You
don't have to be a National Geographic photographer to take your camera
on the road, but you might need a few accessories to take the best
photos and keep them safe. I've rounded up some gear designed for
traveling photographers.
Put
it in a proper bag: If you're still stuffing your camera into a
backpack made for schoolbooks--or not using a bag at all--consider
upgrading. You'll find a million bags for sale, but you can narrow the
field by looking for a design that suits your lifestyle and equipment (a
backpack versus a messenger bag, for example). Select a bag with a
healthy amount of padding and with compartments for lenses and
accessories. Some bags also have room for electronics such as an iPad or
a laptop. Check out go.macworld.com/cambags for additional pointers.
Keep
the rain away: With rare exceptions, cameras aren't made to thrive in
wet environments. At a minimum, avoid damage to your camera and lenses
from unexpected showers by grabbing a disposable rain cover such as the
Op/Tech USA Rainsleeve (two for $7; go.macworld.com/rainsleeve); you can
even use it to take smartphone photos in the rain. For a roundup of
heavy-duty camera covers, see go.macworld.com/raincover.
Carry
spares: Equip yourself with two fully charged batteries--one in your
camera and a spare in your bag--plus a charger if you're going to be
away from home for more than a day. And since memory cards are
crazy-cheap these days, carry two or more cards. Don't rely on a single
card, no matter how big it is, because if you do and it fails, you're
out of business.
Use
your phone for sharing: We've long been fans of the Eye-Fi memory card,
which can use Wi-Fi to upload photos to your Mac. When you're on the
go, you might appreciate the new Eye-Fi Mobi (starting at $50 for 8GB;
www.eye.fi), which can send photos from your camera to your phone for
posting to sharing services.
Improve
your flash: Need to use your flash on a shot? The Lightscoop
(www.lightscoop.com) bounces and diffuses light from a built-in flash
for better results--and it takes up almost no space in your bag. Choose
between the original Lightscoop (for DSLRs; $30) and the Lightscoop Jr.
version (for compact cameras; $19).
Steady
your camera: Tripods are big, bulky, and clumsy. For a lightweight,
compact alternative, try the Joby Gorilla-Pod (joby.com); the Original
model costs $20, while the fanciest of the other five models runs $100.
Or check out The Pod (thepod.ca), a beanbag with a tripod mount. Prices
range from $8 to $45.
Consider
carrying a laptop and cable: If you're going to be away for more than a
day or two and you want to protect your photos, your first line of
defense is a laptop. Bring one along with a memory card reader or USB
cable, and you can copy photos to it each evening for safekeeping and
editing. Another option is to store your photos on an iPad, with help
from the Camera Connection Kit ($29; go.macworld.com/camconnect).
Prepare
to back up: Also consider carrying an external hard drive with you. The
decision here comes down to how neurotic you are about ensuring that
you've protected and backed up your photos. A palm-size hard drive such
as Seagate's Slim Portable Drive (go.macworld.com/slim) costs less than
$100, holds 500GB of data, and connects without requiring external
power.
Keep Things Safe A good bag and a rain cover are essential items for protecting your gear during travel.
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By DAVE JOHNSON
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See point & shoot cameras resources you can find here!
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