Wolverine PicPac II 11-in-1 High Speed Memory Card Reader and 160GB Storage Device
SKU: WV7616
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Shopper : Thanks for the responses
Wolverine makes 3 models, each with different capacities.
The plan would be to back up 800-1000 RAW images at the end of a 3 day shoot before traveling
Which model will suffice?
Thanks again!Laurence G : The memory size, of course, depends upon the size of the RAW files. A Canon 60D makes about a 25M file/shot from an 18M sensor. A 24M sensor might produce a 32M file.
Let's say that your camera uses a 24M sensor and you are not producing simultaneous JPEGs (two files per shot). Thus we can multiply 32M times 1000 anticipated shots for a total of 32 Gigabytes estimated storage, plus overhead..
HOWEVER, we must consider how you are going to use the device. The Wolverine copies your whole memory card upon insertion in the input slot. It does not do an incremental backups. Thus, if you perform a backup and do not clear your memory card and then add more shots at the next session, at the second backup, the Wolverine will make a separate backup with the now larger contents of the card.
If, as in your question, you intend to do a single backup "at the end of a 3 day shoot', then the total backup might be about 32-35 Gigabytes for a camera with a 24M sensor. However, for safety, you might want to do a backup at the end of each session to prevent a catastrophic loss of data if the memory card fails, the camera damages the card, or you destroy the card/camera in an accident. You might also be using multiple SD cards for the same reason.
On my last vacation, I did a backup at the end of each day and did not delete the data from my camera, thus having two copies of two weeks of shots. So, I had 14 backups on the Wolverine with a lot of duplicates. As the camera card did not die, I simply copied it to my computer when I returned home and deleted the backups on the Wolverine. In your case, it is apparent that you will be taking enough card memory to cover the whole shoot, thus you could use this same system, backing up your daily shots and keeping the total shoot on your memory cards for safety.
Any of the Wolverines will probably be large enough for your needs, but the 500G is not that more expensive than the 320G and I would defer to it.TOM W : Each model will indicate its capacity (e.g. 250 GB, 320 GB, etc). Simply look at the file size of an individual RAW image from your camera and divide the capacity by that number. For example, if your camera produces a 15 MB RAW image, and you are considering a 250 GB storage unit -- just divide 250 GB by 15 MB. And -- allow some extra capacity. It's inexpensive and you may want to shoot more images that you now anticipate. (I use a Nikon D3s and travel with a 500 GB storage unit.)JOSEPH M : I shoot full frame raw at about 30 meg each. That's about 30 gig for 1,000 images or 90 gig for three days of shooting. Looks like current Wolverine models have storage between 160 gig and a terabyte, so anyh shoiuld do. Depending on your circumstances, you might consider a second for redundancy or just carry one and a laptop. As an old IT guy, being able to put a terabyte into my pocket is pure science fiction!
WILLIAM B : Is this product a good solution to avoid having to carry a laptop for travel shoots? Battery power issue is not important as long as it will run when plugged in to AC source.DEXTER D : It's junk. I returned it.TWAH D : Yes, a back up drive/card reader such as this is definitely a great solution to back up your cards or your 2nd shooter's cards while traveling or for even local shoots. I do not own the Wolverine PicPac II so can not speak to it's quality (ended up with the Nexto DI). With most of these back up drives/card Readers, even the expensive ones, they are not 100% reliable. I use them as an extra security back up solution in case one of my cards gets lost, stolen or corrupted. But I find that these back up drives are usually the ones to fail first before the cards. If you don't update the software often, they may also corrupt your images which happened to me. So they are a good "extra measure" solution, but not a 100% reliable solution. Hope that helps.RANDY C : I bought it just for the reasons you are looking at it. Unfortunately I only bought it a few weeks before I was to leave and was never able to get it to work just right. I wish there was a better product at a similar price. I am still looking. Would not recommend purchasing.MARK B : Yes! Holds all my Raw+JPEG files as advertised. Easy to use, light, compact. huge memory. Only drawback is the lack of a viewing screen to monitor pics. Have to delete unwanted pics in camera before transferring. If you are used to working on pics evenings on trips, you cannot with this hard drive.MICHAEL R : I used this device on a 1 week vacation. It backed up all the files on the card to a new directory each time. It was fast and reliable. It does not display photos. If you are using a laptop just for backup purposes then it can replace the laptop. When I got a Nikon D7000 it contained a second card slot that can be used for backup or storage and I stopped using this device and I still don't carry a laptop - just an ipod touch."MICHAEL R : I used this device on a 1 week vacation to backup my memory card every night. It backed up all the files on the card to a new directory each time. It was fast and reliable. It does not display photos, it is just a backup device. If you are carrying a laptop just for backup purposes then it can replace the backup. When I got a Nikon D7000 it contained a second card slot that can be used for backup or storage and I stopped using this device and I still don't carry a laptop - just an ipod touch.JOSEPH M : Let's see, when traveling with wife I can squeeze in maybe 500 images a day. I shoot full frame raw with images at roughly 30 meg each. That just about fills up my 16 gig CF card. I've never timed it but it takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes to copy my CF card to the Wolverine. I can do this for at least three days before having to recharge it.. When I get home, I use the USB cord to transfer my "take" to my PC. That covers a 10 day trip. If I ever get lucky enough to take 15 or 20 day trips, I'd take a 2nd Wolverine.JOHN F : Yes. we went to Africa and it did a great job of storing my many picture. I definitely buy it again.ANDREE K : If the only reason you had planned to take a laptop was for backing up disks while traveling, then yes, this would work. I used this device as a back-up drive just in case of something happening to my disks. I was traveling with an iPad instead of a laptop so I could still view my photos on the larger screen versus my small camera screen. My disks survived my trip so I didn't need to pull the data from this drive, but it seemed like a good measure of security for a photo trip halfway around the world. Keep in mind that it isn't a viewer, so if you do want to be able to see your photos on a screen larger than your camera's, you will still need a laptop or tablet. The only uncertainty was that I was never sure about the battery life, but I think that was more a factor of me being in a remove area where power was delivered by a generator. I hope this helps you decide if this is right for your particular use case.TOM W : I have used a similar device for several years -- a Picture Porter 35. In general these are great for traveling. At the end of each day I transfer the contents of my camera memory card(s) to the device, then reformat the memory card in my camera and I'l ready for the next day. The Picture Porter has an LCD screen on which saved photos can be viewed. It's also alllows viewing of RAW files which some devices do not.
