Hi All

Can anyone share their experience on Internet cafe's or other services where digital camera's can be linked to PC's and images downloaded, either onto e-mails or personal websites?

We're travelling to Nepal, SE Asia, then Aus/NZ for 6-7 months in all. I'm taking an SLR, but thought it might be great to send back the odd image to family and friends back in London. There are several cheap pocket size digital cameras, which wouldn't break the bank or my back carrying them and offer USB cables or (slightly more expensive) memory cards.

A quick enquiry in Jessop's produced a resounding NO, they don't provide any such facilities as you only get a keyboard or screen, hence no way of installing the drivers and software. I do not doubt the guy’s camera technology knowledge, but I'd be grateful for fellow travellers experiences. I'm sure there must be some services given the boom in digital technology.

If someone has been able to do this, advice on cheap/free websites providing space for such pictures would also be appreciated.

Many thanks all
Dave

There is a Computer/Camera forum on the Lonely Planet site where the digital to internet question is address quite frequently. In short, it ain't easy.

One way is to have your files burned to CD, insert the CD, downsize to something reasonable to send (full size files take forever) and send.

For a good upload site check out www.pbase.com. (Take a look at my galleries and see if you like the format.)

And, don't skimp too much on the digital - they're addictive. I recently gave my 35mm SLR and lenses away (after 35 years of film shooting).

bob
www.pbase.com\bobtrips
Photos from Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand

Even IF you can find internet cafes that will let you plug your USB cable into their computers, the biggest problem is device drivers. Most will not have the drivers installed for your camera.

This is not a problem if they are running XP and you have a new camera, but chances are it is going to be difficult.

I am still taking my SLR and scanning the results into digital format - best of both worlds.

If you are going digital you also have to worry about chargers and voltage and no kid is going to sell you a 64mb flash memory card on top of a temple in Cambodia. Kodak film on the other hand can be found everywhere..

www.dmfreedom.com

www.dmfreedom.com

Chargers (multi-voltage) are about the size of two rolls of film and weigh about the same. I haven't had any problems recharging in some fairly remote areas.

Every time you buy that film you're going to pay and pay again when you have it developed.

I carry a portable hard drive which lets me bring home as many as 40,000 pictures if I really get carried away....

Digital packs smaller and costs less in the long run if you're really taking pictures.

bob
www.pbase.com\bobtrips
Photos from Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand