Laptop on safari?

On 2005-01-25 06:01:20 +0100, "Scott Elliot" said:

Though you miss the opportunity to log your trip on a word processor
which I find a good thing to do.
Then you can always backup your pics on CD-R and store that somewhere
away from your computer. I always do that, and find it cheaper than
buying an extra gadget for image storage.

Geir


I find it easier to carry two smaller storage systems such as a
FlashTrax. I keep one in my carry-on with my cameras and lenses and the
other in my wife's carry on. I once had an Image Tank fail and don't
trust storing all my photos on only one device. I store each flash
card on both devices each day before reformatting in the camera for the
next day of shooting.

I don't want to spend my evenings editing photos so I don't miss a
laptop. The only thing I sometimes miss if the ability to resize photos
to an email size if I want to email some pictures to a friend.

Scott

"Bobby" wrote in message
...
Is it practical to take a laptop on safari?

I'm going on a lodge-based safari next week (in Kenya) and I would like
to take my laptop to download and process photos each evening. I also
like to write on holiday.

But I'm moving from lodge to lodge most (not every) night and I was
wondering if I might regret taking it due to the hassle.

What do you think?

Bobby


--
.................................................. ...........................
No matter where you go, there you are
.................................................. ...........................
Geir Ertzgaard
iBook g3/500
iBook G4/977
iMac G4/1.2
iMac G3/233
.................................................. ...........................
Minolta Dimage 5
Minolta Dimage F100
Minolta Dynax 5

In message
Geir Ertzgaard geir¾tertzgaarddotnet wrote:

On 2005-01-25 06:01:20 +0100, "Scott Elliot" said:

Then you can always backup your pics on CD-R and store that somewhere
away from your computer. I always do that, and find it cheaper than
buying an extra gadget for image storage.

Last year I got an Apacer CD burner which worked fine for me, and I put it
into my hold baggage because it was nothing like as expensive as a laptop.
I'd maybe rather have had an Phototainer, but by the time I'd heard of them,
they'd been raved about by at least three UK photo mags, so there wasn't one
to be had...

I also 'locked' the important pix on the camera's card, because I wanted to
be double-sure. In fact that made extremely sure, because they were also
burned onto each subsequent CD.

I did think a laptop might be good for whiling away the return journey, if
you had enough batteries! The older I get, the more tedious I find flying
and all the hanging about airports etc.

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:46:29 -0000, "Bobby"
wrote:

Is it practical to take a laptop on safari?

I'm going on a lodge-based safari next week (in Kenya) and I would like to
take my laptop to download and process photos each evening. I also like to
write on holiday.

But I'm moving from lodge to lodge most (not every) night and I was
wondering if I might regret taking it due to the hassle.

Bobby,

I travel with my laptop, because I need it to offload photos
from the camera and tracks from the GPS, to show movies, to
write my travel diary, and to communicate, for example to upload
my travel diary to my web server while I travel.

I've never declared the computer on entry or exit and don't know
what would happen if I did or if they checked me. You may want
to find out, but I think whatever you find out officially will
not be reliable anyway.

I have an inverter with me, so I can use and recharge the laptop
from the car battery. For cars that don't have a cigarette
lighter socket, I have a special cable with huge alligator
clips, so I can go to the battery directly.

In the lodges there is sufficient electricity to recharge it, so
you can use it at least some of the time, depending on battery
life.

Some lodges, like the Lake Naivasha Hotel, even offer you a
timed Internet connection. For that you have to sit down in the
secretary's office and use her telephone line or some such. I
forgot about the details.

Then there is GPRS (mobile phone Internet) roaming, but you may
want to be careful with the price. It may or may not be
bearable. Ask your service provider for GPRS roaming rates (and
be sure your mobile phone is GPRS capable and is a 900 MHz GSM
phone.

During travelling you want your laptop packed dust and shock
proof, so bring an extra bag.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:46:29 -0000, "Bobby"
wrote:

Is it practical to take a laptop on safari?

I'm going on a lodge-based safari next week (in Kenya) and I would like to
take my laptop to download and process photos each evening. I also like to
write on holiday.

But I'm moving from lodge to lodge most (not every) night and I was
wondering if I might regret taking it due to the hassle.

Bobby,

I travel with my laptop, because I need it to offload photos
from the camera and tracks from the GPS, to show movies, to
write my travel diary, and to communicate, for example to upload
my travel diary to my web server while I travel.



HG:
Sounds to me like you could lighten your load considerably, and still do all
those things, if you carried a good PDA. I just got an HP, and I'm still
learning what it can do, but so far I am wondering why the hell I've been
lugging my heavy laptop around when I can carry this thing that is about the
size of paperback.

