Photo storage while travelling

BB
Posted By
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 4, 2004
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438
Replies
24
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Closed
I will be doing a little travelling this spring and I’d like to have some way to store photos until I get back to the computer.( I’d rather not take a laptop because I don’t want to lug that around all the time).

I’d get an ipod but the belkin media reader for it has gotten a big thumbs down so far. What other small devices is anyone using? I know there are plenty of major travelers in this group.

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

JC
Jane_Carter
Feb 4, 2004
Hi Barbara, Yes I agree that the laptop can be a pain to bring on a trip. And if you’re going outside the USA, it can be a *real* pain for many reasons.

We have bought a bunch of CF cards, and this seems to be the easiest for us. They take up so little space.
Only one worry, if you lose one or if it gets hurt or wet, then you lose all the pictures on the whole thing.
I have read about storage devices just for this very thing, and we will be very interested on what is suggested here, as we would love to return to Costa Rica again this year. The last time we went, we stuffed everything into our 2 carry-ons, and avoided checked luggage.
Jane
GD
Grant_Dixon
Feb 4, 2004
Barbara

Traveling with a digital camera certainly adds a whole new set of parameters. Where the conditions are favourable we have always traveled with a laptop. It is true they are a bit bulky but you do have lots of storage, an ability to edit, and even play solitaire if you get bored. Two years ago I decided enough is enough and I bought a digital wallet. This one was 10 Gig hard drive in a spiffy case that fit in a shirt pocket if you were wearing shirts with very big pockets. The unit was convenient but there was still a battery problem so we had to bring along a power supply to recharge over evenings. I did miss the preview feature that a laptop affords
but I liked the portability. Unfortunately when I got home it turned out the unit was mush more finicky than I had bargained for. Under normal use the units hard drive had failed and it took me over a week, using every trick
I knew, to recover most of the data. I lost 30 photos and gained a distrust for these units. Fortunately I had been dealing with the same camera store for years and years and they did refund my money for the unit. Now we carry a lap top or … go film and have the negatives scanned.
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 4, 2004
Thanks, Jane. I’ve thought of that, but since I can easily use up a 256MB card in an hour or so, I’m not sure I could afford the trip if I bought that much memory!

Grant, that sounds something like the same end results as the belkin/ipod combo–people are saying that it doesn’t always find all or even most of the pictures on the card. Durn.
GD
Grant_Dixon
Feb 4, 2004
Barb

Be thankful you are going somewhere that you can consider a laptop. When we do vacations batteries for digis and laptops just don’t last the needed two or three weeks in the bush. Being 200 km away for the nearest road makes extension cords a bit of a bother. Portable generators weigh so much that I would have to leave Doreen home to get one in the canoe and that is not an option. All that solar stuff doesn’t work either so it is film for us.

Jane’s idea may have merit if … if you go back to the old film days of shooting and meter out you shots, taking only those that will count. Who know maybe the self imposed discipline of this type of shooting will be good for the soul. The Zen of compact flash 😉

Grant
JF
Jodi_Frye
Feb 4, 2004
Barb, i was just watching a story on ‘ Screen savers’ and a woman went to China and while in China she decided to go to kinko’s and have her memory burnt to disk….she paid for them to do it. She got the disk home and most of the pictures were gone…a bad burn. Bring more memory and extra batteries. You can always delete the images on your camera that you know for sure are not worth keeping…as you go or at the end of the day…I would definietly go for more memory…if you can.
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 4, 2004
Thanks, Jodi. That is one problem with my teeny-tiny camera, though–it’s impossible to tell much about focus from the LCD preview. I’ve thought so many times. "Ah, got it that time" only to get home and find the focus was way too soft.

Thanks for the warning about the woman in China. I hope I would always try out the disk before leaving the store, since that’s what I always do at home–you know that the one time you don’t check is the one time you’ll get a bad burn–it’s some kind of natural law of the universe.

Grant, yes, I am fortunately not going to be away from electricity, although I’ll probably need to hassle with converters and such. Still, much easier than a generator! 8^)
BG
Byron Gale
Feb 4, 2004
Barbara,

A friend of mine purchased an "Image Tank", and has been happy with it. I have no personal experience.

