What are the best devices to buy so I can shoot and store pictures in Vietnam?

January 4, 2010 4:10 PM

I'm overwhelmed by the wealth of conflicting opinions I've found by google-searching. Anyone have strong feelings about what brand/type of camera and power devices I should buy before traveling to Vietnam?

I'll need:
-CF card(s) for a DSLR camera (canon eos 10d) to hold 5 weeks' worth of photos
-a universal power adapter (for charging camera & ipod)
-a voltage converter (same as above)

..anything else?

posted by pieliza to Technology (8 answers total)

-a universal power adapter (for charging camera & ipod)
-a voltage converter (same as above)

iPod chargers accept 100-240V AC, so you do not need a voltage converter for them. If your Canon's battery charger is like every Canon I've ever owned, it won't need a voltage converter either. You can check this by looking at the label on the back of the charger.

For the actual plug adapters, buy several as cheap as you can.
posted by The Michael The at 4:23 PM on January 4, 2010

And if you're going to have more than one adapter (a good idea), buy them when you get there: they'll work just as well (if not better--you can't buy the wrong one by mistake) and they'll probably be cheaper.

Depending on how insanely big you're shooting and in what format, you might find it better to buy a netbook (!) and download files to it or use Internet cafés to move some of those files from CF to DVD. You'll find this service (with discs for sale) just about anywhere.
posted by deeaytch at 4:43 PM on January 4, 2010

If I remember correctly, Vietnam uses the same adaptor as North America. Most camera chargers can handle different voltages, so you should be fine.

Hard to say how many cf cards you'll need. How many photos will you take in five weeks? You can easily burn your cards to DVD over there if need be. I tend to do that and then mail the discs home.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:45 PM on January 4, 2010

yup, check the plugpack, they say the input power on them (100-240V 50-60hz will be on the ipod and most likely the camera)
CF card brand - not supercheap ebay, but anything from newegg etc. will be fine, if you're worried, get a slighly more expensive one.
plug adaptors.. cheap!
See here for plugs in vietnam
posted by defcom1 at 4:47 PM on January 4, 2010

This is always my go-to site for power plug reference.

I have traveled the world with all generations of iPod/iPhone and with a Canon 5d Mark II/Canon 350d. I have never once needed a voltage converter, only the adaptor that makes your prongs line up in the right place. The iPod and Canon chargers automatically munch up the current they're given.

As for CF cards, I would just make sure I had a lot of capacity. Particularly if you're buying new cards, I wouldn't worry about the brand. I tend to travel with 8 8gb cards and 4 2gb cards, all of different makers. Search techbargains for a good deal on cards and load up.

You do shoot in RAW, right?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 4:55 PM on January 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Two other considerations I've run into even in places that use US plugs:

1) US plugs without a ground. Very problematic if your AC adapter has a ground pin on it.

2) Connecting airports that use a different power standard than your home or destination. Hong Kong airport has a ton of plugs, but you better have that UK plug adapter to use them.
posted by smackfu at 5:22 PM on January 4, 2010

I was in Vietnam last summer and I just had a cheap all-in-one universal adapter and it worked fine.
posted by piper4 at 7:32 PM on January 4, 2010

Response by poster: i do shoot in RAW, Admiral.

thanks for all the info, folks!
posted by pieliza at 3:45 PM on January 5, 2010