What image storage for travel are you using? Any suggestion?

[mariusnagy]

I'm planning my summer trips :lol: and I get the conclusion that I will need an external storage (40-60 GB) :? with CF reader and some good power autonomy.
Do you had some experience with some of them. I read so bad things :evil: about them that now I'm totally lost :roll: and I don't know what to choose.


/Marius

[vvizard]

I'll tell you what.. Why don't you pay me a pre-summer vacation, and I'll be glad to get into the issue, and find a good working solution =D

I'm using the X-drive II myself, but err... I'm owning it, not using it.. Haven't quite gotten to trust it yet.. It simply feels so cheap (cheap plastic construction, and a "wannabe-hightech-look-but-really-looks-silly" design. Combined with that, there's no way to verify that the data have been copied successfully. Although I have no reason not to think it should work as it's supposed to, but I just haven't gotten comfortable with it.. Guess I will be dragging it with me a lot now, and dump pictures, without deleting them from memory-cards, just to verify that it works fine.. 5-10 times and some trust might start to build up.. I hope ;)

[deepakvrao]

I thought of all alternatives and decided on an APACER cf to CD solution but finally insteaddecided to carry along my laptop with cdrw. No way would I trust only a hdd based solution like the Archos

[Scottes]

There was a recent long thread about the X's Drive and stability. Not a single person reported any problems with it, and 8 or 10 said that it always ran fine. I'm one that has never had an issue and I've copied about 16 gigs to it in the field.

However, I have to admit that I would be leery to rely on my X's Drive - or any hard drive solution as deepakvrao said - for 60 Gig over an extended period. I'd be looking at a battery-powered CD burner, and one that will verify and show progress.

[John_T]

I got a FlashTrax 40GB in January. Used it extensively on a five week trip. It banged around in my camera bag every day, yet shows no signs of it. Though the LCD display is no prize winner, it is very handy to check downloads, review images and do limited weeding. Controls are easy and sufficient. Linux OS. Not the fastest, but more than adequate. Some have complained the battery life is too short, but compared to what? Was fine for me.

[JoeTampa]

Having been researching this topic for quite a while I have decided to forego a "picture wallet" type of solution and am going to stick with my current setup: Dumping CF to the laptop as soon as practical (I have 4g worth of CF so this isn't so bad), and if I am feeling vulnerable, FTPing images back to a server at home.

What I MAY do is buy a very small laptop for this purpose. There are many that are hardcover-book sized, with 7-8" screens. Good enough to proof images on and obviously with much better storage and safety factor than one of these picture-wallet solutions currently offer.

[Blues67]

I'm going with the Micro Soulutions Road Stor CD-R system. Has its own battery, small, just plug the CF( or any other card) and it burns it to CD. It offers laptop linkup, plays pics and dvds on the tv. I like the feeling of my pic permanently burned, not floating around on a HHD. Lost a few of my kids pics that way.

[Scottes]

...and obviously with much better storage and safety factor than one of these picture-wallet solutions currently offer.

I wouldn't say that there's a better safety factor with a laptop - the media is exactly the same, with the same potential problems. However, given the usefulness of the laptop with editing/proofing and human-verification possibilities then I'd go with a laptop if it were economically feasible.

[angrybunny]

...and obviously with much better storage and safety factor than one of these picture-wallet solutions currently offer.

I wouldn't say that there's a better safety factor with a laptop - the media is exactly the same, with the same potential problems. However, given the usefulness of the laptop with editing/proofing and human-verification possibilities then I'd go with a laptop if it were economically feasible.

I agree with Scottes. I have been relying on my laptop for external storage as well as the ability to load (on a 12" screen) my photos for viewing and/or editing. I have an older DELL Inspiron 2100, and at about 3.5 pounds, it doesnt take up much space or weight when traveling. Its not a sure thing in terms of safety...I used to provide desktop support, and the laptop hard drives suffer from hardware (physical) failure much more than their desktop counter parts.

If you are traveling for business, then it serves both purposes. DELL does have great deals on pre-owned (aka used) laptops if you have the need but are in a crunch for cash.

