How to overcome CF card storage problem? Advice needed…


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Yayne

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Jun 5, 2006
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Hi all,


I'll be going on a 1-month trip and I foresee the number of photographs stacking up in my CF cards. Bringing 10GB worth of cards but I don't think it will be enough because of my camera's format. (And I prefer shooting in high res.) I’d like to bring a good camera and lenses along for my future portfolio.

The initial plan was to bring along my notebook for upload and storage while on the go, so I can clear off the images in the cards. But I'm apprehensive now because of the kind of traveling conditions I'll be subjected to (mainly Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) and I'll constantly have to be on the go.

Is there an alternative way to go around this?
Is there some kind of portable card reader/storage system around 60GB so I can upload the photographs, check them out before deleting what I have in the CF cards?
Is there insurance for photographic gear (around 10K) for travel trips?

My travel agent tells me, apart from corporate accounts, few places offer insurance for cameras since I will be traveling on leisure.

Any tech geeks or experienced photographers out there with sound advice?

What would you guys suggest or do in my situation?

Please help!!! Thanks a zillion.
 

if its 10gb....and since u are going for 1month...i tink u better bring a laptop along as u can edit on the spot and not have 1 month's worth of images waiting to be edited when u return...
 

There are a few portable HD systems out there that you can dowload and view your images. One that comes to mind is the Epson one, not too sure of the model number or name,I have seena few photographers out there using it, but it is not going to be cheap(I mean the Epson one). There could be cheaper alternatives out there. Funan would be a good place to start your search. I think I saw some of these devices at,I think, Challenger, top floor of Funan.

As far as specific insurance for equipment while you are overseas, I am not sure. But this is what I have done when I travel overseas for jobs, travel insurance, it covers all your belongings, including your camera equipment. I usually get about $40,000 coverage.
 

there a a number of readers, players and storage that can allow u to view the photos as well as store it. but if u are shooting in RAW, then that i dont know :p
 

Hi, thanks for the friendly advice.

I know that shooting in RAW will require more memory space. Is that what you meant when you said you are not for sure if I am shooting in RAW?
 

Thanks, I really appreciate the useful tips coming in.

I do have the alternative of bringing a notebook, but I'm concerned about losing it. I'm not too sure about carrying these electronics and gear without having them insured. If I can insure my gear and notebook, I will go ahead with it.

Hondasleeper, what kind of travel insurance have you got? Mine will only cover 1K maximum for loss/theft/wreckage for notebooks and none for camera equipments.

Do you have contacts or more opinions?

You mentioned a coverage of 40K for your gear while on the job.

Do I qualify then, since backpacking is considered leisure travel?
Is there a minimum amount required before they are willing to have my stuff insured? I'm bringing a 5D and macpro.
 

I think if you are backpacking. I would minimise the amount of camera equipment, computers you want to bring. Bring just the essentials 2 lenses, 1 body, batteries and the portable storage device.

Everything adds up, before you know it you'll be lugging a ton of stuff and you'll be cursing and swearing.

If at all possible bring a point and shoot. The Canon G6 is a decent camera to bring along if you are concerned about loosing your 5D, there are zoom attachments and wide angle attachments. I have used the G2 back when it came out to shoot a couple of jobs it with a 550EX and studio strobes. Great camera!!

I think as far as being able to store RAW files on the portable storage device, that should not be an issue, but as far as viewing them I am really not too sure, that is something you'll have to check out yourself.
 

oh, i meant that i dunno whether those storage device cum viewer can read RAW files. I think is cannot...
 

I'm holding a 350D at the moment, but in terms of comfort level and quality, I still prefer a 5D. I'm hoping to expand my portfolio through the backpacking trip, so bringing a better camera along should be a risk worth taking.

Any suggestions on how to store the camera while shuffling between destinations?
 

Personally, for such a trip I would bring the 350D. In terms of quality, I don't think you will lose out that much, but then again the decision is yours. We can only advise you but you have to make that final decision. I think , God forbid, if you should get your camera(350D) stolen you won't be too heart-broken than if you lost your 5D.

