Photography services at WDW

[mla973]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, so I'll try here and hope it's not too off topic.

Now I know that the theme parks (and some resorts) offer photo processing services for 35mm film.

So, my question surrounds digital media, and maybe I'm asking for tips from those who use a digital camera. My DH and I are going to buy a digital camera before our WDW in November. We have used digital before, but have always taken my 35mm to WDW with us. On a typical week vacation, I take 6-7 rolls of film.

So, my question is, what amount of memory card would be sufficient??? 48 MB, 60 MB??? More than one??? I will probably have the camera on the highest resoluation setting it allows.

Tying in with WDW photography services, do you know if the parks have a place (maybe Expo Hall at MK or another park) where I can take my memory card in and get the photos burned on a CD to free up my memory card so I don't have to travel with 3 or 4 of them. (They cost so much that I hesitate to buy several just for this trip.)

Any help/tips from digital camera veterans would be helpful. Thank you!!!

 

[Amirah95]

We have an 8mb, 32mb and a 128mb courtesy of this wonderful guy on Ebay who we purchased our Sony Cybershot from almost 16 months ago and we only took about 850 pictures at WDW back in May 2003. We used only the 128mb.

When looking at how much these cards cost we were amazed. Glad we got a good deal. If I had to purchase one I'd get a 128mb or better card for the camera so that I know it won't fill up to where I have to get them off the card right away. We keep our camera on regular resolution and it looks just like highest (I compared them)...I don't know if it goes by the brand of the camera though.

On other threads over time, some say that having Disney to put the pictures on a disk for you is expensive let alone having them developed by them. We usually go to Costco to get our pictures developed. When on vacation, we download them into our laptop and burn them on CDs to keep costs low until we can pick and choose the pictures we want to have developed right away.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We just got a digital camera a couple weeks ago, and I got a 256MB card to go with it. My camera is a 4 megapixel, and it will hold about 130 pics or so on 4 mp.

 

[CareBearYN]

I agree with Amirah95, definately go for a 128 or even a 256, which I have just bought for my new camera. Last time I was at Disney, I only had a 64mb card and since I knew I was going to take hundreds of pictures, ended up using a lower resolution size. The pictures came out good enough for small prints but I know better for next time. I'll be able to take better quality pictures with the larger memory card.

Also, as I learned from my parents after their trip, you can get your pictures burned on a cd, I assume at any of the Kodak locations at Disney. I believe it cost around 12 or 13 dollars, so obviously not too cheap, but since I'm a picture nut, it might be worth it.

 

[LisaZoe]

I've read on these boards (I think this one, in fact) about a device you can buy that works like a portable computer drive. I'm not sure exactly how it works so I'm guessing based on what I read. You can "plug" your camera into it and copy the photos from the memory card onto this drive. This drive isn't cheap but it holds a lot more meg of data than a comparably priced memory card.

One thing you might not have considered yet about the difference between 35MM photography and digital (I know I didn't at first). I used to take a lot of film with me and snap away hoping to get enough "good" shots to serve as reminders of our fun. Generally, out of all the photos, I'd expect 1/4 or less to be what I thought of as really good photos: basically those that are in focus, everyone looking the same direction, no stranger walking through just as the shutter was released, etc.

With my digital camera, I now edit them as I go as I see no reason to keep the shots that I don't like (although I do keep the more amusing ones). I have a 4mp digital camera with a 128mb memory card. At fine compression, it will hold about 65 4mp images. This may not seem like a lot but it is more than I usually expect from 6-7 24 exp. rolls. I probably will take an extra card as backup just in case I need it or I'll buy one of the devices I mentioned earlier in this post.

 

[hulabird]

Good topic! I just bought a new digital and I have to rave about it because it is a great quality camera for under $300. It is the Kodak LS743. I have been playing with it for 2 days and it is super easy to use and even on the mode called Good, which is the lowest quality on the camera, the photos are beautiful and you can print up to 11x14's. On the best quality you can print up to 20x30! The zoom is wonderful, the color is fantastic and they put a pro lense on it as well. The best part, this camera is perfect for travel because it is 2" high and 4" long. It has a neck strap so you can wear it around your neck and it doesn't feel bulky. It takes a lithium ion battery and even though I was using the LCD screen the whole time I was taking pictures, the battery indicator didn't even come on once. As for taking pictures on the memory cards...this camera takes SSD (postage stamp sized cards) and MMC cards. This is an idea of what you can shoot on the different qualities:

4.0 MP - best (print, enlargement) 32 mb=24, 64 mb=49, 128 mb=98, 256 mb=196
3.5 MP - best 32mb=27, 64mb=54, 128 mb=109, 256mb=218
2.1 MP - better (small prints) 32mb=43, 64mb=87, 128mb=175, 256mb=351
1.1 MP - good (email) 32mb=73, 64mb=147, 128mb=294, and 256=588

Remember that the MP that you have the camera set to will determine how many pictures you can store on a card. I have found that this camera looks wonderful even set at the lowest. You can see detail and everything.

I am taking a 32, 64 and 128 mb card along with me, plus the camera's internal memory of 16mb. I will switch between the qualities depending on the shot.

This camera also has 12 shooting modes, one for nite shots, beach shots, portrait shots, sports (moving) mode and it even has a video setting with sound. I did that today, it was pretty cool.

I can't wait to get to WDW just so I can take photos!