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Digital Photography
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 1:34 pm
by Clive Williams
Now I'm registered I'm on a roll. Second question this morning!
I'll be bringing a digital camera when I arrive Sept. 25. Is there anywhere on the island that will transfer my photos to CD and so release my precious memory card as I'm sure to fill it!?
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:16 pm
by Steve Wooler
Hi Clive
Sad to say, I'm not sure if there's anywhere on the island that offers such a service yet. If anyone knows differently, please let us know.
In the absence, a spare memory card could be a good investment.
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:41 pm
by Paul Tallet
I take my laptop each year and download photos onto that.
I am sure that some in Tobago will have a PC with a CD Writer and be happy for you to use their equipment to do your doings ... I know of a couple in Castara.
Just take the driver software with you ... I am sure some may come forward to offer their facilities on this site.
Another option is if your Camera has an option for a Microdrive ... quite expensive but they can take a Gig of photos.
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 4:19 pm
by Clive Williams
Thanks Steve, Paul.
If I bring another memory card then I will fill that as well: Remember the first law of digital photography; The number of photos increase to fill memory capacity available.
(The second law BTW is; The battery capacity decreases faster than the memory capacity!)
My camera connects via usb and displays as a drive on a XP or 2000 computer (no drivers required) so if there are any volunteers (someone sat in an office with a CD writer doing nothing) then please raise their hands now.
Who knows, it could start a little Carib funding sideline!
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 5:47 pm
by Brian Taylor
I know that PROCOMTEX in scarborough is able to do it, just the question of the price...
I let them scan pics last year and it was not cheap, but maybe because it takes some time to scan...
why don't you just get a spare chip to avoid running arround for a download....?
have a lovely holiday and beautyful meories (on chip or disc...)
steph & ali
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:24 pm
by Steve Fifield
Don't rely on the PC's in the internet Cafe's being very up to date, many are still W95 or W98. On a recent visit, I could only find one PC with Acrobat Reader installed in Store Bay! I used the "Clothes wash Cafe" (in Bon Accord I think?) which is a launderette with a couple of PC's for browsing & email. Take your drivers and card reader just in case.
I suppose you could always FTP them back home, but internet speeds are quite slow on the island, so could get expensive and waste time that you could be spending on the beach.
To be honest, camera memory is getting cheaper all the time, so I would really suggest that you get plenty of spare 256K or 512K cards. I don't like the idea of a single 1GB or 2GB card in case I lose the camera. That way I can keep all of my shots to date, back at base.
Steve.
Good News
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:53 pm
by Gary Petty
Clive,
GOOD NEWS! I'll be there on the 24th for a week as well. Paul and I will have digital cameras and Paul will have his laptop with CD burner. He has a memory card reader, so no problem. We're staying at the Sandy Point Beach Club (not to be confused with Sandy Point village) in Crown Point. Phone is 868-639-0877. Ask for Gary Petty ( the Yank), Paul Cracknell, or Bill Whitmarsh (Brits). Feel free to contact us, have a drink, shoot the breeze, transfer some photos.
Gary
Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2004 2:18 am
by Brent
Hi Clive
I am based at Store Bay local road, Bon Accord. I run windows 98, so you would need to bring the driver software and your usb connection lead. If I can be of any help then please feel free to contact me through here or digitaltobago.com.
Enjoy your vacation.
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 4:00 am
by Marc Jones
Get a card reader and an iPod. Save all the pics to the iPod's hard drive. Also, use it to take your entire CD collection away with you.
Splendid.
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 12:22 pm
by Julia C.
We had a disaster with our digital camera - on checking back through the first load of pictures we'd taken a few days into our holiday ALL of the images were corrupted! And even after reformatting it didn't help.
I meant to take several CF cards, but only took one and we had no other cameras with us.
I am no camera expert (in fact a bit of a novice with digital cameras) but reading through the manual I see it says that if you are going somewhere that means a big change in temperature or humidity then carry your CF cards in a sealed plastic bag and let them acclimatize gradually!
On return to the UK the same CF card is working fine. So I assume it didn't like the heat or humidity in Tobago.
Next time I will take several CF cards in sealed plastic bags and some back up disposable cameras.
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 1:18 pm
by Steve Fifield
What and awful experience
Sounds like poor design of the Camera or Compact Flash. I've never heard of or experienced those problems with my little Canon Ixus 400. What makes are your Camera and Flash, and I will make a point of never buying them? 
Steve F
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:37 pm
by Julia C.
It's a Canon PowerShot A40 and a SanDisk 64MB Compact Flash.
It works here fine.
I had the same problems with it in Greece last summer (temp in the 30s). I sent it back to the shop and they did a full check on it and reported no problems - they suggested that I hadn't reformatted the card after I errased pictures from it (I hadn't) or/and that I'd taken pictures with low batteries (I had).
I was then very careful to reformat the card and change the batteries more promptly and it worked fine (in the UK) so I figured all was OK when I took it to Tobago.
It was a huge disappointment not being able to get photos at the time, but we have since found some "solutions".
A couple we met are going to email us some of their pictures and we've found pictures on the internet from several sources of where we stayed and the places we visited. I also kept a holiday diary and re-reading that conjures up more pictures than I could have taken.
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:57 pm
by Steve Fifield
Well I think that you were particularly unlucky. Sandisk and Canon are top in digital photography. The A40 is a bit long in the tooth now, and I suppose based on older technology, but no excuse. I wouldn't let it put you off buying Canon again though. My Ixus 400 gets 5 stars from every review, and the tiny rechargeable batteries last for 60 pictures or more.
I would quarantine the CF card, and if you find that it does it again with another one, skip the camera. Your memories are worth much more than that. 
It's funny, but we also had a photo disaster on our first trip (Which was proposed as a one off holiday of a lifetime), before I went digital. Claire got a 'great deal' on 1 hour processing in Woolworths (we had always used Boots before). Every picture came out grey, like old washing. 
After we recovered from the shock, my wife resolved the situation very simply.
"We'll just have to go back again next year" she said. And that is how it all started .... 
Steve
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:09 pm
by Julia C.
Aha! I think your wife's solution is a very good solution indeed.
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:28 pm
by Clive Williams
Many thanks for all your replies and suggestions, particularly to Brent and Gary. It's all academic now, I bought an extra card and we leave in the morning....BWEE willing. Next stop Tobago!
Or is it Barbados, then Trinidad then Tobago.
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:30 pm
by Colin Fairburn
im taking my digi camera (plus rechargeable batteries & non rechargeables), compact normal camera and slr - that way between the 3 cameras i should be ok!
digi cams are great but to be honest this discussion just highlights the potential limits of them in my opinion.
if you havnt tried Klick Photos online printing service then you really should - its absolutely brilliant and cheap too - the quality of their prints is particularly good and you couldnt print them yourself for the price they charge - if you can get your prints downloaded onto a pc whilst away go to
http://www.klick.co.uk - download their wizard and send the pics over the internet so theyre printed off ready for you when you get home!
im at RTB 27th sep - 11 oct see you there if anyones going!