Sailing with DSLR

[ember1205]

As long as we're talking about memory cards here, let me ask this question...

Why would I pay more money for an SDXC version of a card if I can get the same UHS-I specs on an SDHC format card of the same size for much less money?

For example: A 2-pack of 32G UHS-I SDXC SanDisk cards are $32 on Amazon. Pretty good price considering they're $27 each.

But

I can get a 5-pack of 32G UHS-I SDHC cards with an adapter (and I have extra adapters as well) to make them fit in the larger card slots for $55.

Any input?

 

[jec6613]

As long as we're talking about memory cards here, let me ask this question...

Why would I pay more money for an SDXC version of a card if I can get the same UHS-I specs on an SDHC format card of the same size for much less money?

For example: A 2-pack of 32G UHS-I SDXC SanDisk cards are $32 on Amazon. Pretty good price considering they're $27 each.

But

I can get a 5-pack of 32G UHS-I SDHC cards with an adapter (and I have extra adapters as well) to make them fit in the larger card slots for $55.

Any input?

Well, SDXC is actually any card 64 GB or larger, while 4-32 GB are SDHC regardless of size (and 1 MB-2 GB are plain SD). I think you mean that the MicroSD are cheaper, which is often the case nowadays. SDXC brings the advantage of using ExFAT for better data integrity regardless of any other consideration, while SDHC uses FAT32 and SD uses FAT16.

Full sized SD cards at 64 GB use MLC Flash which is more reliable and faster. They're also capable of better heat dissipation if you hit the cards hard. The MicroSD use TLC flash to fit it all in that small package, which is less reliable and slower, and they're less able to dissipate heat. There's also less room for flash tiering, where the card has a small internal buffer of even faster memory to offload pictures at full speed from the camera (it then writes the data back to the slower memory later). Oh, and MicroSD are much easier to drop and lose as well - given the price difference is pretty minimal I always get the card sized for the device it's going into.

As a rule of thumb, full sized SD cards are better for stills which uses burst writes, while for video there's little if any difference since it uses slower continuous writes. My D500 really shows this off, using Sandisk Extreme Pro 95 MB/s UHS-I full sized cards actually nets me a longer burst length by about 2-3 photos than a Sandisk Extreme Pro UHS-II MicroSD card (you will see less difference on a D750, obviously).

Be wary of Amazon cards by the way, make sure they're coming from a reputable seller and test them thoroughly once you get them. Even Amazon's own stock has been polluted with fake cards in the past, and their prices tend to be not that good. Best Buy or the links I sent earlier have much better supply chain integrity and I've never heard of a fake one coming through them.

 

[ember1205]

Well, SDXC is actually any card 64 GB or larger, while 4-32 GB are SDHC regardless of size (and 1 MB-2 GB are plain SD). I think you mean that the MicroSD are cheaper, which is often the case nowadays. SDXC brings the advantage of using ExFAT for better data integrity regardless of any other consideration, while SDHC uses FAT32 and SD uses FAT16.

Full sized SD cards at 64 GB use MLC Flash which is more reliable and faster. They're also capable of better heat dissipation if you hit the cards hard. The MicroSD use TLC flash to fit it all in that small package, which is less reliable and slower, and they're less able to dissipate heat. There's also less room for flash tiering, where the card has a small internal buffer of even faster memory to offload pictures at full speed from the camera (it then writes the data back to the slower memory later). Oh, and MicroSD are much easier to drop and lose as well - given the price difference is pretty minimal I always get the card sized for the device it's going into.

As a rule of thumb, full sized SD cards are better for stills which uses burst writes, while for video there's little if any difference since it uses slower continuous writes. My D500 really shows this off, using Sandisk Extreme Pro 95 MB/s UHS-I full sized cards actually nets me a longer burst length by about 2-3 photos than a Sandisk Extreme Pro UHS-II MicroSD card (you will see less difference on a D750, obviously).

Be wary of Amazon cards by the way, make sure they're coming from a reputable seller and test them thoroughly once you get them. Even Amazon's own stock has been polluted with fake cards in the past, and their prices tend to be not that good. Best Buy or the links I sent earlier have much better supply chain integrity and I've never heard of a fake one coming through them.

I wasn't even thinking about the Triple-Layer versus Dual-Layer (TLC versus MLC) part of this, but that's an EXCELLENT point.

