Hi All, just had a 256 and 128 cfc dumped onto 3 CDs by Wal-Mart for $3.84 each - some deal! and had choice shots from the 900 odd photos printed at $.29 each - excellent color and great price. Who needs a printer?? Being new to digital, what is the shelf life for pics stored on a cd? Is it better than the flash card? I want to feel safe in deleting all the pics from my flash card, in the hopes that 10 years from now my CDs will not go "bad" and they will play on a DVD player with no problem. However...just think what if in 10 years there is no such thing as a dvd player and instead some new techno gizmo... what then? At least with the flash card I can replay the photos from my camera onto my TV as a slide show...HELLLP! Many thanks!

Roxy,

There are definite differences in CD lifetime length. Here's a link to a good article about this.

http://www.silverace.com/dottyspotty/issue12.html

The Mitsui Gold CDRs are considered to be the best still being made. Their life is supposed to be in the 200-300 year range (versus just a few years for cheap CDs). I ordered 100 today. That was the minimum order. I've got a few friends that will take some off my hands. I believe the price was about 85 cents each (plus shipping). In the grand scheme of things, that sounds incredibly inexpensive to me. After they arrive, I'll burn copies of my pictures on 2 sets of CDs. Right now I've still got the pictures on the CF cards plus on the hard drive (plus on the second hard drive used for backup). I'll definitely free up the cards afterwards. The game plan will be to keep an entire set of CDs in a safety deposit box just in case disaster should strike some day.

Mike

Hi Bob and Mike, thanks so much for the valuable info and yes to when the times were more simple. I was surprised at 900 pics also...I just kept clicking away. Next I have to learn to delete more. But sometimes a shot is memorable to me, but not necessarily printing worthy. But, when the time came to sort thru on the Wal-Mart PC for printing it took about 2 hours+. Unfortunately I still have Windows 95 so pc alternatives are not for me just yet...another fall project- a new pc maybe a notebook. I do love flipping thru my photo albums tho! Happy Trails!

Is it possible to have my digital photos transferred from the card to a CD by a photo processing shop anywhere?

Hi margaretc, if the photo shop has the equipment to dump flash cards onto c/ds - yes...not all do. You might want to try the photo area of a large one-stop-shop store like Wal-Mart...don't know if you have that specific store down under, but I am sure you have an equivalent.

Margaret:

Over the long haul, and maybe even the short haul, you'll probably save money by doing your cds yourself. A card reader that plugs into your USB port will cost less than US$25-probably the cost of one cd's worth of pics.

If you don't have a cd burner, a fast (52X) can be bought of less than US$50.

Glenn
www.pbase.com/gsrunyan

Hi Glenn, I still have windows 95. Will it accommodate a reader to burn cds? What is your opinion on storage and shelf life? Do you use these super gold ones? Your shots are great and funny thing, that mime in Rome was just outside the palace at Versailles in July! It was so hot I could not imagine how he survived smothered in that gold lame sheathing.

Roxy:
No, I don't think Win95 will handle a card reader-they all plug into a USB port and native Win95 does not support USB, if you have one.

Microsoft no longer supports Win95. You really should upgrade-at least some. Win98 will support USB. Win2000 or WinXP would be better-I prefer Win2000 because Microsoft is not monitoring what's in my box.

The mime was a female. I have seen mimes in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. Seems to be an acting form lost in the US. I think their cool and it is hard work.

Glenn
www.pbase.com/gsrunyan

Hi Glenn, thanks for your reply. Yes, my next venture will be a more "cutting edge" pc. The current budget went for my tour and the digital camera. Somehow this winter I shall have to shake the money tree and make a notebook or laptap materialize....before it's again time to plop down a deposit on a 2004 tour! I, too, love those mimes ...last Nov. there was a magnificent one of the Statue of Liberty in gold at the dock in Sydney Harbor.

Hi Margaret

Most local photographic stores (Kodak Express, Rabit, etc) can do this relatively cheaply. Paxtons, for example, charge $5 to download to CD. I think K Mart and Hardly Normal will also do it. Have a browse through the Central Coast Yellow Pages under Photographic Processing. You should find something local in there.
Good luck
Sandi

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have been thinking of getting a card reader but in the meantime I'll check out Kodak Express and "Hardly Normal" in my area.

Margaret,

Doesn't your camera come with a serial or USB cable? If it does, your camera is also a "card reader."

Yes I can download through the camera but I was actually thinking of having my photos transferred to a CD while travelling thus enabling me to re-use the card.

Thanks Cats, I have noticed that prices of the cards are dropping.

CDs will last a good long time unless you manage to scratch them. I always make 2 copies of anything REALLY important and test to make sure both copies work. One copy goes to a secure place and the other copy gets used.

Compact Flash cards are "volatile" storage, and should not be used for long-term storage. They, like floppy disks, are susceptable to strong magnetic fields, electric shock, static electricity, excessive cold, excessive heat and humidity...

Best thing to do is to burn your pics off the CF as soon as you get home. Some computer stores will even do this for you for a nominal charge and if you ask nicely...