Help! Digital or Film?

[Callalily6]

Help! I wanted to bring my digital camera this time. Last trip I brought film and apparently one roll was old/ bad and 1/2 of the photos didn't come out (mainly the ones I wanted of the Princess breakfast).

So, if I go digital and don't bring my computer with me, how can I send the photos back to my computer? Can I send them via email somewhere. I'm stayig the the BWI.

I can only take about 80 photos or so. I didnt want to carry our laptop just for that. Are there digital photo places to send the pictures back home, or do I have to print while I'm there and then clear my cameras memory? Any ideas? Or should I just go with film?

 

[WDWOKW92]

Here's what I would suggest. Up until recently I was in your position. I had a great 35mm film camera however when I started adding up the cost of film + developing (including those pictures that weren't so good) well, it was unreal. Last November I bought a digital camera, 4 mp, and some SD memory chips. I have 2 - 256mb chips (got for $7 each after rebates) and 1 - 128mb chip (which I got free with the camera). All total I can take over 400+ pictures, then I download them onto my PC when I get home, then burn them onto a CD. I print the ones I like at the local drugstore and use the rest as a slideshow on my PC. Recently I have seen a 1GB SD memory card for $44. I could put nearly 800+ pictures on that one alone. I suggest you buy a large memory card and leave the film camera behind.

 

[Yellow_Stitch]

The post above mine is excellent! The only thing I would add is that you can transfer pictures to cd at the camera shop at the entrance to the magic kingdom, then delete them off your camera. $12.95 for 120 pictures per disc. Having said that, it's more cost effective to get a large capacity card. Especially with digital, 80 pictures will fly by in no time.

 

[bicker]

The only thing I'd add would be to do a little research about the type of memory in the digital camera you buy. I deliberately decided on CompactFlash, because I was able to get a much better price than for SD. That might have changed, but you should check to be sure.

I'll throw a plug in for Canon -- my wife and I both have one and love them. My wife's Canon A80 (now A95 I think) is especially incredible for the price.

 

[DisnutDave]

I'd also add that, especially at WDW, once you go digital you'll never go back! With digital, you can snap away, take as many pictures as you want and know that you can always select from the best of them later WITHOUT having to have them printed. When we're at WDW (or on any trip) we look forward each night to reviewing our photos from the day. Anything that doesn't look good, we delete. And if we've taken multiple shots of the same thing, we pick the one that's best and delete the others. This way, we can edit as we go and usually can get the whole vacation on one 256mb memory card.

 

[mickey0216]

Once you go digital - you'll never go back.

I agree with nearly everything the the prior posters have stated. Plus, you know right away if the picture is what you wanted - or not. If you missed it, you may still have the chance to reatke the picture.

I disagree with buying one big memory card. I prefer having multiple smaller cards. That way if one goes bad or you lose it, you don't lose everything.

 

[ReggieB]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the places that use toffer film developing in the parks now will burn a CD of your digital photos. To get film developed you have to go to a resort. Obvioulsy it's not going to be instant, but at least you could clear some space from you memory card and have a CD to take back home with you to put onto your PC.

Okay to confirm what I have just said. Just had a look in the new UG guide. It's around $13 for 120 images. They do prints also. However you would need to leave the memory card with them, so you would be camera less for a few hours!! That might not really be an option for you, unless you bought another card.

 

[safetymom]

It is $11.99 to burn your images to CD. I suggest buying an extra memory card or two. The price is very reasonable. You never know if something would happen to the one memory card you have and you could just transfer them when you get home.

Remember you should have 2 copies of any cd that you create. That way if something happens to one you have a backup and you don't lose the images.

 

[WillCAD]

The camera centers in all 4 parks can download your pics to CD.

The camera center in MK also has self-service kiosks to download your pics to CD, and the last time I was in MGM the camera shop was preparing a space for those self-service machines, so they should be in place by now.

If you have a rental car you can also go to any Walgreens in the WDW area and download your pics for only $4 per CD, for as many pics as the CD will hold. This is far cheaper than the $12 cost for 120 pics that Disney charges.

Whatever you decide, I still recommend getting yourself a couple of extra memory cards. Don't be fooled into getting one huge card - get several smaller cards. After all, if something goes wrong with your camera or card, or you make a mistake and accidentally format the card, or the camera gets lost or stolen or takes a swim in the Pirates of the Caribbean, having several cards would save you from losing ALL of your vacation pics.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

A Kodak Easyshare my dh just bought me tonight!! I am very excited as our first is a big movika digital and I can't see us toting disks and that big camera everywhere...

so far I like the camera he bought for me...

getting a new camera makes me ready for the world

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Regardless, the price of high quality film+processing (not including print) is about the same than the price of a memory card. My 512 Mb Ultra II CF card is only $50 and can fit about 280 shots. That's about 11 rolls of film. That's breaking even... and I can re-use the memory card... and I only need to print the pictures I really want to print. Long story short, in the end I can easily save about $10 in 'useless prints'

If you buy slower transfer-speed memory card (most point and shoot can't take the advantage of the faster speed memory card anyway) the price of a 512 Mb CF card can be as low as $35.

Don't bother with film, but at the same time take the pictures with your digital camera as if you're using film. "Think-then-shoot" and not "shoot-shoot-shoot-and-delete-when-you-get-home"

 

[Callalily6]

Just an update:

I used digital and it was great!!!! You're right - never going to use a film camera at WDW again.

At the Princess dinner I could see if the photo came out right before the proncess walked away. THat totally rocked!

 

[mickey0216]

Glad to hear that you agree with my position... and that everyhting worked out well.

 

[WillCAD]

Well, as of today I am a totally digital photographer (amateur, that is). I bought a Canon Digital Rebel, which I have been wanting for a couple of years, and in order to pay off the credit card bill I will be selling my old digital camera and my beloved Canon Rebel G 35mm. I will miss that camera mightily, but the Digital Rebel is a perfect digicam for me and I don't anticipate needing anything else for many years to come.

So long film.

And by a strange and wonderful coincidence, my next WDW trip is only 32 days away, so I will be able to give my new DigiReb its first trial by Mouse.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Just saw this thread and wondered if anyone had a chance to check out our new photography forum? It's being moderated by a couple of pro's!


and Mickey
Way too many beers at the Phyrst
the rathskellar
too many late night grilled sticky's at the diner
We are.....

 

[mickey0216]

to WebmasterAlex... Penn State !!!.

 

[drayke]

I changed over from film to digital a couple years ago. Then I was shooting alot of rugby and with film, the costs of shooting my team at championships was usually a couple thousand dollars after developing. I moved over to digital and shot about the same amount of shoots on CF cards with far less cost. I started out with 128 and 256 size cards. After several vacations at WDW and DL, I've moved to having a couple larger cards rather then a half dozen smaller cards. On my next trip I'll take at least 2, one gig cards or if I've gotten them by then, 2 gig cards. (Thought the 1 gig cards are more than enough!) The reason for two cards is that while unlikely as it may be, if I fill a card, I'll have another to switch to. I also take my laptop and either burn a CD or transfer to the hard drive to clear the card each night.
A word about digital, make sure you have an extra battary and bring your charger!