Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card

JimDavis · 5th June 2006

Just wonder if there is anyone out there can help me to understand a little bit more about the differences between Seagate Photo hard drive and the typical CF card we are using today?

Deadpoet · 5th June 2006

one is a miniture HDD and one is flash memory, one has moving parts and one doesn't, one is slower and one is much much faster, and one is much cheaper.

csisfun · 5th June 2006

Errr which "one" is the "one"?

zcwnfx · 5th June 2006

one is a miniture HDD - seagate photo hard drive

one is flash memory - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro

one has moving parts - seagate photo hard drive

one doesn't - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro

one is slower - seagate photo hard drive

one is much much faster - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro

one is much cheaper. - seagate photo hard drive (not very sure, but find it to be so, 2nd hand that is)

like to add also, the hdd photo drive is more prone to failure i think cos of the mechanical parts. but i think these kinds of things, better dont drop

photodrive also will heat up faster. takes up more batt power.

hope it helps

Artosoft · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by zcwnfx

one is much cheaper. - seagate photo hard drive (not very sure, but find it to be so, 2nd hand that is)

This one should be read as:

one is much cheaper for price/capacity. - seagate photo hard drive

Regards,
Arto.

yanyewkay · 6th June 2006

I will sum it up for everyone here after much debated sentiments of CF vs MD.

To a bigger majority of the pros here, it seems MDs will surely 110% die on you on your most important shoot and you will lose all the most important data on the MD at a time when you most need it.

espn · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by yanyewkay

I will sum it up for everyone here after much debated sentiments of CF vs MD.

To a bigger majority of the pros here, it seems MDs will surely 110% die on you on your most important shoot and you will lose all the most important data on the MD at a time when you most need it.

It's just like

Nikon vs Canon
Apple vs Mac
CF vs MD.

It won't end.

yanyewkay · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by espn

It's just like

Nikon vs Canon
Apple vs Mac
CF vs MD.

It won't end.

erm.. Apple vs Mac?

espn · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by yanyewkay

erm.. Apple vs Mac?

Oops... Apple vs PC

Typed too fast liao. Fingers haven't woken up yet... I'm still idling in office, no mood to start work.

jdredd · 6th June 2006

michael reichmann uses hard drive.. never reported any problems..

yanyewkay · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by espn

Oops... Apple vs PC Typed too fast liao. Fingers haven't woken up yet... I'm still idling in office, no mood to start work.

yah same..

Artosoft · 6th June 2006

Originally Posted by espn

It's just like

Nikon vs Canon
Apple vs Mac
CF vs MD.

It won't end.

Add:

Alien vs Predator

.

Ups.... OT....

Regards,
Arto.

JimDavis · 6th June 2006

Thanks a lot to all the contributors.

This is really an enlighten discussion, well, at least for me.

I was initially thinking of getting the seagate photo drive, since it is so dirt cheap (brand new, less than S$200.00 for 4 GB), but after reading through the discussions above, I think I am going to stick to my current CF cards + my portable hard disk drive, till I really find anything that is cheaper and more reliable than what I am having.

Thanks all for the contribution, with or without OT.

yanyewkay · 6th June 2006

you'll note that your portable drive is also harddisk, and it has mechanical and moving parts inside as well.. As said eariler.. 110% sure crash. So becareful huh..

OTOH, I'm a happy user of the 4GB photo harddrive..

DeSwitch · 6th June 2006

I am using 8Gb MD. no issue so far (touch wood).

ericp · 6th June 2006

There's no guarantee that solid-state memory (eg. CF cards) will not fail on you either, even new ones (a friend just RMA'ed his Lexar 80X 2G that was bought recently ... I think he's just not lucky with photo gear, his Sandisk Ultra II died on him a few months ago too).

The trick is to have "insurance" ... a few extra cards, perhaps a Compactdrive to download right away, etc. It's a matter of how important the shoot is and how much time & trouble you are willing to go through.

FWIW, I've been using a 1GB IBM microdrive for more than 3 years (and it was probably 1-2 years old when I got it) ... no issues so far.

zcwnfx · 6th June 2006

i tink all also same lah.

use wat u think is good lor.

personally i go for CF cards.

not too ex too. and well, for me, hmmm, i can stand having to "reload" every 350+ shots. cos if 1 card fail, at least not all gone. if u get wat i mean :P

JimDavis · 6th June 2006

Thanks a lot for the further contribution. Various points make this discussion more interesting.

I believe that there is no righ or wrong answer, it all depends.

As for the portable hard disk I am having, yes, I am aware that it might fail one of these days, however, I am using it to load the photos from CF card to the hard drive, and I have 3 x 1GB CF cards, so, eventhough I upload the photo to the portable HDD, I will still keep the photos in the CF card, unless I am absolutely desperate.

I will re-consider to see if I really need a 4GB photo drive, at this point of time, it is more desire than need.

5th June 2006	#1
JimDavis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Eunos Posts: 2,734	Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card Just wonder if there is anyone out there can help me to understand a little bit more about the differences between Seagate Photo hard drive and the typical CF card we are using today?

5th June 2006	#2
Deadpoet Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 4,409	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card one is a miniture HDD and one is flash memory, one has moving parts and one doesn't, one is slower and one is much much faster, and one is much cheaper. __________________ deadpoet my portfolio

5th June 2006	#3
csisfun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 550	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card Errr which "one" is the "one"? __________________ Traditional B&W Film Developing Lessons at your place: Click Here!

5th June 2006	#4
zcwnfx Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Potong Pasir Posts: 541	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card one is a miniture HDD - seagate photo hard drive one is flash memory - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro one has moving parts - seagate photo hard drive one doesn't - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro one is slower - seagate photo hard drive one is much much faster - CF cards we normally use e.g kingston elite pro one is much cheaper. - seagate photo hard drive (not very sure, but find it to be so, 2nd hand that is) like to add also, the hdd photo drive is more prone to failure i think cos of the mechanical parts. but i think these kinds of things, better dont drop photodrive also will heat up faster. takes up more batt power. hope it helps __________________ D70s-er Since 2005

6th June 2006	#6
yanyewkay Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cons digger. Posts: 4,046	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card I will sum it up for everyone here after much debated sentiments of CF vs MD. To a bigger majority of the pros here, it seems MDs will surely 110% die on you on your most important shoot and you will lose all the most important data on the MD at a time when you most need it. __________________ “How fortunate for leaders that men do not think.” - Adolf Hitler

6th June 2006	#10
jdredd Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,273	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card michael reichmann uses hard drive.. never reported any problems..

6th June 2006	#15
DeSwitch Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 1.45N 103.83E Posts: 2,745	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card I am using 8Gb MD. no issue so far (touch wood). __________________ NPX Multiply

6th June 2006	#16
ericp Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 577	Re: Difference between Seagate photo hard drive and CF card There's no guarantee that solid-state memory (eg. CF cards) will not fail on you either, even new ones (a friend just RMA'ed his Lexar 80X 2G that was bought recently ... I think he's just not lucky with photo gear, his Sandisk Ultra II died on him a few months ago too). The trick is to have "insurance" ... a few extra cards, perhaps a Compactdrive to download right away, etc. It's a matter of how important the shoot is and how much time & trouble you are willing to go through. FWIW, I've been using a 1GB IBM microdrive for more than 3 years (and it was probably 1-2 years old when I got it) ... no issues so far.