Here’s a review:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/imagetank_g2.htm l

Byron
JC
Jane_Carter
Feb 4, 2004
Hi Grant, We always bring a few of the little Kodak disposible weatherproof cams too, they have ‘saved the day’ a few times. Back in the days when we travelled a lot, it seemed that we took too many cameras of different kinds. But we were always glad that we did.
Cut back on the clothing, and add more camera stuff.
If we do get back there this year, we sure will bring a film camera too. That is great advice, as we never know if something could go wrong with the digital stuff.
Jane
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 4, 2004
Thanks, Byron. It sure is ugly, but if it works…
JG
Julio_Guerra
Feb 4, 2004
Barb
www.computergeeks.com is selling some storage devices cheap. <http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VP-2060> Note that you have to buy a hard drive for this an install it but it is cheaper than buying a new unit. These people sell liquidated stuff. I have bought a lot of things from them over a few years and have never had a problem with their service or merchandise.
Good luck
Julio
LK
Leen_Koper
Feb 4, 2004
Barbara, I bought myself a Hama portable CD burner.I just have to insert the card and it will burn a CD.
At least it is supposed to do so, as I bought it about 7 month ago and I didnot have time to travel extensively. So it is still in the box…
Probably it is for sale in the US, as on the box it reads: "Mobile DataSafe CD-RW" and that sounds rather english to me. AFAIK most of you Americans do speak some kind of english. 😉

Leen
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Feb 5, 2004
Barbara, I would want a device that had an LCD screen that would show me the images after they were stored and before I erased them from my flash memory card. Guess that’s why I continue to lug along my laptop with its built-in CD burner; can see the images after download from the CF card, then can look at them again reading back the CD that I burn.
LM
Lou_M
Feb 5, 2004
Hey, Barbara, didn’t Nikon just announce something like this? <googles the web…> Oh, here it is:

<http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1075266000.html>

There’s no obvious shipping date or price, so you’re on your own there.

That’s too bad about the Belkin media reader and the iPod. I’ve got an order for an iPod Mini, and was hoping to use it to store backups while traveling (under 1 GB). Hopefully something better will come along soon to connect to the iPod. Maybe I’ll just get another CF card.
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 5, 2004
Thanks, everyone, for all the suggestions.

Lou, the accessories like the media reader don’t work with the mini at all–that was my first thought when it was announced, but no dice.

Evidently Belkin has a new version of the reader and so far the only complaint is that it’s really slow, but that wouldn’t bother me.
WM
Wally_Mavican
Feb 5, 2004
I found the following to be the best solution.

Check-out the
EZ Digimagic 320 – $199 (AC only)
EZ Digimagic 220 – $295 (AC or 4 AA Batteries)

<http://www.disqworks.com/en/digimagicdesktop.html>

<http://www.disqworks.com/en/digimagicportable.html> ================================

EZ Digimagic DM220 Portable Digital Photo Back-Up Device

EZ DigiMagic DM220, the latest in digital photo sharing products, a perfect portable companion for any digital photographer. Perfect for special events or out in the field, burn direct to CD-R’s copies of your digital photos or movies from your camera’s flash memory card. No computer needed! Single-touch operation and portable, using the Ez DigiMagic is a snap. Given EZ DigiMagic’s compact size, there’s no need to worry about not having enough capacity on your camera’s expensive memory card when you are on the go. A 64MB memory card will download to the EZ DigiMagic creating a folder in around 3 minutes and with multi-session’s, you have can add up to 10 more folders on a 650MB CD-R. EZ DigiMagic can also be used as a memory card reader and as a CD-RW by connecting the unit to your PC via USB 2.0.

Note: For the professional photographer, this product provides insurance for the valuable images you make while in the field. Copy the contents of your memory cards to disc while at the shoot. Copying the images from your memory cards to disc gives you a backup that will protect you from loss of your hard work.

Features
Portable Model

Supports All Digital Memory Card Formats

Direct Copy to CD, No PC Needed.

