with the current sales - would you get epson p-4000 or p-3000?

rosselliot

epson p-4000 has 80GB, and the p-3000 only has 40GB, but the 3000 is newer and supposedly has a better screen, and I guess it may have newer features. the price different is only $50, which isn't that much, but would you go for the newer one or the more memory?

- RE

Pupator

I'm not familiar with the units, but for me it would depend on whether or not the hard drive was replaceable. If I could take out the HDD and put in whatever size I want - I would get the newer unit with the smaller drive. Hard drives are so cheap now I could then just upgrade the drive when I needed to. The features of the new model are probably things that you could never add to the older model.

ian408

I'm pretty happy with my p2000. Keep in mind, I just dump stuff to it as an
interim until I can put it on my laptop/desktop. If I'm traveling, I'll keep it
on both laptop and p2000.

How will you use it? Let the help in the decision of which to buy.

Scott_Quier

I also have the P-2000 (for some time now). I also use it as an on-site backup to my memory cards. I try to have enough memory to shoot the entire day without re-using a card. Each card shot goes into the P-2000, usually as I continue shooting. At the very least, I take each card that has not talked to the P-2000 that day and re-introduce them before I leave the location.

The one really nice thing about doing it this way is that the download from the P-2000 to the computer is much quicker than a download from the cards. I just don't format the cards until I review the images on my computer to make sure I don't have a corrupt transfer.

Then, once I have a good copy on the computer, write it to a more permanant media, wipe the cards, wipe the space on the P-2000 and keep on going. So far, the P-2000 has not even gotten close to being filled and what's it got, a 20GB disk? I don't remember.

pathfinder

With 8Gb cards available for $179 now, I find these devices less interesting since I can shoot for a day or two before needing to swap them out.

Then I cull them, and download the remainder to a lappie until I get home.

rosselliot

ian408 wrote:

I'm pretty happy with my p2000. Keep in mind, I just dump stuff to it as an
interim until I can put it on my laptop/desktop. If I'm traveling, I'll keep it
on both laptop and p2000.

How will you use it? Let the help in the decision of which to buy.

well, I'm going to be getting a new laptop soon, and I'm also going to be going to Paris over Spring Break this year. I don't want to take my laptop to paris with me, as we'll be VERY busy and my friend who went last year had his wallet stolen, so I'm kinda leary to be taking a brand new $3000 macbook pro and carrying it around Paris. so I was looking for an alternative, such as these machines, that I could take INSTEAD...as I'll be traveling between cities and all around paris and other places that I don't want to take risks with my laptop. so for 10 days, the only place to put photos will be this machine.
bigger HD or better screen?

the reason I can't get the CF cards, Pathfinder, is that I can't see the photos after I take them (unless their on the camera of coruse), and I think it would be convenient to be able to delete some of the useless photos or duplicates that I so often take so I can use more space on the portable storage.

any other thoughts?

thanks for the thoughts already given!

- RE

Richard

rosselliot wrote:

the reason I can't get the CF cards, Pathfinder, is that I can't see the photos after I take them (unless their on the camera of coruse), and I think it would be convenient to be able to delete some of the useless photos or duplicates that I so often take so I can use more space on the portable storage.

any other thoughts?

thanks for the thoughts already given!

- RE

Ross,

Your thinking is mostly solid. With the declining price of CF cards, the main use of portable disk drives is for travel when you do not wish to carry a laptop. I try to have enough flash memory to get me through the day, then load my Compact Drive PD70x at night. I used to carry it around during the day as well, but CF got to be so cheap that it was worth buying more to avoid the extra weight in my bag. It has no viewscreen, but is a lot cheaper than the Epsons. My drive is 60GB, and I have never come anywhere near filling it, so deleting pics to make room for more has been a moot question. I also use it as a backup device/external drive when I am at home.

thebigsky

I'm still trying to work out why I bought a P2000 when I could have bought a Dell Laptop with a larger screen and hard drive for less, plus the bonus of a fully functioning computer?

BTW if you shoot Canon you might be interested in this:-

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06093002canonm30m80.asp

http://www.photokina-show.com/0427/canon/usbflashdrive/canonm80/

Charlie

silica

thebigsky wrote:

I'm still trying to work out why I bought a P2000 when I could have bought a Dell Laptop with a larger screen and hard drive for less, plus the bonus of a fully functioning computer?

BTW if you shoot Canon you might be interested in this:-

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06093002canonm30m80.asp

http://www.photokina-show.com/0427/canon/usbflashdrive/canonm80/

Charlie

I believe I read that Canon is not going to import the M80 into the US.

ian408

The key to keeping your stuff is to be aware of your surroundings at all
times. I'm not suggesting this will prevent theft but it goes along way
toward making you less of a target.

The p2000 has a crappy battery--meaning it will be fine for copying stuff
throughout the day with occassional viewing. The more you use the LCD,
the faster the battery will deplete. I believe this is less of a problem with
newer models and any of them is a good alternative to a laptop if all you
want to do is store and occassionally look at your stuff. The nice thing is
that the epson's will allow you to shoot raw and view the results.

ppuga

I have P3000 and I'm very very happy with it. It's a great thing to have, very usefull when traveling. It can read RAW, downloads photos pretty fast. Great gear.

pathfinder

I own a P4000, and find it so slow to download to, that I find reasons to avoid using it. The screen is nice, but for the price I could now have three 8 GB chips instead, and they would weigh less, and not require a battery charger brick to haul around while traveling.

Other than that, it works fine:D

saurora

I've been toying with getting one of these as well. After reading everyone's comments, it seems as if most people are using them mostly as a back-up storage system. For back-up, I would rather just use extra cards, but I am in desperate need of a larger viewing screen. I am unable to see the 2 inch screen on my 20D. I don't own a laptop and I am not crazy about carrying one about. If I did buy one, I would want a nice one with a larger screen as a back-up to my desktop computer. So ... there goes portability. I sure don't need more equipment to haul! Perhaps lasik surgery would be a better option for me.

Scott_Quier

saurora wrote:

Perhaps lasik surgery would be a better option for me.

I found CostCo sells 3-packs of readers for about $18. They work for me and if I loose a pair in field - oh well, next!