Triple layer is much cheaper but also much less reliable. Dual layer (multi-layer) is not as cheap, but more reliable. SLC (single layer) is "the best" but comes at a huge premium in price. When dealing with solid-state storage, I avoid TLC like the plague and never even thought to look at it in that way. I appreciate the quick pointer there.

I'm going to pick up a couple of the 64G cards from my local BB for a couple of dollars more than dealing with having them shipped. Plus, I have a bunch of stuff to return to BB anyhow...

 

[jec6613]

Bring your phone and show them the same product on B&H - they'll price match at BB for you.

 

[ember1205]

Actually, I don't believe they will. B&H has a shipping charge where BB doesn't. And, I've actually been down this path with them in the past and they refused a price match on these kinds of cards because it was below their cost. We're talking a few dollars, so I'm not even going to bother.

 

[jec6613]

Yeah, I just checked and saw that BB no longer price matches B&H. The shipping is free though, at least if you buy above a certain dollar value that I always seem to hit. I'm also in the 1 day shipping range for their free shipping.

 

[ember1205]

I think it's $49. Buying only two, so that wouldn't be enough. Oh well.

 

[ember1205]

Back to your question on if there are photo ops in the port areas... I actually did this itinerary back in 2014 (so it's been five years - wow, felt like yesterday!) and can share my photos for an example of what there is to photograph. At the least, it will give you an idea of where the ship docks and how accessible ship photos are from the immediate port area.

Falmouth, Jamaica - http://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2014/06/2014-disney-fantasy-western-caribbean-Day5.html
If you want photos of the Margaritaville area, it's immediately where you dock, so you could take your camera off the ship, then take it back to your room if you're leaving the port area. I was definitely struggling with lens fog in Falmouth.

Cozumel - http://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2014/05/2014-disney-fantasy-western-caribbean_27.html
There are actually two possible docking locations in Cozumel. I believe the Disney ships dock at the "old terminal" Punta Langosta - but once we arrived on another cruise line and docked at the "new" (it's been like 10 years now since it opened) terminal Puerta Maya.... I think mainly Carnival/Princess ships dock over there.

So you're staying on the ship in Grand Cayman? Not a bad choice. I've been to Grand Cayman many times, and the last time we were there, we realized we would have rather stayed on the ship that day rather than dealing with tender lines.

I have a D7100, not the cheapest of the crop sensors, but I'm not sure I would be as adventurous with a full frame camera, so I understand your hesitation is greater than mine! If you're really serious about getting those better-than-phone photos, you might consider buying/renting a "cheap" D3500 kit. Maybe that's crazy?? But, I mean, a D3500 costs less than a quality full-frame lens, so if you consider that, maybe it's a reasonable option. I'm just throwing this out there because I think if I were ever to upgrade to full frame, I would still want to keep the D7100 for adventures.... but maybe not. Maybe once you go full frame, you never go back?!

Tom Bricker travels with his full frame camera and has been into cruising lately. He's a photographer for a living, so I just assume his camera is always on him. If his photos don't make you want to bring your camera, then you should definitely leave it on the ship! https://www.disneytouristblog.com/3-night-bahamian-disney-cruise-line-report-part-3/

I'm re-reading this thread to investigate more of the recommendations (like the plain strap, although my camera strap only says "Nikon" and doesn't include the model) and I'm trying to figure out where I said I was staying on the boat in GC.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

I'm re-reading this thread to investigate more of the recommendations (like the plain strap, although my camera strap only says "Nikon" and doesn't include the model) and I'm trying to figure out where I said I was staying on the boat in GC.

Oh, you didn't which is why I asked the presumptuous question, haha! You just didn't list Grand Cayman as a port, so I thought that might mean you weren't going off the ship, but it could just as well mean that you aren't considering bringing your camera, or you just didn't list it as a port - so which is it?! Now I need to know!

Doing an adults only trip on the Fantasy in a few weeks (May 11, 2019 sailing) and will be 'getting off the boat' in Cozumel, Jamaica, and CC at a minimum.

 

[ember1205]

Oh, you didn't which is why I asked the presumptuous question, haha! You just didn't list Grand Cayman as a port, so I thought that might mean you weren't going off the ship, but it could just as well mean that you aren't considering bringing your camera, or you just didn't list it as a port - so which is it?! Now I need to know!

I am planning to get off of the boat at all ports as I have never been to any of them before (although I HAVE been to Jamaica in the past, about eight years ago, but I flew in). I haven't booked anything as of yet for excursions, but the only one that has caught my eye so far is in Cozumel...

If you are aware of specific photogenic items in any of the ports, let me know as it may influence where I go and whether I bring the Nikon or just rely on my phone.

 

[pjacobi]

MLC is Multi-level cell, not multi-layer. The same for DLC, TLC, etc.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_cell

-Paul

 

[jec6613]

MLC is Multi-level cell, not multi-layer. The same for DLC, TLC, etc.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_cell

-Paul

While technically correct (the best kind of correct!) in marketing terms SLC = single level, MLC = two bits, TLC = three bits, QLC = four bits. Current full sized 64 GB Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards use about 4 GB of 90 MB/s SLC and 64 GB of 40 MB/s DLC, with the 4 GB overhead for wear leveling.

 

[jec6613]

whether I bring the Nikon or just rely on my phone.

FWIW, for me personally I always take a DSLR, even if I just throw on a cheap prime lens or kit zoom and have a spare battery and memory card in my pocket. What gets left behind tends to be lenses. The old 28-80 G lens (non VR, screwdriver AF) is available used for basically free, is super flyweight, and handles quite well on a D750. Or a 50 f/1.8 or f/1.4 (any of them dating back to the 1950's manual focus so long as they work with AI) is another good choice, just keeps the kit small but you still get the IQ, or the 40mm f/2 Voigtlander if you own it. Or since you have the D90, that plus an 18-55 or the 35 f/1.8 DX goes a long way, though is a lot more to pack.

Of course, to each their own.

 

[swooshbear]

On my first or second cruise, I brought my Canon 5D Mark III which had just come out. One of the servers at Palo is a camera guy, noticed it and from that point on, he called me "5D Mark III". They also brought out one of those little chairs that women put their purses on, just for the camera.

That camera got stolen and has been replaced by a Sony a7rii. So much lighter and portable. I also replaced the straps on both of those cameras with a Black Rapid strap to keep a little more inconspicuous.

 

[ember1205]

FWIW, for me personally I always take a DSLR, even if I just throw on a cheap prime lens or kit zoom and have a spare battery and memory card in my pocket. What gets left behind tends to be lenses. The old 28-80 G lens (non VR, screwdriver AF) is available used for basically free, is super flyweight, and handles quite well on a D750. Or a 50 f/1.8 or f/1.4 (any of them dating back to the 1950's manual focus so long as they work with AI) is another good choice, just keeps the kit small but you still get the IQ, or the 40mm f/2 Voigtlander if you own it. Or since you have the D90, that plus an 18-55 or the 35 f/1.8 DX goes a long way, though is a lot more to pack.

Of course, to each their own.

Both bodies have the same lens setups in general (two overlapping zooms), but the lenses for the D750 are both VR. I realize I could save a little weight by swapping back to the non-VR 70-300, but it isn't worth it to me. After reading a lot about the potential damage of salt water to the insides of the body, I am wondering if I should take the D90 instead, but again... I didn't buy the D750 to baby it and it's definitely still covered under my CC warranty for loss, damage, and theft. If it were to go belly-up, now would be the time for it to do so.

I did realize that my stupid camera strap DOES say D750, so I'm getting a simple diagonal strap (like the BlackRapid, but a different brand). I've also hunted down a new-in-the-box SB700 that I'm trying to work a deal on because the vendor isn't an authorized reseller and there wouldn't be an actual warranty on it.

 

[jec6613]

I did realize that my stupid camera strap DOES say D750, so I'm getting a simple diagonal strap (like the BlackRapid, but a different brand). I've also hunted down a new-in-the-box SB700 that I'm trying to work a deal on because the vendor isn't an authorized reseller and there wouldn't be an actual warranty on it.