Backup photos and movies on the go

Single Button Operation

Serves as an external Flash Memory Card Reader

Can also be used as an External CD-RW Drive via USB 2.0

Specifications

Recording Media: Blank CD-R/CD-RW Disc
Digital Camera Flash Memory Card Compatibility: Compact Flash™ Type I/II, Microdrive™ Smart Media™*, Multi Media Card™*, Secure Digital™*, Memory Stick™* * slot adapter included in box Back-up Capacity: CD-R disc or CD-RW disk with 650MB or 700MB Multi-Card Capability: Can copy from multiple memory cards Multi-Session: Can copy to a single CD at different times Back-up Method: Copies to CD with Single Button Operation Display: LED Indicators (OK/Write, Fail, Disc Full, Low Battery) Control: Single Button Operation
Audible Indicator: Audible notification when copying session is complete Interface: USB 2.0 to PC or MAC
Operating System Support: Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP, MAC OS 10.x, 9.x or 8.x Power: 100-240V(50-60Hz), Universal AC Adapter
Battery: Battery Pack Box. Recommend using Rechargeable AA Ni-MH Batteries. Four required/not inlcuded.

Dimensions: 5.9"W x 1.5"H x 6.5"D
Weight: 1.7 lbs
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 5, 2004
Thanks, Wally. I take it that’s what you’ve been using?
G
garyheaton
Feb 5, 2004
This is a link to something that might interest you for image storage. <http://www.jobodigital.com/products/vista.htm>
A close friend of mine uses one of these all the time, and he loves it. I have borrowed it from time to time, and I like it so well that I am thinking about buying one myself for a trip I am taking this summer.
The main reason I prefer this over many of the other devices available today, is that you can VERIFY that your images have indeed been transferred BEFORE you delete them off your memory card. (That is the down fall for many of these devices, you have to just HOPE that they really DID burn, or copy to a hard drive your valuable images.) With this device however, you can view them after the down load, so you KNOW they are there.
It IS a bit pricey however, but I think the 30 or 40 gig one would be more than enough for most of us.
This is a link to a digital camera review site that I use a lot, and find to be very informative as well. It has a full review of this product on there if you would like to view that as well.
< http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/nixvue_vista.htm l> Have a great trip.<smile>
Gary~*
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Feb 5, 2004
Gary, that’s a good one! I noted that they also sell reconditioned ones at attractive prices on their website. Yes, 30 or 40 gig sounds like plenty for me!
WM
Wally_Mavican
Feb 5, 2004
Yes Barbara, this is what we use except when using our Sony Mavica CD-500 which writes directly to the mini 3 inch CD and doesn’t use memory cards, etc. But this device works with any memory media of any of our other cameras.

Being able to plug it into (USB) any computer and use it as a portable CD Burner is also very handy.

You can also download from the camera memory device to the Mini-3-inch CDs which are small and convenient to store with contact sheets in an album. Makes it easy to find the pics for later use.

Wally
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 6, 2004
Thanks, Gary. The LCD screen is very tempting.

Wally, thanks a lot. It’s always encouraging to get first-hand reports from people who’ve actually been using the product.
PL
Paul_L_UK
Feb 6, 2004
Barbara

Heres a link to a thread on another forum with a lot of info < http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1023&me ssage=7398919>

Hope it helps

It is something I have been considering

Paul
BB
Bert_Bigelow
Feb 7, 2004
Barbara,
A 256 MB card full in an hour? Wow. I guess you do need one of these storage things. I just have a bunch of SM and CF cards and a 1GB IBM Microdrive. The cards are getting pretty cheap, and I’ve never had one fail. Seems like they would be more likely to withstand the hard knocks of travel than one of these disk-based gadgets. For the $400-$500 bucks one of these would set you back, you could buy probably 8 or 10 256MB cards.
And life would be simpler. Of course you couldn’t fill a card every hour…might have to be a little more selective…
Just some thoughts…
Bert
JC
Jane_Carter
Feb 7, 2004
That is what we do, and carry them in the little mini-zip loc bags that keep ’em dry and clean. They are getting cheaper too. I do agree that one should never delete a picture unless it can be seen on something larger than the camera display, unless it is all black.
Jane
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Feb 7, 2004
Paul, thanks for the link.

Brent, yes, I’ve thought about that, too. Hmm…

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

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