Travel Advice - Bring extra memory cards and  batteries or extra Film

Digital Camera needs

If you carry a digital camera,  you don't need to be worried about your film supply, but you do need to consider whether your memory card will be sufficient for the number of pictures that you might want to take while on vacation.  All the photography will also eat up electrical power, so follow the guidelines below:

• See our article on digital cameras to be sure you understand the amount of storage digital images require.  
• Be sure to buy a second rechargeable battery designed for use with  your digital camera and always take the camera’s battery charger on your  vacation. Charge your camera's batteries overnight so you are ready for the next day.
• If your destination is international, and your camera is not designed to work with common international voltages,a carry a power converter kit so that you can recharge the camera's battery.
  • If your camera's recharger is one that works internationally, you will probably need to buy an adapter plug that fits the power receptacles of the countries you plan to visit.  (See our article on power converters and power plugs and another on low voltage devices.)

Film based camera needs

First, you really should buy a digital camera!

If you intend to travel internationally, you will find that camera film is moderately more expensive abroad than at home. If you run out of film at a tourist attraction, you will find that film is enormously more expensive than at home. In addition, you will find that the number of choices available is, often, limited to standard brands of print film.

It is much easier to take more film than you think that you will need  than to try to find and buy reasonably priced film while you are out of the country.

• Your film needs should be based on an assumption about how many pictures you will take.
  • Everyone snaps photos at their own rate but if you want to have a great collection of memories, take one roll of film (24 exposures) for every two days that you will be away.
    • If you will be in areas of great natural beauty take more film.
    • If you think that you will be spending a great deal of time in museums, shopping or involved in indoor activities, take less film.

The same reasoning applies to bringing an extra set of the batteries that power your camera.

• Special purpose batteries, like camera batteries, are often very hard to find in international destinations. 
  •  Pack extras before leaving home.

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