I'm sure but even with the 350D you can enlarge your prints up to 11x14 with no problems, 16x20 if you really want to push the limits but no matter what it is still possible.

As far as the best method, I think Loewepro has one that is a fanny pack that can be converted to a backpack for day trips. That I think might be your best bet but look around you might find something that will suit your needs.

Go check out the various manufacturers, Loewepro, Tamrac,...etc. i am sure they'll have something for you.
 

Hi Yayne,

You have received quite a few good advice here. I only want to add that whatever storage option you chose for your trip, make sure to make at least two copies of your files. It could be by burning a set of files to DVDs and keeping another set on a portable storage device. Or if you are really concerned about safety when carrying your expensive laptop, another option is to bring two portable storage devices along. If you chose the latter, CompactDrive PD70X and Epson P-4000 make a good combination.

Having two sets of copies will reduce the possibility of losing all of your images in case your storage device fails or gets stolen. If you keep multiple copies of your photos on separate devices or media, also make sure not to carry both devices/copies in the same bag.

Good luck with your trip.
 

zcwnfx said:
oh, i meant that i dunno whether those storage device cum viewer can read RAW files. I think is cannot...
I second of that.

Regards,
Arto.
 

zcwnfx said:
oh, i meant that i dunno whether those storage device cum viewer can read RAW files. I think is cannot...


Epson P4000 - Multimedia storage viewer
The Epson P4000 is the third Multimedia Storage Viewing product introduction from Epson and addresses the customer's need for increased storage capacity. It is equipped with an 80GB hard drive for storing over 75,000 images, over 25,000 songs or about 90 to 300 hours of video. It supports JPEG image files as well as RAW files (on select digital SLR cameras), MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG video files and MP3 and AAC audio files. This product is also designed with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface for easily and quickly transferring these files to and from a computer.

It is a storage device, so storing the files is not an issue. But viewing them might be another one. According to an excerpt cited above. it does support RAW, however not too sure which cameras it supports.

Check this review out.
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_4903.html

Alternatively, if you are going to shoot RAW, you can also shoot it with JPEG previews so you can still view the image. I would say that the viewer can store RAW images and you would still be able to view the JPEGs, if you choose to shoot that way.
 

Hello,

I've gone around several stores around Funan Center as well as Challenger. Feedback was, no one is carrying the Epson P4500 because there is rare demand. They are carrying the P2000 only.

The price is really steep for me, so will stick to dragging the notebook around during the trip while getting the PD70 as recommended by silentwave. Hey hondasleeper, thanks for the insurance tip.

Is anyone using the Gmini from Archos?

Thanks a lot, for the advice :)
 

If you are bringing your notebook, and if your notebook can burn DVD, that will be the way to go.

After downloading the pictures, I go thru and delete all the outtakes, rename the files, and burn 2 copies of the raw file on 2 seperate DVDs.
 

What I normally do is bring my ipod and usb cable along. So aside from my basic entertainment, I can still use half of it for storage. But I do depend on the fact that there will be a PC for me to use, either internet cafe or hotel pc so some friend, etc. My intention is to pack light also. But of course, this only works in urban/city areas.
 

I think if you are shooting raw, then you shouldn't expect the storage device to display the pictures. Just review/delete the pictures on the camera LCD. Then you'll just need the device to store your images. I think this is affordable and does the job.
http://www.pconline.com.sg/products/products.asp?linkid=03e9d2ab

It has worked for me so far but I still feel a nervous at times about putting all my eggs in one basket. It uses a notebook hard drive and I have thought about bringing along a second hard drive and swapping out the hard drives every night and copying everything to both hard drives. The unit comes with the tiny screwdriver that you need to do this. With some practice, it shouldn't too much trouble. I haven't attempted it myself though. Just saw the guy in the shop do it when I bought my unit.
 

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