With high-end DSLRs producing 15-25MP images and HD videos, those 16GB memory cards that seemed like overkill are filling up fast. What to do? Get portable storage! (Updated for 2009 Holiday Buying Season)
With high-end DSLRs producing big 15-25MP images and HD videos, those 8 and 16 GB memory cards that seemed like overkill just a short time ago are filling up at alarmingly fast rates. If you’re a pro shooter who is nowhere near a computer with a large hard drive or backup mass storage device, you have several choices:
• You can buy more high-capacity cards. After all, memory cards are cheaper than ever. But what happens when you need to figure out which image is on which card? Searching through your cards on you camera uses up battery power and is a time-consuming affair.
• You can wirelessly transfer images to an online image warehouse. This is convenient…as long as you have reliable wi-fi. That’s not always a given.
• You can schlep along your laptop. For some photojournalists, this is now mandatory, since you may also need to provide caption info as you submit your take to your editor. But it adds more weight and bulk.
There’s got to be a better way…
The final option is to carry a small, light, portable mass storage device. Here are five different devices, each with its strengths and weaknesses:
Argraph Memory Kick Si
Argraph has re-booted its Memory Kick line of photo backup/viewer/multimedia players, increasing screen size, file transfer speed, and capacity. With its larger 3.5-inch VGA-resolution monitor, users can more easily view JPEG and RAW still images, as well as MOV, AVI, MWV, MP4, Xvid and Motion JPEG files. You can listen to MP3, WMA, AAC and Audio CD format sound through either the internal speaker or audio out for stereo or car and headphones.
There are three card slots that can accommodate some 19 different memory cards plus USB flash drives, and Argraph claims a file transfer speed up to 40 MB/s, which is really fast (the company claims it’s the world’s fastest backup.) That’s both read and write transfer speeds. In a brief demonstration, I was impressed as the Memory Kick Si downloaded the entire contents of a full 2GB card in a few seconds.You can transfer files to internal memory, or from one card to another or to the flash drive, either the entire card or any selected files.
The Memory Kick Si is available now in 160, 320 and 500GB capacities for $300 to $430, respectively, and is well worth considering when they become available later this year. If you don't need that much capacity, the previous generation of Memory Kicks, with a smaller monitor and less capacity (30, 60 and 12GB), are a bargain at around $170 to $290. They are available now.
Digital Foci Photo Safe II
While souped-up multimedia player storage devices such as the Giga Vu Evolution series is state-of-the-art for pro photographers, it’s also expensive—and perhaps overkill if you simply want a backup drive to bring with you when you’re going on vacation. Priced at around $140 for the 250GB version, the Digital Foci Photo Safe II is a budget-priced alternative. What do you get for this price, and what do you lose?
Key features of the Digital Foci Photo Safe II 250GB Portable Hard Drive:
• 250GB of storage;
• Slots for SD, SDHC, MiniSD, Compact Flash, Memory Stick, and xD Picture Cards;
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery has 80-minute life per charge;
• Monochrome LCD displays progress, capacity and battery life;
• Straightforward two-button operation;
• USB 2.0 connectivity to computer;
• Copies all file formats including RAW and video.
Using the Photo Safe II is easy: Simply place your memory card in the appropriate slot and click the download (exe) button. The images will load. Not as fast, perhaps, as a high-end unit (the spec is a modest 5MB/sec), but you can expect to transfer the content of a full 1GB memory card in about 3.5 minutes—enough time to grab a cup of coffee.
When you return to your home base, plug the Photo Safe II into your computer and it becomes an external hard drive. You can transfer images onto your computer or use it for additional storage. I’ve been told you can even back up your software on it.
The key missing ingredient on this hard drive is image and video file preview and playback, so if viewing and sharing on the go is important to you, you may want to consider upping your budget, and getting something else. But if you simply want an easy, relatively low-cost place to store your image files as you fill your memory cards on the go, the Digital Foci Photo Safe II is well worth considering.
Epson P-7000
The 160GB Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer ($690), like the 80GB P-6000 ($490), is all about image quality. The 640x480-pixel, 4-inch LCD monitor is bright and sharp, but the next spec is one pros and high-end shooters who are obsessed (in a good way) with color accuracy should appreciate: The monitor displays up to 16.7 million colors, encompassing 94% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. That’s the best color depth monitor we’ve seen on any portable storage device.
The P-7000 has won numerous awards from the likes of Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, Moose Peterson’s blog, Creative Pro and others. Many photographers simply want the best display—period—and will pay for it. This is Epson’s market. Perhaps that explains the price, which some have complained seems high. Can you justify paying nearly $740 for this portable hard drive/player? Let’s take a closer look.
In addition to the image quality, the P-7000’s software has been improved over previous models. Epson says the P-7000 can import images from memory cards 35% faster than previous Epson “P” series players, and a handy little jog wheel simplifies navigating through potentially thousands of photos and videos.
The P-7000 contains a 160GB hard drive (the P-6000 has an 80GB drive; all other features are the same), Hi-Speed USB 2.0, and accepts Compact Flash cards and, via an adapter sold separately, it will also handle, SD/SDHC, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, xD-Picture Card and SmartMedia cards. It will display JPEG and RAW still images, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, H.264/AVC SVGA (800x600) or more videos, and MP3 and MPEG-4/AAC audio files. (As with any device, check the Epson support section for firmware updates, which could endow the P7000 with new features or improvements.)
Epson continues to upgrade the P series. In late October, the company announced that the P-7000 and P-6000 can now operate high-end tethered DSLRs. Users will be able to save images to the viewers as they are being shot, streamlining the process of making backup files. Go to Epson.com to download the tethering feature for free. (If it's not posted yet, it will be soon, I've been assured by Epson.)
