Posted by Joyce Harman on August 17, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Hi all
What are you using to back up in the field without much power around. I am going on a safari and am undecided as to what to get. They say your computer can easily be stolen, so it is better not to bring it. I have a small hard drive to back up onto, but i think i should get one of those independant drives with a card reader and maybe a dvd burner. Are they any good?
Posted by Clif Moore on August 18, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Highly recommend the Epson P-5000 linked in Charlie's post. I would get one or more cheap extra batteries for it. I also sometimes carry an older Hyperdrive with no LCD screen. The new versions are here: http://www.hyperdrive.com/
Good suggestions above. Just to clarify - when you say "back up" you mean copy the card to another storage device, and still keep the card with data on it (not overwrite it) correct?
If you're copying the card and then reusing it you don't really have a backup. In fact the card is probably more reliable than a disk so your images may now be less protected.
Guy
Posted by John Mumaw on August 18, 2008 at 9:03 AM
If you don't feel the need to view your images, then the Digital Partner portable storage device is a great low cost alternative to the other devices noted.
I've been using one for several years now with no problems.
Noting Guy's concern at erasing and reusing your cards, you could buy two DPs at less cost than one Epson or HyperDrive viewer in order to achieve true redundancy.
Posted by Steve Foss on August 18, 2008 at 1:19 PM
I agree with Guy on the relative values.
If you bring a supplemental drive that burns DVD as well, you can download to the drive, burn two copies of each DVD, keep one with you and periodically ship the other copies home, if you want to be really nuts about redundancy. Then you'll have two copies of every image with you as well as a third waiting at home when you get back, which should be enough backup to ease your mind and clear your cards.
With the ever-growing size of image files these days, any kind of field backup may be limited by your access to battery charges or other power sources. My Epson P2000 for example, will only upload around 13gb on a single charge, and that's with NO onscreen viewing. Heck, I can't even use my 16gb CF cards with it, much less my 8gb cards.
If power is going to be an issue, have you considered simply stocking up on extra CF cards for the trip? They're really getting reasonable, and for the price of a download device and maybe a little extra you might be able to cover all your needs for the trip. Heaven knows, you'll find additional uses for the cards when you get home!
Posted by Joyce Harman on August 18, 2008 at 4:26 PM
Thanks for the advice. Guy's comment made me realize i do need 2 drives (or enough CF cards, but i do not think there is any way to own enough CF cards to last for 2 weeks without backing up. I will need to figure out the charging as well, in order to use any of these. I think i have pretty good access to landrover charging, and i have converters to use that.
I have not shot digital for long (just got my D300 this spring after shooting film all my life. I am finding that i do make a lot more images, so i would not even be able to guess how many cards to take. 12-14 days of shooting. Any one who goes to Africa have any idea?
thanks
Joyce
Posted by Steve Foss on August 18, 2008 at 4:46 PM
I'm envious, Joyce. What a beautiful trip to be making!
I've long been a pretty big fan of breaking things up on smaller to medium sized cards, partly a result of my wedding work, where you don't want to put all your eggs in one 8 Gb basket. I own four 4 Gb cards, two 2 Gb cards and two 1 Gb cards, and that 22 Gb has done me well for as much as two days in a row of hard nature shooting before downloading.
I do a lot of examining photos on the camera back during downtime and casting off the ones I know are substandard to keep my cards as open as possible.
Certainly, your results may vary, but I'd very much suggest going heavier on cards than you think you might. On a trip like that, everything is new/strange to you, assuming it's your first trip there, so you may find yourself with a LOT more subjects (both human and non) catching your eye than you do in your normal surroundings.
I can only say what I'd do if it were my trip, and that would be to bring eight 4 Gb cards of excellent repute like SanDisk Extreme IV as merely one example, and expect to download onto the supplemental drive and burn backup DVDs every other day. Will that work for you? Don't know. I know it tends to take a long time to download cards into the portable drives I've seen, and it's good you've got access to Land Rover power, but I'd guess other photographers in your party might need that same access? The lower your access to electrical power, the more cards you are going to want, IMO. I would definitely check that angle out with your guiding service. If they specialize in guided photo safaris, they'll expect that question and will have an answer for you. It's information you should have before you make your card- or drive-buying decisions.
