Videographer in third world - how to upload to Switzerland?

[hermes]

First, my thanks to B&H for hosting this forum. When I was a documentary videographer I must have bought eight camcorders plus numerous pieces of equipment at B&H. Excellent prices, selection and service!

After a six year absence I am returning to video reporting. Frankly, I am a little confused by the changes in the new (to me) digital format and challenges of uploading/storage.

Things have changed - more complicated, I have changed - seems like middle age brain rot sometimes, and so has my pocket book - thinner! I used to rely on prosumer $ONY products and travelled with my own Macintosh. I cannot now.

I will post review of Samsung lower end camcorders another day (short story: yecch!) but for now...

How do reporters on a budget and on the road manage these days? I have a gig as a film location and character scout. I offered a certain European film producer my services and he agreed to my terms providing me with my estimated equipment budget - I was out of date! First I jettisoned the laptop idea, then I lowered my standards for camcorder. I'm currently in Singapore and Malaysia where alas, there is no B&H, and I have no credit card anymore.

I will post my query about particular camcorder needs later. For now, its the logistics of travelling without a computer that has me stumped.

The advertising materials for camcorders give one the impression that one can just pop into any net cafe and upload quickly. That is not my experience in my limited experimentation so far. Plus I will be travelling in the third world - not super-wired Korea. I've already tested several built-in programs. Their laundry list of video cards, OS, RAM, and assorted other features means I will get no where in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

In addition to this issue, I am frankly terrified of getting viruses. Don't even know if memory cards can get them. Based on the performance of my Kingston one I'd say they can.

As far as storage goes I bought a durable Transcend external hard drive. But the same virus concern applies.

Is there some sensible logistical system someone has developed for cost-effective and safe sharing of sample video clips while overseas? Youtube I suppose. Or is there an alternative that is cheaper and just as good - e.g. burning to DVD (plenty of those services in India) for posting? Most of all - is there a mobile videographer forum? As great as B&H is this forum is really photography centered.

[Skyman]

the journos do it with a laptop and ftp software to a server or hard drive back home, but they also cary serveral internet connections from 3g to satellite and dial up if they need to. 3rd world it is probably better to wait until you can post dvd's or tapes, or in the case of a memory card camera get a heap of small cards and post those. cards and portable hard drives can both carry viruses but it would be extremely unlikely that the virus/s effected your camera, just the computers the devices are connected to. also is your equipment budget based on a one off job or is your employer expecting that you have the gear and would be balancing the costs of it accross several jobs?