Too many eggs on one memory card and it bit her on the butt

[WillCAD]

It's a horrible thing to happen to anybody - someone on the DIS Boards had her camera stolen from her stroller at MK:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1256090 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1256090)

But this person's tragedy serves to graphically illustrate a dead horse that I have been flogging for years - don't buy one big memory card, buy a bunch of smaller cards and split up your pics!

kandb lost not only her WDW pics, but some precious pics from prior to her WDW trip that she hadn't downloaded from the memory card. This was a double tragedy that is probably all too common. I see so many people, even my own family and friends, leaving pics on their cameras without downloading, sometimes for weeks or even months at a time, without even realizing the danger they are facing - the loss of precious photographic memories.

And it's not just camera theft that threatens our pics. No, even in today's digital-is-god climate, there are entirely toom many people who accidentally hit "Delete All" instead of "Delete", or who format their cards in camera before downloading pics. Partially, this is the fault of digicam manufacturers who put the "Delete All" option on every pic instead of burrying it in menus along with ISO change and white balance control. But it's also partially the fault of folks who are not comfortable enough with their digicams to understand what buttons they're pressing.

Besides accidental deletion, there's also camera loss. Who among us has not set the camera down someplace and walked off without it? Certainly not I; I once left my $600 worth of Canon Rebel G and Sigma 28-200 lens hanging from a chair in the bakery at the front of IOA. Fortunately, a TM found it and it was waiting for me when my mind started working again. But what happens to those poor souls who lose their cameras permanently with a whole week's worth of WDW pics on the single 50 terrabyte memory card that they got on sale at Best Buy for $1.95 after 12 mail-in rebates? They lose their freakin' pics, that's what, and that's heartbreaking.

Then there's the age-old problem of camera malfunction. Yes, it's rare, but every so often a camera fails to operate after only 25 seconds in the water at POTC, or after suffering Decelleration Trauma when the kids knock it off the table at Crystal Palace, or after a good thorough cleaning (to get the Coke off it that you spilled in Pinochio Village Haus). Though rare, these things do sometimes occur, and if the memory card inside the camera shares the same fate, your pics can go the way of the dodo fast.

All of these horrible things that happen to cameras and memory cards can be prevented by exercising a little more caution, but even the best of us sometimes realize while riding Dr. Suess that our camera is no longer dangling from our shoulders where it should be, and when that does happen, we can take solace in the fact that only a small portion of our precious vacation pics are actually in the camera, while the rest are sitting safely back in our room safe on other memory cards or CDs.

Unless they're all on the camera, in which case we are, of course, royally screwed.

YMMV.

[Ursulinda]

The most sensible post on that whole thread was yours, Will. What WAS she thinking?!

[Robb]

Well, I was going to by a 4gb card. Until now. Hadn't thought of this.

I do download pictures everyday, but still.

[Master Mason]

Well, I was going to by a 4gb card. Until now. Hadn't thought of this.

I do download pictures everyday, but still.

I have a 4g that is my main card. But when I travel I always take the lap top and dl them every day. I can fit about 300 shots with the RAW/large Jpeg combo that I shoot in, which I have been known to fill up in a day.

[Robb]

I have a 4g that is my main card. But when I travel I always take the lap top and dl them every day. I can fit about 300 shots with the RAW/large Jpeg combo that I shoot in, which I have been known to fill up in a day.

I might still go that way. I am shooting multiple shots at a time. I am getting into the same RAW/Fine JPEG combo.

I am shopping for a camera bag that I can keep on my belt, so the camera won't leave my side.

[Kelly Grannell]

Great post, WillCAD !!

Cheers,
Kelly

PS: as an aside, I'm surprised with the things people leave on their stroller. The last time we went to WDW, we saw parked strollers with handicams, digital cameras (including a Canon 5D with L lens -- a $5,000 combo), brand-new monster-sized plushies and even an HDV camcorder... a $2,000 item!!. What are these people thinking? At the same time the thief should be forced to watch Barney for eternity. :D

[WillCAD]

Since I have a laptop and download my pics every day, I never have more than one day's pics on my memory cards.

The way I figure it, as long as you have enough memory cards to never carry more than one day's pics with you, and keep the full cards in your room safe, you're doing okay.

Downloading to CD on a regular basis is also a good thing; if you have enough memory for about 2 days shooting and download when the cards get full, then you're still pretty safe.

I never pay any attention to parked strollers; maybe I should start peaking just so I can have some funny stories to tell!

[Kelly Grannell]

I never pay any attention to parked strollers; maybe I should start peaking just so I can have some funny stories to tell!

