Portable Storage - suggestions?

[puttick]

Hi

I'm looking for portable storage for my 300D images. I'm using a 1Gb CF card, so that would seem to rule out the Cd-writer types such as Apacer, unless anyone knows one which will write across (span) more than one CDR.

As to the hard-drive solutions, there's the new Nikon Coolwalker (30Gb) or the Innoplus (20-80Gb) and I'm sure several others.

Any opinions, comments, or advice what to look out for? Are they robust (eg airports, X-rays)? What are the downsides?

I'm in the UK so info relating to what I can source here would be helpful.

Thanks
Nigel

[DaveG]

Hi

I'm looking for portable storage for my 300D images. I'm using a 1Gb CF card, so that would seem to rule out the Cd-writer types such as Apacer, unless anyone knows one which will write across (span) more than one CDR.

As to the hard-drive solutions, there's the new Nikon Coolwalker (30Gb) or the Innoplus (20-80Gb) and I'm sure several others.

Any opinions, comments, or advice what to look out for? Are they robust (eg airports, X-rays)? What are the downsides?

I'm in the UK so info relating to what I can source here would be helpful.

Thanks
Nigel

Both the Apacer 200 and the Kanguru will pause and let you swap CD's so that
you can get the full one gig CF card captures onto the CD.

The concern that I have with the hard drive devices is that you lose it all if that
hard drive crashes. I used to think that the fixed size of the hard drive might be
a problem, but a little arithmetic later I realize that I could put between 4500 and
5000 Canon 10D RAW files onto a 30 gig hard drive. That's going to be over 130
rolls of 36 exposure film so for 99% of us, it'll do.

I went with the integrated (and sadly more expensive) route. I bought a
notebook computer with a CD burner. Now I can both store the images on the
hard drive AND burn CD's. Obviously it can do a lot more, especially allowing
me to edit the images in the field, and I've already done this for a "needed to be
shot and ready yesterday" client.

My notebook is also Wi-FI enabled so I can go into one of those coffee shop wi-fi
hotspots, drink coffee :D , edit images and move them to wherever they need to
be moved.

The CD burners are relatively cheap. The portable hard drives are about twice as
much. I guess that I'd suggest having a hard look at the notebook as money that
is perhaps better spent.

[Olegis]

I use the Vosonic X's Drive VP2030 (http://www.vosonic.co.uk/vp2030.html) with 20GB HDD for more than a year now and it works like a charm every time. It's USB1.1 version so transfer rate from the device to the PC is rather slow, but they are OK with me. It takes about 4-5 minutes to transfer full 256MB CF card to the X's Drive.

[BoySpot]

I have the X's Drive II with 30Gb. It is USB2 which helps a lot. I think it is great. Hard drives are not as bad as people seem to fear. Laptops take a lot of abuse and stand up to it pretty well. When they do die, they often give signs that they are on the way out first.

In the UK , you can get them from http://www.cardmedia.co.uk/ and they have been quick to respond when I have ordered from them.

[robertwgross]

I use the Vosonic X's Drive VP2030 (http://www.vosonic.co.uk/vp2030.html) with 20GB HDD for more than a year now and it works like a charm every time. It's USB1.1 version so transfer rate from the device to the PC is rather slow, but they are OK with me. It takes about 4-5 minutes to transfer full 256MB CF card to the X's Drive.

I use the exact same unit, but with a smaller hard disk inside it. Mine takes 7 minutes for each 256MB CF card, so that probably makes a statement about the read speed of my CF cards.

---Bob Gross---

[BoySpot]

I timed mine on a 256Mb Ultra II at just over 4 minutes.

[gkas]

Has anyone benchmarked the X-Drive Pro (VP300) ?? I'm reading that it's actually slower than the X-Drive II when reading CF cards.. like 10 minutes to read a 512 Mb card. It get complicated because no one mentions if they're reading a fast/slow CF card or if they installed an old slow HD in the X-Drive. Anyone have any current info ??

[Canuck]

Hmmm...
There is the FlashTrax drive available in 40 and 80GB flavours thru Warehouese Express www.warehouseexpress.com in Norwich and other places. I think Jessops has it available too.