How to handle no electricity for 3 days on a trip.
Apr 17, 2018 10:45:33 #
TexasLynn wrote:
I have a 64mb and a 32 mb card. I know there are better cards for photography but don't know how to determine which cards are better. Definately looking for suggestions on this as well.
Look for high speed cards that are made for picture taking. As for burst mode if you are on a tripod you usually do not need burst mode. I shoot sports and hardly ever shoot in the highest speed the motor runs in. I use a Nikon D7200 During Volleyball and high jumps and even pole vaults my Nikon never gets out of the lowest motor speed it has. Even catching a fast ball in motion I use maybe 3 shots at the lowest speed of motor drive on my D7200. If you insist on burst you need probably about 6 ..64gb cards otherwise fewer cards. I shoot over 2000 images during sports season and I use 1 or 2 ..16gb cards per job and clear them before next use after upload even if I don't upload often I never run out of memory space on them. I have a total of 6 16gb cards and 2 ...32gb cards. The 32 Gb cards are for back up in slot 2 of my Nikon and only on the busiest week of over 4000 shots have I needed to upload it. I edit in camera during down time and the second slot is kept as back up which does not get deleted during the edit process. Yes I delete in camera and have had no ill effects from doing it. each cards is formatted at the end of the week just before reuse.
Apr 17, 2018 11:25:25 #
If it doesn't cost too much for you then buy enough batteries for the camera. Don't use the laptop until you have AC power. Using a battery to charge camera battery would end up with more bulk and weight for the same amount of energy. Charging the battery using a battery isn't efficient and waste quite a bit of power.
Apr 17, 2018 12:19:00 #
I’d bring more 32gig cards over fewer 64gig cards. Reasoning is that if a card gets lost, damaged, corrupted you’ll have lost fewer shots.
32 is a decent size for a reasonable number of shots.
32 is a decent size for a reasonable number of shots.
Apr 17, 2018 14:54:04 #
We've been using Samsung EVO Elite/Pro U3 micro USB SDXC cards in an SD to CF adapter, and SanDisk Extreme Pro UDMA 7, that claim up to 160 MB read/write speed. Both cards are so inexpensive on amz it boggles the mind when compared to last year's prices.
These cards are beyond specs and also expectations,and; they're guaranteed for life. We've never lost one of these cards or had a malfunction or corrupted image. There's never any delay due to buffering like we had in older cards. The D7000 series formats these 128 GB SDXCs cards in the cameras even though Nikon didn't test them. The cards that are tested and placed into the older cameras are always pre-formatted in the computer to how the camera expects them to be. The Samsung 16 GB SDXC cards are usually below $10, $15 for 32GB, $20-$25 for 64 GB, and 128 micro USB SDXC are now about $36-40. YMMV depending on which SD/SDXC card you care to use in the type II CF adapter, be sure it's spec[d for UDMA, if you choose to try it.
This high-speed dependability wasn't available until recently and certainly weren't around when the cameras were manufactured and sold new. That fact hasn't stopped them from working in the cameras now. You don't 'need' them, and won't reach those read/write speeds; knock on magnesum bodies, we've never had to request a replacement for one of these excellent cards. If you buy the best normal CF cards, Sandisk 16 GB, 50 MB read/write speed starts at about $15, then jumps to $30 or $50 for the Extreme Pro USMA 7. True, the camera can't keep up with the card but if you desire to prove a point to yourself that the card isn't a limiting factor, hold the shutter down. Unless the camera buffer or battery drain halts the process, (hasn't in our tests) every shot is written to the cards in real time. Considering what class 10 cards sold for 3 short years ago, we don't mind today's prices, and speed.
