the Dock for charging or am I OK just getting one of the ones that comes with the Lithion Ion rechargable batteries and charger? I thought I read somewhere that some of the cameras took "AA" batteries and the charge did'nt last as long as the rechargables. Does anyone know about that? Also everyone seems to rave about the BURST mode and how much they like it---should I consider that when looking at the Easyshares??

Sorry so many ???'s but I want to make the right decision if we do this. kellimomo3---you said that the discs don't format well --what does that mean?

crainbow---thanks for the info regarding the printer dock. I really don't want one to print out all of the pics I just want to have one around for that occasional pic that I just have to have right now. So you are saying that I can get another printer that is compatible with the Easyshare for alot less?? If I could ask what was the HP8150 and is it as small as the Printer Dock that Kodak offers?

Dr. Cavin---thanks for the info you posted on the digitals===I will definitely be reading over that in the next few days. As I said sorry for all of the ???'s but I'm really going to have to make a decision by this weekend and then where to go for the best price Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[jrp]

I purchased a dx4530 easyshare and have been very happy with the pictures so far. It does take a little getting used to if you have an older digital camera as this is much smaller than my old Ricoh.. I have found that you must have a pretty steady hand sometimes so I got a mini tripod to use and it fits in the camera bag.. To answer some questions on batteries.. You should not use alkaline batteries as per the manufacture's recommendation. You can use NiCad rechargeables but they will not recharge in the docking station.. Thus you should think about the KAA2HR batteries as they have a microchip built in that allows for recharging in the docking station, it also hasone touch downloading of pictures.. I purchased 3 KAA2HR batteries off e-bay ( they even make off brands now) and one lasted for 160 pictures at 3.2mp. I also purchased 4 lithium batteries-CRV3 for backup--last twice as long but you pay higher(also bought from e-bay) I am carrying my laptop on our cruise for download and cdr or dvd backup. The charger dock I got off of e-bay for less than half the cost of store.. Hope this helps. jrp

 

[lkohawaii]

The best advice I can give you is buy the camera as far ahead of your trip and learn to use it. I was just like you about 2 months ago. Well, my DH surprised me with a Digital SLR which is what I wanted and boy am I having to learn to use it. My experience is that digital doesn't act like film...so it's a different "animal" you have to learn. At one point I was so frustrated I was tempted to put it on EBay just to get rid of it. I've overcome that hump.

Don't get me wrong there are many advantages to the digital...just be prepared to learn to use it and don't give up. The cheapest place I found to process her is Costco $.19 a picture. You can't crop or add borders or anything fancy like that. My friend told me you can at Walmart but I think it's $.29 a picture. You can also try ofoto.com for the convinience (same price at Costco) or I think someone mentioned snapfish.com

I'm surprised smchan hasn't posted yet. I'm sure he will. Anyway, maybe the camera I got is too sophisticated for me, and that's why I'm having a bit of trouble. Don't let me discourage you...just wanted you to have enough time to learn to utilize it to it's fullest.

P.S. With a digital camera I also had to upgrade my computer to download the pictures. Something to think about also...I sure didn't.

 

[lbgraves]

We have a Easyshare 3.2. I set it on the finest resolution & filled 2 512 cards & some on a 256 card on our Western w/ 3 days at WDW last month. The 512s held 390 pictures I think. We took about the same amount on our Eastern & WDW trip last year.

 

[crainbow]

Thanks so much for your replies everybody!

We are considering a 4-5 MP camera but I am so confused with all of the different Easyshares that Kodak offers. Is it beneficial for me to get the one that comes with the Dock for charging or am I OK just getting one of the ones that comes with the Lithion Ion rechargable batteries and charger? I thought I read somewhere that some of the cameras took "AA" batteries and the charge did'nt last as long as the rechargables. Does anyone know about that? Also everyone seems to rave about the BURST mode and how much they like it---should I consider that when looking at the Easyshares??

Sorry so many ???'s but I want to make the right decision if we do this. kellimomo3---you said that the discs don't format well --what does that mean?

crainbow---thanks for the info regarding the printer dock. I really don't want one to print out all of the pics I just want to have one around for that occasional pic that I just have to have right now. So you are saying that I can get another printer that is compatible with the Easyshare for alot less?? If I could ask what was the HP8150 and is it as small as the Printer Dock that Kodak offers?

Dr. Cavin---thanks for the info you posted on the digitals===I will definitely be reading over that in the next few days. As I said sorry for all of the ???'s but I'm really going to have to make a decision by this weekend and then where to go for the best price Thanks again everyone!!!

Most of the Kodak docks are for charging of the battery. I've had a 7590 for about a month now and very happy with it. I still prefer my Minolta X700, but...

As for the printer, the HP8150 is an ink jet printer that can attach to the PC and service not just photo's but all print jobs. It comes with a card slot on the front of the unit so you can plug in your photo memory sticks and then print directly from them. It also has a 2.25 inch screen where you can preview the shot, crop, zoom, etc prior to printing. The paper and ink are running somewhere around $0.35 a print.

As for the best price, if you have a Sam's Club around and you don't mind limited selection, they have very good prices.