I don't rely on battery power. These devices - like charger for camera batteries - wi operate on any voltage. Just don't forget a "plug adapter".
Great for saving photos to transfer to your computer for editing when you return home.TAVENNER H : I bought my Jobo Giga Vu Sonic 160GB Pro Picture Store, USB Interface prior to a trip to the Galapagos because I was worried about having so many photos and for backups. Packing weight was an issue so I did not want to lug a laptop. Honestly, for me it was a waste because my camera is a Nikon D7000 which has two SD slots. I ended up using slot 2 for duplicates and popping in a 32G card. I used 8G cards in slot 1, and switched them out frequently so I did not have too many eggs in one basket if my camera were to be stolen, fall in the ocean, whatever. The couple of times I needed a laptop for copying a photo to someone, I used a little card reader and borrowed a couple of minutes on a public machine or borrowed laptop. Same routine this Christmas in Peru for 3 weeks. It simply was not satisfying to use the backup device because I could not view the pictures any better than on my camera's screen, and I'm lucky enough to have dual SD slots, though this may not apply to you. Once upon a time I did lose ALL the photos from a trip (by theft after 2 weeks in Spain), so I'm fairly nervous about keeping backups.JOYCE R : I have a similar product and find it a great solution to backing up my pictures while on travel, particularly overseas. I used to carry my laptop, but this item is smaller and lighter. Also I do not have to remove it from my bag for scanning at airport security.Laurence G : That is its purpose and is exactly what I used it for, to backup my pictures during an European trip. IT is very simple to operate. It makes a new file of your complete memory card every time you insert it into the device. It does not overwrite the previous file. If you do not erase your card after downloading the contents to the Wolverine, the next download will produce a new and larger file that includes everything you had before plus your new shots. I used a large card and didn't erase it, thus I had two devices with my pictures on them and multiple files in the Wolverine to guard against a corrupt file. A bit paranoid, but, erase the card or not, it has plenty of storage space for redundant/duplicate picture recording if you choose to not erase the card daily.
Any further questions? Please feel free to ask. Regards, laurence
Tom T : Will it do incremental backups, or let you sort the files to backup from the card?DEXTER D : This is a junky product. WasteLaurence G : Incrementals: The Wolverine is a direct backup of the total contents of the memory card as inserted. It does not do incrementals. If you back up the card every day without emptying the card, each backup will include all of the previous day's files plus whatever has been added since. If you delete the contents of the memory card daily, each backup will, of course, be unique.
Sorting: The Wolverine operates as a USB hard drive when attached to a computer or imports files autonomously to a new directory when a memory card is inserted. It has no built in intelligence. You can access the files via a computer supplied USB port as you would for any storage device and sort them in a manner of your choice (by name, by duplicate, size, etc.).ANDREW R : Unfortunately no, it does not appear to offer incremental backups nor do you have the ability to select specific files when copying from memory card to the PicPac.
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About Wolverine PicPac II Memory Card Reader/160GB Storage
The Wolverine PicPac II 160GB 11-in-1 High Speed Memory Card Reader is a versatile device that allows you to back up photos and videos on its 160GB hard drive without a computer. This pocket size and lightweight device allows for one touch operation and is PC and Mac compatible. The built-in rechargeable battery allows you to copy up to 15GB onto the device with a single charge.
The unit is equipped with a built-in memory card slot for CompactFlash, SD, SDHC, microSD, MicroDrive, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Multimedia and XD memory cards. The USB Interface of the PicPac II allows for easy plug and play operation and provides high speed data transfer to a computer or another storage device at a quick rate.
What's in the box:
- Wolverine PicPac II 11-in-1 High Speed Memory Card Reader and 160GB Storage Device
- Rechargeable Battery (installed)
- AC/DC Universal 100-240V Auto Switch Power Adapter
- USB Cable
- Carry Pouch
- Instruction Manual
- Wolverine Warranty