Traveling with digital-first time

[Leicaiste]

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I travel with a MacBook Air 11' plus disk for backup and keep my SD cards in another place. I don't erase them before all the pictures are safely transferred on my home computer.

 

Much faster, lighter and safer than any other solution that I used in the past.

 

I keep the SD cards in this pouch. SD Pixel Pocket Rocket The color helps not loosing it.

 

And I replaced my iPad with an iPad mini.

[Guest borge]

I travel with a MacBook Air 11' plus disk for backup and keep my SD cards in another place. I don't erase them before all the pictures are safely transferred on my home computer.

 

Much faster, lighter and safer than any other solution that I used in the past.

 

I keep the SD cards in this pouch. SD Pixel Pocket Rocket The color helps not loosing it.

 

And I replaced my iPad with an iPad mini.

 

Same here. MB Air with 256GB SSD, external 256GB USB3 SSD (quick backups), about 200GB of SD cards that I don't delete, and an iPad Mini 64GB.

 

I also use an online backup service that automatically backs up everything to the cloud in the background. So as long as my macbook is connected to a wireless internet provider new images are automatically backed up to the online service as well.

 

I always carry the SD cards with me. My MB air is mostly always in the hotel room / apartment. And the external SSD is stored somewhere else so that in case of theft or something similar I will probably only loose one of the storage mediums.

 

And it all fits in a small Billingham Hadley Pro bag together with my camera, lenses and spare batteries and chargers, and it doesn't weigh a ton.

I don't - however - store everything in this bag at the same time. That would be stupid in case of theft or something else.

[Jager]

To me it comes down to whether photography is a primary focus of the trip - in which case I probably want to do some editing; or if it is a secondary pursuit.

 

If it's the former I'll have my 15" MacBook Pro for both editing and primary storage, Drobo mini for backup, and perhaps a small 1TB USB-powered drive for backup to the backup.

 

If it's the latter, I'll have my 11" MacBook Air for primary storage and the little USB-powered drive for backup.

 

I don't consider carrying a laptop any kind of hardship. I'd carry one anyway (even if I wasn't a photographer) for email, internet, and writing. My MBA even accompanies me on motorcycle trips.

 

I love the iPad and would also carry that. But that's purely for media consumption - books, movies, reading email and the like. As others have mentioned, it sucks for any kind of serious photography work.

[dante]

Twenty years ago I went to great lengths to secure my exposed film. Even so, on two occasions a number of exposed rolls were stolen. Airs are not stolen that easily - they can be well protected, making them valueless on the market.

 

Airs are just as easily stolen as any other computer - and this can be seconds. No thief is going to worry at the time he is slashing your bag, rifling your hotel room or walking away with your backpack whether it is an Air. a Pro, or anything else. The fact that Apple may have security on them only makes the difference between their being resold or finding their way into a dumpster. You still don't have the computer, and you have lost any unique data on it.

 

Dante

[jdlaing]

I think you meant inferior displays.

1280 x800

 

And lower contrast and every other stat from Samsung 1920 and 1600 13" displays.

 

8gb of ram- good luck with that one !

 

 

My Air has a 1440 x 900 display 512 gig hard drive and 8 gigs of ram.

I have no problem with the display and think side by side they are better than any plastic trash IBM notebook.

[dante]

On the original answer, I would counsel this, having been around the world with digital:

 

Small (2Gb) Sandisk Ultra SD cards - which will read in any device ever made that takes SD cards - and Gepe waterproof cases. Shoot one card each day in rotation. That minimizes the chances of a corrupt SD card blowing your whole output. I would recommend deleting as you find the reject pictures: it prevents an editing mess when you get home.

 

Even though I use 32Gb cards at home, I skip big cards on the road. If your camera gets stolen with a big card, you've now just lost a ton of pictures too.

 

Skip Eye-Fi. As I learned the hard way, especially when these are not in range of wifi, they burn a lot of power, run hot, and will provide little tangible benefit. Mark down where you are on what days. Your files are all time-stamped anyway.

