travel & cameras
Christie said... Hey Hope! Here's another one! I'm going to the Dominican Republic for a week in January! I am debating if I should take my trusty point and shoot or my SLR that I am still learning to use! I may just take both! Any ideas!
Well, first I'd like to suggest you bring along a personal coach, say, yours truly, to help you learn your camera while visiting tropical vacation spots...
Honestly though, there is more to consider when travelling with a camera than what your skill level using it is. Honestly it could be an incredible learning experience; I'd be tempted to bring both cameras and use them as they best suited my purposes. Here are some of the things you might want to consider:
Portability: If you plan on doing a lot of backbacking or walking around on foot, a big SLR can become quite cumbersome, especially if you end up having to lug around a kid or shopping bags or souvenirs, too. Of course, if you're hell bent on using your SLR at every opportunity (like yours truly) then weight is never the issue - it's storage. My handy pointer: if you're carrying multiple lenses, I suggest a fishing vest, with zippered interior pockets for all your extra lenses and cash, and lots of exterior pockets for your water bottle, sunscreen, snacks, sunglasses.
Safety: A bulky SLR will attract much more attention than your sleek Pentax Optio while you're cruising around town. If you're afraid of attracting that attention, you may prefer to be discreet and just take along the wee camera. However, if it doesn't frighten you at all to carry your equipment around, then no worries. Either way, I strongly suggest purchasing extra insurance on your cameras before you go. One other tip I heard was this: if you can manage it, just in case, try and remember to take your memory card out of your camera and slip it into a pocket or your bra. If for whatever reason someone does try and steal your camera, that way at least you haven't lost everything. I'm not entirely sure I'd have the diligence to pull that one off, though it is a wonderful idea.
Batteries and memory cards/film: I think the model of SLR camera you have supports AA batteries; many SLR cameras require special battery packs and chargers. There's no point in having the camera with you if you can't power it up, so make sure to invest in extra batteries or battery packs and pack your charger. You also never know how readily available memory cards for your camera might be, so you may want to invest in an extra card or two and save yourself the hassle of having to pick which ones to keep and which to delete if you run out. Film is also becoming more difficult to come by, so Xray machines be damned, it might be wise to bring extra film, too.
Storage: There will be times when you leave some or all of your belongings behind in a hotel room; it is probably a good idea to ask that your camera be locked up in the central safe as well.
Cheers,
H.
Well, first I'd like to suggest you bring along a personal coach, say, yours truly, to help you learn your camera while visiting tropical vacation spots...
Honestly though, there is more to consider when travelling with a camera than what your skill level using it is. Honestly it could be an incredible learning experience; I'd be tempted to bring both cameras and use them as they best suited my purposes. Here are some of the things you might want to consider:
Portability: If you plan on doing a lot of backbacking or walking around on foot, a big SLR can become quite cumbersome, especially if you end up having to lug around a kid or shopping bags or souvenirs, too. Of course, if you're hell bent on using your SLR at every opportunity (like yours truly) then weight is never the issue - it's storage. My handy pointer: if you're carrying multiple lenses, I suggest a fishing vest, with zippered interior pockets for all your extra lenses and cash, and lots of exterior pockets for your water bottle, sunscreen, snacks, sunglasses.
Safety: A bulky SLR will attract much more attention than your sleek Pentax Optio while you're cruising around town. If you're afraid of attracting that attention, you may prefer to be discreet and just take along the wee camera. However, if it doesn't frighten you at all to carry your equipment around, then no worries. Either way, I strongly suggest purchasing extra insurance on your cameras before you go. One other tip I heard was this: if you can manage it, just in case, try and remember to take your memory card out of your camera and slip it into a pocket or your bra. If for whatever reason someone does try and steal your camera, that way at least you haven't lost everything. I'm not entirely sure I'd have the diligence to pull that one off, though it is a wonderful idea.
Batteries and memory cards/film: I think the model of SLR camera you have supports AA batteries; many SLR cameras require special battery packs and chargers. There's no point in having the camera with you if you can't power it up, so make sure to invest in extra batteries or battery packs and pack your charger. You also never know how readily available memory cards for your camera might be, so you may want to invest in an extra card or two and save yourself the hassle of having to pick which ones to keep and which to delete if you run out. Film is also becoming more difficult to come by, so Xray machines be damned, it might be wise to bring extra film, too.
Storage: There will be times when you leave some or all of your belongings behind in a hotel room; it is probably a good idea to ask that your camera be locked up in the central safe as well.
Cheers,
H.
Comments