Portable hard drive advice, please

BVardy

Greetings everyone. First-post n00b here, visiting from the AdvRider site. Strangely familiar parallel universe over here :rofl

Anyway, I searched on 'drive' and 'storage' and didn't quite find what I was looking for, so here goes.

I'm looking for a large-capacity (40+ gig) portable drive to do the following:

- Store and view pictures while travelling (shooting with an 350D)
- Back up the camera
- Store MP3 (or wav) music files, and run them through a motorcycle intercom (so ideally, a 3.5 stereo output with volume control)
- Store a contact list and other files
- CF and USB ports minimum

Can anyone suggest suitable units, or does what I want even exist?

Cheers,

Brad

marklarry28

Portable Image Storage
Hi Brad

It called "Portable Image Storage". All depends your budget.
I like this one
"Kanguru 2.5 Media X-change Pro 40GB"
$229.99

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1631912&CatId=1203



You also can get with 80GB or 120GB. Amazon have this device as well.


This one is a little bit cheaper and don't have ability to play MP3
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1335818&CatId=0


Good luck

DavidTO

Check out Mike Lane's review here.

System

Why not use a 60gb ipod?

marklarry28

Devices
Because you can't plug you CF direct to your IPOD. Do you need a laptop ou desktop to do the transfer.

and also the Mike Lane's device is huge compare with a 2.5" Kanguru.

The great thing of Kanguru, you don't need to AA bateries.

Plug you Compat Flash into device and transfer you pix, No cables, no computer, no power cables.

It's a handy device.

wxwax

Do the Epson P-2000 and P-4000 have any way to protect the screen so you can listen to music while on a motorcycle?

pathfinder

For music, I'd rather use a solid state iPod Nano.

For images, it is hard to beat the Epson P-4000.

But I am seeing 8 Gb CF chips now for $167 -$169 at ---- www.flashmemorystore.com ----

I might just consider a pair of them and be done with rotating discs of any kind. A pair of 8 Gb CF cards will store over a 1000 RAW files for a 20D. That should last you for several days at the very least.

I strongly prefer solid state for use on two wheeled travel.

ian408

wxwax wrote:

Do the Epson P-2000 and P-4000 have any way to protect the screen so you can listen to music while on a motorcycle?

It has a case if that's what you mean.

I had thought about combining music and pictures with my ipod. Trouble is,
I have a SL of music and that doesn't really leave much room on the ipod.
Newer iPod batteries are pretty good but there's probably not enough to
copy the pictures off and listen to the thing all day. Nor is the speed
particularly fast either. BTW, if I remember correctly, you've got to use the
USB cable to do the copy--which is a royal PITA.

I ended up with a P2000 and my iPod. Why? The reasons cited above plus
the fact I can replace the card in the camera and copy images off the "spare"
while I continue to shoot--the P2000 also shuts itself off when the copy is
complete. Not to mention it's a handy place to store the spare card.

Ian

P.S. if you're showing the pictures, the P2000 has the largest screen. the iPod
definitely sux wrt screen size.

thebigsky

Has anyone used the Epson P-2000 with RAW files from a Canon 5D, oddly this camera is not listed as supported though all the other Canon DSLR's are. Surely it would work?

ian408

thebigsky wrote:

Has anyone used the Epson P-2000 with RAW files from a Canon 5D, oddly this camera is not listed as supported though all the other Canon DSLR's are. Surely it would work?

No, not yet.

gtc

tiny laptop
like a little apple or tuffbook?

i just bought a sony vaio -quite large but thin and a strong metal casing I will be happy to travel with it.great screen.

BVardy

marklarry28 wrote:

Hi Brad

It called "Portable Image Storage". All depends your budget.
I like this one
"Kanguru 2.5 Media X-change Pro 40GB"
$229.99

[URL="http://"][/URL]

That's a nice-looking unit. Thanks for the lead.

wxwax raises a good point about the screen, but I think a good cloth or microfibre sleeve would help there. Or maybe a PDA screen film?

I've also been wondering about the hard drive vs. vibration when riding, even though the tank bag is relatively vibration free. Many have had trouble with internal hard drives failing on Garmin GPS units so equipped.

I usually travel with a laptop as well, but that doesn't solve the music / motorcycle thing.

As for giant CF cards, I'd prefer to use multiple 512 cards to one giant one. The failure of an 8-gig card means you lose everything.

pathfinder

thebigsky wrote:

Has anyone used the Epson P-2000 with RAW files from a Canon 5D, oddly this camera is not listed as supported though all the other Canon DSLR's are. Surely it would work?

Not sure about the p-2000, but my P-4000 works with the 5D RAW files just fine.

I used the P-4000 to archive all my files shot at Bryce, Zion, and Monument Valley last sprin, much of which were shot with a 5D.

With the falling price of CF I wonder how long these hard drive devices will be needed though.

Browndog

Build your own 40gb media tank for less than $100
"Digital Partner Portable Storage Device"
You can get one of these for about $40. Then buy a 40gb laptop drive for about $50, Install it and you are good to go.