 

Sandisk SD cards are more reliable than any hard drive and equally reliable (and less prone to theft) than any other "backup" solution. In fact, when I look at the solutions that are proposed on this thread, I get a chuckle - most of these are very expensive and present loss risks of their own (for example, carrying a computer with information outside what is pertinent to your trip).

 

If you can't live without a computer, an iPad and its Camera Connector package are fine. You can get enough editing to be able to post to Facebook or wherever else you want to rub your vacation in your friends' faces.

 

Take extra batteries. Some places you will go have one electrical outlet per hotel room, which means that if you get back late and go out early, you are stuck with a choice of charging your phone/iPad/laptop or your camera battery. Or staying up all night waiting for the 5-hour Leica charge cycle to end. Also, given the tendency for Li-Ion batteries sometimes to read as "charged" when they are not (due to a need for a conditioning cycle), better safe than sorry.

 

Dante

[wattsy]

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MacBook Air 11" is an exercise in a waste of time, ssd capacity is only one reason

 

I suppose if you are into comparing computer specs like a game of top trumps, the Macbook Air might fall short but I personally think the 11" is the most useful laptop I've ever owned and is ideal for travelling. I actually fall more into the "carry a bunch of SD cards" camp when travelling but find a laptop useful when away for more than a few days for doing email, etc. Being able to back up cards is a bonus of having the laptop with me, not a reason for bringing it.

 

8gb of ram- good luck with that one !

 

My base model 11" Air has 2GB RAM. It works perfectly fine for doing administrative and (if necessary) creative stuff (I've used it to edit a book in Indesign CS6 and countless times using Photoshop CS6). IMO there's too much theorising and obsessively comparing specifications in the various internet forums (including here) and not enough focus on what people are actually doing with cameras and computers, etc.

[jaapv]

Airs are just as easily stolen as any other computer - and this can be seconds. No thief is going to worry at the time he is slashing your bag, rifling your hotel room or walking away with your backpack whether it is an Air. a Pro, or anything else. The fact that Apple may have security on them only makes the difference between their being resold or finding their way into a dumpster. You still don't have the computer, and you have lost any unique data on it.

 

Dante

Exactly why the data won't be on the laptop - but on the drive in the room safe

[algrove]

kshapero

I also live in South Florida. If you are near a Leica store go in and ask questions. Do NOT be shy. Since you have not replied to queries here, there are some uncertainties.

 

1.What continent are you visiting?

 

2. Have you been there before? If you have been to your destination before, then there is a chance you will shoot less than if it is a first time to a specific local.

 

3. If South of the border from you, then extra security measures might be needed. Ask people what they have done who have been to the SAME destination for the best information if you are serious about protecting your images after exposure (IAE).

 

Like others I have MY method for IAE and it works for ME.

 

-Air 11" or 13"-I prefer 11 because when the person in front of you suddenly drops his seat into your face you can still use the 11", but 13" gets pushed into my face-plus 11 is lighter.

-2x OWC SSD drives where I backup IAE into both every evening (I can). This is a RAID idea where both drives can be kept in separate places, thus separating IAE even more than one device. Each SSD I keep in a little OWC supplied plastic case ( I use 2-one silver and one black to differentiate which is which) and they weigh less than 5 oz. each with 480GB and case.

-I use 480GB SSD, but only because some times I travel for many weeks and/or use various camera systems which can create huge files relatively fast and IAE becomes huge on certain days. The new M is just but one example of the need for larger backup devices. Old M9 backups might have to be rethought due to the M's larger file sizes.

-Also do you shoot DNG only or do you shoot DNG+Jpeg fine? This can dramatically affect IAE sizes every day you shoot.

-depending on length of trip, SD cards that work for me are Sandisk Extreme 32GB (10 category) each. Never fill card past around 75%, just in case card gets finicky. Others like different SD cards. Ask them.

-estimate your shot level per day and then extrapolate this estimate into how many cards you would need if you did NOT erase any SD cards while on your entire trip. This way you have triple backup. You never know.

-On rare occasion I have had to erase the first SD card or two since I needed more SD card memory for new shooting. In this case I created a folder on the Air desktop for those IAE with the same name as the SD card when I configured it, so I don't forget what I did even 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months ago if a long trip. This keeps my preferred triple backup in place.

-batteries-take plenty and maybe an extra charger. How about the wall plugs needed? Some of us use the Apple little foreign plugs for their chargers and others might recommend otherwise and use the long wire that Leica supplied or both. If in a car, take the car charger just in case. If you are going where it is cold, then anticipate rapid battery drainage possible.

-All of the above stays with me when traveling in carry-ons.

-If the hotel is OK, then I leave extra SD cards (which I am not using that day out) and SSD's in locked in suitcase or room safe often not leaving everything in one place. Some days I take one SSD with me if I feel uneasy about that place that day. Use your nose and common sense.

- Where do you keep your SD cards? I use various methods based on dry or wet and humid. Dry-the lightest I have found which holds tons of SD cards is the Lowepro, Memory Wallet 20-it holds 12 SD cards (unlike the name suggests) in their cases and weighs less than a cable release. Wet-I prefer the Pelican hard plastic case which holds 6 SD cards in their cases or 6 CF cards not in their cases, as I use both types of memory cards on long trips.

-Tripod? Get a sturdy one, not a flimsy one as you will just end up buying a sturdy one later. Do not forget one or two cable releases with lock if you take like 32 second exposures. Forget the 2 or 12 second timers. You will be lucky if the tripod and camera have stopped shaking by the time the shutter opens. I keep my tripod in a Tamarac shoulder bag to keep the hands more free. I learned a lesson the hard way once walking around with camera and lens dangling from a tripod when someone bumped me into a a stone wall and damaged my precious camera's black paint. Now I have various methods to prevent that. Never walk around and carry camera on tripod unless you are on your own and walking 10 feet.

-I found a waist bag like the Think Tank Speed Freak V2.0 and rapid way to stow gear for a short period of time if shooting landscape while walking short distances like less than a mile. Otherwise I use a backpack like the ONA or F Stop or Gura Gear.

 

I am not aligned with OWC, Think Tank, ONA, F Stop, Gura Gear, Lowepro nor Sandisk, although they have all taken plenty from my bank account over the years which is nothing compared to Leica. I see this stupid disclaimer seems to be par for the course today. Oh well, welcome to America.

 

Trust this helps. If not, ask more questions.

[henning]

Since the dawning of the digital era, I have tried various things.

 

Integrated digital hard drive/download systems (I used Nexto); one in my suitcase or camera bag and one in my wife's, when she came with me.

 

A netbook and two external USB drives, again distributed.

 

A 12" MacBook Pro with drives as above, when that was a viable machine.

 

A small wallet full of cards. This is what I now use, and will probably continue to use unless I get a MacBook Air. The specs haven't convinced me yet. If I travel for a job, then my current MB Pro comes with me, and extra drives. But not on pleasure trips

 

I carry the cards on me in a little wallet. 10 32Gb cards (Transcend, as I have not had problems with them as I have with Sandisk, and even more, Lexar) do me for a month long trip and take very little space. When I travel I carry my passport and such in a little pouch around my neck under my shirt. When cards are full I put them in a side pocket of the pouch.

 

In the end, it's individual. Do what feels comfortable to you. If you worry more or have had some bad experiences, do more backups.

 

Henning

[Guest borge]

MacBook Air 11" is an exercise in a waste of time, ssd capacity is only one reason

 

:rolleyes:

 

Nobody edits on a 11-13" display anyway. I only use it for quick selections on what to keep and delete and for further backingup everything to an external SSD as well as online via CrashPlan.

 

The MB Air 11" is the ultimate travel laptop. Speced up it runs everything very smoothly as well. Mine is a Core i7 2 ghz with 8 GB of ram and 256 GB SSD.

 

I use it for work and photography. I virtualize both Windows 8 and 7 on it, as well as a few Windows 2012 Server installations, primarily with Lync 2013 lab environments. I use it for photoshop and lightroom connected to my external 27" 2560x1440 IPS display (and I only edit images on this display).

 

After getting used to the portability that this laptop offers - anything is huge and bulky, even the smallest 13" windows laptops and macbook's. They are also way too heavy. My Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is huge and heavy, and my W530 is worthless as a portable machine so I only use it as a lab computer with VMware ESXi installed, and two physical harddrives installed as well as 16GB of memory.

 

Show me anything that is as portable as a MB Air 11", as well as portable and light weight. Thought so... It doesn't exist.

[kdriceman]

You can only edit jpgs on iPad. All editing apps are rubbish.

I think you can not transfer raw.

64gb is not enough.

I tried to use iPad for travel but not possible.

Buy a small light windows laptop with at least 500gb.

Toshiba and Samsung make a very light laptops.

Don't bother with MacBook Air. Lo res screen and low storage capability.

 

The iPad will accept and store the raw files (which can later be transferred to a computer), but it can't read them, so technically you can use it to store or backup your DNG files. But you're right, editing on the ipad is very limited and, depending on how you shoot, 64GB is very limited for holding and backup. I know, there are some raw editing ipad apps, but as you have noted, they are rubbish.

[xjr]

1 camera ? 1 16GB card, 2 cameras ? 2 16GB cards and a NEXTO EXTREME.

[akiralx]

I suppose if you are into comparing computer specs like a game of top trumps, the Macbook Air might fall short but I personally think the 11" is the most useful laptop I've ever owned and is ideal for travelling. I actually fall more into the "carry a bunch of SD cards" camp when travelling but find a laptop useful when away for more than a few days for doing email, etc. Being able to back up cards is a bonus of having the laptop with me, not a reason for bringing it.

 

Agreed, the MBAir 11" is a great travel laptop, as you can use it to check travel info, flight/train/ferry times, check in online, read email etc. That you can backup DNGs on it is just a bonus. So light as well. I bought mine used for about half of the new price.

[jto555]

I have started to Eye-Fi cards which connect to my iPhone. I keep dropbox running so the shots are backed up to Dropbox as I am working. This means that I have a jpeg copy even if the camera gets stolen.

 

The downside of this is that Eye-Fi EATS battery power on the camera and phone. Also if you are roaming internationally you need to use a local sim card to avoid a large mobile phone bill for data usage! Another issue is that the iPhone shuts Dropbox off after 10 minuets to save the phones battery power so I have to keep rembering to restart Dropbox.

 

I shoot jpeg and raw and have the cards configured to shoot 'endleslly' so as the jpegs are copied to my phone they are deleted from the card. This still leaves me with the raw files which can be downloaded to a laptop when convient.

 

John

[exile]

One camera, three lenses, one grey card, and a bag of SD cards.

On a longer trip I would have an old storrage device (combined card reader and hard drive without viewing screen) placed somewhere else, but I still would not delete the SD cards.

 

If I'm not backpacking exclusively and weight is not such an issue, an old laptop gifted to me from work when it fell out of repair warranty remains hidden somewhere in a safe place with all files backed up. I never process files on the road, but the ability to delete the failed shots allows the laptop to slip into the luggage ahead of the rechargable storrage device when weight is not an issue.

[!Nomad64]

kshapero,

 

as already remarked by other fellow members you didn't specify neither destination(s) nor trip duration, so I'll try to cover various scenarios with the options that do or would work for me. Your mileage (as anyone else's) may vary:

 

- Short trip (up to 2 weeks), safe conditions, normal weather, weight matters (any combination of hiking/cycling/bus/train/plane):

Camera, one to three lenses, spare battery, a small weatherproof discreet bag like a Billingham, compact battery charger, electric plug universal adapters, a handful of SDHC cards between 2 and 8 Gb (I normally count a roll a day + 50% for good measure so for me eight SDHC 4Gb each generally suffice to cover two weeks), a mobile phone, air blower, MP3 player. No tablet, no PC, no backup devices.

