Before you even start packing, make sure you know how to use your camera. Way too many parents buy digital cameras the day before going on vacation, only to get to their destinations and realize that they don’t know how to transfer or delete images. If you’re in a rush, just be sure to pack the user manual.
Label your digital camera and, if you can, take a picture of it for insurance purposes. Write the make, model, serial number, and retail price on the back of the picture - then stash the picture at home. If the unlikely does happen to you, at least you’ll have good documentation to hand the insurance company. Still, you can prevent your camera from being swiped by packing it in your carry-on rather than checked baggage as well as keeping it hidden when walking the streets. Don’t flaunt your camera or offer it to a stranger to take a picture of you and the family; only let someone hold your digital camera if you’re sure you can outrun them!
On all vacations, be sure to have extra memory cards or a hard drive on which to transfer images (pack that USB cable or card reader too). Extra batteries always help too, especially if a camera has a published battery life below 350 shots per charge. Some models require specially branded batteries made only by the manufacturer; order these long before vacation because they’re rarely in stock even at specialty camera stores.
- The Road Trip.
If you’re still in the market for a digital camera, one with optical image stabilization would be good for this trip. If you’re driving for long hours and the driver isn’t planning on stopping, you’ll need a camera that isn’t prone to snapping blurry pictures – and the image stabilization can help keep pictures shot from the car window nice and crisp. You may also want a wide-angle lens to get plenty of landscape shots, but this can be done on compact digital cameras with a panorama stitching mode or widescreen image size too.
- The Beach.
If your camera came with a lens hood, make sure you take it to keep the sun from glaring on the lens’ glass. You can keep sand out of the camera by encasing it in a clear plastic bag and cutting a small hole for the lens. This should let you view images and navigate the menu just fine, but will keep the elements out. Some digital cameras may not need this though; the Olympus Stylus 720 SW and some of the Pentax Optio WP digital cameras have rubber sealants within the housing to keep dust and moisture out. Those cameras are also waterproof to depths of 10 ft. That is enough for some casual snorkeling, but scuba divers should look into an underwater housing made by the camera manufacturer. Unfortunately, most underwater housings cost almost as much as the digital camera itself. Finally, be sure to pack a neck or wrist strap so that slight tilt in the boat doesn’t send your digital camera overboard.
- The Theme Park.
If you are sick of riding the Dumbo train over and over, give yourself an excuse and take some pictures of your child rather than riding next to him or her. Photographing will be much easier and look much better with a long zoom lens. You can get great close-up shots of the wide eyes, big mouth, and flared nostrils while your child is enjoying that thrilling ride.