The first time we tried to buy a class 10 U1 locally, the stores had never heard of them; par for the course in fly-over country. The solitary camera shop, now long out of business, knew of them but unfortunately didn't stock them. The owner was an authorized Canon/Nikon dealer, his professional opinion was that we'd never need that kind of speed. His remark evoked laughter among several customers in ear shot, so we had to order from NY. This was a pro shooter with a solid business of over 5 decades and his opinions cost him sales. Last month we pulled a 4 year-old 64 GB class 10 SD card out of the Coolpix, then inserted an SD adapter containing a pre-formatted Samsung 128 GB micro USB SDXC U3 as a test. The card was double the capacity Nikon ever tested and well beyond rated read/write speed. Nikon never tested a Samsung micro USB SDXC in that model, yet the performance difference remarkable, not as in pin-your-ears-back speed, but faster. There was no reason not to test it, the 'just say no' era was long ago. With the older cameras, as long as the card is pre-formatted to what the camera expects you should be pleased with the results. The EOS D10 had a slight hiccup due to the pre-formatted 32 GB size; if the card had been pre-formatted to 'only' 16 GB, with the prerequisite name/file structure, it might have turned out differently.Time enough for another test at a future date. The point was to see if it worked and/or had any effect to speed up image write transfers to prevent buffering issues and it did; it was fun and interesting, and no camera was harmed.
Batteries are another extremely good value now, given that every brand is manufactured in mainland Asia. Most 3rd party batteries are of uniformly good quality; we stay away from the sub $10 batteries, with peeling labels and no return policies.
The last three battery orders through amz came from various vendors; we bought chargers that were offered for a couple of dollars more. Only one battery out of of all the sets performed significantly below it's mate. The vendor immediately replaced the set, not just the single battery, from a different lot number. There were no further performance/drain issues. Canon/Nikon bodies didn't know the difference from the Nikon OEM battery and we didn't run into a firmware restriction of 3rd party batteries that some firmware updates have caused some folks. If a new firmware update doesn't affect how/what you shoot, don't fix what isn't broken. The card and battery tech, and prices dating backward from 2012 and prior years, wass long ago and far away, waiting for future improvements. The future is now and was well worth waiting for.
We know a gent who shoots a huge quantity of jpeg and raw images every single day. Going through one and/or two batteries per day is common for him; he leaves live view on to check what he captures. With today's prices, he has plenty of spare batteries everywhere he goes. If one takes 2 sets of batteries per body on a two day trip, it should prove sufficient; they weigh little. Unless one is going through several thousand images a day, it's not worth worrying about these days. Leave the charger, laptop/spare batteries in the trunk just in case. There are type C li-on batteries that can power a laptop using it's AC cord for 8 hours; they're expensive and heavy. Ours never leaves the house. We pack duplicate sets of cards simply for the convenience and safety margin. Once, on a two day trip, we swapped card sets each day, in abundance of caution; we knew we'd never be able to return to the area we we in. It wasn't absolutely necessary but both cards were over half-full. As with HDD/SDDs, rare accidents happen, which can wipe out every image on both cards.
If you fly, insist on physical inspection of your cameras/cards/gear; never allow them to go through an x-ray scanner, no matter what the manufacturer's guaranty says. A few years ago, a supposedly x-ray scanner-proof CF card was destroyed and the camera had to be replaced, on warranty. A newbie building guard refused to summon a supervisor and gear go through the scanner; probably turned up all the way. We'd requested a hand-inspection of the camera to no avail. After traveling for hours we had to meet an apointment; we received a pat-down but the gear had no constitutional rights. Could've/should've locked it in the trunk, was what came to mind too late. At any rate, there are seldom x-ray machines to hinder anyone's wilderness photography. As long as the camera is powered down before removing//swapping cards, your images are safe. Hope this is of use, sv
These cards are beyond specs and also expectations,and; they're guaranteed for life. We've never lost one of these cards or had a malfunction or corrupted image. There's never any delay due to buffering like we had in older cards. The D7000 series formats these 128 GB SDXCs cards in the cameras even though Nikon didn't test them. The cards that are tested and placed into the older cameras are always pre-formatted in the computer to how the camera expects them to be. The Samsung 16 GB SDXC cards are usually below $10, $15 for 32GB, $20-$25 for 64 GB, and 128 micro USB SDXC are now about $36-40. YMMV depending on which SD/SDXC card you care to use in the type II CF adapter, be sure it's spec[d for UDMA, if you choose to try it.
