Travelling with Modern Electronic Devices

I'm travelling interstate this week, and earlier today I spotted some beautiful lighting. I grabbed my camera, but of course ... the battery was dead. That’s one of the quirks of modern digital cameras: they rely on proprietary batteries. Luckily, I had two spares charged and ready. But by the time I swapped them out, the moment had passed. Such is life.

Back in the day, most of my travel gadgets used standard batteries, usually AAA or button batteries. Things were simpler. But with the rise of laptops, smartphones, and digital cameras, power demands grew and so did the number of chargers I had to carry. Each device came with its own special battery and charger, which meant packing a tangle of cables and adapters just to stay powered up.

I do have a charger for my Olympus batteries, just not with me.

Over time, many devices started supporting USB charging, which helped reduce the clutter. But even then, it’s easy to forget that tiny USB transformer. And while the plug end might be standard, the connectors on the device side became increasingly varied and confusing. So now, instead of fewer cables, I often end up carrying a whole collection of them.

Thankfully, my Olympus OMD 5 can recharge via USB, albeit more slowly than with its dedicated charger. I even have the correct cable connector. So I’m safe for now.

Modern Life? convenient? complicated! and always a little unpredictable!!

Proof reading and summary assisted by Copilot (AI)