But does all that justify its price tag? That’s a matter of debate and it depends on your priorities. If image quality, even on a small portable display, must be accurate, this is the closest you’ll get. That, alone, might be worth ponying up the extra bucks. If image quality is less important than a rich feature set and lower price, consider the Wolverine ESP line instead—or read on.
Sanho HyperDrive ColorSPACE UDMA
If you’re going to name any product “Hyperdrive,” be prepared for lots of Star Trek references. But the Sanho HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA 320 GB Photo Backup Storage & Viewer (approx. $390) certainly earns the moniker which, as any Trekkie knows, indicates that this ship can travel at the fastest speed possible.
First, let’s look at the HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA’s feature set, which includes many best-in-class stats:
• 320GB hard drive
• 40MB per second card-to-drive transfer speed moves over the contents of an entire 2GB card in a minute with full data verification;
• File format independent: It backs up all file formats;
• Built-in card readers for 14 different card types; no adapters needed;
• 3.2-inch color LCD monitor displays JPEG and RAW files;
• 32MB/second USB transfer speed;
• Can mirror or synchronize data with a second drive.
One of the hallmarks of the HyperDrive series is that you could buy just the shell and supply your own hard drive. This is the kind of engineering creativity that sets Sanho’s products apart. The ColorSSPACE UDMA, with its respectable-sized LCD monitor, is also available without a hard drive, or with 120, 160, 250, 320 and 500GB hard drives (which you can swap out if you wish) included.
In addition to its speed and other category-leading features listed above, the HyperDrive ColorSPACE UDMA has a robust, graphical user interface. Let’s look at a few screen shots:
Backup shows a progress bar that keeps you appraised of how far along your transfer has come. This applies to transfers to or from cards or any USB device, or to a mirror backup drive.
Browser lets you scroll through full-screen images or thumbnails, or set up a slideshow. The built-in RAW image decoder is said to handle images from all types of cameras. Firmware updates are available for RAW files from newer cameras. You can also search for images based on EXIF dates and other EXIF data.
File Manager lets you set up folders and preview images via easy navigation, and lets you explore both the on-board hard drive or any drive, card or USB flash card that is attached to the HyperDrive.
The Histogram display and other visual information let you analyze exposure and image quality. You can also rotate and zoom images up to 100% pixel level. Detailed EXIF data can be displayed so you have more information about your photo.
Benchmark lets you really geek out! In this mode, you can study hard drive and memory card speed benchmark tools and recover memory card data. If you are a programmer, you can write your own scripts to customize functions. Want to separate RAW and JPEG images into separate folders? Go here.
The only downside is that LCD monitor’s resolution: At only 320x240 pixels, it doesn’t keep up with its other stellar specs. But the HyperDrive ColorSPACE UDMA’s impressive image analysis, connectivity, and extensive management tools and flexibility may more than compensate for the relatively anemic display quality.
If you want bang for the buck, a sturdy, take-anywhere hard drive that will keep you organized during your down time and gives you a pretty and useful interface—and unprecedented flexibility, this may be the best storage unit on the market now.
Wolverine ESP Multi-Media Player
Somewhere between the $800 pro hard drive/viewers and the sub-$200 plain-vanilla hard drives without viewers sits the Wolverine ESP Multi-Media Player, an outstanding line of portable hard drives that include a preview LCD monitor and ports for seven popular memory cards. Prices range from approximately $270 for the 80GB player to $350 for the 250GB version, putting them within the reach of both professional and non-pro photographers who shoot a lot of pictures and videos and want room for their MP3 files so they can listen to music on the go.
The ESP’s key features:
• 3.6-inch TFT LCD monotor with 320x240 pixel resolution;
• Supports JPG, Bitmap, TIFF, RAW, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, CDA, JPEG Motion JPEG, MPEG1, MPEG4, XviD, and WMV9 file formats;
• Ports for CF, MicroDrive, SD, MMC, Memory Stick, xD; additional cards via adapter;
• Connects to TV or projector via AV cable for playback or recording from TV/DVD/VCR;
• Audio line-in, built-in microphone;
• High-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity;
• Built-in FM radio;
• Li-Ion battery.
The ESP is primarily designed for image and video storage—and as you can see from the above list, it can display any standard file (get new camera RAW compatibility via Wolverine firmware updates). But it is a true multimedia device. Plugged into a TV, DVD player or VCR, it turns into a video recording device, and thanks to its audio line-in, you can record high-quality sound from any recording source, via a cradle which is not included with the ESP. Battery life—3-3.5 hours per charge—is respectable.
And, it has a built-in radio, with 18 presets. Even better: you can record directly off the radio. Headphones double as the antenna.
(Tip: Record on-location voice-overs for your videos; you can put the audio and video together when you get back to your computer.)
But the ESP—especially the higher capacity versions—cost hundreds of dollars less than high-end models such as the Jobo Giga Vu Evolution. What do you sacrifice for a less pricey unit? Mostly, it’s image quality. The Giga Vu’s resolution is twice as high as the ESP. It also plays back videos at 25fps, which may lead to some oddities while viewing since the standard is 30fps.
Unlike the Giga Vu, which only accepts CF cards, the ESP handles seven memory card types, including SD and SDHC, which is the most popular one currently in use among consumer and some high-end cameras.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a feature-packed all-in-one type media player that also happens to be a reasonably-priced hard drive and preview device for your photos, check out the Wolverine ESP series.
