Tips: Taking your digital camera on vacation

It's vacation time and you're probably heading for the beach, park, or mountains armed with your trusty digital camera. Here are some things to keep in mind when packing to make sure you come home with lots of memorable shots:

Maximize your memory cards. If you haven't transferred all your old photos from the cards to your computer, do so before you leave. Then delete those photos from the cards, so you'll have as much free storage space as possible. If you typically shoot lots of photos on trips, figure out if you need to buy more storage before you leave. Remember that shooting video takes up a lot more storage than still photos.

Get your batteries into shape. Make sure you have at least two rechargeable batteries that are compatible with your camera, which will allow you to charge one in your room while you're out shooting. Or, if you're the cautious type, keep a fully-charged spare in your pocket—just in case—while you're out shooting that once-in-a-lifetime sight. Before leaving home, use the camera to check the batteries' levels and make sure they're all fully charged. And don't forget your wall charger. (If you're traveling abroad, make sure to bring an appropriate converter and wall-socket adapter). If your camera uses AA batteries, either bring an extra set of rechargeables, or buy disposables as the need arises.

Check your zoom. If you have a point-and-shoot, a 3x zoom is fine for routine shots, but if your goal is to get close-ups of wildlife or shoot panoramic scenes, you'll need a more powerful zoom and wide-angle capability. Our digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) tell you which models have those features.

Bring the right lenses. If you have an SLR, decide if your existing lenses will suit your needs. If you're shooting Yosemite, you may need to borrow or buy a compatible wide-angle lens (fixed or zoom). Also bring lens caps to protect lenses when not in use, lens hoods to prevent sun flare, and a lens cloth (or the one you use for your eyeglasses) to wipe off dust and moisture.

Pack smart. Save space by using bubble wrap for lenses, instead of bulky lens cases. If you're flying, keep all your rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the carry-on; they're no longer permitted in checked luggage. Take locks for your luggage. If you must leave camera equipment in a room without a safe (or don't want to use the hotel's main safe), you will at least be able to make them less accessible by locking them in one of your bags. And don't worry about airport X-ray machines; unlike film, memory cards aren't damaged by them.

—Jeff Fox

Comments

[JoshG]

Another valuable tip would be to label your contact information inside your camera bag, and perhaps on the inside of the camera somewhere, like on the battery compartment. I recently lost my camera while traveling and even if someone found it whom would like to return it they'd be hard pressed to find me unless they find my lost/found ads. If I had only put my contact info in the camara/case I may not have lost such important memories.

[David Levine]

My wife and I learned from experience - instead of taking one memory card with a lot of memory, consider taking multiple smaller memory cards. This way, if your camera gets stolen (or you lose it), you only lose the pictures currently on the card in the camera, not all of your vacation photos.