Now, I framed this in terms of shooting RAW, since that's typically what I do for my own fine art nature work. If you shoot large JPEG, that will change things.
So lots of food for thought. As always, keep what advice seems best to you and throw out the rest. And best of luck on a great adventure!
Posted by Don George on August 18, 2008 at 9:29 PM
If your buying new cards for your trip I would certainly try them out before leaving. With the price of cards today its reasonably inexpensive to carry enough cards for your trip. I carry (10) 4GB and (1) 8GB Sandisk cards. This has covered me for up to a month in the field shooting RAW. Also make sure you have a good card safe and keep your exposed cards in the safest place availabe.
Posted by Ed Cordes on August 18, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Look up the Hyperdrive ColorSpace Zero. I have one in 120 Gig size and love it. It can run on its built in rechargeable Li battery as well as external AA cells. It takes a small learning curve to figure out the filing system, but works like a charm for remote back up.
Posted by Andrew Yip on August 19, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Posted by Paul Inglis on August 20, 2008 at 7:49 AM
Hi Joyce,
This was once a great problem for me but I have sorted out my field workflow. Hell it sure beats taking a whole load of film and having all the worry. Anyhow to the point, on a trip purely for photography I shoot a minimum of 4GB but have not yet shot more than 8GB per day!
So I have purchased over the last few years 112GB of Memory Cards (good for a two week trip). Like many I prefer to have lots of smaller capacity cards than a few larger ones! This now consists of 20 x 4GB and 16 x 2GB. I never erase the data on these cards in the field. I also have a system to prevent me picking up a used card by accident.
Basically it is two colour coded boxes; Green, for unused and Red, for used. They are airtight and waterproof which I placed a foam insert where I have cut out the slots for each Compact Flash Memory Card (which purtudes half an inch above the foam so I can pick it out easily) with four slots in the corners for silica gel. These boxes aren’t as big as you’d think!
Furthermore I also carry two cheap and small Jobo Giga One Ultra 120GB which I can back up the memory card on to both devices. So effectively I have three duplicate sets of images.
If I was buying all my cards now they’d be 4GB cards. If the cards are too expensive for your present budget (and they would be for me if I intended to purchase them all in one go! – I bought one card every month, you don’t notice it then) then go for two Jobo’s.
Sandisk Extreme III CF 4GB
28 Cards for a total of 112GB
28 x $34.50 = $966
$8.5 per GB
The Sandisk Extreme III are reliable and durable.
Jobo Giga One Ultra 120GB
$219.95
$1.8 per GB
Good cheap back-up of the cards!!!
Epson p-5000 80GB
$579.95
$7.25 per GB
I have one on these but 80GB isn’t enough for a 14 Day trip and two would be more expensive than just purchasing all the cards which is a safer medium to keep your images on!
Discussion
12 repliesWhat are you using to back up in the field without much power around. I am going on a safari and am undecided as to what to get. They say your computer can easily be stolen, so it is better not to bring it. I have a small hard drive to back up onto, but i think i should get one of those independant drives with a card reader and maybe a dvd burner. Are they any good?
Confused in VA.
Joyce
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?oid=63061068
http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Jobo-Jobo-Giga-Vu-Pro-Evolution-80-GB-Multimedia-Photo-Storage-System-and-Viewer-for-Professionals
If you're copying the card and then reusing it you don't really have a backup. In fact the card is probably more reliable than a disk so your images may now be less protected.
Guy
I've been using one for several years now with no problems.
Noting Guy's concern at erasing and reusing your cards, you could buy two DPs at less cost than one Epson or HyperDrive viewer in order to achieve true redundancy.
If you bring a supplemental drive that burns DVD as well, you can download to the drive, burn two copies of each DVD, keep one with you and periodically ship the other copies home, if you want to be really nuts about redundancy. Then you'll have two copies of every image with you as well as a third waiting at home when you get back, which should be enough backup to ease your mind and clear your cards.
