Digital: How much Memory? and Will cafes let you install dr
 

Part 1: I've read through most of the posts below on digital cameras and have a question about cards: How much is enough?

I plan to travel overland through Central and South America. I want to get the Olympus C730UZ (I like the versatility of the zoom), and plan on getting 3 or 4 128mb smartmedia cards. I'll update a website every so often in more "modern" internet cafes with pics. I'll take a USB cable and the appropriate drivers. I was also considering getting the Flashpath Floppy adapter for places that don't have USB ports.

Part two: Are there many cafes that will let you install drivers from CD? Many with 2000 or XP that will "recognize" my camera without drivers?

Part Three: Anyone have experience with the C730UZ? I've read it's nice, but don't know anyone with one. It seems to fit the "boxy style, few hinges and things" recommendation that Roberto made.

Thanks,
NewMexEd

I guess you've already seen it, but here's Steve's review. I deem his reviews as extremely accurate, so the conclusions at least are worth reading. Judging by the sample pics, image quality is so-so (I don't particularly like its rendition of color, and image noise seems to be kinda high - compare it to, say, Canon's s30 sample images on the same website).

Regarding how much is enough: it never will! you're sure to fill as many cards as you have between cyber café dowloads, especially when travelling great places like you will. I'd advise a minimum of three cards (one might fail with no previous warning), as big as you can reasonably afford, and that you cycle them through the camera when you're taking important shots, so not all of your pics of, say, Torres del Paine are in just one card that could fail, get lost, or be stolen with the camera. You'll find this strategy a bit cumbersome when downloading, but a good insurance. Make sure you FORMAT the cards in-camera once you've copied your pics, not just delete it, and you'll ensure max reliability.

Also, if possible, take along a CD with some card maintenance utilities and a copy of the camera's firmware and any drivers you'll need. This takes only a few MB, so you can also store some personal info in the same cd, like maps, addresses, reference materials, your bike's service manual, and so on to maximize the usefulness of that cd.

About cafés in the region, I'll let others chime in, as I haven't travelled there yet. But I know from experience that a bit of friendly talk will take you a long way... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

I'd be most surprised if you could find a computer with a USB connection in any Internet cafe in Bolivia......I never saw one apart from Uyuni.

And if you did use a card based camera and started with only three cards, I'd guarantee you'd be searching for more a third of the way through your trip !

Shooting at 800-1100 kb sized files plus the downsized ones for horizons postings, I chewed up 10 CD's on my Mavica, a little less than 1,500MB in 8 months

( Not to mention the 40 rolls of 35mm slide film I shot.... )



[This message has been edited by Jeremy Andrews (edited 13 November 2002).]

If you're not bringing a analog camera as well, I would definately bring a Digital Wallet, image bank, laptop or similar to avoid getting stuck with full cards and nowhere to empty them.

When I travelled through South America two years ago, I met several people who had that problem. You're not only asking for a internet cafe just when you need to empty the cards, you also need cafes with USB-connection, who allows you to connect your equipment, to install drivers if you need to, and who let you use their cd-burner (if they have one) to backup files (you don't want to send them home over the net).

------------------
Dag
http://RocinantesTravels.com

UGH! Well, for one, I thought Steve's review was much better than Roberto's thoughts on the image quality... I'll look again.

Regarding the full card syndrome, I can see why Jeremy took the Mavica. Did Sony patent that technology or something? I would imagine other companies would catch on to the utility of the in-cam CD burner. Maybe they'll just hoard it to themselves and watch it go the way of the betamax --used by pros, but obsolete for the everyman.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback... lots to ponder as always!!

NewMexEd

Hi Jeremy,
I am thinking of purchasing a Mavica for my Pan American trip. Did you have to install any drivers at the internet cafes? Was it as simple as popping a CD in the drive and watching the photos open up in Photo Editor? How did you pack it? Do you recommend the camera?
Thank you
DEmark

Hi DEmark -

The whole idea of the Mavica is that you don't need any driver while on the road. As soon as you use a USB connection, much as any other camera I susupect, sure , you will need a driver.

With the Mavica, you simply finalise the CD inside the camera, and then pop it into the CD-Rom drive of a PC. As long as the CD-Rom is a multi read one (they generally are now) , you will have no problems.

My model has now been superceded by a lighter version with 4.0 Megapixels, and I reckon that's even better suited to travelling.

Regarding storage, It was cocooned in a Touratech tank bag, lined with extra thick plastic as a safeguard against dust and rain, although the supplied rain hood did fine anyways. I would always reccomend using the rain hood on dusty roads, as that will kill any camera. Ideally I would reccomend a Pelican case, but it's all dependant on your bike set up and luggage system.

Also , it would pay to find a spot which minimizes the enevitable vibrations which never seem to end on the Ruta 40...

CHeers

Jeremy

Thanks for responding Jeremy, the Mavica sounds idiot proof- just what I need <g>.
DEmark

Hi DE Mark,

just to add to what Jeremy has said, we have the new Mavica and it is perfect. We can shoot as many pics as we want and not have to worry about storage. The discs are freely available in Mexico, where we stocked up.
Quality of image is great and we can even shoot movies.
Would definitely recommend it!
Mine lives in my tankbag, with a cut to measure foam insert.

Regards Sian..

I've thinking of byuing a Mavica to solve the problem with storage but are short of money. Have a Sony Cypershot for the moment. Just find out there is a memory Stick diskett adapter avaliable from Sony. It seems lika a cheap solution if it works.

Anyone who have used it? Does it requires a driver to be installed on the PC?

Yes, the memory stick adapter does need drivers to work. It looks like a floppy that the stick plugs into. I bought one and haven't used it since the first time. It is just much easier to use the usb cable to dump pics.
John

I had the same proble too, using a HP-618,and an Olympus c730, with the memory thing, forget all about internet cafes, and the rest.
Forget also carying the old laptop with you and all the hassle.
I found couple a months ago a very nice gadget the Mine, that stores up to 10GB, of data.
You just put the memory into a a slot, and then all data are saved to the HDisk.
The device is very small, it can hold also MP3 musiv, (and also plays it..!!!!), it hass a cable for showing photos to a TV !!!!
The proble is that its a litlle bit expensive.....!!!!
And I ve heard that hey have also a 20GB device.
Their address is http://www.terapintech.com/fea_mine.html
and by that time that little monster cost about the price of a camera (about $550), but believe me its very convienient, and it has also music...!!! which sometimes is very much worthing the money.....It can also record from a microphone any conversation....!!!!