Flashtrak drive

Hi!
Just wondering what your take is on the Flashtrak drive is. It comes in 30GB(possibly discontinued), 40GB and 80 GB flavours. It also has a 3.5 inch LCD screen so you can look at the pics upon downloading to it. It seems like a cool idea, but not cheap. It is about $540 for the 40GB one and $690 for the 80GB one. Source: B&H

I would like to go this option because I can look at the pics I have taken that day and determine relatively quickly if the pic is junk or saveable. This would invaluable on long trips away from computer. We know how fast CF cards fill up on holiday and there isn't anything worse than being out of space! The other cool bit is that I can keep on shooting and if I have any friends with me, they can look at the pics whilst I'm still shooting. This is especially a good idea for airshows, as it is another set of eyes.

Cheers,
Canuck

This was posted a couple of days ago on the dpreview site:

http://www.dpreview.co​m …1002aleraphotoc​ruiser.asp

It is a lot cheaper than the device you've mentioned but I kind of wonder how they confirm that the CD has been properly burned and the files saved. But assuming that this isn't a problem then this product looks very useful.

DaveG wrote:

This was posted a couple of days ago on the dpreview site:

http://www.dpreview.co​m …1002aleraphotoc​ruiser.asp

It is a lot cheaper than the device you've mentioned but I kind of wonder how they confirm that the CD has been properly burned and the files saved. But assuming that this isn't a problem then this product looks very useful.

That is my question too! How can I confirm it has written to the disk as I would format card upon completion of dumping card to CD. I really don't fancy taking a lot of pics to loose them and that's why the screen option comes in! It costs a lot more, but I recon it is worth it. Some of these trips I take here are one-offs (one shot deal). On some of these trips I can't afford to leave it to chance! Choices, decisions, etc it will drive you on the left hand side of the road nuts!

Speaking of which, I have to collect me some "L" for Learner driver bits so that I can stick on the boot and bonnet of the car when I get back to the US. It will be almost learning all over again. It will feel no doubt weird.

Then again I'm starting to run out of time here. Before I know it, I'll be back in the history lacking USA. Let's see here, the US has really history goind back to the 1600s and Jamestown and the UK has history goind back to Stonehenge on. Stonehenge was like 2500-3500 BC! Advantage: UK. I could do a long presentation on what I have learned in the 2+ years I have been here. There is no doubt I will miss it!
I recon it wont be long before I say that I fancy a Suday Roast, and Yorkshire pudding at a local pub. The British people that are floating around here know exactly what I mean.

Cheers from England,
Canuck

It's pricey but it's the be-all and end-all as far as I'm concerned I've been waiting for a device that merges an iPod and a Digital Wallet, so this is top of my Christmas Wish List. I may have to settle :P for the 40GB model tho.

I've been thinking about one too. It would also be a good sales tool for me when I have to show off recently taken pics, and show them without lugging a large laptop around.

Yeah, its expensive but not outrageously compared to machines that do a similar job. The Xdrive sounds like the cheapest way to do the job, but all it does is file copying. No viewing. There are a couple of CD burners, but I've made the mistake before of trusting myback-up copies on CD and found out the files were NOT copied. (Now I copy all backed-up files on CD to my desktop using the cd's. If theres trouble, ACDSee gives a file error message.)

I do wonder about battery life on these back-up devices. SInce some take quite a while to copy files I would hate for the battery to die in the middle of the file transfer and corrupt any data.

-Pete

I have it and find it gives me great peace of mind to be able to store all my photos in the field. Whereas it provides the ability to preview pictures on the LCD, the image quality is not substantially better than on the camera's LCD......but it is better.

Tom

This one doesn't have a LCD built in, but I was kind of thinking of getting this one because it had video out, so I can playback video as well in my minivan or mp3s. I guess the in field playback isn't as important because I usually shoot mostly RAW anyway.

Pocket Cinema

Do you mean FlashTrax?

see http://www.smartdisk.c​om

I'd also like to know more about it.... from the SmartDisk website, I see that it also recognises Canon RAW files and that you can also use it for MP3's etc.

