Easy Tips To Keeping Your Digital Camera In Good Working Order
Filed under Reviews
A problem with your digital camera when you’re out taking pictures isn’t always fixable.Try a different plan!Football fans will tell you, “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.Don’t let dead batteries be a problem. The solution is to always keep spare batteries in your camera case.If you use regular batteries, or if you use rechargeable batteries, keep at least one spare handy..
Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.If you like taking pictures outside in snow, a couple of extra batteries might be wise instead of just one. Digital batteries just don’t last as long when it’s 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 just knew I had lots of super photos.I knew that card was jam packed with 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 files were ruined because the memory card was corrupted.That means no access and no pictures.
While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.This is a good reason to have two or more smaller memory cards for your digital camera instead of one big one.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.It’s a risk however. If that card gets corrupted, you’ve lost every last one of those pictures.Don’t rely on one card and regret it later.Much better to only lose part of your pictures than to lose every last 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.Maybe you’re in some other wet environment.You want some pictures, but you don’t want a ruined camera.So what can you do?
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.If you only have the rare run in with a wet environment, you might not want to spend that much money on waterproof casing however.
For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.If you don’t have a plastic bag in your camera case and you’re traveling, grab one of those disposable shower caps and use it.
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.At least with a dry, usable camera, charged batteries and extra memory cards you can take a bunch of pictures.
And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?
