Would you take a laptop to Orlando, FL?

[eBuddy]

Hello:

We are gonna visit DisneyWorld, SeaWorld, Universal Studios and Miami for the first time.

I'm into photography and will be taking 2Gigs of memory.

Is it enough memory for a 8 days of sightseeing and 2 days of flying for this Orlando vacation? Our trip is 10 days.

Do I need to take my laptop with me to download the photographs?

Here's the breakdown:

5MP camera
2.3megabytes per picture. It will shoot approximately 890 photographs. (Possibly approx. 940 photographs depending on filesize)
Approx. 89 photographs PER DAY for 10 days.
Approx. 110 photographs PER DAY for 8 days.

Is there alot of interesting photographs to shoot?

Thanks for helping out.

 

[mbb]

and took a 256 card...

After the first week, we took the card to Walgreens, paid $3 and got everything burned on to a disc. You can do this at the Parks as well, costs maybe $10??

My dad had his laptop...honestly, we didn't need it.

If you would feel better taking yours, so you can just download everything onto your computer, I would take it.

HTH!!

 

[Canadave]

We were just debating this same question at home. I think I'd be more comfortable leaving the laptop at home, but I'm not sure how much I trust someone to download my pictures on a CD. If they screw up and we delete all our pictures off the camera ...we lost our camera with an almost full roll of film on our very 1st trip to WDW, so I have this phobia with losing my pics now

 

[mom_rules]

We always take our laptop-cheap and easy way to also stay in touch with office and the "folks" at home taking care of things.
I agree-if some one messes up your CD and you delete the photos you have nothing (but then again I'm a Type A personality too-so probably just me).

 

[Canadave]

eBuddy..."Is there alot of interesting photographs to shoot?"

WDW is one big photo-op ...you didn't mention if you have kids...lots of photos needed there...there are so many things at all the locations you mentioned, that I'm sure you'll have no problem finding opportunities....did I mention the sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean

 

[mom_rules]

I'm usually good for about 300+ photos every trip too! My family hates me.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Welcome to the DIS

If it's just to download pictures, I would say bring extra memory or download pictures to a CD. You can download the pics at WDW or offsite (ie. Walgreen's) if you have access to a car. One thing ... if you do burn your pics to a CD, make sure you have them check it before you leave. There was a thread a while ago about someone who lost all of her pictures because of a problem with the CD burning station.

Is there alot of interesting photographs to shoot?

I take on average at least 500+ pictures even though I've already been several times. A lot of those pictures are of fireworks though, they're so hard to get just right I use to scrapbook as well so I would take pictures from different angles and never throw things away because I could never tell what I needed.

ps - Are you eBuddy from RFD?

 

[AndyMcV]

When we went to WDW in 2003 I bought 2 256M cards for our Kodak digital camera. Ohhh man did my family hate me for that. But now that we're back they love looking at the pictures and memories.

 

[cslittle999]

We took our laptop with us on our last trip and will be taking it with us on our December trip. We only have a 256 MB card so we need some place to unload them each day. We took almost 1000 pictures during the week. Having the laptop also freed us from worrying about which pictures to keep during the day. Each evening we would load the pictures into the computer and delete any that didn't turn out.

 

[eBuddy]

Welcome to the DIS

If it's just to download pictures, I would say bring extra memory or download pictures to a CD. You can download the pics at WDW or offsite (ie. Walgreen's) if you have access to a car. One thing ... if you do burn your pics to a CD, make sure you have them check it before you leave. There was a thread a while ago about someone who lost all of her pictures because of a problem with the CD burning station.



I take on average at least 500+ pictures even though I've already been several times. A lot of those pictures are of fireworks though, they're so hard to get just right I use to scrapbook as well so I would take pictures from different angles and never throw things away because I could never tell what I needed.

ps - Are you eBuddy from RFD?

Hey bunnyfoo:

I'm on RFD. But another user.

Photographing fireworks is relatively easy. The most important requirement is a tripod! Here are my fireworks shots in Vancouver. http://www.pbase.com/andrew_c/fireworks2004. Let me know if you need some tips.

Yes, I heard Epcot fireworks is nice. We are excited about this trip. But, for this trip, I won't be taking my tripod. Too much to carry and the hassle. But, I will be a "mini tripod". Kinda useless unless you have a tall "something" to lay it down?

Actually, I have decided to take my laptop with me. Cos. I found out that the hotel has free hi-speed internet access. I'll be sharing 2 gigs of memory between the 2 of us.

Thanks

 

[Mandabella]

DH takes over 500 pictures each trip and we do NOT take a laptop. Fortunately, DH has an Image Tank. It's basically a portable hard drive that holds 40gigs. It's only slighty bigger than our digital camera. He downloads the pictures each night into it. Now he's got this Zaurus thing, which is like a mini laptop.

Computers and the internet are forbidden on vacation!

 

[eBuddy]

After some calculation, I believe taking 2 or 3 gigs is plenty on a 7-10day vacation.

