Storage when travelling

[mark_smith32]

I own an EOS350D. I have a 1GB card and also a 256MB card. At max

resolution these cards are very quickly full. Does anyone have any

advice as too how I can back up my images when travelling for any

amount of time. Most of my travelling is backpacking so the solution

needs to be as small and as light as possible. The ideas I have had at

the moment are:

1) Is there a storage device that you can just plug your camera in to

and download your images?

2) Could I buy aserver and transfer my images too it on line. This my

be a problem in some parts of the world.

 

Any tips ideas would be greatfully recieved

 

cheers

 

Mark

[ci_p]

1. Yes. But you probably don't want to do this since it soaks up time & the batteries of both bits of kit. And you can't shoot at the same time.

2. Yes. But the volumes of data you're talking about make it impractical.

 

The cheapest option for light use is to shoot onto 512MB cards and write to CD in internet cafes. This is what long term backpackers with compacts seem to do.

Or get a PSD (notebook hard disk in small package with battery & CF slot). This is what I do but for a long trip (less than 1 month)

Or the same but with a CD writed instead of the hard disk.

 

If you're generating *loads* of pictures over several months, you should seriously consider getting a small laptop & editing as you go.

[ci_p]

What I meant was that a PSD is not so good for an extended period as it will fill up.

[ron_goodenow]

Mark:

 

Start with a Google search. There are many devices that fit the bill.

 

Check with your e-mail provider to see how much space you have allocated for storage. In most countries you will find a library or internet cafe from which you can fire off files. That is also a good place to file copies of your passport, drivers license, important contact info, emergency medical info, copies of your airline receipts, etc. in case of theft or problems abroad -- something I do for myself and members of my family. The advantage of this is that if your whole shebang gets stolen or damaged your photos will be safe. Another possibily -- increasingly probable -- is to simply stop off at an internet cafe and burn your images onto cd's or dvd's. Your camera should connect to most XP computers, but just in case bring along a disc with drivers.

 

An alternative I also use is to get a hard-drived based MP3 player, if you don't have one, and set aside a couple of gigs for photos, using a computer or something like the Delkin Bridge to connect it directly to your camera. I believe the iPod will directly connect to your camera, though I am not an Apple user and could be wrong.

 

There are many solutions, and you'll get them from users of this group. Much depends on how much you want to spend. But, as one who has learned after 40 years of travel to go with little more than a rolling backpack, think LIGHT. Think SIMPLE.

 

Oh, and don't forget that in some countries sticky fingers like to open backpacks from behind so be especially careful around train stations and crowds, and store some of your most important items carefully.

 

Have a great trip.

[phule]

Epson P-2000

[godfrey]

1) Buy at least another 1G card so you have enough flash memory to keep yourself going

for a reasonable time between requiring download. They're not expensive.

<br><br>

2) I just returned from travel and carried an Epson P-2000. Excellent device: it has a 40G

drive, is the size of a pocket paperback book, and weighs about 3/4 of a pound. The

display is excellent, and it allows review of most popular cameras' RAW files too. I came

home with ~3000 exposures, which fit into 28Gbytes of its capacity, in three weeks. The

unit required recharging four times, and I did a lot of review ... you could get more time if

you didn't use the review capability much.

<br><br>

Another unit worth a look is the CompactDrive PD70X. This one is less expensive, about

the same size/weight, and doesn't have the display. Its forte is speed and battery ... it uses

standard form-factor AA batteries, can be used with AA Lithium cells for exceptional

battery life. Fitted with a fast 60-80G drive, you could probably go 8000 exposures

without needing another set of AA Lithiums.

<br><br>

Godfrey

[klix]

Take your pick... I got the X's Drive Pro from the same place.

 

http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/postde.html

[bill_kerner1]

As previously mentioned an iPod is a great solution. The 60gig photo accompanied with the

Belkin media reader allows you to save quite a bit. Then drop them onto a either a drive or a

ftp server when you get into a town with internet access.

[godfrey]

The iPod Photo does not handle any RAW format files.

 

Godfrey

[awindsor]

The iPod photo will download RAW format files but will not display them. The Epson P-2000 also will not display RAW files. However the Epson P-2000 does this more elegantly by displaying the low-res embedded JPEG.

 

Alistair

[awindsor]

Short of a laptop I don't know of any device that will actually decode a Canon RAW file (CRW or CR2). The JPEG preview is not sufficient to judge sharpness.

 

It takes a lot of CDs to get to 60GB and you need to carry them too. As far I know there are no portable burners that will burn to DVD (single or multilayer).

 

You can get a laptop with a big hard drive and a multilayer DVD burner. These are relatively light but expensive and you need mains power to recharge them. Since you get 8GB from each DVD you have a great deal of compact storage.

 

A laptop is the most flexible and powerful option. It will let you decode your RAW files and trash duds. Keeping it in power is a problem however.

 

I don't like the portable CD burners much since you need a supply of CDs and a secure way of transporting the burnt CDs. Occasionally you get a coaster instead of a readable CD.

[steve_swinehart]

Go to: http://www.jobodigital.com/

 

Take your choice....

[phule]

<< As previously mentioned an iPod is a great solution. >>

 

The iPod Photo is not a great solution. It's /a/ solution, but a horribly slow, battery-killing one. If you don't own an iPod there's no reason to buy one for photo storage. For mp3s, however, it's wonderful.

[phyrpowr]

www.mydigitaldiscount.com

 

seems to carry most if not all of the storage devices, and they are a reputable outfit

[peter_phan]

I use a Super Digibin and a Flashtrax. The Super Digibin downloads super fast and has a very detailed info screen. The Flashtrax downloads super slow but allows you to view images on its LCD screen. Personally, I favor speed over image viewing, so my preference is towards the Super Digibin.