This high-speed dependability wasn't available until recently and certainly weren't around when the cameras were manufactured and sold new. That fact hasn't stopped them from working in the cameras now. You don't 'need' them, and won't reach those read/write speeds; knock on magnesum bodies, we've never had to request a replacement for one of these excellent cards. If you buy the best normal CF cards, Sandisk 16 GB, 50 MB read/write speed starts at about $15, then jumps to $30 or $50 for the Extreme Pro USMA 7. True, the camera can't keep up with the card but if you desire to prove a point to yourself that the card isn't a limiting factor, hold the shutter down. Unless the camera buffer or battery drain halts the process, (hasn't in our tests) every shot is written to the cards in real time. Considering what class 10 cards sold for 3 short years ago, we don't mind today's prices, and speed.
The first time we tried to buy a class 10 U1 locally, the stores had never heard of them; par for the course in fly-over country. The solitary camera shop, now long out of business, knew of them but unfortunately didn't stock them. The owner was an authorized Canon/Nikon dealer, his professional opinion was that we'd never need that kind of speed. His remark evoked laughter among several customers in ear shot, so we had to order from NY. This was a pro shooter with a solid business of over 5 decades and his opinions cost him sales. Last month we pulled a 4 year-old 64 GB class 10 SD card out of the Coolpix, then inserted an SD adapter containing a pre-formatted Samsung 128 GB micro USB SDXC U3 as a test. The card was double the capacity Nikon ever tested and well beyond rated read/write speed. Nikon never tested a Samsung micro USB SDXC in that model, yet the performance difference remarkable, not as in pin-your-ears-back speed, but faster. There was no reason not to test it, the 'just say no' era was long ago. With the older cameras, as long as the card is pre-formatted to what the camera expects you should be pleased with the results. The EOS D10 had a slight hiccup due to the pre-formatted 32 GB size; if the card had been pre-formatted to 'only' 16 GB, with the prerequisite name/file structure, it might have turned out differently.Time enough for another test at a future date. The point was to see if it worked and/or had any effect to speed up image write transfers to prevent buffering issues and it did; it was fun and interesting, and no camera was harmed.
Batteries are another extremely good value now, given that every brand is manufactured in mainland Asia. Most 3rd party batteries are of uniformly good quality; we stay away from the sub $10 batteries, with peeling labels and no return policies.
The last three battery orders through amz came from various vendors; we bought chargers that were offered for a couple of dollars more. Only one battery out of of all the sets performed significantly below it's mate. The vendor immediately replaced the set, not just the single battery, from a different lot number. There were no further performance/drain issues. Canon/Nikon bodies didn't know the difference from the Nikon OEM battery and we didn't run into a firmware restriction of 3rd party batteries that some firmware updates have caused some folks. If a new firmware update doesn't affect how/what you shoot, don't fix what isn't broken. The card and battery tech, and prices dating backward from 2012 and prior years, wass long ago and far away, waiting for future improvements. The future is now and was well worth waiting for.
We know a gent who shoots a huge quantity of jpeg and raw images every single day. Going through one and/or two batteries per day is common for him; he leaves live view on to check what he captures. With today's prices, he has plenty of spare batteries everywhere he goes. If one takes 2 sets of batteries per body on a two day trip, it should prove sufficient; they weigh little. Unless one is going through several thousand images a day, it's not worth worrying about these days. Leave the charger, laptop/spare batteries in the trunk just in case. There are type C li-on batteries that can power a laptop using it's AC cord for 8 hours; they're expensive and heavy. Ours never leaves the house. We pack duplicate sets of cards simply for the convenience and safety margin. Once, on a two day trip, we swapped card sets each day, in abundance of caution; we knew we'd never be able to return to the area we we in. It wasn't absolutely necessary but both cards were over half-full. As with HDD/SDDs, rare accidents happen, which can wipe out every image on both cards.
If you fly, insist on physical inspection of your cameras/cards/gear; never allow them to go through an x-ray scanner, no matter what the manufacturer's guaranty says. A few years ago, a supposedly x-ray scanner-proof CF card was destroyed and the camera had to be replaced, on warranty. A newbie building guard refused to summon a supervisor and gear go through the scanner; probably turned up all the way. We'd requested a hand-inspection of the camera to no avail. After traveling for hours we had to meet an apointment; we received a pat-down but the gear had no constitutional rights. Could've/should've locked it in the trunk, was what came to mind too late. At any rate, there are seldom x-ray machines to hinder anyone's wilderness photography. As long as the camera is powered down before removing//swapping cards, your images are safe. Hope this is of use, sv
Apr 18, 2018 03:39:04 #
Thanks, yes, I will need fast speed. And your recommendations are pretty similar to what I had decided after all the experienced replies.