If power is going to be an issue, have you considered simply stocking up on extra CF cards for the trip? They're really getting reasonable, and for the price of a download device and maybe a little extra you might be able to cover all your needs for the trip. Heaven knows, you'll find additional uses for the cards when you get home!
I have not shot digital for long (just got my D300 this spring after shooting film all my life. I am finding that i do make a lot more images, so i would not even be able to guess how many cards to take. 12-14 days of shooting. Any one who goes to Africa have any idea?
thanks
Joyce
I've long been a pretty big fan of breaking things up on smaller to medium sized cards, partly a result of my wedding work, where you don't want to put all your eggs in one 8 Gb basket. I own four 4 Gb cards, two 2 Gb cards and two 1 Gb cards, and that 22 Gb has done me well for as much as two days in a row of hard nature shooting before downloading.
I do a lot of examining photos on the camera back during downtime and casting off the ones I know are substandard to keep my cards as open as possible.
Certainly, your results may vary, but I'd very much suggest going heavier on cards than you think you might. On a trip like that, everything is new/strange to you, assuming it's your first trip there, so you may find yourself with a LOT more subjects (both human and non) catching your eye than you do in your normal surroundings.
I can only say what I'd do if it were my trip, and that would be to bring eight 4 Gb cards of excellent repute like SanDisk Extreme IV as merely one example, and expect to download onto the supplemental drive and burn backup DVDs every other day. Will that work for you? Don't know. I know it tends to take a long time to download cards into the portable drives I've seen, and it's good you've got access to Land Rover power, but I'd guess other photographers in your party might need that same access? The lower your access to electrical power, the more cards you are going to want, IMO. I would definitely check that angle out with your guiding service. If they specialize in guided photo safaris, they'll expect that question and will have an answer for you. It's information you should have before you make your card- or drive-buying decisions.
Now, I framed this in terms of shooting RAW, since that's typically what I do for my own fine art nature work. If you shoot large JPEG, that will change things.
So lots of food for thought. As always, keep what advice seems best to you and throw out the rest. And best of luck on a great adventure!
http://www.andrewyip.com/blog/2008/08/19/field-report-image-storage
This was once a great problem for me but I have sorted out my field workflow. Hell it sure beats taking a whole load of film and having all the worry. Anyhow to the point, on a trip purely for photography I shoot a minimum of 4GB but have not yet shot more than 8GB per day!
So I have purchased over the last few years 112GB of Memory Cards (good for a two week trip). Like many I prefer to have lots of smaller capacity cards than a few larger ones! This now consists of 20 x 4GB and 16 x 2GB. I never erase the data on these cards in the field. I also have a system to prevent me picking up a used card by accident.
Basically it is two colour coded boxes; Green, for unused and Red, for used. They are airtight and waterproof which I placed a foam insert where I have cut out the slots for each Compact Flash Memory Card (which purtudes half an inch above the foam so I can pick it out easily) with four slots in the corners for silica gel. These boxes aren’t as big as you’d think!
Furthermore I also carry two cheap and small Jobo Giga One Ultra 120GB which I can back up the memory card on to both devices. So effectively I have three duplicate sets of images.
If I was buying all my cards now they’d be 4GB cards. If the cards are too expensive for your present budget (and they would be for me if I intended to purchase them all in one go! – I bought one card every month, you don’t notice it then) then go for two Jobo’s.
Sandisk Extreme III CF 4GB
28 Cards for a total of 112GB
28 x $34.50 = $966
$8.5 per GB
The Sandisk Extreme III are reliable and durable.
Jobo Giga One Ultra 120GB
$219.95
$1.8 per GB
Good cheap back-up of the cards!!!
Epson p-5000 80GB
$579.95
$7.25 per GB
I have one on these but 80GB isn’t enough for a 14 Day trip and two would be more expensive than just purchasing all the cards which is a safer medium to keep your images on!
Hope this helps you a bit!
Enjoy your trip and happy shooting,