[heath]

Scottes hit the nail on the head. And I'm still not sure why people think that a CD burner in the field is so much better of an option. They are way more prone to problems in less-than-ideal conditions (misalignment of the optics, dust or dirt on the optics, and any movement while burning could lead to problems). On top of that, CDs are the bullet-proof media that everyone seems to think they are.

Personally, I have a Tripper 2.0, and it seems to work fine. It's easy enough to build a cheap external battery pack with Radio Shark parts that uses 4 batteries (AA, C, or D, depending on how long you want it to last). I had an Image Tank III (not to be confused with the G2 or G1.5), but I returned it as it just had that cheap feel to it and the battery was faulty. The tripper shows you the name of the file being copied and the percentage of it (if you can catch it with the smaller files). While it's true that there is no verfication function (I'm going to write to the manufacturer about that for a future firmware upgrade), you can just as easily copy the card over multiple times to give you a little extra safety margin.

I guess there are benefits to every option (and drawbacks).

Here's my take, if it helps:

Laptop:
Pro:
- can verify and validate that images were copied
- can do image editing on the road
- depending on size and capability, can burn to disc or upload to remote server for ultimate assurance
Con:

- more expensive than other options
- heavier than other options
- no better battery life
- long boot time
- have to take it out for airline security

PSD:
Pro:
- small
- cheap ($270 for a 40GB unit)
- fairly fast (depending on the model)
- easy to upgrade drive (again, depending on model)
Con:
- most don't have verification (except the very expensive ones)
- most have poor battery life
- it's a hard-drive in a plastic shell... need I say more?

CD:
Pro:
- "permanent" copy on disc
- storage limited only by how many disc you want to carry
- newer ones can function as playback unit for DVD and images (not RAW format, though)
- can mail yourself copies of discs for extra security
Con:
- fragile technology (not sealed, optics, media)
- have to carry a lot of blank discs, which can be bulky
- no units with direct viewing capability
- larger than PSD solution... approaching size of laptop if you include the discs


Everyone else, feel free to comment or add on. This is by no means a definitive list, and I realize that it's an emotional decision as well, so some people feel strongly about one or another option.

heath

[dtrayers]

If only this had a built in CF reader or PCMCIA slot, it would be perfect:

http://minipc.vulcan.com/



http://minipc.vulcan.com/images/features_sizeandpower.jpg

[CoolToolGuy]

...and obviously with much better storage and safety factor than one of these picture-wallet solutions currently offer.

I wouldn't say that there's a better safety factor with a laptop - the media is exactly the same, with the same potential problems. However, given the usefulness of the laptop with editing/proofing and human-verification possibilities then I'd go with a laptop if it were economically feasible.

I'll add one more vote to what Scottes said. Windows or Mac may be a more familiar OS than whatever is used in the portable storage devices, but that doesn't make the 'wallets' any more vulnerable - they use the same type of hard drive, and all these units do is copy the files. They may also display them, but manipulation of the files is not what they do.

That said, I got a FlashTrax 20gb. I wavered on display or no display, but I ultimately decided the display would be a nice feature to have. I just got it last week, so I have not been able to fully evaluate it. The build quality is good, and so far the features I have tried work as advertised. One feature I thought about after the fact is the ability to display or play (it is an MP3 player as well) from the CF card as well as the hard drive. It does. So if you have something on a CF card and don't know what it is you can play it back on the FlashTrax. I may also use it as an MP3 player with music on CF cards (I don't want the MP3s to limit my image-storage capabilities).

[kiwimichael]

Another CON for a laptop - if you are travelling you may not want to take it out with you while shooting which makes it more vulnerable to theft. If your insurance company is anything like here in the Netherlands it's not insured in the trunk/boot of your car or in a hotel room. In this respect I'm happy with my X Drive-II - would love to able to view the images on my Palm Tungsten tho.

Michael

[robertwgross]

I have to use a portable storage drive that is light enough, small enough, and energy-efficient enough that I carry it on a photography backpacking trip. That made the decision easy.