Apr 18, 2018 03:42:15 #
Apr 18, 2018 03:44:28 #
Apr 18, 2018 03:47:18 #
Selene, thank you for all your info. I figured the 70-300 lens would be the way to go AND I always carry a point and shoot for unexpected close encounters.
Apr 18, 2018 03:52:27 #
To everyone on here, THANK YOU. I have read all your responses and the etra batteries and cards is what I am going to do. Thanks again.
Apr 18, 2018 08:14:11 #
All of the solar and other charging devices sound really interesting. I might even want to buy and play with some. But, for a three day trip, they seem like overkill and they add too much stuff to what should be traveling light. A battery a day and a 64GB card a day should see you through with the least added weight.
Apr 18, 2018 09:08:18 #
Apr 18, 2018 11:56:33 #
Texas, hope you fill your cards with great photos and still have enough in left the battery for a few more. You'll have a wonderful time, consider posting how the batteries and cards held up for you, and may the whales be with you. The descriptions attached to member handles (new user, regular, part of the furniture, etc) is a common misnomer for those who finally decide to cross the line and begin posting. It takes a prerequisite number of posts until you're bumped up the ladder to a less-new-user designation, with no real relation to years or level of experience.
One electronics forum I joined has been going for many years, I didn't bother posting until the fourth year of it's existence. It can be daunting at times, depending on rsesponses received, but most of the experienced users are friendly and will share loads of useful/helpful info to help you. I always liked to lurk/learn and read, and then finally made time to post. Many pros are traveling/working or don't have time to post; times are changing and come from anywhere. It was a good while before the magic 'new around here' designation finally disappeared but new user doesn't indicate years of experience spent in the craft. Hope that all remain open to new learning experiences regardless. A positive benefit of seeing 'new user' makes one feel 'new/young' again when you're actually retired. Safe travels, sv
One electronics forum I joined has been going for many years, I didn't bother posting until the fourth year of it's existence. It can be daunting at times, depending on rsesponses received, but most of the experienced users are friendly and will share loads of useful/helpful info to help you. I always liked to lurk/learn and read, and then finally made time to post. Many pros are traveling/working or don't have time to post; times are changing and come from anywhere. It was a good while before the magic 'new around here' designation finally disappeared but new user doesn't indicate years of experience spent in the craft. Hope that all remain open to new learning experiences regardless. A positive benefit of seeing 'new user' makes one feel 'new/young' again when you're actually retired. Safe travels, sv
Apr 18, 2018 13:59:46 #
I just came back from a trip to Africa and we were in the bush for several days without power access. I have a Nikon D5300 and I took 3 batteries with my and two memory cards. I try to limit the use of the view screen in the camera and just use the view finder, this minimizes battery usage. You can also take an extra battery for your laptop if needed. It all depends on how much you use your camera, number of pictures, do you use the back panel to always view your pictures, etc.
Apr 18, 2018 20:11:59 #
I am probably a little late to the game here and must say I haven't read all 8 pages. This is what I would use.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B077M663Y2/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3534659762&pd_rd_wg=3wnhs&pf_rd_r=5XF0H33VN8CGM3AR0SG6&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B077M663Y2&pd_rd_w=PDZYH&pf_rd_i=battery+bank&pd_rd_r=e6e96d5c-2f48-4d32-b317-b5e6209b09e5&ie=UTF8&qid=1524096480&sr=2
It can charge up your camera batteries a few times each.
Enjoy your trip!!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B077M663Y2/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3534659762&pd_rd_wg=3wnhs&pf_rd_r=5XF0H33VN8CGM3AR0SG6&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B077M663Y2&pd_rd_w=PDZYH&pf_rd_i=battery+bank&pd_rd_r=e6e96d5c-2f48-4d32-b317-b5e6209b09e5&ie=UTF8&qid=1524096480&sr=2
It can charge up your camera batteries a few times each.
Enjoy your trip!!
Apr 20, 2018 03:23:38 #
Thanks so much SV. I will post (hopefully) great photos when I get back. I still have time to get things done because I am not going util late August. I have already been pricing cards and batteries.
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