I have a little Nikon 6300 digital camera. And, I have several mem cards (Sandisk EXTREME 16 mb to accurately save video). Don't know how many minutes of video a card will save. But I'm a superstitious man. If something should happen to that camera; hit by lightning, fall into the Seine, or fall victim to an act of "grab 'n go, I'm suddenly without the once-in-a-lifetime photos stored therein (our only trip ever to Paris). The man to blame will be me. In the states I can find a Walmart and pay them $3 to save it all on a DVD. In Paris will I have a problem getting a DVD, then erasing all on my card?? Will that French disk work in my Mac back in the states?? Won't have a computer with me in Paris. I once found that a VHS tape made in Asia is a different systemI paid a U.S. company $25 to convert to our system of VCR players. Is a disk affected by X-Rays?? Can I recharge the Nikon by plugging the charger into the wall with only the Northern Europe wall adapter?? (The charger says 100 volt to 240 volt.)
Thanks for any guidance in this regard...
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
lindley, I'll try to provide a few answers to your questions. Your Camera manual should provide information on how much video you'll be able to save on a 16 GB card (I assume you meant "GB" and not "MB"). How many Memory Cards will you be travelling with? I'd suggest buying a few more, as memory is cheap at the moment. I picked up a 32 GB SD card the other day for $24.99, which is an extremely good price. I would suggest NOT erasing the Memory Cards. One method I often use is to store memory cards in my Money Belt when they're full. Even if the Camera is lost / stolen / damaged, I'll still have most of my photos. Depending on how many photos and video shots you take, it should be possible to pack along adequate memory capacity for the trip. I don't know if a DVD recorded in France will work here, as I've never tried. Commercial DVD's tend to be restricted by region, but with photos I suspect that it would work. The problem you ran into with the VHS tape occurred because there are three different video formats for different parts of the world - NTSC (used here), PAL and SECAM. DVD's aren't affected by X-Rays AFAIK, nor are Memory Cards. If the Charger for your Camera states "Input Voltage 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz", then it will work fine in Europe with only a Plug Adaptor. The appropriate Adapter for France has two round pins (for the non-grounding model). As you may be aware, it's always a good idea to format new Memory Cards in the Camera prior to using them. That also goes for cards that you wish to re-use. Happy travels!
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
there are plenty foto shops in paris you can drop your cards off and have them create dvds for you. more expensive than in the US. Typically it'll take a few hours so you can drop off and do your site seeing, then return later to pick up everything.
Posted by
Overland Park, KS
102 posts
Ah...your original post, ok. I agree with the other poster...however, I would NEVER drop off my memory card with a shop in France or Walmart or anywhere else without backing it up first, but that's just me. I would have lots of cards. For me, I might do the 32G for video but I prefer to use 8G or 16G for my photos. I figure if a 32G or 64G gets lost, damaged, corrupted, or whatever that's just more pictures that I have lost so I keep it smaller but again that is just me. Are you taking a laptop with you? or a smaller, notebook? I like to copy my photos every night, so I have at least 2 copies. I never erase my cards until I am home and have copies on 2 different hard drives. If you are going to carry your Memory Cards in your money belt, I would suggest protecting them from moisture. If it is a little warm, your money belt can get a little damp and I don't think the moisture would be very good for the cards. I'm not sure about french DVD's playing in U.S. systems but I do know that we bought an Italian DVD and we have an Indian DVD and neither one work in our player...not sure if they will play in our computers or not. The charger will work as long as you have the European plug adapter to use.
Posted by
OP
Gresham, OR, USA
40 posts
AAhhhh. A treasure trove of ideas and strategies for me...or anybody. Merci, merci!!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Since you aren't traveling with a computer, I would suggest you do as Ken said and take a number of memory cards. They are small and easy to stash away safely, as well as an inexpensive alternative that you know will work when you get home.