---Bob Gross---

[cmM]

If only this had a built in CF reader or PCMCIA slot, it would be perfect:

http://minipc.vulcan.com/
It has a USB 2.0 port. Beats PCMCIA !

[dtrayers]

If only this had a built in CF reader or PCMCIA slot, it would be perfect:

http://minipc.vulcan.com/
It has a USB 2.0 port. Beats PCMCIA !

Yes, but with the PCMCIA slot I could use a Cardbus32 reader and wouldn't have to carry around a dongle or external card reader.

[nucki]

I'll tell you what.. Why don't you pay me a pre-summer vacation, and I'll be glad to get into the issue, and find a good working solution =D

I'm using the X-drive II myself, but err... I'm owning it, not using it.. Haven't quite gotten to trust it yet.. It simply feels so cheap (cheap plastic construction, and a "wannabe-hightech-look-but-really-looks-silly" design. Combined with that, there's no way to verify that the data have been copied successfully. Although I have no reason not to think it should work as it's supposed to, but I just haven't gotten comfortable with it.. Guess I will be dragging it with me a lot now, and dump pictures, without deleting them from memory-cards, just to verify that it works fine.. 5-10 times and some trust might start to build up.. I hope ;)

you're right. It looks cheap, but it works without problems. (in my case) there is nothing really special whats inside. just the HDD and if the firmware is working ok, (updates available on vosonic website) then I see no problems. If the cover is made of plactic or not... who cares.

The only problem I see is the liftime of the battery. If possible, get the car charger.

best regards
Peter

[mariusnagy]

About the X-drive VP 300 I found this review: http://www.camerahobby.com/Digital_DigitalWallet.htm.
Everything looks OK except :x the transfer time from CF to X-Drive it took 10 minutes for a 512 Mb CF card, so 20 minutes for a 1Gb. It's a very long time if you consider that the battery resist only 2 hours. You save only 4 time 1Gb card so 4GB data per battery charge. that's very little.

Does somebody else test the speed of this drive and how much data could save from CF in one battery charge?

[CyberDyneSystems]

I have taken the X-DriveII on extended trips.. (a 30Gig HD) and used it for day trips since last June when I purchased it.

I will be going this summer (hopefully) on a one week trip to NewFoundland where I intend to spend the whole time taking photos.

The only alteration I will do as far as the X-drive?... I'm taking TWO!

I will copy my CF's to BOTH units before formatting... sort of a poor mans RAID :)

[toglenn]

I carry a bottom of the line Dell laptop and it gives me much more than just image storage. I can email photos instead of post cards, do some viewing and editing in the evening, burn duplicate backup CDs and mail home for safety, make audio notes about images plus the normal entertainment values.

It fits into my computreker backpack and the extra weight is not too noticable.

tpglenn

[heath]

I carry a bottom of the line Dell laptop and it gives me much more than just image storage. I can email photos instead of post cards, do some viewing and editing in the evening, burn duplicate backup CDs and mail home for safety, make audio notes about images plus the normal entertainment values.

It fits into my computreker backpack and the extra weight is not too noticable.

tpglenn

What model laptop is it?

I was thinking that one of the really cheap low-end ultralights (yeah, sorta an oxymoron, right?) would be ideal for this sort of thing. You can get an Averatec at Sam's Club (the warehouse outlet arm of Wal-Mart here in the states) for less than $850. It's got 3x USB 2.0 ports and is just over 4 lbs. It's even got a knockout in the case for iLink, but it's not present (major bummer). You only get the iLink on the heavier (and more $$) versions with a 15" screen.

heath

[belmondo]

I rarely go anywhere without one or the other of my laptops. Even so, I bought 30-gig FlashTrax unit a while back for those occasions when the computer isn't available. I'm sorry to say that it was done pretty much on impulse (the only thing the store had in stock), so I really didn't do any comparative shopping, but I've been very happy with it. It has a pretty good display for reviewing images.

