Question about digital camera...

[mommy*RN]

Hi,
I posted this on the photography board a few nights ago and got no responses...so I thought I would try here!

I recently purchased a new digital camera (my first) on the recommendation of a fellow DIS'er (who helped get me a GREAT deal!!! THANKS!) I am having fun playing around with it, but I have some questions. My camera is a Canon PowerShot SD550 Digital ELPH.

First of all, do I need to purchase another memory card for our Disney trip? Right now I almost automatically download any pics I take immediately and then delete them from the camera. The memory card that came with the camera is a SDC-32M.

My second question is about the battery. It came with a charger that is great for home, and I am pretty good about turning the camera off when not in use...but if we are spending all day at the parks is it a good idea to buy and bring a second battery along?

My last question is about getting pics. I've been using Walgreens and paying $0.19 a picture. Is this a good deal, or is there somewhere cheaper out there?

Thanks for any help!

 

[skbachand]

I am not exactly sure how big your mem card is-if it really is 32MB you DEFINITELY need a bigger card. Most I think recommend 1 GB-If you tend to take lots and lots of pictures you may even need 2 GB-unless you plan on downloading every day.
While you're playing with your camera you should see how long you can go between battery charges. You could be on the safe side and charge every night-but probably you would only need to charge once during the trip. (My camera takes regular size batteries so I have the rechargeables and ALWAYS a spare set of disposables-just in case.)
As for printing pictures .19/print is pretty decent. There are tons of websites that have really good quality prints and a lot of times if you pre pay for prints they give you a bigger discount on them. (snapfish, winkflash, kodak all are good quality) The bonus to using the internet is that you can do it from home (but only if you have a cable modem/DSL) I think aroun here the best deals on prints in a store are at Walmart/Sams' club.
Hope this helps. Just my experience though.

 

[GatorGal]

I am always paranoid that my battery will die in the middle of a shoot. I have a Minolta Diamge that absolutely sucks down the battery so I avoid using that one. I have one camera that takes AA batteries so I keep a spare set in the camera bag. I now have the Canon Rebel and the batteries on that one seem to last pretty well. If yours uses it's own rechargable batteries I would strongly suggest getting an extra battery for it and charge them in your room at night.

I'd also suggest getting a couple extra memory cards. I know some people like to have one huge one, but I prefer have a couple of smaller ones.

I print out my own photos at home on an HP Photosmart printer. It's not the most economical way, but I'm a scrapbooker and this allows me to print whatever size photos I need for the scrapbook without running out to the store. I've used Walmart, and they charge 19¢ a print too. I always get the photos on a disk in addition to the prints so I can crop, edit, or reprint them when I get home.

HTH

 

[ceiligh1]

I have a digital rebel and the battery lasts quite a while. During a trip I may recharge it once. But every camera is different.

I print my photos at home but I know that costco has a great deal on prints it is cheaper than most of the stores around here anyway.

You might have better luck on a digital photo site called DPchallenge.com
They have a wonderful forum and learning center that can help with all sorts of things. http://dpchallenge.com/forum.php It is a free site you just need to sign up. Also you are not required to join in the photography challanges it is up to you if you want to though. I enjoy looking at all the photos as some of them are amazing.

 

[txtxyeha]

Just got back from a six-day trip with an SD-550. From a battery perspective you should be fine thoughout the day.

With regards to memory, you definately will need to buy an additional secure digital (SD) memory card. Pictures taken in Super Fine mode require about 3MB of space. If you take 50 pictures in a day (my busiest day was 40 px), then that's 250MB. Get wild and crazy and spend $30 on a 512MB SD card.

However, the big question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you will be using the video feature. If yes, then you should consider springing for a 2GB SD card. This allows for 15" of video or 700 pictures.

Not only do you need a larger card, but you will also need a faster card to avoid the "Busy" message as images and video are transferred to the SD card. This is where the ScanDisk Ultra II 2.0 GB SD Card comes in for $73 on Amazon.com. If 2GB is too expensive or overkill, then the 1GB SD card cost $50.

Finally, I would strongly recommend getting a silicone protective case for the camera. This is based on my cracking of the LCD screen in a previous model. I bought one one eBay for $20. Search "silicone sd-550".

Have a good trip.