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Portable photo storage devices?


Tritz

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You can now buy these portable hard drives that are about the size of a deck of cards for $100 to $150--they hold 1TB. There is a downside, however. When the hard drive is in the computer, you can use the computer's battery. When the hard drive is external, you need a power outlet, at least if you are accessing the data on the drive.

 

 

I would check that.

 

I am almost certain I have used an external hard drive with my MBA running on just the laptop's battery. Possibly depends on the specific hard drive.

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A different way often thinking . . . Why transfer the images to another temporary "safe"? Memory is cheap buy enough flash cards for the trip. You can always buy more, every ship I have cruised on sells cards. They are easy to find in every port. A good wallet is important.

 

I use this method on every trip. I typically take 24 cards for a 10 day trip (I allow 2 cards <8GB> per day plus a few extra) . I never reuse a card during a trip.

 

To view images at night I copy them to my iPad or a laptop. But I never delete off the flash card until home and the images are secured and backed up.

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Thanks for all the great suggestions!

 

Here's what I finally went with: I'll be traveling with my current main machine (a Macbook Pro) plus one of those fancy new LaCie Rikiki drives that fill 1 TB and are really small - just a tad bigger than an iPhone, and yes they are usb-powered (no external power needed).

 

So many advantages: Have all my other data with me. I know the machine. I don't need to copy anything over. I can already select and post-process the images. Really inexpensive (I already own it). :)

 

Main disadvantage: it's heavy (2.5kg. 10% of what I'm allowed to take on the plane! :eek:).

 

Thanks again, and cheers!

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  • 2 months later...

Sorry that this is a bit late for your August Trip (hope it went well).

 

I've just received a Hyperdrive Colorspace UDMA2 and can report the following.

 

- Easy to set up and reasonable copy speeds.

- Imports and processes M9 RAW dng files alongside the jpg file without problem.

- Can transfer files via wireless to and from iPad 4. (To put files onto the iPad you'll need to use the Goodreader App - "Connect to Server" function. (Not sure why you'd want to put files onto iPad from the drive but it is possible.)

 

Haven't fully tested it yet in the field but my plan is to;

- Transfer files to iPad via Apple Camera Connector Kit

- Back up SD Card onto Hyperdrive.

- Review files in Photosmith app, and tag, rate and delete where necessary.

- Upload keepers directly from Photosmith (keeps Tags, Ratings, Metadata intact) to Lightroom on my return.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Pete.

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  • 8 months later...

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Has anyone else tried to use the Sanho Colorspace HyperDrive UDMA (version 1) with the M240? The RAW images are so pixellated as to be impossible to review. I'm switching to RAW plus basic JPEG.

 

For some reason the digital Leicas only embed a tiny thumbnail. Raw plus jpeg is the only real option unless you take a full blown laptop.

 

Gordon

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Assuming you wish to travel light, I don't understand the alternative. A 'pocket full' of SD cards is the 'best' way to store travel pics. Treat your pics as though they are film (suggested by an earlier poster) and store them without wiping till you get home. Unless you are filing 'stories on the fly' to a magazine, what is the real need to review in the hotel room every night? You should be out again shooting night pics!

 

Preempting someone raising 'risk', that is what life is about. The only risk free condition is death! Calculate the risk and just minimize it. Carry a laptop? Never without a porter, but who can afford them? ;)

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I posted earlier in this thread about my problems using the Colorspace Hyperdrive UDMA with the M240. Their customer service department now informs me that " the UDMA does not support the RAW file from the new Leica M model camera.

At this point, the engineer team needs time to study if it can be addressed by firmware update.

If possible, please check with us again after a month for the update."

 

However they also confirm that "even if the RAW file does not show properly on this unit the file is stored in safely with UDMA and user can retrieve file to computer for proper display."

 

The answer, pending a firmware update, is to shoot RAW + JPEG.

 

Ronnie

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Almost a year since I last posted in this thread.

 

I continue to use the Hyperdrive for backup, and as Erl suggested I also don't wipe the SD cards until I'm home with the images on my computer and backed up (in fact I tend not to clear the hyperdrive until my next trip).

 

I never look through or edit off the crap display on the hyperdrive so I'm not fussed for the M240 (which is due soon?)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I purchased a mac air 11" for this purpose with 64 gig drive at the beginning of the year for a trip to Japan I took a lacie 500 gig portable drive with me as well for storage. my latest trip to europe I dispensed with the 500gig drive and replaced it with a lacie 250 gig usb thumb drive small convenient and expensive but a great travelling combination combined with a few 32 and 64 gig SD cards you should be covered you also need a card reader if you are using the M A good card case is also a good idea the pelican one seams to be a good option

Enjoy the travels and share which way you went with storage cheers Keith

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Buy a fistfull of SD cards and a waterproof Pelican storage box and just keep shooting.

Then be careful with the box. Worry about transfer when you get home and enjoy the

trip.

 

SD cards are inherintly waterproof. Ive washed a few with no ill effects.The idea behind a hyperdrive or portable drive is that it's a backup, not a replacement, to the cards. I had exposed film stolen once during a once in a lifetime trip. At least with digital I can have more than one copy of the originals, just in case.

 

personally I'd rather spend the time on planes and busses and in hotels reviewing my images than reading a book. More than once I've been inspired to go out the next day and have another go at something.

 

Gordon

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Assuming you wish to travel light, I don't understand the alternative. A 'pocket full' of SD cards is the 'best' way to store travel pics. Treat your pics as though they are film (suggested by an earlier poster) and store them without wiping till you get home. Unless you are filing 'stories on the fly' to a magazine, what is the real need to review in the hotel room every night? You should be out again shooting night pics!

 

Preempting someone raising 'risk', that is what life is about. The only risk free condition is death! Calculate the risk and just minimize it. Carry a laptop? Never without a porter, but who can afford them? ;)

 

I partially agree with you Erl, I'd do the use once SD cards part, but I'm completely paranoid when it comes to my data so I'd carry something to copy the cards onto as mobile backup.

 

Carl

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Just being mischievous here Carl, but what happens if your 'portable backup' fails? ;)

 

Just like losing your film, digital stuff is not totally secure either.

 

I'm still smarting from the loss of my vital SD card from Copenhagen last year that included my intended 'One Challenge' entry. Worse, it was a 16GB card full of my precious pics obtained under the fabulous guidance of Eric Lund who looked after us there in some unusual and special places.

 

I use 8GB cards as max these days because of it.

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