LOL! I can only imagine CM suspiciously shouting at you saying "what are you doing !?!" when a guy lookaround at strollers. My husband got that a lot at WDW (moreso at MGM). After a couple of days he had enough and told me to look for our daughter's rental stroller. :confused:

Back to topic, I no longer have a laptop. My 14" laptop is broken and now I can no longer find low-end 14" laptop without those awful awful shiny/glossy screen.

[Linda S]

I see so many people, even my own family and friends, leaving pics on their cameras without downloading, sometimes for weeks or even months at a time, without even realizing the danger they are facing - the loss of precious photographic memories.
we were just looking at a friends camera and she had pictures that were over a YEAR old on it!!!

We also bring a lap top and download the pics daily. Although when my son went to Japan, we did send him with just 2 memory cards. We have the real big one because it also works in the digital video camera and that takes a LOT of memory.

[Kelly Grannell]

My grandfather thought that digital camera does not require him to do anything but keep snapping away (hang my head in shame).

[SueV]

I'm gonna show Joe this thread cause we always have "issue" over Why I take the cameras with me on the attractions! He'll say just leave them know one will take them:shock: Yeah right! And we're from Jersey;) I've been keeping my digital camera hooked to by belt loop and that makes it easier to not forget it in the stroller!

[Ursulinda]

My grandfather thought that digital camera does not require him to do anything but keep snapping away (hang my head in shame).

No shame, Kell! At LEAST you got him to go digital!

[Kelly Grannell]

well that's the thing. When he realized he needs to change/download his memory card (I bought him a 2Gb card), he stopped using the camera and went back to his film camera.

Now his digicam is sitting there doing absolutely nothing for more than a year. He told me to sell it. :(

[DisneyBUff]

we download each night also .. Just wanted to let you know that the camera bags that go on the belt there is a black one wihta siloett (sp?) mickey on it that we got at world of disney like 2 yrs ago and it was like $7 .. was our steal of the trip..lol


I preach to dh that we need to take everything in with us all the time didn't hit home teill one yr our pooh stroller was stollen from the fantasmic stroller parking.. thank god the attendent had the same stroller but folded up and no marker( bright pink and lime green Brast cancer bandana's that we use) on it so someone had taken ours thinking it was theres .. And they had to in knot it from our second stroller to get it they were strapped together.

[Thumper]

So, I'm just getting into this whole digital thing.

I have a 2 something memory card and I plan to purchase an additional one for my travels.

Anyway, my question (which may be stupid) is I don't have a laptop so how and where do I download my pics every day? Are there places within WDW or the on-property hotels that allow you to download pics to a CD?

Just trying to wrap my pea brain around the whole digital thing.

Thanks,
Sue

[jann1033]

well that's the thing. When he realized he needs to change/download his memory card (I bought him a 2Gb card), he stopped using the camera and went back to his film camera.

Now his digicam is sitting there doing absolutely nothing for more than a year. He told me to sell it. :(

this reminded me of my step father... he loves taking pictures so when great grand baby came along they bought a nice dell desktop and a digital camera.... and use the film camera from around 1804 ( exaggeration but that thing has to be older than me) and ignore the computer completely:-o :confused: :rolleyes: they both used computers for their jobs( the dos versions) but can't figure out windows???????

but on topic...i bought a bunch of different cards from 512mp-2 gb but if someone stole my camera they wouldn't do me much good anyway plus since they are usually in the camera bag=one happy thief

[jann1033]

So, I'm just getting into this whole digital thing.

I have a 2 something memory card and I plan to purchase an additional one for my travels.

Anyway, my question (which may be stupid) is I don't have a laptop so how and where do I download my pics every day? Are there places within WDW or the on-property hotels that allow you to download pics to a CD?

Just trying to wrap my pea brain around the whole digital thing.

Thanks,
Sue
your card is probably 2 gb which with my 8 mp camera holds about 500+ pictures ( depends on the camera so yours might be more or less)
there are places you can do so on property or off property to download to a CD but on property it costs about what you can buy a 1 gb sd card for ( at least at microcenter) so why bother? i'd just buy a few cards, as many pics as i think i would take( which for me is probably double what i took with film) and download when i get home. that's what i did last vacation and it worked out well...i took about 7gb for a 14 day trip( not to wdw, it was basic scenery trip so i took lots) and used about 5.5

[twinks]

Ummmm...looks like I better learn how to download my pictures. Thanks for the advice WillCAD.

twinks

[Belle]

I with the folks who cannot understand why you would leave ANYTHING on the strollers :roll: It is DISNEY and the CMs that help make the magic for you, but that doesn't mean there aren't theiving low-lives scouring the parks with golden Mickey ears on their heads whose sole purpose for being there is to snatch new goodies from the unsuspecting tourists who are riding Space Mountain so they can sell them on eBay - the finds of the day could more than pay for an admission ticket!

