Digital Camera at airport

[E&B's Mom]

We will be bringing a digital camera and extra picture cards for the camera as well as the kids Gameboys for use in lines and on the plane. Does anyone know if the security screeners at the airport will damage or erase pictures from the picture cards and/or damage the game casettes?

 

[SoonerKate]

Security screeners definitely won't damage gameboy cartridges -- if they did, my boyfriend could never fly anywhere.

I'm not sure about memory cards, but I know most of my friends didn't have trouble when going to and coming back from the Rose Bowl this year.

 

[JudithM]

We took our digital camera when we flew over Thanksgiving weekend & had no problems with any of hte equipment.

However, at that time we heard several reports about not packing conventional camera film in checked luggage as the machines will damage it.

 

[bunnyfoo]

If you're nervous, you can ask for your camera to be hand checked. You can also remove the memory card ... strangely enough, mine wasn't picked up by the metal detector. I've also put my digital camera through the x-ray machine and haven't had anything happen to the pictures.

 

[kestral]

You will have no problems with a digital camera or memory chips. x-rays do not damage them in the least.

Now, if they start doing inspection with gigantic magnets, then you would have trouble! Strong magnets can erase or garble any electronic storage device (camera, computer, memory chips, your TV)

I do hope no one out there even thinks of putting their cameras in checked bags. Why would you take that chance?

Have fun.
By the way -
I also noticed that some places in Orlando offer a download service, where you can download your camera cards, e-mail the pictures home, and then have a nice clean memory card to take more photos! Don't know the cost, or if Disney offers this someplace. We just brought lots of camera memory cards with us

Kes

 

[bunnyfoo]

Wow! I never thought about magnets and disk ... It's been a while since I used a disk to move stuff around (other than digital pictures) especially since we have e-mail and networked computers

There is a place in Epcot that will transfer pictures from memory cards to a CD. I don't remember how much it cost, but they charged by images ... so they were only going to put 40 images on a CD regardless of the size. When I tried to get my images transfered, they said that they didn't do SD cards. Some hotels, if they have a business center may be able to transfer images.

 

[TreeOfLife]

Yes, magnets will damage even a floppy! Just make sure that your equipment used to store will not come in contact with magnets.

However, here is a suggestion I am surprised nobody has made: Invest in a digital wallet! iOmega and Minds@Work make some handy, light and small units which are nothing more than portable hard drives. If you can't get to saving your images on a CD, simply empty your memory card on the digital wallet. They are so light that you can even bring them along to the parks and download while taking a break, eating, whatever... No need to bring along a laptop, just a digital wallet that even fits in your camera bag.

I have the most affordable version that Minds at Work sold a year ago, and it will hold over 2,000 pictures! I bought mine on ebay and back then paid about $150.00. Don't buy directly through their website or local distributors though, at least back then the prices were higher. Find distributors on ebay. I am sure the prices have gone down. It is great because you can empty your card again and again, no need to invest in an expensive card or even several. It only takes seconds to empty your card on to the portable HD.

So if you are concerned about losing your images and don't have the opportunity to save them elsewhere, you may consider investing in one of these gadgets for peace of mind and convenience.