Provided you photograph using a 5 MP digital camera AND without kids.

(Photography is one of my hobbies but I ain't a professional).

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hey bunnyfoo:

I'm on RFD. But another user.

Photographing fireworks is relatively easy. The most important requirement is a tripod! Here are my fireworks shots in Vancouver. http://www.pbase.com/andrew_c/fireworks2004. Let me know if you need some tips.

Yes, I heard Epcot fireworks is nice. We are excited about this trip. But, for this trip, I won't be taking my tripod. Too much to carry and the hassle. But, I will be a "mini tripod". Kinda useless unless you have a tall "something" to lay it down?

Actually, I have decided to take my laptop with me. Cos. I found out that the hotel has free hi-speed internet access. I'll be sharing 2 gigs of memory between the 2 of us.

Thanks

Wow! Those are gorgeous pictures! What kind of camera did you use? I doubt I'd be able to get those on my little point and shoot. I'm pretty bad at timing the shots to be quite honest. I usually hit the button 1 second before the fireworks go off (just before they explode) or one second after Oh, I'm also being told that my camera is slow Any tips you could give me would be most appreciated! I have a Pentax Optio 550, it lets me switch between manual and automatic functions ... so I have some control over aperture, focus etc.

I took my mini tripod with me too. There are garbage cans and bridges/railings that you can stand it up on for night time shots ... sometimes I'd stand on a bench and balance the camera on my boyfriend's head

 

[eBuddy]

Wow! Those are gorgeous pictures! What kind of camera did you use? I doubt I'd be able to get those on my little point and shoot. I'm pretty bad at timing the shots to be quite honest. I usually hit the button 1 second before the fireworks go off (just before they explode) or one second after Oh, I'm also being told that my camera is slow Any tips you could give me would be most appreciated! I have a Pentax Optio 550, it lets me switch between manual and automatic functions ... so I have some control over aperture, focus etc.

I took my mini tripod with me too. There are garbage cans and bridges/railings that you can stand it up on for night time shots ... sometimes I'd stand on a bench and balance the camera on my boyfriend's head

Thanks. I do more night photography than day. Started to photograph animals and action.

Here's what you gotta set on your Pentax.

- ISO 100
- Aperture: f7.9 (f8)
- Digital Zoom: off
- Center AF (auto focus). Don't use 5 point AF.
- Use manual focus. Set to infinity
- Flash: off
- Make sure when your EV (exposure value/compensation) reads "0" when you shoot the photograph! It MUST never read +0.5, +1, +1.5, +2! When the Grande Finale fireworks happens, set your EV to -1 or even -1.5 depending on how BRIGHT the sky is!

- White Balance: Incandescent. Do not use AUTO white balance.
- Shutter Speed: 2-3seconds. 1sec isn't long enough. Unless you don't like the trails. Depending on when you hit the shutter.

TIP: Press the shutter after you hear the first explosion (initial spark)

Obviously, use manual or shutter priority.

I'm going to FL with my girlfriend. Getting excited! Will show ya my pictures.

EDIT: for metering: Use Center Weighted Average

 

[eBuddy]

Opps, I missed your question....

I own a Sony DSC-V1 (it's a pro-sumer camera). Meaning, between a Point-n-Shoot and dSLR camera.

My next camera is gonna be a dSLR. Canon D20 or the next generation D##.

Here's one of my favourite Dolphin shot I photographed when we were in Cancun (last year). I couldn't get any closer. shucks!

Seaworld is gonna be fun!

 

[seashoreCM]

Don't erase the camera memory sticks or whatever until after you have checked the CD you burned, preferably at some self service location such as Kinko's.

If all you are going to use a laptop for is viewing pictures, bringing just lots more memory sticks is a whole lot less weight than bringing a laptop.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CharlesTD]

No it isn't worth the time and efforet to bring it we use the digital camera and then we bought a product that allows us to transfer all out images to it it has a 30 gig drive in it and a small screen to view the images. It was 550.00 but shure beats lugging a laptop around with you.

 

[safetymom]

I would take your laptop. If you are into photography you will find lots of photo ops. You can also view them onscreen and decide right then which images are good and which ones you can delete.

You also will be able to connect to the Internet. Taking a laptop isn't a burden.

 

[CharlesTD]

Here is what we bought to take with us on our trips. It is from Nikon you can buy others that will accept all memory types but our D70 uses CF and microdrives so we went with this one.

http://www.nikon.ca/products/coolwalker-msv-01/

 

[bunnyfoo]

Thanks for the tips eBuddy! Now I just have to find some fireworks to practice on *lol*

I'm going to FL with my girlfriend. Getting excited! Will show ya my pictures.

Cool! Take lots of fireworks shots

Your dolphin pic is really cute! I did the dolphin program at Epcot last October. I'm hoping to do a dolphin swim one of these days. Are you going to Discovery Cove on your trip?