wlaidlaw Posted January 6, 2014 Share #1 Posted January 6, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Now when I go on a trip, I don’t take a laptop any longer but just an iPad. For long trips, where I am taking a lot of photos, my 64GB iPad is a bit limited on storage, as with the other stuff on it, there is usually only about 20GB free for images. Lacie have come up with a very neat solution in a 1TB wireless storage device, that can be accessed by up to 5 iOS devices LaCie is the premier manufacturer of high quality digital storage.. I was thinking of getting a new Mac Book Air for travel use, when these come out with a Retina screen. However with this storage device, I might wait instead and get a 12” iPad, when they are released (probably Sept 2014). For those occasions you want a proper keyboard, you can use a cover with a built in Blue Tooth one, as made by Logitech and others but at other times, you don’t need to carry the keyboard around with you. My wife uses an iPad with keyboard for 90% of her business now other than letters and invoices. Wilson 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 6, 2014 Posted January 6, 2014 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Lacie Compact Wireless storage for iPad. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
EvilTed Posted January 6, 2014 Share #2 Posted January 6, 2014 But how do you get you photos off the camera and onto the device? Most of these wireless storage devices don't allow one to seed them without a computer... That makes them useless in the field. ET Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) But how do you get you photos off the camera and onto the device?Most of these wireless storage devices don't allow one to seed them without a computer... That makes them useless in the field. ET Ted, It connects direct to the iPad, just like many modern digital cameras can. If you go to the link on the OP and then click on documents, you can download the manual, which explains how it all works. Wilson PS Sorry manual not yet available - more details here http://www.macrumors.com/2014/01/05/ces-2014-lacie-announces-1tb-fuel-wireless-external-hard-drive-for-iosmac-devices/ Edited January 6, 2014 by wlaidlaw Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterv Posted January 6, 2014 Share #4 Posted January 6, 2014 Thanks for the heads up, Wilson. This device sounds really nice for short photo-trips. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted January 8, 2014 Share #5 Posted January 8, 2014 I had great hopes for the iPad for photo storage when traveling. It has and continues disappoint. iPhoto is a kluge program. My wife has lost photos. It is difficult to select and delete photos and storage on the device is expensive. I saw the press release for the device you are referring to. I still think you are better with a laptop and an external drive for backup. Many camera bags are designed to carry a laptop without making them that much bigger or bulkier. I think this device is one of those gadgets that ends up in a drawer with very little use--often because something else comes along that still doesn't really provide a solution to the overall problem. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redge Posted January 8, 2014 Share #6 Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Ted, It connects direct to the iPad, just like many modern digital cameras can. If you go to the link on the OP and then click on documents, you can download the manual, which explains how it all works. Wilson PS Sorry manual not yet available - more details here CES 2014: LaCie Announces 1TB 'Fuel' Wireless External Hard Drive for iOS/Mac Devices - Mac Rumors I question how practical it is to transfer files, especially large DNG files, from the camera to the iPad via Apple's Camera Connector, and then transfer them wirelessly from the iPad to the LaCie. It would be nice if it was possible to transfer files from the camera directly to the LaCie via the latter's USB port, but that appears unlikely. There is nothing in the press release or in LaCie's video to suggest that that is possible. Currently, I'm using the latest 15" MacBook Pro with a USB 3.0 card reader (and also the M 240 multifunction grip which can transfer files directly to the Mac) and, despite the greater weight and bulk, I don't see the LaCie/iPad solution as a replacement. Edited January 8, 2014 by redge 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redge Posted January 8, 2014 Share #7 Posted January 8, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Actually, I'm assuming that it is possible to transfer files from an iPad to the LaCie and that the latter is not, in effect, just a server to portable devices. We need more info on how the LaCie works and, in particular, info on how it can receive data. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted January 8, 2014 Weight is the problem. I am not prepared to put my laptop in hold luggage (worldwide, it is the most stolen item from hold luggage). Therefore in my hand luggage, I already would typically have an M240, SEM18, 28 Summicron, 40 Summicron, 50 Noctilux, 80-200 Vario Elmar and Olympus EP-5 back up camera, a Kindle and AKG headphones. I am probably already overweight before I contemplate putting my heavy 13” MacBook Pro in it. I used to take my wife’s MacBook Air but our grandson poured a beaker of water over it. If I take an iPad, I can then pack the Kindle in hold luggage, reading on the iPad and the net increase in weight is not very much. All my lower value items, like charger, flash, spare batteries, cables, monopod or tripod, Billingham etc, all go in hold luggage. The way I use the iPad is be to leave it downloading my DNG’s as I am having dinner. When it is charging during the night, I would then leave it transferring to the Fuel. I don’t delete off cards until I get back but I am always concerned about losing one. I use Photogene RAW photo App and for sorting into “Chuckers” and “Keepers” it is just fine. I am going to get a keyboard cover for the iPad for my next trip as I hate using the touch screen to type for replying to emails. As and when the MacBook Air comes out with a Retina screen I may change my packing and leave the iPad behind. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 8, 2014 Share #9 Posted January 8, 2014 Agree with the view that the iPad is a waste of time as a serious photo storage device. The Lacie thing is just a Heath Robinson attempt to overcome that limitation. More stuff to carry (including, I guess, another charger) and a piece of kit guaranteed to work with Apple's IOS only when the stars are aligned correctly. I paid something like £600 for a refurb Air that is an order of magnitude more useful as a companion piece of kit to my digital Leicas than is my iPad. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted January 8, 2014 Share #10 Posted January 8, 2014 Hyperdrive UDMA is my travel storage solution HyperDrive Portable Digital Storage Products for iPhone, iPad, Android, Cameras Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted January 8, 2014 Agree with the view that the iPad is a waste of time as a serious photo storage device. The Lacie thing is just a Heath Robinson attempt to overcome that limitation. More stuff to carry (including, I guess, another charger) and a piece of kit guaranteed to work with Apple's IOS only when the stars are aligned correctly. I paid something like £600 for a refurb Air that is an order of magnitude more useful as a companion piece of kit to my digital Leicas than is my iPad. No separate charger needed as it charges off USB. I carry around a multi voltage Schoshe USB charger, which unusually has 2 x 2 amp/10 watt outputs. This does all my various devices which recharge from a USB port. A very useful item. Most other multi chargers only have one 10 watt port. I only use the iPad as a temporary storage device while travelling and I agree it is useless for permanent storage. I think the time is approaching that I need to reorganise my storage. At the moment I have 4 x 1 TB Freecom daisy chained external Firewire drives, onto which everything is backed up and duplicated/mirrored. I think it would be neater to have a single 4 bay drive, such as a Buffalo Terrastation with 4 x 2TB or 3TB drives in it, running in RAID 5 or 6. To future proof the drive, it should have both USB 3 and Thunderbolt 2 connections. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 8, 2014 Share #12 Posted January 8, 2014 For me the iPad with 4G is used for reading, and emailing on the go... and showing presentations to clients of mine... I would never try use it for photo storage, because I simply don't trust the closed apple 'business' I used a MacBook Pro Retina for on the go photo work, and at home a MacPro with the whole Lightroom library in a encrypted sparse bundle on Dropbox, meaning that if my house burns down there is a copy in 'the cloud' even though I don't trust the cloud, its pretty good for backup in a encrypted sparse bundle. It's also quite easy because this way, my Library is synced between the computers, I never had to hassle with external drives etc etc. only for the older photos in the library that go in a seperate folder, that are also in the cloud and on a slower external drive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted January 8, 2014 Unfortunately my broadband is nothing like fast enough to use cloud storage for images. With a maximum upload speed of around 50 KB/sec, it takes about 20 to 25 minutes to upload each M240 DNG and as for 16 bit TIFF’s - absurd. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 8, 2014 Share #14 Posted January 8, 2014 Unfortunately my broadband is nothing like fast enough to use cloud storage for images. With a maximum upload speed of around 50 KB/sec' date=' it takes about 20 to 25 minutes to upload each M240 DNG and as for 16 bit TIFF’s - absurd. Wilson[/quote'] Hmm yes this isn't very useful for cloud storage... I'm on a Vodafone 500mbit optical fiber connection. Up and down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 8, 2014 Share #15 Posted January 8, 2014 and at home a MacPro with the whole Lightroom library in a encrypted sparse bundle on Dropbox, meaning that if my house burns down there is a copy in 'the cloud' I quite like the idea of cloud storage for ultimate backup purposes but it doesn't seem practical from a size viewpoint; partly, like Wilson, because of the speed of uploading photos (though my broadband is significantly faster than his) but also because I'd need TBs of space. Even if I upload just final keeper TIFFs and PSD files, I guess I'd need in excess of 100GB. Is the dropbox option viable from a cost point of view? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 8, 2014 Share #16 Posted January 8, 2014 I quite like the idea of cloud storage for ultimate backup purposes but it doesn't seem practical from a size viewpoint; partly, like Wilson, because of the speed of uploading photos (though my broadband is significantly faster than his) but also because I'd need TBs of space. Even if I upload just final keeper TIFFs and PSD files, I guess I'd need in excess of 100GB. Is the dropbox option viable from a cost point of view? At the moment I've got multiple TB's of space on dropbox due to a corporate 'teams account' I've got for my customers. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redge Posted January 8, 2014 Share #17 Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) I've pretty much given up trying to travel light. My kit: M 240, four lenses, two batteries, charger, multifunction grip, AC adapter, tripod 15" MacBook Pro, one external hard drive (I've got plenty of storage on the MacBook for the originals) iPad Mini 64GB, local SIM card installed I've also got an 11" MacBook Air but the iPad is a better travel companion. The iPad has much better battery life and takes a SIM card, and in any event the Air's display is too small and of insufficient quality to process photographs. For me, the problem with the LaCie is that all it would do at best is replace the external hard drive. Regarding cloud storage, I've got the space but it's just easier and faster to back up my files on an external drive. In most if not all of the places that I travel, trying to upload DNG files to cloud storage would be a nightmare. Edited January 8, 2014 by redge 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted January 8, 2014 Share #18 Posted January 8, 2014 I think I'll stick with my travel Air and 2x480GB SSD storage devices giving me plenty of redundant backup until I have to start reusing SD cards that are full. I do not need or want iCloud storage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redge Posted January 9, 2014 Share #19 Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Hmm yes this isn't very useful for cloud storage... I'm on a Vodafone 500mbit optical fiber connection. Up and down. Do you have that while traveling, which is what this thread is about? In other words, if you are in Sicily or Newfoundland, are you saying that you have that kind of throughput? Or for that matter in New York City? If so, I'd love to know how. Edited January 9, 2014 by redge Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share #20 Posted January 9, 2014 European airlines and some international ones are getting increasingly sniffy about pieces of hand luggage with 30kg of depleted uranium in them and I suppose not unreasonably, as I would not want that dropping on my head in turbulence either. 6 kg is the common limit now and it does not take many Leica bits and bobs to get there. I think my MacBook Pro weighs 2.04 kg, so that’s 33% of my hand luggage weight limit, hence changing to iPad for travelling. The good news is that SD card pricing has dropped to the point that it is silly not to just take a couple of extra ones. As I said before, losing one is my concern and why I want a back up. As Redge says, I am unlikely to get a 100MB/s connection from a barge in the Kerala lakes but I don’t think I will be able to get a Fuel in time for my next trip in three weeks. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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