I'm not a fan of the newer BR straps anyway compared to the old ones. Since I use RRS plates, I was able to modify the older ones to accept their QD plug connection (same as a MagPul rifle sling), but the newer ones are a permanently sewn loop that's personally not for me. And straps tend to be quite personal and depend on what I'm shooting and how much lens is on the camera as well. Carrying an FM or Df or Z6 with a 50mm prime is a very different task than a gripped body

I love the SB-700. Not as bulky and annoying to carry as the SB-910/5000 but still has plenty of power and full AWL support so you can remote trigger it with your on-board flash. And when you add a TN or FL gel to the flash and it's shoe mounted, the flash detects it and send the WB information to the camera for you. It's my preferred large Speedlight. I suggest an Eneloop kit with charger for it, they cycle the flash faster and mean you're not throwing away batteries all of the time, plus the Eneloop charger is pretty compact for a high quality charger. The Eneloop Pro are not worth it on the SB-700 though, and discharge more quickly when stored and not in use.

I also have the SB-300, 400, and 500 for when I want something smaller to throw in the bag when I'm not expecting to use flash, since my primary body, or frankly most of my bodies, don't have one built-in; and those that do have one so wimpy as to be pointless.

Both bodies have the same lens setups in general (two overlapping zooms), but the lenses for the D750 are both VR. I realize I could save a little weight by swapping back to the non-VR 70-300, but it isn't worth it to me.

Quite aside from any other issue, the 70-300 VR is a much better lens in every discernable way than the non-VR from your D90.​

 

[ember1205]

The 70-300 non-VR lens is actually from my N70 and is quite a nice lens (it’s an FX format lens). It just doesn’t have any image stabilization functions. So, it’s lighter but the overall image quality lacks a bit because I have to shoot a slightly faster shutter speed.

 

[jec6613]

The 70-300 non-VR lens is actually from my N70 and is quite a nice lens (it’s an FX format lens). It just doesn’t have any image stabilization functions. So, it’s lighter but the overall image quality lacks a bit because I have to shoot a slightly faster shutter speed.

I've had and sold both the G and D ED non-VR versions, never went back from the VR because even locked on a tripod with VR off it's sharper and more contrasty, especially past about 150mm - though I'm a DX shooter so it exposes more flaws than an FX camera does due to higher pixel density. From 70-200, the VR is almost as sharp as many of the f/2.8 zooms over their shared aperture ranges. The D ED (with aperture ring) is definitely the better of the two older lenses though.

The G and D also suffer a bit from aperture reflection if you look closely when stopped down, you can see the shape of the aperture blades since the rear element isn't coated. This is caused by reflections off of the image sensor that weren't present in the film era they're from.

 

[kiford]

Depending on the duration of the cruise, I might do a mid-cruise "photo dump" and download my photos so far onto my computer for backup. More diligent people probably do this daily - but if something happens to your memory card, at least you'll have the photos you've downloaded. There is debate on whether it's better to split your photos up among many smaller memory cards, or less larger memory cards. Personally, I just put two 64 gb memory cards in my camera, and that should last me the entire cruise even if I'm shooting raw + fine JPEG.

DH took a Gnarbox that has 128GB capacity when we went to Italy and downloaded photos to it several times along with having a few large memory cards with him. It's small and light so takes up a lot less space than a laptop when travelling. Turned out to be a very good thing since he filled it up and all of his memory cards (3 week trip). Now he carries at least two cards with him every day and then downloads to the Gnarbox every few days if he feels he needs to. He usually takes 3-4 cards in total with him but he can easily take a couple thousand shots in a week and he always shoots raw so even a short trip may need lots of capacity. He also sometimes covers his bases by taking multiple cameras with him and also takes pictures on his iPhone. Kind of defeats the whole "small and light" philosophy but it's what he likes to do; I pack shoes, he packs cameras. Usually the second camera is a compact camera that he can put in his pocket or cross-body bag when he doesn't feel like carrying the big DSLR. Between those two and his iPhone, he has a lot of options every day for different purposes and different environments.

 

[asunutgirl]

I"m a Canon girl and always take my 70D with me on our cruises. I have the 5D Mark iii but that thing is just too darn heavy to carry when I'm on vacation (use it mostly for my business.) The 70D also has a pop up flash so I don't have to carry my speedlite with me. I've traveled with extra lenses before and they generally sit in my bag. I prefer a good zoom lens that will cover most of what I'm wanting to shoot. I'm really just trying to capture family memories and my 70D with a zoom is definitely sufficient!

You will definitely want to get off the ship at Grand Cayman. It's a beautiful island - one of my favorite places in the world.