Data Storage question

dangergoinoff · May 28, 2008

I am going to Vietnam for a couple of weeks in October.
This will be the first long trip I have taken since getting my dslr last year so I am expecting to be taking about 1000 photos if not more.
What i want to know is the best way to store the files for the duration of the trip?
A couple of weeks ago I started shooting a few things in RAW and am hoping to have a decent handle on this by the time I leave the problem is that my memory card now holds about 120 files instead of 620.
Is it best to get a type of external hard drive? I wont have access to a computer over there except in internet cafes and i dont really want to spend very much time in them except to write a couple of emails here and there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Matt.

Peanuts · May 28, 2008

Well, the number one way is to have cards that you won't delete so lots and lots of memory - however, that isn't the most cost efficient method :lol:

When I went to Thailand and Sierra Leone I bought an Epson Hard Drive where the photos could be viewed (which is fun for kids whose pictures you just took - they are awestruck) - I never had any complaints with it. I have heard the odd time of such hard drives kicking the bucket, but that would be in a rare circumstance I would imagine.

There isn't much point in having anything to do with internet cafe computers and images as from my experience, it takes about four minutes to even download a page so I doubt it would handle 4GB of data too hastily.

ETA: Watch for the drive getting fried with the inconsistent quality of power there - hopeful some techie can give you more information on that

Bust of luck on your travels!

dangergoinoff · May 28, 2008

Thanks for the tip.
I have seen those Epson hard drives advertised and would love one but the price is a bit prohibitive at the moment.

dangergoinoff · May 28, 2008

Wondering if anyone has used an iPod for this purpose?
I guess the beauty of that would be that I would be happy to spend $300 on some thing to store photos for the trip and then once we get back I have a new iPod.

davidfromoz · May 28, 2008

I think it largely depends on how you plan to travel. If you're really backpacking then you will want to reduce weight and cut down on the amount of valuable things you have to worry about when you come to that beach where you want to go for a swim.

In my experience you can burn your images to a dvd in most internet cafes. And those portable hard drives are great (though I'd be very scared of losing one.) My preference is burn a couple of DVDs and post one home.

cheers,
david

notelliot · May 28, 2008

i have a 12" powerbook that i use with a 120GB external HD or CD/DVD backup. if i really worry about losing images, i send the CD/DVD home via mail.

it takes up a bit more space that i like, but i have lightroom loaded on it, seems to work pretty good so far.

jlykins · May 28, 2008

notelliot said:
i have a 12" powerbook that i use with a 120GB external HD or CD/DVD backup. if i really worry about losing images, i send the CD/DVD home via mail.

it takes up a bit more space that i like, but i have lightroom loaded on it, seems to work pretty good so far.

I do something similar. I have a laptop and an external hard drive that I save the files to so that I have two copies in case something happens. If I have access to a fast internet connection I also save them to my desktop at home and the external hardrive attached to it via my FTP server at the house. (this is a little much I know)

Big Mike · May 28, 2008

You can get 4GB Ultra II cards at Costco for around $40. Two or three of those should give you plenty of memory space.

You could probably find cheaper memory cards somewhere.

dangergoinoff · May 28, 2008

Big Mike said:
You can get 4GB Ultra II cards at Costco for around $40. Two or three of those should give you plenty of memory space.

You could probably find cheaper memory cards somewhere.

Going by what i am getting on my 2GB card currently i would need about 4 X 4GB cards so thats pushing up to $160-$200 for sandisk cards here in Aus.

jlykins · May 29, 2008

I just picked up two Sandisk ultraII 1gig cards from fed ex kinko's yesterday for 6.00 a piece on clearence.

notelliot · May 29, 2008

Big Mike said:
You can get 4GB Ultra II cards at Costco for around $40. Two or three of those should give you plenty of memory space.

You could probably find cheaper memory cards somewhere.

cheap memory isn't necessarily a good deal. the ultra II i wouldn't worry a lot about, but off brands corrupt soo often. it hurts to see it happen to people. i always suggest that people buy small cards, too, just in case one does corrupt. i'd be happy to lose 2GBs of photos over 16GB..

Big Mike · May 29, 2008

Going by what i am getting on my 2GB card currently i would need about 4 X 4GB cards so thats pushing up to $160-$200 for sandisk cards here in Aus.

And how much are you wanting to pay for portable data storage?
I'm sure you could get more storage on a dollar per dollar basis...but a storage device takes up space and need batteries etc. And what if you loose it or it breaks? Then all the images would be lost.
Memory cards are very small (easy to travel with), they don't need additional batteries or chargers. And if you loose one, it's only that many images gone...not all of them.

Alfred D. · May 29, 2008

dangergoinoff said:
Wondering if anyone has used an iPod for this purpose?

I have.

I guess the beauty of that would be that I would be happy to spend $300 on some thing to store photos for the trip and then once we get back I have a new iPod.

With an iPod you have an MP3 player, a video player, a portable harddisk, and a photo storage device. So 4 gadgets for the price of one.

It works well for photo storage, although dumping the contents of a card onto it requires a considerable part of its charge. So make sure you can recharge the iPod often.

But there are also dedicated photo storage devices. Have a look.

dangergoinoff · May 29, 2008

Alfred D. said:
I have.

With an iPod you have an MP3 player, a video player, a portable harddisk, and a photo storage device. So 4 gadgets for the price of one.

It works well for photo storage, although dumping the contents of a card onto it requires a considerable part of its charge. So make sure you can recharge the iPod often.

But there are also dedicated photo storage devices. Have a look.

Have you stored RAW files on an iPod?

dangergoinoff · May 29, 2008

Big Mike said:
And how much are you wanting to pay for portable data storage?
I'm sure you could get more storage on a dollar per dollar basis...but a storage device takes up space and need batteries etc. And what if you loose it or it breaks? Then all the images would be lost.
Memory cards are very small (easy to travel with), they don't need additional batteries or chargers. And if you loose one, it's only that many images gone...not all of them.

Depends on the storage device as to how much i would be prepared to spend.
As I said if i was going to use an iPod then it has the upside of once I am back and clear all the photos then I have the iPod.

You make very good points.

I am going to need to get at least 1 more memory card anyway so it might be an idea to wait until there is a good special on over here and grab a couple of them.