I used to have many gigabytes of 57 year old bionic memory, but it seems that someone has swiped most of it - what is left seems to erase itself every hour or so - where can I get some replacement memory? In the meantime if anyone can tell me who I am (I said who, not what!), then I would be extremely grateful!

ClareS if your finances run to a video camera, then get one and use it on your trip. A still camera generally captures a moment in time (though the lines get a bit blurred these days with moving stills!) - a video camera lets you capture a bit more atmosphere etc.

These days< i wouldn't consider travelling without a 'still' camera, and a video camera.

Slide shows are one thing, a well edited home movie is something else - even if you are the only one that will appreciate it!

Hi SteveH,
maybe some time down the track I might consider getting a video camera - have to get used to travelling with a digital camera (& battery charger etc) first!

Cheers,
ClareS

Steve, Clare,

I think that I have mentioned before on either this or the Insight Board that I have recently (that means it is only two generations out of date) purchased a video camera that will also take stills. I have a Sony 803E, but other manufacturers have similar products.

One of the pluses is watching the expression on peoples’ faces when you turn an obvious video camera on its side and start taking photographs.

Unlike the camera with a hard disc, that is the subject of another string, mine records on removable and reusable DVD discs, each good for about 30 minutes of high quality video. Although I have several discs I have only ever used one, as I download to a laptop every night. I know that the perceived wisdom on this Board is to not travel with a laptop, but having travelled with one on business for years I feel naked without one.

quote:

I think that I have mentioned before on either this or the Insight Board that I have recently (that means it is only two generations out of date) purchased a video camera that will also take stills. I have a Sony 803E, but other manufacturers have similar products.

The problem with using a video camera for stills is that the majority of video cameras have rather low resolution CCDs compared with "proper" still cameras. A typical video camera will have perhaps a 2MPixel CCD compared with the 5+ MPixels of a decent stills camera. This is OK for a 6x4 snapshop, but not really enought for anything bigger.

There's an old adage that you go to a seafood restaurant for seafood, not steak. Order steak and you will be disappointed. Ifyou want steak, go to a steak restaurant.

It is the same with digital cameras. Still images from a video camera will be disappointing, just like video from a still camera will be disappointing.

Glenn

Chris,

My camera has a CCD of approximately 3.31 Mpixels gross, which somehow gets converted to effective values of 2.048 for movies and 3.048 for stills. Certainly good enough to fill a computer screen and give good quality prints at foolscap size.

Tangata - 3 Megapixels is not the ultimate resolution these days, but certainly good enough for crisp, clear, holiday photographs - my dedicated still camera has about 4 megapixel resolution, with which I am perfectly happy ('till my next buying spree!).

I use a Sony 5.1 megapixel still camera but normaly have it set on 3 megapixels. 3 meg gives you a nice clear A4 size photograph which I reduce down to 6" X 4" for prints.

5.1 meg would give you an A3 size image which is not neccesary unless you want to print enlarged photos.

My Sony digital video camera also takes 3 megapixel photographs which is handy for the rare occasion when you want a snap but don't have time to change cameras.

quote:

I use a Sony 5.1 megapixel still camera but normaly have it set on 3 megapixels. 3 meg gives you a nice clear A4 size photograph which I reduce down to 6" X 4" for prints.

The only time where I think you'd notice any real difference between 3 and 5 MPixels would be if you were photographing something with fine detail - eg a building with lots of fancy carving on it, or something like that. 5 MPixels would give you considerably sharper detail than 3 MPixels.

Personally I always use the maximum resolution (8.2MPixel, in the case of my camera) and highest quality, on the grounds that memory is cheap, and you can throw away unnecessary detail by compressing the file, but there's no way to get back extra detail that your camera hasn't recorded.