What are you using to off-load photos in the field?

JK
Posted By
Jack_Kelley
Sep 22, 2006
Views
349
Replies
13
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Closed
When you don’t want to lug a laptop, any recommendations? Has anybody tried an iPod?They are apparently compatible with a Canon 20D but few other DSLRs (so far). I’m looking for something small, light, and easy to use, that will safely hold a few gigs of RAW or JPEG images until I can upload them to my Mac. The reviews on some of the options do not inspire confidence.
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DR
Donald_Reese
Sep 22, 2006
I Know several people who use the epson p2000 and 4000,but i have no idea whats compatible. there are portable dvd burners as well. b&h has a good selection of many types.
PH
Paul_Hokanson
Sep 22, 2006
I’m looking for something small, light, and easy to use, that will safely hold a few gigs of RAW or JPEG images until I can upload them to my Mac.

If you’re just looking for a "few gigs" then invest in a few more CF cards (Lexar and Sandisk Ultras and Extreme 2 gig cards are very reasonably priced these days) instead of some type of external drive. CF cards are much more reliable in the field than anything with moving parts.

Just offload the extra cards when you’re back in the office.
JG
Jim_Goshorn
Sep 22, 2006
I just purchased a HyperDrive and it’s charging as I write this. It is no frills in that it doesn’t display images but it is small, light, can transfer about 80gb on a single charge (per folks on Nikon list) and reasonably priced:

<http://www.hyperdrive.com/shop/information.php?info_id=7>

Jim
JK
Jack_Kelley
Sep 22, 2006
I appreciate the suggestions.

Maybe more CF cards is the simplest way to go. I think I’m looking for an excuse to buy an 80G iPod. 🙂
JG
Jim_Goshorn
Sep 22, 2006
I don’t know if things have changed but the last comment I recall about downloading images to an iPod is that it was extremely slow and drained the batteries very quickly. I also was looking for an excuse to get an iPod 🙂
BJ
Bob_Janusz
Sep 22, 2006
I have a Belkin media card reader that hooks up to the dock connector on my iPod. It works great for me and just might be the excuse you are looking for.

I bought mine on ebay.
CC
Chris_Cox
Sep 22, 2006
Epson P2000 keeps me going for most of a day (then the battery gives out and I keep everything on 4 Gig cards). That’s assuming one of my 1000+ exposure shooting days.
OO
Omke_Oudeman
Sep 22, 2006
I support Chris,
P2000 is a very good solution, but tell your wife that it only works correctly with an iPod! 🙂
RM
Rick McCleary
Sep 22, 2006
I second Paul’s suggestion – get more CF cards.

For speed and safety, there’s nothing like a few more 4Gb CF cards. I never re-format my CF cards until I have three copies of the files safely verified and copied onto hard drives. When I’m on the road, I download to my laptop (copy 1) and two external firewire hard drives (copies 2 & 3.) I do this work at night in the hotel room. Only then do I reformat the CF cards.
B
babalooixnay
Sep 23, 2006
wrote:
When you don’t want to lug a laptop, any recommendations? Has anybody tried an iPod?

The drawback to iPods is USB 1.1 speeds (35 minutes+ for 1 gig) camera to iPod (but 2.0 speeds iPod to laptop) I can just get two gigs downloaded on 1 iPod charge (60 gig, color screen) and don’t know if that will diminish over time as I don’t do it that much and what would happen if your iPod battery died in mid download I don’t know but I assume images would still be safe in camera. That said, I already had the iPod for music so the 29 bucks for the adaptor made the set-up worthwhile for the times I don’t want to carry a laptop. With the price drop in memory these past few months that throws a whole new slant on the issue for your needs.
AW
Allen_Wicks
Sep 25, 2006
What Rick and Paul said, the essential premise being that your images must be in two locations prior to reformatting the CF card. Personally I upload to a laptop and burn CD/DVDs prior to erasing CF cards.

The card-to-CD/DVD burner devices are also good choices if you burn 2 CD/DVDs but they are quite slow. All the small portable hard drive type options are poor choices for being the only place an image resides.

My personal preference is for Sandisk Extreme IV CF cards in 4 or 8 GB sizes. Larger sizes make for a much more comfortable workflow.
B
Buko
Sep 25, 2006
When I am shooting all day concerts and such I don’t always get a chance to burn that extra CD/DVD so I live dangerously for a few hours before backing everything up twice.
L
Larryr544
Sep 26, 2006
It’s easy to build a P2000 battery extender from a 4 AA battery holder and two cables, all from Radio Shack. I carry 12 2500 mAH batteries and can go several days in remote places.

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