greg928gts Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'll be traveling to Moscow Russia in a few months and I want to get set up with phone, video recorder, storage, downloading, etc... so I can record and save the experience digitally. I've never had a video recorder, but I think this would be a good trip to have one with me. I'm not up on the new equipment and could use some advice on what works well. Also, any advice on cell phones being used in other countries would be helpful. Any ideas on how to send the digital info home and/or store it to bring it home would be great too. I have a website and the ability to download to the website if that makes sense. I also have a laptop computer that I can bring with me. Of course email too. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Wow, glad to see you are going on that trip!! I am sure you will never regret going to see what it is like in another part of the world! As far as a camcorder, I would recommend you talk to Picky from the forum ( Glenn Mosby ) as he is a video guru, and I have seen his work in action. ( hope 2006 pilgrammage DVD ) As far as cell phones, you might just get a prepaid one over there, or you might be able to get a sim card for yours and have a local number over there for a short time. For downloading, I would dump the output of the camcorder and camera into the laptop, this way you have redundant backups, in case you have a hiccup. Not sure on power adapters and the like, you might want to consult someone who has been there, or ask your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 When I went to the Philippines last Feb., and to China in Oct., I used my unlocked GSM phone (a sony ericsson quad band). I knew when I purchased it that I would be able to use it anywhere in the world. I bought prepaid sim cards for a system where I would be located. For the Philippines, it was nice because ALL incoming calls were free. I mostly did text messaging, but it was nice to know I could call if I needed to. I bought the card while still in the states. Slipped it into the phone while sitting in the airport in Detroit, so when I powered up in Manila, I had a local number. I had already powered it up here, so I could pass the number on to my family here and to my girlfriend there. Very cool. Here's a link to GSM coverage in Russia (opens in a new window): http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ru.shtml You can get an inexpensive gsm phone from a lot of places (Tiger Direct sells them...). If you already use one, you need to see if it uses the correct frequencies, and if you can put in a third party sim card. If they tell you they can't because it is locked, a local store may unlock it for you. You can get unlock codes online, but may void your warranty if you use them. Roaming while overseas usually runs around $3 a minute, depending on where you are. Your friend in Moscow could tell you which vendor to get a card from (like the same company he uses, to make it easier). He could probably get you a sim card and mail it to you, as they are about the size of an SD card. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 About cell phones. My experience is a bit dated. It is my understanding that the GSM system is used in pretty much all countries at a technical level. The only providers which use it in the USA is AT&T and T-Mobile. The latter is owned by Deutche Telecom. Therefore you'd expect the service in Europe. The point is that if you have either of these providers you probably don't need a new phone. I was in Mexico and my nephew was with us with his AT&T GSM. I was able to dial to his cell phone using the typical dialing rules to call the USA. That is 001 plus area code plus number. Simple. A few years ago I travelled to Switzerland and Austria. (Actually that is when I upgraded the AT&T to GSM.). The phone showed a network connection but I didn't try it. A buddy had T-Mobile and it worked in Italy and Germany, no problem. It was possible to text message to him too. The AT&T website shows they have service in Russia. You should check roaming charges, etc. I've read that it can be better to wait until you get to your destination and then rent a phone. Of course one reason I'd carry my own cell is that there are travel connections through airports and who knows about delays, flight changes, etc. The other is that if someone dials my "normal" number, I'd like to get the call. The hotels I've stayed in in Europe have some sort of internet service. I expect you'll find internet cafes. I think of Moscow as being in the dark ages. Of course that can't be true. Some real international road warriors here can probably fill you in better than I. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'm not into spending around $3 a minute on a phone call. Russia uses 900/1800Mhz. One of my AT&Tphones is a dual band, but operates at 850/1900Mhz. I would be toast in Russia if I only carried it. That is why I bought my on quad band. (at the time of my first trip I was still using Verizon...) While in CHina, my phone also showed service on my quad band, but it would not work (not with my AT&T sim card). There are other companies in the US using GSM, found here (it's a long list): http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_us.shtml\ But, they all use 850/1900Mhz, not what is used in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I guess I stand corrected in view of what Marvel has posted. My AT&T phone was indeed quad band FWIW. Gosh, I never knew there were so many local companies. Thanks Marvel. I suppose these thrive on local conditions. For example I understand that US. Celluar works in the Chicago subways. Some years ago I had business in southern Illinois. There is a lot of legal business what with corn, coal, and prisons. A lawyer there had a cell phone in his car which worked out in the boonies (e.g. Paduca, KY to Carbondale, IL) when the major carriers did not. Edit: I'll add that $3.00 per minute is steep. However when a 3-minute phone call prevents a big problem, I'll pay. But per "Second Hand Lions" no chit chat. Smile. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Whatever you decide in terms of video or still cameras, be sure to get it (or them) well before your departure and take the time to really familiarize yourself with the equipment and learn to make some good recordings. You'll want to bring back good souvenirs of your trip and you'll want to be handy enough with the gear that it's not a distracting headache to use. After all, a holiday trip should be fun, first and foremost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Having taken a few trips with both camcorders and cameras available, I find that you can make better memories with good pictures...even if you take good video clips, I bet you'll only watch them once or twice after you get back home. I suppose everyone is different, but it's easier to look at pictures and it's kinda fun to let the imagination make the trip seem better than it was (which doesn't happen with video footage). It's also easier to upload pictures from a camera than it is for raw video footage (I think raw video is something like 1GB for 15 minutes or something insane like that). Just keep in mind that if you use american equipment, that it won't be compatible with the video standards overseas (so you can't plug it into a TV or anything like that). It's really hard to find PAL to NTSC converters and it's not worth it really either. Basically, just make sure you're doing everything in NTSC so that it works when you come back home. And of course don't forget to bring power adapters for charging all your batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Get a camera with the video option. I know its not a great solution but a good compromise. The Casio V8 Exilm has 7X zoom even while shooting video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 Thanks for the great information and keep it coming! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Greg, If you are carrying a laptop you may want to look into getting Skype for phone service. A friend just spent a couple weeks in SE Asia. He said they have hot spots everywhere. He'd power up his laptop, take out his headset and call home with no problems. I don't know what the cost would be from Russia to the USA, but Moscow is a big city so I'm sure they have service. I hope you have a great trip! Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 For still pictures at least if you're taking a windows laptop, you may want to take a couple of USB drives and get a copy of SyncToy. It's available for free from Microsoft to use as is. It was developed by an employee prior to a once in a lifetime African photo safari who wanted to make 2 backups of all his digital photos with the ability to edit, rename, organize and keep his primary drive and both backup drives in sync. I agree that still pictures may be the best, but some video would be nice as well, especially if you'd edit it down to highlights. Sounds like a great trip! Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Coool glad to see you decided to make the trip......! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.