Portable Photo Storage

[DeonHolt]

Hi all and thank you for your help.

I am in need of a portable photo storage thing that can also read different memory card, but mostly CF cards. I have yesterday gone through 4 x 8GB cards. If I had a device with me to "download" a couple of cards, it would have been nice. I have seen some very smart devices on which you can store and review video and photos but those one are to pricy. Can you please recommend a place in SA where to buy them from. I had a look at ODP's shop but there weren't any.

Regards,
Deon

[Roberto]

http://photodoto.com/portable-photo-...-buyers-guide/

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't getting some larger cards be a cheaper option? Whenever I upgrade my cards I keep the older, typically smaller, cards for just such an event.

[DeonHolt]

No, not really. A 500GB storage thing costs just over R1 500.00. That can easily be the price of a 16GB card.

[Anonymous]

No, not really. A 500GB storage thing costs just over R1 500.00. That can easily be the price of a 16GB card.

Where? Just reviewing some of the ones on the aforementioned page:

Epson Multimedia Photo Viewer P-7000 - $720 for 160gb (R5500)
Nikon COOLWALKER MSV-01 - Digital AV player - 30 GB - $327 - (R2500)
PicPac II - 500GB Digital Camera and Camcorder Portable Backup - $270 (R2100)

on the other hand
SanDisk 32 GB Extreme CompactFlash Memory Card - $99. (R770)

[DeonHolt]

Hi. I was thinking more in the line of up to $150. I saw those expensive one also.

[robert_s]

Hi Deon,

I have had good experiences with both the NextoDI (http://nextodi.co.uk/product1.html#) and the Hyperdrive (http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive-...-UDMA-s/64.htm). Unfortunately I was never able to find a local supplier and had to order both from overseas. They are also closer to $250 than $150 - and that is just the casing, i.e. no hard drive.

If space isn't an issue, the most cost-effective solution may be a cheap netbook with a card reader.

Robert

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

Wouldn't getting some larger cards be a cheaper option? Whenever I upgrade my cards I keep the older, typically smaller, cards for just such an event.

Yeah... I am with Williams on this one... I have worked my way through about 7 of those over the years, and right now have three that "can" work but finding replacement batteries has not been easy (ordered some from overseas but they never arrived)

So now I have 4x 32gb cards and 4x 16gb cards and a few 8's and 4's If the trip is extended, It gets dumped on the MBP and Lacie drives for backup.

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

Oh... and standard 30mb/s 16g cards go for about R800 if I remember correctly. Slower cards for cheaper even.

[DeonHolt]

Hi and thanx for all the replies. Then I will go for a 32GB card. Thanx for all the help. I can mention that I do have a portable one but as was mentioned, the battery is the problem. It barely lasts for 2 x 8GB cards.
Thanx again.

[Deneys]

[QUOTE] If space isn't an issue, the most cost-effective solution may be a cheap netbook with a card reader [/QUOTE] I second that

[EttVenter]

I also wouldn't trust something like that. Imagine dumping 30Gbs of photos onto a device like that and then it failing. Not a chance.

Just buy more memory cards, and stick to smaller ones like the 8GB or 16GB cards. The larger the card, the larger the loss if you lose it or if it dies on you.

[robert_s]

I also wouldn't trust something like that. Imagine dumping 30Gbs of photos onto a device like that and then it failing. Not a chance.

For a day's worth of photography, I would agree but when you are talking about an extended trip and say 150 to 200GB of photos, that is when photo storage becomes useful/cost-effective. To minimize risk, it is of course best to have multiple copies - you can backup to two separate devices, or some devices can mirror to an external drive.

Just buy more memory cards, and stick to smaller ones like the 8GB or 16GB cards. The larger the card, the larger the loss if you lose it or if it dies on you.

I've never lost a card and I've never had one die on me. I have however missed a shot due to a card filling up. Thus I tend to prefer larger cards, but is a personal choice. I just feel more comfortable keeping tracking of fewer cards and feel that the time I am most likely to lose a card is when I can take it out of the camera - with larger cards, I minimize that.

[Roberto]

On day trips I generally use memory cards however when I'm away for one week+ I take along a couple of CF cards, a Netbook, a Seagate Freeagent Go External HD and Card reader. When a CF card is full I merely download/move images via the card reader to the Netbook and back up onto the EHD. Two copies.

Netbooks/laptops I find are great for viewing and sharing images at camp with other photographers as well.

[DonRoos]

On day trips I generally use memory cards however when I'm away for one week+ I take along a couple of CF cards, a Netbook, a Seagate Freeagent Go External HD and Card reader. When a CF card is full I merely download/move images via the card reader to the Netbook and back up onto the EHD. Two copies.

Netbooks/laptops I find are great for viewing and sharing images at camp with other photographers as well.

+1 for a small laptop. I bought such a device as you are looking for in Thailand and it got fried when I got home and nearly lost ALL my photos of the trip. Fortunately I could remove the disk and put it into an external case and recover all but a few of my photos.

I went through the same debate a few years ago and got a small 11" laptop and a few external HDD's. I connect my camera with a USB cable (I prefer NOT to change CF cards as the contacts could get dirty/worn out), download the photos with EOS Utility, copy onto a HDD to have 2 copies and then format the card. I also have software installed (DPP and Picasa) that I can do some RAW processing and editing so I can review my photos and show them off while on the trip. It also has a DVD writer so I can write a DVD as a further backup if required.

I got a power supply that I can run the laptop off a 12V car battery and an inverter (12V to 220V) to run my battery chargers to make me more portable.