--riverman

"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:46:29 -0000, "Bobby"
wrote:

Is it practical to take a laptop on safari?

I'm going on a lodge-based safari next week (in Kenya) and I would like to
take my laptop to download and process photos each evening. I also like to
write on holiday.

But I'm moving from lodge to lodge most (not every) night and I was
wondering if I might regret taking it due to the hassle.

Bobby,

I travel with my laptop, because I need it to offload photos
from the camera and tracks from the GPS, to show movies, to
write my travel diary, and to communicate, for example to upload
my travel diary to my web server while I travel.



HG:
Sounds to me like you could lighten your load considerably, and still do all
those things, if you carried a good PDA. I just got an HP, and I'm still
learning what it can do, but so far I am wondering why the hell I've been
lugging my heavy laptop around when I can carry this thing that is about the
size of paperback.

--riverman

riverman wrote:

Sounds to me like you could lighten your load considerably, and still do all
those things, if you carried a good PDA. I just got an HP, and I'm still
learning what it can do, but so far I am wondering why the hell I've been
lugging my heavy laptop around when I can carry this thing that is about the
size of paperback.

Sounds like you have no idea what an avid photographer can produce on
one trip. On my last trip (three weeks in New Zealand) I shot 2500
images in RAW format. That's 2500 x 15 MB (Canon 1Ds MKII), so that's
about 37 GIGAbytes. You'd need quite a PDA to hold that kind of
storage...


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

Johan W. Elzenga schreef:
On my last trip (three weeks in New Zealand) I shot 2500
images in RAW format. That's 2500 x 15 MB (Canon 1Ds MKII), so that's
about 37 GIGAbytes.

Johan, was that as a test for one of the magazines, or have you switched
"35mm" from Pentax to Canon?

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================

Hans Martens wrote:

Johan W. Elzenga schreef:
On my last trip (three weeks in New Zealand) I shot 2500
images in RAW format. That's 2500 x 15 MB (Canon 1Ds MKII), so that's
about 37 GIGAbytes.

Johan, was that as a test for one of the magazines, or have you switched
"35mm" from Pentax to Canon?

Regards,
Hans

I have switched both my 35mm and my 67 Pentax to one new system: Canon
EOS 1Ds MKII.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote in message
. ..
riverman wrote:

Sounds to me like you could lighten your load considerably, and still do
all
those things, if you carried a good PDA. I just got an HP, and I'm still
learning what it can do, but so far I am wondering why the hell I've been
lugging my heavy laptop around when I can carry this thing that is about
the
size of paperback.

Sounds like you have no idea what an avid photographer can produce on
one trip. On my last trip (three weeks in New Zealand) I shot 2500
images in RAW format. That's 2500 x 15 MB (Canon 1Ds MKII), so that's
about 37 GIGAbytes. You'd need quite a PDA to hold that kind of
storage...


Yowza! OK, you're right, you need the laptop. And a small truck to carry all
your gear!! What did you do before digital??!

What about a PDA and an external HD? My 200GB external HD is only a little
larger than my PDA. I don't know if they can be connected, but it wouldn't
surprise me if it was doable.

On another note, how do you manage all those files? I already cannot keep
track of my own personal pictures...I could not imagine trying to file 2500
images to be individually retrieveable on a moment's notice..

--riverman

riverman wrote:

Sounds like you have no idea what an avid photographer can produce on
one trip. On my last trip (three weeks in New Zealand) I shot 2500
images in RAW format. That's 2500 x 15 MB (Canon 1Ds MKII), so that's
about 37 GIGAbytes. You'd need quite a PDA to hold that kind of
storage...


Yowza! OK, you're right, you need the laptop. And a small truck to carry all
your gear!! What did you do before digital??!

I shot 70 rolls of 35mm film on a trip like that. If I took my 67 gear I
would be more selective, but it could still be 150 to 200 rolls.

What about a PDA and an external HD? My 200GB external HD is only a little
larger than my PDA. I don't know if they can be connected, but it wouldn't
surprise me if it was doable.

I would never risk my files by saving them to ONE disk only. Hard disks
can and will crash. I take a laptop and an external bus-powered FireWire
disk for backups.

On another note, how do you manage all those files? I already cannot keep
track of my own personal pictures...I could not imagine trying to file 2500
images to be individually retrieveable on a moment's notice..

First of all, nobody shoots only perfect pictures. I used to throw away
slides that aren't perfect, now I delete digital images that aren't.
Secondly, it's not so much different than before. Having to find one
particular image among 2500 digital files is no more difficult (in fact
it's much less difficult) than having to find one particular slide out
of 2500 slides. There are very good catalog programs, such as iView
Multimedia Pro to keep track of your images.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/