Storage drive or just limit number of shots I take?

I have a dilemma. I am off on holiday to The Gambia next week and currently only have 4GB of CF.
Do I spend £150 on a portable storage device, bearing in mind I bought one a couple of years ago and never used it so eBay'ed it, and sell it after the holiday.

or

Just do like we used to with film and limit myself to the amount of film I am carrying (4GB). Perhaps if I limit myself then I would think more before shooting and perhaps come home with better shots. Or will I get there and just keep bugging my wife every five minutes with "I wish I had bough some more storage!!!"?

There are three things you could do.

One is get some sort of device to offload your memory cards.

Another is to get more memory cards (never a bad thing to have, just in case you forget one at home when you take off on a trip).

A third thing you could do is to occasionally go through the shots you have made and weed out the obviously bad shots by deleting them in the camera. This lets you stretch your available "film" in the field.

I was trying to limit the amount of cash I outlay. The £150 for the storage device is affordable as is a few more CF cards but I wouldn't really use the storage device when I got home and don't really need more than 4GB of CF in one day so that would be a waste too.

But wouldn't it be a real shame to go with only 4 GB and maybe fill it up before you shot everything you would like to shoot?

How long is your holliday? Do you shoot jpg or raw?

Later this year when I go 3 weeks to Namibia I am taking plenty of storage with me. I simply don't want to risk running out of storage. I will bring 20 GB in cards (for use in 2 cameras) and a small laptop I can dump photos on to a 160 GB hd. After the holliday I would much rather find that I "only" needed 10 GB rather than curse myself for only bringing 10 GB when I could have used 20 GB.

Just my thoughts.

Anke wrote in post #2570028
I was trying to limit the amount of cash I outlay. The £150 for the storage device is affordable as is a few more CF cards but I wouldn't really use the storage device when I got home and don't really need more than 4GB of CF in one day so that would be a waste too.

I will repeat my "Murphy's Law" reason to have more memory cards.

I went to a large birthday party for a friend, at which I intended to take a lot of photos. When I got there (a significant distance from home), I found my camera's memory card slot empty. Thinking for a moment, I realized the 2GB card that usually lives there was in the card reader at home. That could have been a show-stopper, but I had two more (now four more) 1GB cards in the camera bag. So, after one quick "aw #$%@" to get over my stupidity I grabbed one of the spare cards and started shooting.

Think of the other possibilities on a trip - dropping a memory card and stepping on it accidentally, etc..... Having more memory cards in the bag is always a plus.

All good points. I shoot in RAW and am off for 10 days. Its looking like about 50 or so shots a day (two rolls of film). Did we ever shoot more than that when we shot film?!?!

As far as storage device is concerned, its going to be the Nexto if I do get one.

Anke wrote in post #2570083
Its looking like about 50 or so shots a day (two rolls of film). Did we ever shoot more than that when we shot film?!?!

I have, for sure. When shooting Formula 1 races in Europe back in the 1960's I'd often go through ten to fifteen rolls of 35mm film (36 shots each) and a few rolls of 120 film as well per day. I wasn't even getting paid to do the shoots, though I did get some stuff published in the Stars & Stripes newspaper - the American military newspaper for those stationed in Europe.

I don't shoot that much on most ordinary vacation (holiday) trips to be sure, but there are times.....

Of course the biggest limit to my picture taking is the fact that I am on holiday with my wife and she'll probably be tapping her foot and sighing quite loudly when I try and explain that this piece of rubbish on the floor "will make a great picture, I promise!"

Any thoughts on the Nexto Storage Device too?

Anke wrote in post #2570093
Of course the biggest limit to my picture taking is the fact that I am on holiday with my wife and she'll probably be tapping her foot and sighing quite loudly when I try and explain that this piece of rubbish on the floor "will make a great picture, I promise!"

I've been there.....

Anke wrote in post #2570093
Of course the biggest limit to my picture taking is the fact that I am on holiday with my wife and she'll probably be tapping her foot and sighing quite loudly when I try and explain that this piece of rubbish on the floor "will make a great picture, I promise!"

I was on a non-photography tour and still managed 100 shots/day average. Your wife will presumably also be finding the location exotic and interesting enough to spend a little more time looking.

I had 20+GB of cards, a very small laptop w/DVD burner and an 80 GB FlashTrax. Cards were backed up to all of the above. Make sure you have at least 20 GB of storage or you will regret it.

You can buy 4GD CF's from 7dayshop for £18 ... buy 3 and sell them for the same or more on ebay when you get back. Alternatively, get a Creative Zen Video W which is a great MP3 player and video player with a CF slot (add several of your DVD's to watch on your hotel TV during dead time too). Cost £180 or so off ebay. Mine is great.

Thanks guys. I do now know I need more storage. Question is, do I spend my budgeted £150 on 6GB of good quality CF or lug a Nexto PSD around?

I'd get the bigger CF card.. but if you're really wanting to save money, bring some CD's or DVD's, and find and internet cafe, and bring a card reader.. then just upload them to the PC and burn to disc.

Internet cafe. Gambia. ))))