What do I need for European conversions?

[Danielle]

OK, so I'm looking to jump on the Digital Camera bandwagon. I've been using a 35mm and buying a photo CD w/ my prints for the past year, and I definitely want to completely convert over to digital sooner rather than later.

The camera I'm thinking of is the Pentax Optio 30 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001FFMBQ/ref=ord_cart_shr/102-7075292-2539369?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance. It seems like a great little camera at an amazing price! Any thoughts? Suggestions?

My main question is, what else am I going to need to purchase for a 2 month backpacking trip to Europe? For storage I'm thinking of using my 15gb ipod and the Belkin media reader www.dpreview.com/news/0310/03101701belkinipodadapt.asp. So, what kind of converters, plugs, battery chargers, batteries am I going to need for this? Basically - what else am I going to need to buy in order to keep the camera charged and be able to transfer pictures to the ipod while in Europe? Also, how many photos can I expect to be able to store using the ipod? Enough for an avid photographer over 2 months?

Thanks so much in advance!

~Danielle

[Eagle]

DANIELLE, a few comments on your Post.......

I don't have much information on the particular Camera you specified, so can't provide much advice on this. I don't think this has been reviewed on DP Review yet, but Steve's Digicams had a favourable review on this model. I tend to prefer Canon Digital Cameras, so that's what I'm most familiar with (I really like the features provided by the DIGIC chip). The Pentax Optio 30 appears to be more of an "automatic" Camera, so if you think you might want more flexibility with exposure settings, shutter / aperature priority etc. as your capabilities grow, you might want to consider other models.

With regard to storage during a 2-month back packing trip, I suppose the Ipod & Belkin Media Reader would suffice, however this combination hasn't been getting very good reviews by many users on different Forums that I've seen lately. The Belkin is reported to be extremely slow in transferring images to the IPod. In addition, it's apparently very "power hungry", requiring it's own supply of "AA" batteries. Check the "Cameras" section at thorntree.lonelyplanet.com and I'm sure you will find lots of comments on this. Also, have a look at www.adrianwarren.com as there is lots of information there on storing images during travel. As much as I like the IPod, this wouldn't be my first choice for image storage when travelling.

I'm also looking for some method to store digital images before my next trip, and have been considering several different options. I've been "leaning towards" the FlashTrax unit, as this seems to be getting very positive reviews by the majority of users, and the company which makes this also seems to be providing excellent after-sales support. I like the ability to verify that the images are saved, although the LCD screen on the FlashTrax is admittedly not the best. The ability to replay a "slide show" using either NTSC or PAL TV's is also nice, and the fact this is also an MP-3 player is a bonus!!! The only "downside" to this product seems to be mediocre battery life.

Another option would be the Apacer Disk Steno (or similar units), which are basically a CD "burner" with built-in memory card reader. Some travellers like to "burn" their photos to CD, send one home and keep one with them. I considered that but didn't want the hassle of packing around a bunch of blank CD's.

With regards to batteries and chargers for your Camera, it appears that the Optio 30 uses AA batteries so you will have no problem travelling with this. Rather than re-post a bunch information that's already on the board, check the "Charging Batteries" thread in this section. In summary, you will need high capacity (2100 mAH or better) rechargeable AA Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. Buy at least four batteries, so that you have a spare set.

With the Battery Charger, make sure that it is capable of use on either 115 VAC or 240 VAC input (in other words, a "travel charger"). It appears from your profile that you live in North America, so any charger you buy will be supplied with the usual NA plug configuration, so you will also need to purchase Plug Adaptors for each of the regions you will be travelling in. You can purchase a suitable AA Travel Battery Charger as well as the Plug Adaptors either at www.magellans.com , most Radio Shack stores, or travel / luggage stores that also carry travel accessories.

With regard to how many images you can store, this will depend somewhat on what resolution and compression you select when taking digital photos. With a 3.2 MP Camera I suspect you will have a capacity of about 610+ images per GB at highest resolution & compression. I normally use maximum resolution, as in most cases I won't have the opportunity to re-take them if I decide later to get an enlargement or whatever (my camera has a larger file size due to the 5 MP image sensor, so I only get about 410 images per GB). It will also depend on the size of the Hard Drive on your IPod and the space available once the music is loaded. One important point, as you're an "avid photographer" make sure you have adequate Memory Card capacity to last through a day's shooting!

Hopefully, this information will be of some help in your camera purchase and in preparing for travel with this. I prefer not to recommend a particular camera model, as everyone's needs and preferences are different. What works well for me might not be as suitable for others. Good luck with this!!!

[Eagle]

DANIELLE, I almost forgot. When you're choosing your Camera, make sure you consider the costs of memory cards. Of all the formats available these days (CF, SD, XD, Memory Stick), CF still seems to be the most cost effective per MB. These also seem to have the largest capacities, and those Cameras that can use both Type I and Type II CF cards have the ability to use the Micro Drives (basically a small HD built into a CF card).

In addition, many of the accessory devices that are supplied with memory card readers are supplied with CF readers as "standard equipment" (the FlashTrax is a good example). If you want to use another type of memory card, an "adapter" is often required at a cost of $50.00 or more. The Adapter is another thing that you have to pack around while you're travelling, with the inherent possibilities of loss or theft.

I wasn't sure if this would be a factor in your purchase decision, but just thought I'd mention it as it was definetely one of the main criteria I considered when purchasing my Camera. Cheers!!!

[Danielle]

Wow! Thanks! You've certainly given me a lot to think about!

Even though I know all the pitfalls of the ipod, I'm trying to come up with the most cost effective solution. This seems like the cheapest way to go that will still give me the storage I need. I'm on an extremely tight budget for this trip, so the more pennys I can pinch the better!

But, thanks so much again! If I have any other camera questions, you're definitely the person to ask! ;D

[dougj]

personally I'd suggest buying a bunch of cf cards. that's what I decided to do for my upcoming trip instead of buying a portable storage unit or microdrive. I'd much rather lose 256 megs of photos than my whole trip. I never shoot at full resolution (after producing excellent 8x10 prints with a 1.3 meg canon a10 I don't see the point) and can store about 250 photos using my dimage 7hi (5mp) and a 256 card.
if you do consider a microdrive, make sure the specific model is compatible with your camera, especially if you're buying from ebay. there are a lot of people selling incompatible drives and advertising that they work. I know, I bought one only to discover it didn't work with my camera.