Chuck

 

[lionQueen5]

Right before Thanksgiving I bought a Canon Powershot A95, a 512 MB memory card and an Epson PictureMate Inkjet Photo Printer (it prints 4x6 photos only). The pictures cost 29 cents each to print and are fantastic quality. I printed xmas pictures at Walgreens for 20 cents each (I think they normally charge 29 cents each) and the quality was pretty equal to my printer. There is a learning curve but I have been very pleased with my purchase. I especially like that you can view before you print. I will probably buy a zoom lens in the future. I purchased 2 sets of Maha rechargable batteries from Thomas Distributing. I read a professional review that recommended these. 4 batteries take 2 hours to recharge. My first use lasted 3 weeks (~300 pictures) and that included lots of viewing and printing time. The one drawback to the Canon A95 is that there is no warning when the batteries are getting low, but if you have a second set charged and ready, you shouldn't run into any major problems.
Good luck with your decision!

 

[mark & sandra]

go digital you wont regret it but you must buy at least 2 cards at least 128 no less set camera to least amount of pictures per card so you can blow up pic's if not the pics will be grainey i learned the hard way now that that is said next buy lots of extra batteries so the camera will work disney charges to muchand most of all enjoy sandra

 

[princess crazy]

Thanks again everyone for all of your help and suggestions!

We are officially going out tomorrow to check out the latest deals. We will specifically be looking at the Easyshares--4-5 Mp range. Am hoping to find a deal on one of these with either a dock or possibly one that comes with a memory card---someone here even said they got a printer with theirs so I'm hoping for a good sale We'll probably hit Best Buy, Office Depot, Circuit City etc.. but if anyone knows of anywhere else with a good deal on these with the exception of online because there is not enough time---we would love to know. Again thanks for all of your posts ---you have all really informed me and I feel like I will be making a much better decision!!!

 

[joyebean]

I have to second whoever it was that suggested printing at Costco and Sam's. One nice thing about both is that in addition to being cheap ($0.16/print here in Austin), they'll let you upload the photos to them and pick 'em up in the store later (you can also take your memory card to the store and do it that way too).

In addition to the stores you mentioned checking, I'd also check Costco and Sam's--both had good prices last time I looked.

Good luck!

 

[jdm]

I bought a Kodak easy share because my neighbor bought one and she showed me how to use it. That's how completely clueless I am tech-wise. I absolutely love this camera. I do have the dock and I throw it in my bag when I travel and put the cameral on it each night. You won't be sorry. Glad I found this thread too-- learning some things!!

Jenn

 

[princess crazy]

Hi!


Just wanted to let you all know what a great help you have been and that we made our purchase a few days ago of the Easyshare DX7440. From all of the great suggestions here and actually going out and looking at the different ones I feel like we made the best decison for us. I totally LOVE this camera!! I think it will be great for our trip and can't wait to use it on our first ever 7 day!!

Like alot of people have said it is so easy to use right out of the box and takes great shots!! It's so easy that my 75 yr old mother and father who will be going with us got one for themselves too!!

Now our final decision is to decide on how many and what type of memory cards to get. I was thinking of maybe a 512MB and a 256MB but now am wondering from some other posts if we would need 2 512MB's for our 7 day Eastern and 3 days @ WDW. If anyone has any suggestions there either way we'd love to hear. If we have the camera set on standard compression with a 512 and a 256 we would get around 588 pics total but if we change the camera to the fine compression which it seems like some people are suggesting we would only get 364 pics from those 2 cards.

Can anyone tell me what would be my best option to have the camera set on for the pics I will be taking for our trip?? Will the pics be grainy if I have it set on standard compression so I can get the bigger # of 588 pics out of it?? Maybe if anyone here has this exact camera and could tell me what your experience has been with it since I really have'nt had a chance to use it on a long trip yet. My biggest concern is I won't get enough memory and will run out of pics on the trip so I guess I just need to make a decision but again I want it to be an informed one and you all here are so good at helping others do that and really helped me with making the right camera decison too!

Thanks again so much---you helped make a tough quick decision for me and I think we are really going to enjoy this camera!!

 

[Thunderrd]

From what I've read it's best to take pictures using the highest settings and to save the originals. Then you can work with those pictures and do any editing or cropping and you will have less loss of quality than if your original picture was of a lesser quality to start with. Does that make any sense?

The cost of 512 mb cards has come down in the past few months so I would get at least one of those. For the difference in price if it was me, I would get 2x 512mb or 1g and 1x512mb. If you belong to a warehouse club check their prices out.

Not sure if the model you bought uses AA batteries or not, if it does be sure to have an extra set charged and bring your charger. If not, then purchase a back up battery before leaving and again, be sure to bring your charger.

If you do end up filling up your memory cards you can always have one burned to a cd to free it up.

HTH.

 

[disneyfan73]

Princess crazy… I would always try to shoot at the highest setting as possible (you never know which shoot you may want to crop/blow up). On our recent 7 Disney Cruise with 4 WDW days we took right at 1500 photos with a 5mp camera. One thing I have seen in Kodak dig cameras is they already heavy compress there images … so I wouldn’t start out in standard mode (IMHO). Maybe if you find yourself running low on memory, then switch to standard mode. Also the size of the jpeg image varies from scene to scene you are taking.

I would opt for the bigger memory card and also check to see if Shutters can download to a CD for you….just make sure they do a 1 to 1 copy.

 

[Thunderrd]

I just checked out the kodak and see yours is a 4mp. I'm an amateur speaking, but I would take all my pictures using the 4 mp settings.

I've had 3 mp pics and enlarged them to 8x10's and there is some loss of quality. 5x7's were fine but again if you do any editing or cropping the better the picture is to start with the better the end product will be.

Other more serious amateur's can provide their opinions.