This is what usually applies to me as I'm used to take short vacations here in Europe or in places generally deemed as safe and I detox myself from being constantly connected.

 

- Medium trip (from 2 weeks to one month), safe conditions, normal weather, weight matters (any combination of hiking/cycling/bus/train/plane):

Camera, up to four lenses, two spare batteries, a small weatherproof discreet bag like a Billingham, compact battery charger, electric plug universal adapters, a handful of SDHC cards between 2 and 8 Gb, a disk tank (mine is a 40Gb Epson P 3000), air blower + sensor cleaning kit, a Blackberry or whatever smartphone with emailing capabilities, MP3 player. No tablet, no PC.

 

- Long trip (exceeding one month), safe conditions, supposedly normal weather, weight doesn't matter (travelling by car or RV):

Camera, up to four lenses, a small weatherproof discreet bag like a Billingham, two spare batteries, compact battery charger, electric plug universal adapters, a handful of SDHC cards between 2 and 8 Gb, PC with image editing capabilities, backup HD (a couple 1Tb 2.5" or one of these: CalDigit VR mini), air blower + sensor cleaning kit, a Blackberry or whatever smartphone with emailing capabilities, a small tablet or an ebook reader + MP3 player.

 

- Long trip (exceeding one month), uncertain safety conditions, expected rough weather/harsh environmental conditions, weight matters (any combination of hiking/cycling/hitch-hiking/bus/train/plane):

Beater mechanical camera + beater lens(es) + cartload of films remains the safest, easiest and most reliable solution. I bought a IIIf + Elmar 50 when I had to go to Angola and didn't want to risk the M3 or the M8 to discover then that it wasn't any more dangerous a place than my hometown...

This said, if you want/need to go digital:

Camera, up to four lenses (possibly beaters/cheaper ones for the less used focal lenghts), airtight cases, a small weatherproof discreet bag that doesn't scream "Expensive camera inside!", two or more spare batteries, compact battery charger + Delkin AAA battery charger paired with Leica M8/9 battery adapter: Battery Chargers - Dual Universal DSLR Battery Charger Including Desktop & Car Adapters, electric plug universal adapters, a solar battery charger (but I'm not much into this matter so no model/brand advices), an appropriate quantity of SDHC cards between 2 and 8 Gb stored in a weatherproof case (Peli, Delkin, etc.), air blower + sensor cleaning kit, a disk tank or, if higher capacity needed, a beater PC, with no image editing capabilities, just for the sake of backups and travel journaling (the cheapest, smallest, crappiest netbook or, if expecting very harsh environmental conditions, a 2nd hand semirugged 11"-12" laptop like HP Elitebooks or, for extreme cases, a 10.4" Toughbook), an appropriate number of rugged USB flash memories like Corsair Survivor or LaCie Extreme to completely backup all the SDHC cards, a rugged mobile phone - any of these should fit the bill: Welcome to Sonim Technologies - Maker of the World's Toughest Phones - with spare batteries, cheap ebook reader and MP3 player.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

Bruno

[sunil]

Not too much size and weight difference between an iPad and a small Air, John.

 

Yeah but you have to take the Air out at security whereas you can leave the iPad in the briefcase. For someone that travels two weeks in a month, it is a real pain to always pull the Air out.

[jaapv]

Do you? Over here they are not so lenient. The iPad gets the same treatment as a laptop

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[sunil]

Do you? Over here they are not so lenient. The iPad gets the same treatment as a laptop

 

Not so in the US where I do most of my travel and some international. Never had to take the iPad out of my briefcase. The Air has never gotten away in my briefcase. But it is a 13".