Jesper wrote:
Do you mean FlashTrax?

see http://www.smartdisk.c​om

I'd also like to know more about it.... from the SmartDisk website, I see that it also recognises Canon RAW files and that you can also use it for MP3's etc.

Jesper,
Yes that is the one, the Flasktrax drive. I went to the website aforementioned, and then went to B&H to see about prices. I'd really like to see it in action before buying but that may not happen. I'm thinking of seeing if they have here in the UK, for demo purposes. I'll have to shoot some RAW pics, and then give it a go to see if it really recognises *.CRW files. By the way, which country are you in? Idunno, the jury is still out for now.

I really don't like the CD-R/W option as I have really no idea if it saves it or not. and taken many pics that I really like and they are all I will have of over here once I leave. That said, it seems to me like the difference in cost is justified.

The 40GB option provides 40000MB/6MB = 6666 pics at 6MB each; 40000MB/7MB = 5714 at 7MB each pic.

I think, considering I have only taken 1828 pics to date, including ones in Colchester earlier today. To me even 40GB seems like an insane abount of space. It is a much cheaper alternative to buying 40 GB of CF cards! I don't even want to think what that would cost. One worrd comes to mind-astronomical!

Cheers from England.
Canuck

Canuck:
I've been loading and viewing CRW files on my Flashtrack. I'm just not sure if i'm actually viewing the CRW file, or the embedded JPEG file. Anyway, it does work well for me.

Tom

Tom,
Thanks for the info, this is really making it closer to a purchase. When did you get it? That bit is extrememly new and where? Also, did you get the 40 or 80 GB one?

Canuck

I bought the 40, figuring that would be adequate for a couple days of steady shooting. I bought it at San Jose Camera on my last visit north. Nobody in my area sells anything like it. I have not really given it a true workout yet; that will come in the next few days.

It seems to be an attractive, well-designed piece of equipment, and is flat enought to fit comfortably in the side or back a camera bag without displacing a significant amount of valuable space. The power supply is another matter, but proabably doesn't have to be 'on hand' anyway. It's fairly intuitive, and pretty easy to setup.

I like it.

Tom

Tom,

I'm glad you like it! How much bigger is the LCD screen vs the 10D one, rougly, 50%, 200%? That has been a real let down, the 10D screen. It gives you a semi-idea, but it could stand to be bigger. Maybe that is what these devices are supposed to do???

I'd like to know how you faire whilst giving it a proper workout. I'd also be interested in battery life, review, and the like. I have also posted roughly the amount of pics you can expect at 6MB per pic and 7MB per pic shooting RAW. That is now a few posts up on this thread.

I am starting to really think this would be a smashing alternative to a CDR/CDRW drive. Now, the trick is to wait a little longer for the Chrismas specials. I'm all for saving some money! Who isnt? I will probably get the Canon 24-70mmL lens with it and backpack of sort. It has to be able to be carry-on. I'm not letting this stuff outta my site! I may get the first proper workout for it on the Emerald Isle, next year. That would be cool as well as being able to say I used a lens for the first time in wherever. Here's what I mean, the 120-300 Sigma EX was first used in Tenby, Wales; the Canon 16-35L in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England; (gotta order it first) Canon 24-70 L TBD but possibly in Ireland. I'd like to get one more lens that is portable, and use it in Scotland. That would be neat to have one lens, each first used in each of the bits in the UK. The Ireland trip may be to Eire, which is NOT part of the UK, but Northern Ireland (Ulster, I think) is!

Cheers from England,
Canuck

Canuck:
I have the unit packed right now, but I'll dig it out later this even if time allows and try to answer your questions about the screen size.

Tom

Well, I was looking for an extra CF card because now I only have one 512 MB card and two 128 MB cards. That's not enough when you go on holiday and take lots of photos...

Instead of buying another CF card I now ordered the FlashTrax 40 GB, directly from SmartDisk's website. Strangely enough, the 40 GB version is cheaper than the 30 GB version, at least when you buy it in a Euro country (in UK pounds, the 40 GB is more expensive...). I haven't got it yet.... OK, it costs some money, about twice the price of an 1 GB flash card here, but with 40 GB you'll never have to worry about running out of space...

By the way, I'm in the Netherlands.