Camera Accessories – Waterproofing, Power Packs & Digital Image Storage
Camera Accessories – Waterproofing, Power Packs & Digital Image Storage
WaterproofingA waterproof camera housing is essential in situations such as shooting from a canoe or when sailing – not just if total immersion is likely.
Power packsThe power capacity in cameras and flash units is necessarily a compromise between portability and functionality. If you need relatively large amounts of power on the move – for example, an extended period covering a festival or carnival, a large wedding, or a long hike in the cold – then it is best to carry a separate battery pack. The pack may be designed to screw into the tripod bush of the camera or larger ones can be carried on a waist belt.
Before buying a power pack, confirm that it is compatible with your camera and that you are given the correct lead: not only must the power supply be correct, it must have the correct polarity – errors could damage your camera.
Digital image storageWhen travelling with a digital camera it is often impractical, and always inconvenient, to carry a laptop computer for storing image files. One alternative is the Digital Wallet or Nixvue: a small hard-disk holding 6GB or more of data and equipped with slots for reading CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, IBM Microdrive, and other memory card devices. Data can be copied straight off the card devices onto the drive. Their data capacity should be sufficient even for a major extended expedition.
The Iomega FotoShow reads CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards, saving data on removable 250MB Zip disks. It can be powered from the mains or a car battery.
