Don't Laugh: Digital Camera Question
 

With all the new TSA reguations and intensive x-raying, is it safe to pack memory cards for digital cameras in your checked baggage and carry-ons?

Yes they will have no effect on them, That's one of the advantages of going digital.

Hi Kathryn
We were in and out of airports a few times this past March, I carry our digital camera and memory cards in my purse. Everything was perfectly fine.

One of the nice things about digital photography is that if there is ever a problem with your "film" (i.e., memory), you will know it immediately because you will not be able to display the image afterward. Of course, the possibility always exists that you may damage the card after you fill it up with photographs, but routine security X-rays should not cause any damage.

However, at the cost of the cameras and cards I strongly recommend they go in your carryon. Valuables should NOT be checked.

I am planning on taking my new digital camera with me to England in September. Does anyone know of a place that will download your memory sticks onto a cd. That way I won't feel like I need to get more memory sticks. LOLOL

I have the same question. Those memory sticks are expensive! Do Internet cafes have computers with CD writers on them?

What about an i-pod? Can they be used to download pic's? Assuming you have a fire wire port on your camera.

X-Rays have always been a concern at security with traditional film but now with digital. X-Rays are high intensity light. Of course, when a shutter opens, it's light that imprints the film so x-rays just amplify the effect until the film is ruined.

Digital media contains no light sensitive material. Back in the days when laptop computers first came out, it was hard to convince people that the airport x-ray machines weren't going to harm their hard drives or data. A few people even swore that the machines erased their drives. Actually though, hard drives and disks are magnetic and would be more harmed by the metal detectors you walk through, and by the hand carried wands that security carry than by the xray machines. These devices use electromagnetic fields to detect metal coming through. If you've ever run a magnet over a diskette, you know that this will erase or damage the data.

Although much of camera memory is more along the lines of latched memory than mag these days, you're better off keeping the memory cards in your carry on bag and putting them through the xray than in carrying them in your pocket.

traditional film but "not" with digital.

My typing, my typing.... tsk.

There is a very good website for learning about digital cameras and their use. http://dpreview.com/

You can really get an education on photography from the posters, much like Fodorites provide a wealth of info on traveling. Check out the "Forums" for your type of camera to get the tricks, and the forum for "Storage & Media" to learn about digital data banks. A valuable resource of information for travelers who like to digitally capture what they see.

keep it in your carry-on... you shouldn't put valuables like that in checked baggage anyways but I wouldn't want to chance any electronics being damaged by the new high-powered screening equipment

some camera shops might be able to burn your images to CD. (I didn't pay much attention my last trip, but i may do that this year) i took a reader for my smartmedia cards and it wouldn't work in the only cafe i tried. (easyInternet in London).

The only other option would be to lug around a laptop PC or a specially-rigged notebook hard drive for downloading.

You didn't say where in England you were going, but here is a list of Internet Cafe's in London.

http://iic4.duyan.com/NetCafes.html

I do know that Kinko's, which heads the list, can burn a CD for you from the images... others may be able to as well...

sorry. I forgot to put where we were going to be. We are staying in Portsmouth. Thank you for the info.

There are a number of portable storage devices available now. These are baically a small laptop-style hard-drive, LCD screen, battery-pack, and memory card slot.

I have a Mindstor, which is a bit out of date now. A new device that looks interesting is the Archos Multimedia Jukebox. This is based on an MP3 player with a 20MB hard drive, but also has a color LCD screen and adaptor slot to accept storage cards for downloading digital photos.

Here's a link to the product info on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...s&n=507846