Keeping Your Digital Camera Alive And Well

If you’re out taking pictures and a problem arises, it’s not always easy to fix it.Try a better way!A popular saying is, “The best defense is a good offense.” And the best offense here is to avoid problems with your digital camera in the first place.

That’s not to say things aren’t going to happen that are unexpected and unavoidable.Taking a few precautions, however, would prevent many of the common problems photographers have when out taking pictures.

Dead Batteries

There’s nothing worse than missing that great picture because the camera battery died.The answer is to absolutely always have extra batteries in your camera case.Keep a spare battery on hand whether you use regular or rechargeable batteries..

Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.Frigid temperatures and digital batteries aren’t compatible. The batteries die a lot quicker, so it might be a good idea to keep two or more spares when out in the cold.

Yes, batteries are expensive, but it’s worth the spending a little extra money to keep from beating your head against the wall because a dead battery made you miss that once in a lifetime shot.

When Cards Go Bad

A while back I went on vacation and took all my pictures on one card.I thought I had lots of wonderful pictures from my trip.I knew I’d filled that card with lots of great pictures.

The scenery was indeed breathtaking, but what really took my breath away was when I tried to load the pictures onto my computer and got one of those dreaded “ERROR” messages.The card wasn’t any good and all the files were corrupted.If the memory card is bad, there’s no pictures to retrieve.

While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.Avoiding this problem is a good reason to have two or more smaller memory cards instead of one huge GB card.Get a couple of 1-GB cards, for example, instead of buying a 2-GB card.

Yes, it’s cheaper to buy a huge bunch of gigabytes on one card.But what are your pictures worth? If you lose that one card, you’ve lost ALL your pictures.Be smart.It’s comforting to at least have some of your pictures in case of disaster, instead of losing every one of them.

Remember, two cards are better than one.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

The weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe you just like pictures of rain.Perhaps you’re in a boat or at the seashore and somewhere else with a damp environment.Messing up your camera is to be avoided, but you want to get some pictures.Is there any way to keep your camera dry?

Well, you can buy protective gear to keep in your camera case for such times. Places like B & H Photo or Calumet Photographic stores carry waterproof cases. However, if it’s just an occasional thing, you might not want to spend money for such equipment.

For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.Forgot to put a plastic bag in your camera case? If you’re traveling, try looking in your motel room for a clear disposable shower cap to use.

Planning Ahead Saves Your Sanity

If planning ahead doesn’t save your sanity, it will at least improve your chances for good pictures with your digital camera.A dry camera, good cards and batteries, will provide you with the best opportunity to get good pictures.

And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?

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