Using iPod as image storage

[wlaidlaw]

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Has anyone any experience of using an iPod as an image storage device. I see that Apple can supply a camera/card reader USB connector. I assume in view of Apple's aversion to DNG, that this would be JPEG only but can anyone tell me I am wrong.

 

I have just bought an 80 Gb iPod to replace my elderly iRiver 20Gb player, which protested strongly about being made to work with Macs and the CD drive on our last Windoze machine has just died. For those occasions when I don't want to hump around my iBook, it would make a handy back up device. I know I can just carry more cards and everyone says they are fool(me)proof but I do like having them backed up.

 

Wilson

[Hans Roggen]

Hi Wilson,

 

There is another thread for this, but i can tell you from experience that it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too slow.

Really, don't bother.

 

Hans

 

ah...here it is: http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/15589-d-lux-3-ipod-photo-connector.html?highlight=ipod

[hdrmd]

Using the USB adapter for the iPod is quite slow, but one can use the iPod as a portable hard drive. Download photos to the computer first, and then drop them on the iPod. With a 60G iPod, one can store and transport, and backup quite a lot of photos. DR

[marknorton]

One of my employees went to Antartica betting that she could back up her pictures to an iPod. She couldn't, an example of Apple froth which even now is making me wary of buying a MacBook Pro. Somehow, I just cannot bring myself to do it. Buy an external USB hard drive instead.

[POKO]

Hi,

 

You may want to look at these:

 

http://www.hypershop.com/shop/index.php?cPath=27&osCsid=f74b0696d7d5e158a8f73e95f5254dc0

 

Per

[Bill W]

Go with something made for downloading your memory in the field, anything but the ipod. Don't get wrong, i own one adn a Nano for music but I could never never get the thing to work for a download with the silly device even after calling tech support. There are too many devices created specifically for this purpose.

[NickR]

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I regularly use my ipod to backup my hardrive which includes, of course, all my photos. I then transport it to another machine where it's backed up to a tape drive. It works perfectly fine and although it is very slow this is fine for backup purposes. However, I imagine that using the pod as a working device, i.e., direct camera downloading and image manipulation, would be excruciatingly slow and somewhat risky.

[tashley]

Mark, with respect the iBook is a stonkingly good bit of kit and whilst I abhor Apple's lack of support for the more esoteric file formats, they do list what cameras are supported for the OS, the iPod and Aperture.

 

I don't like 'em any more but their kit works as advertised !

 

;-)

 

Best

 

Tim

[wlaidlaw]

I was only thinking of using an iPod as a back-up and still leaving the images on the SD cards. I never had any idea of manipulating them on the iPod. Viewing maybe but that would be all.

 

Wilson

[charlesphoto99]

The ipod is way to slow, and eats through the battereis doing downloads (you'll only get a few gigs at most) and correct me if I'm wrong, there's no way to plug the thing in to AC and download with the adaptor at the same time. It's really not made for that.

 

I own a previous version Hyperdrive and have to say it's fantastic. Solidly built and easy to use. But with the price of cards theses days you can get quite a few of them. Depends on what one is doing. On a commercial job or travel for long periods one can't rely on having enough cards.

[SteveP]

I spent a month in Paraguay a couple of years ago and used a 60GB PhotoiPod as my only digital backup (no M8 obviously). I found the Belkin Media Adapter reliable with fresh batteries (it uses AAAs - I charged a set each night before backing up) and it worked just fine. Note it doesn't work with video iPods. I have the later camera cable for iPod but have never tested it in earnest.

[Chrizzlie]

The Apple Camera Connector only works for JPEGs (in general - haven't tried for M8) and the Belkin Media Adapter is just as big as another iPod, is extremely slow, and sucks your batteries in a snap.

 

Bottom line: not a good idea.

 

I personally haven't found the right thing for me. Capacity-wise any SD of CF-Card is almost as cheap as a decent storage device (DVD or HDD based) - which leaves the question of backing up... But an iPod definitely is not it.

 

Chris

[photolandscape]

I agree with all of the above. Would just add that I recently picked up a great cost-effective alternative if you don't need a built-in color screen.

 

Fry's, a major retailer in the Western U.S., sells Wolverine portable hard drive storage devices with built-in card readers. The 80GB retails for about $129, but I just got one for $79 after rebates. It's quick, the battery lasts quite a while, and the screen (monochrome) keeps you informed about how image transfers are going, how the battery is doing, and confirms that it is being copied and how much room is left on the drive. It's pretty quick too.