Here is a link to one you can check out on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Partner-Image-Tank-Portable-Storage-X-DRIVE_W0QQitemZ180021606298QQihZ008QQcategoryZ15215QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

ian408

pathfinder wrote:

Not sure about the p-2000, but my P-4000 works with the 5D RAW files just fine.

P2000 works fine. Just runs out of space a little quicker

So one thing I decided a while back was that using an ipod for both photos
and music wasn't going to work. One because I have a lot of music and two
because the ipod to camera interface is dog slow. And if you use the cable
to download, you cannot use the camera at the same time. I usually carry
a laptop too but sometimes, the P2000 is a better choice simply because it
is smaller.

I also carry my ipod in my jacket and use an AirClick to control it. It's worked
well for the past two or three years.

BVardy

pathfinder wrote:

With the falling price of CF I wonder how long these hard drive devices will be needed though.

Does anyone else share my concern for keeping heaps of stuff on CF cards, as I indicated above? I've been in the company of at least two people who've had card issues and lost data, and we've had a couple of card failures with our work cameras (Nikon Coolpix). With that experience. I'm hesitant to keep 6 gig of precious memories on these things. I've chosen to use several 512 cards and back them up regularly - hence the need for a portable HD. It'd just be great to be able to combine that with music.

I'm liking the sound of the 4000. Gotta go try to find one it meatspace to hold in my hands.

ian408

BVardy wrote:

Does anyone else share my concern for keeping heaps of stuff on CF cards, as I indicated above? I've been in the company of at least two people who've had card issues and lost data, and we've had a couple of card failures with our work cameras (Nikon Coolpix). With that experience. I'm hesitant to keep 6 gig of precious memories on these things. I've chosen to use several 512 cards and back them up regularly - hence the need for a portable HD. It'd just be great to be able to combine that with music.

I'm liking the sound of the 4000. Gotta go try to find one it meatspace to hold in my hands.

Yes and no. While you're on the road, I really think you want your stuff in
two places. Like the CF card AND the portable device.

I shoot with 2G cards. What I usually do is back the card up to the laptop
or P2000 and then set it aside until I get home.

In the last four years or so, I've had exactly one CF card failure and that
was just a couple of weeks back.

No for short trips. Those of a weekend or so.

Ian

BVardy

ian408 wrote:

Yes and no. While you're on the road, I really think you want your stuff in
two places. Like the CF card AND the portable device.

I shoot with 2G cards. What I usually do is back the card up to the laptop
or P2000 and then set it aside until I get home.

In the last four years or so, I've had exactly one CF card failure and that
was just a couple of weeks back.

No for short trips. Those of a weekend or so.

Ian

Yup. I'm all over the 'two place theory'. I even do it at home and work - pictures on my C-Drive and backed up on a large drive at work, and on CDs.

dkoyanagi

Hi Brad

I use the 40GB Flashtrax. It has almost all the features you're looking for.

BVardy wrote:

- Store and view pictures while travelling (shooting with an 350D)

Yes, will display JPG, TIFF and Canon Raw files.

BVardy wrote:

- Back up the camera
- CF and USB ports minimum

Yes, comes with CF port (with optional adapter for other types of memory) and USB. One button copy function allows you to copy the entire CF card by pressing a single button.

BVardy wrote:

- Store MP3 (or wav) music files, and run them through a motorcycle intercom (so ideally, a 3.5 stereo output with volume control)

Yes, stores and plays mp3 and avi files. It has volume a control, a headphone jack, and video out.

BVardy wrote:

- Store a contact list and other files

Nope, sorry.

Here is my review of the Flashtrax from a couple of years ago. One correction: I originally wrote that the Flashtrax can't display raw files. This is incorrect. I'm not sure about other raw formats, but it will display CR2 files no problem.

Hope this helps.

BVardy

Thank you Dan

dkoyanagi wrote:

Hi Brad

I use the 40GB Flashtrax. It has almost all the features you're looking for.

Yes, will display JPG, TIFF and Canon Raw files.

Yes, comes with CF port (with optional adapter for other types of memory) and USB. One button copy function allows you to copy the entire CF card by pressing a single button.

Yes, stores and plays mp3 and avi files. It has volume a control, a headphone jack, and video out.

Nope, sorry.

Here is my review of the Flashtrax from a couple of years ago. One correction: I originally wrote that the Flashtrax can't display raw files. This is incorrect. I'm not sure about other raw formats, but it will display CR2 files no problem.

Hope this helps.

ian408

BVardy wrote:

Thank you Dan

Lot's of good stuff.

So what'ya gonna pickup?

wxwax

Brad, Epson's upgrading the viewers. Here's a review.

BVardy

ian408 wrote:

Lot's of good stuff.

So what'ya gonna pickup?

It was probably going to be the FlashTrax until Sid posted that review Now I'm going to wait to look at the 3000. I'm not in a hurry, and that's a good thing.

I like the fact that the FlashTrax has a protected screen and a volume control. The FM radio isn't a bad thing either as I can transmit my Sirius radio to it, eliminating one wire.

ian408

That review made me somewhat jealous.

Hope all is going well.

Ian