[PetPhotoGuy]

Has anyone had any experience with the Apple iPod and Belkin Media reader? I have an Apple iPod (15 gigs), and have been thinking about purchasing the Media Reader accessory. Shooting a D60 in large jpeg mode produces files of a similar size to mp3, so I am guessing that my iPod could hold around 4,000 images. I have been very impressed with the battery life of the iPod, and it seems to work quite well in the Windows environment (XP Home Ed.). This way, you could download pix, avoid the whole laptop issue and still listen to those great 80's tunes! Once again, there is the con of no preview.

[belmondo]

I've read reviews, and the one thing that stands out in my mind is that the iPod is slow for this application. If speed isn't an issue, it could work (not sure it works on all iPods going back to the beginning).

[Nasus]

I've been looking at one of the new MacBooks as a option for storage and viewing while traveling. It seems to be a nice size (13") and very light weight. My current laptop is just too heavy and big (15") for traveling in addition to the camera gear. Anyone have one yet?

[Greg_C]

I have a Iriver mp3 player(40G) that I some times use. It has both USB 1.1 and 2 ports. Only problem is that the 1.1 port is for connecting a card reader to. The display is quite small - about the size of the 350's LCD. Not running the original firmware either - using the RockBox firmware instead which adds heaps of games etc.

As you can guess storing photo's is not it's primary function but it does ok. My laptop tends to tag along now days and it's far more convenient.

[photosytes]

I just bought the Nexto CF. Not the cheapest solution but it's sturdy, very small, light, very fast and excellent battery life (especially with the optional external battery. It also comes with a car charger. I love it!

[Olegis]

I have used my old 20GB Xdrive (the older VP-2030 model (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/xdrive-vp2030.html)) for almost 4 years without single failure or problems whatsoever. It was only 20GB, slow to copy from cards and slow connection to PC - but it was (and still is) VERY reliable.
Recently I bought 60GB Hyperdrive - very fast unit, the build quality is great, there is a copy verification function and it's not that expensive, considered free worldwide shipping. My old Xdrive still stays with me - I now use it as a backup storage (two copies are always better than one !).

[psykoko]

I'm using the SmartDisk Fotochute 20 Go, with a little card reader :
i put my cf in the card reader, i plug it in the smartdisk, and press a button !
A while later, i have all my Cf in the hard disk !

Thailand, Tchecky, Turkey... Never have any problems !

[Faolan]

Spent a week in the field last year camping and what I used for storage was a Epson P2000, didn't need charging the whole week... Just as well as there was no power on the island!

Also great quality screen, probably the best for a PSD. Add to the fact it allows you review RAW files it's why I use it for event photography.

[coreypolis]

I love my p-2000. our laptop is a beast at 10lbs + the power, so its not really al that portable

I also love the p-2000 as I can download while in the field with it on my belt downloading, and can instantly see results bigger and I think better presented than the cameras LCD

Its also a lot of fun to view on the way home on an airplane, and don't need a bulky laptop out to do it

[Win]

That Epson P2000 looks like the perfect answer, to me. I'm off to find one, thanks.

Win

[SuzyView]

I am on vacation in UT & Wyoming and Carol sold me her P2000 2 weeks ago and I've downloaded 10 GB of memory already on it. I've been here for a week and the thing is amazing! It can download 3-4 GB of CF cards on one battery charge. I keep it plugged in if I do more. The screen is fantastic and the fact that it "exposed" the 4 spots on my sensor that did not show up on the small 20D screen was helpful. I haven't cleaned it yet, but will get the gear Thursday. If I didn't have the wider screen, I would have never noticed. But the p-2000 is small, yet 40GB is really useful for these long vacations where I cannot take a laptop. Yellowstone is not exactly condusive to having anything electronic and I have been very happy with it. I was just lucky I had the money last month to buy it. I had to work an extra 4 days. Well worth every second.

[drparker]

transfer to notebook and then backed up to a 60 gig ipod. With 10 audio books and about 1500 songs I still have over 30gig of space for my cr2 files.

[SuzyView]

I haven't used my p2000 as a MP3 player yet, haven't gotten that far since I have this little one I got a year ago that has the same songs I put in then and maybe 2 more CD's. I'm stuck in the lazy listening mode. I admire my kids for updating their play lists often and discard old stuff. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my good oldies.