 

I use mine when I'm out shooting in the field, and hook it up to my powerbook in the evening to see the days results.

[steve_l]

I checked Fry's and only see the Wolverine ESP, more esxpensive multimedia thing...the $99 Wolverine drive doesn't say anything about a card reader....which model are you talking about?

Thanks (My Archos just died for the second time)

[Guest sirvine]

First of all the card reader to iPod interface isn't an Apple product (although it is sold at Apple's store). It is the most useless piece of junk ever made (like most iPod 'halo' products by Belkin and the like). Imagine this: you have to plug the iPod into an AC adapter in order to upload any reasonably sized card because the iPod's battery will die in the hour or so it takes to complete the upload. So...what could possibly be the point of that?

 

iPod is useful only as a backup storage device for files uploaded directly from the PC. Avoid those card readers, unless they've improved significantly in the past year or so.

[nryn]

The iPod and camera connector might work for someone with a digital Elph who needs to offload their card occasionally during a 1-2 week vacation. It is not a solution for professional photographers or serious amateurs.

 

Nevermind the problems with the transfer speed or powering the iPod. There is no way of deleting information from your iPod. I assume most people using this solution will have some music on their iPod and "leave some space" for photographs. Again, for the .jpgs coming out of point-and-shoots, this may be adequate, but for DNGs and high-res .jpgs, not so much.

 

It's been a while since I've taken a purely photographic trip where I don't have a laptop with me, but when I do take such trips I leave my laptop at home and travel light. There are far, far better solutions out there--portable image hard drives and palmtop computers. Also, there are increasing numbers of shops, even in the third world, which allow you to drop off memory cards and get the files burned to CDs or DVDs or do it yourself. If you're going any single place for a length of time, it might be worth looking into this option. It'll save you the weight of another device, cables, and yet another charger.

[photolandscape]

I checked Fry's and only see the Wolverine ESP, more esxpensive multimedia thing...the $99 Wolverine drive doesn't say anything about a card reader....which model are you talking about?

Thanks (My Archos just died for the second time)

.

 

Steve, sorry, been away and just saw your post. It's the Wolverine 80GB (also available in 60 and 120GB) Flashpac. I think the Wolverine site is http://www.wolverinedata.com. They are located in Michigan. It definitely includes readers for SD, CF, and a couple of other card formats. Good battery life, easy to use (turn it on, press the backup button, and it does the rest.) Copies both jpegs and DNG files, of course. Good luck. For $79 it is a steal (and Fry's puts them on sale periodically).

[steve_l]

Thanks, Steve!

 

I still can't find the Flashpac at Fry's (just the ESP and hard drives), but they are available at B&H and Wolverine....

 

I'm a little hesitant because they don't have an image preview *or* a verification step, just a note about how many files "supposedly" downloaded.

 

I guess at that price I could just get two of them to be sure.....

 

But I'm sort of waiting for the expected Apple mini-notebook, flash based, that I would just bring an outboard hard drive for and be able to do everything....

 

Decisions, decisions...

[barbican]

If you don't need image preview, the best bet seems to be the Hyperdrive SPACE. It does various file verification checks which in my mind outrate image-preview-as-verification. I speak not from experience, but having done due diligence. I'll pick one up soon.

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[wlaidlaw]

Thanks, Steve!

 

I still can't find the Flashpac at Fry's (just the ESP and hard drives), but they are available at B&H and Wolverine....

 

I'm a little hesitant because they don't have an image preview *or* a verification step, just a note about how many files "supposedly" downloaded.

 

I guess at that price I could just get two of them to be sure.....

 

But I'm sort of waiting for the expected Apple mini-notebook, flash based, that I would just bring an outboard hard drive for and be able to do everything....

 

Decisions, decisions...

 

I think I too will wait for the mini-notebook but this time I am not going to be an early adopter after my awful experience with my Intel iMac (6 major repairs in 8 months) and they have only just got the Mk2 version working properly with a firmware update last week. I had my 12" iBook upgraded about 5 months ago with a faster chip and 100Gb hard drive and it is currently working very nicely. It is just a bit heavy to lug around all the time.

 

Wilson