[SueV]

I with the folks who cannot understand why you would leave ANYTHING on the strollers :roll: It is DISNEY and the CMs that help make the magic for you, but that doesn't mean there aren't theiving low-lives scouring the parks with golden Mickey ears on their heads whose sole purpose for being there is to snatch new goodies from the unsuspecting tourists who are riding Space Mountain so they can sell them on eBay - the finds of the day could more than pay for an admission ticket!


Thanks Belle Now I know how we can pay for our next trip:evilSmile:

[WillCAD]

So, I'm just getting into this whole digital thing.

I have a 2 something memory card and I plan to purchase an additional one for my travels.

Anyway, my question (which may be stupid) is I don't have a laptop so how and where do I download my pics every day? Are there places within WDW or the on-property hotels that allow you to download pics to a CD?

Just trying to wrap my pea brain around the whole digital thing.

Thanks,
Sue

On-site the download locations are in the parks.

You can get your pics downloaded to CD in the camera shops at the front of each park, or at the Kodak ImageWorks in the Imagination pavilion. This can usually be done while you wait but if they are backed up you might have to leave your memory card and come back later.

In addition, the camera shops in MK and MGM, and the ImagWorks, all have self-service download machines that are rarely busy.

Cost for downloading is $12.99 per CD, limited to 120 pics per CD.

If you have a car, you can get your pics downloaded off-site at any of the local Walgreens, which all have 24-hour photo centers. Cost here is only $3.99 per CD, for as many pics as the CD will hold.

[roodad]

My grandfather thought that digital camera does not require him to do anything but keep snapping away (hang my head in shame).

You mean there's more to it than that? :oops: I guess I have been "lucky." My last digital camera was stolen (at a retirement home, no less) after I had taken exactly two photos with it. (those walkers are a lot faster than they look)

[Kelly Grannell]

You mean there's more to it than that? :oops: I guess I have been "lucky." My last digital camera was stolen (at a retirement home, no less) after I had taken exactly two photos with it. (those walkers are a lot faster than they look)

LOL! :razz: :D :peri: :mrgreen: :shock: :neer: :girlears: :boyears: :minnie:

[Thumper]

Thanks Jann and Will. I've printed our your advice and it's going in my Disney vacation binder !

I knew you'd be able to help!

:-)
Sue

[jann1033]

You mean there's more to it than that? :oops: I guess I have been "lucky." My last digital camera was stolen (at a retirement home, no less) after I had taken exactly two photos with it. (those walkers are a lot faster than they look)

:lol: so at wdw just be on the look out for golden ear wearing walker using thieving tourists..seems like they would be easy to spot;)

[Barrie]

Will - The info you have on your website about downloading photos is great. I linked to it on my Great Disney World Photos lens. I'm going to add a misc. tips section too and include your tip about not putting all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. Got any more good advice to add? Barrie

[Kelly Grannell]

BTW, watch for fake Sandisk cards. They are rampant on eBay. If you receive a Sandisk card that is grey in colour, it's fake. If there is no serial number, it's fake. Beyond that, quite unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to see any difference.

[WillCAD]

Here's an excellent guide that shows the subtle differences between the real Sandisk Ultra II CF cards and the real ones.
http://martybugs.net/articles/fakesandisk.cgi

You might link to Kelly's photoraphy tutorials, as well. There's a lot of great info in there for anybody who wants to get better pics. My only trouble is remembering all that stuff when I'm actually shooting - I still can't get the Rule of Thirds to stick in my head and wind up with all my pics centered.

[Belle]

Thanks Belle Now I know how we can pay for our next trip:evilSmile:

You are bad! :lmbo: Everybody watch your stuff around Sue!!! :p

[Barrie]

Thanks for the info Kelly and the link Will - I'll add that tip as well.

You might link to Kelly's photoraphy tutorials, as well. There's a lot of great info in there for anybody who wants to get better pics. My only trouble is remembering all that stuff when I'm actually shooting - I still can't get the Rule of Thirds to stick in my head and wind up with all my pics centered.

I have linked to her tutorials - what, you haven't read every word on my page yet?! :-o ;-)

I also have an "Ask Kelly" column in the works. As soon as someone has some questions for her I'll get it posted.

edited to add: I've added the Quick Tips (http://www.squidoo.com/WDWPhotos/#module1711919) section. If anyone has more tips to add let me know.