Lacie Rugged Storage on the Road

[MattLaver]

Hi Folks

This isn't strictly a MFDB question but since you guys are used to pushing big files around I thought this would be a good place to ask.

I've got a job coming up where I'll be on the road, shooting multiple different locations in one trip, using a MFDB (architecure) so I was looking into portable file storage and backing up as I go. I've seen a few people are using the Lacie Rugged drives for this purpose and was wondering what your experiences were like with them?

I'm considering the FW800 ones for the transfer rates. How have you found the reliability? Any other concerns that come to mind? Alternative suggestions?

I did a search on the forum but couldn't find much reference to them which is why I'm asking direct.

My apologies if this should be in another forum. Feel free to bump me over, Michael, if appropriate.

TIA for the insights.

Matt

[paulhu]

I take LaCie Rugged with me for all my on-location photo shoot.  With thousands of images for each project, I cannot afford to have all images on my MacBook Pro's hard drive alone, I must have a portable backup that I can put in my pocket or briefcase.

I like the LaCie Rugged, because of the FW-800, FW-400, and mini-USB connection

[nicolaasdb]

I use the LAcie rugged (orange) storage...works great...

I will NEVER buy any LAcie bigger, biggest or whatever other harddrive again....I had 6 (and within a year 2 crashed!!!! and they are still 800 bucks (so not cheap) for 2 TB).....the other 4 make very strange sounds, so I had to upgrade to a 12HD server from Norco...which works like a charm, despite the loud fans...which you get used to until you turn them of and then you realize that they are very very loud!!

[tom_l]

I use these small Lacie's powered by USB-only on the road for backup.
I have a few old big Lacie's (250GB and 500GB back then) running. I had 2 crashes too, and won't buy them again.


Tom

[MattLaver]

Thanks guys, it sounds like the small Rugged drives are pretty stable and reliable. I too have one of their 500GB Big drives, but I don't trust it for critical backup.

Cheers

Matt

[JessicaLuchesi]

I wanna buy the rugged 250Gb version, triple interface (USB 2.0 +FW400+FW800). The digital back operator on a MFDB photoshoot ( it was a rented back, I was the photographer's assistant, trying to keep the files safe on the computer as we went on ) mentioned that drive with high praise. Also, Lacie says it will withstand a 90cm fall without risking to loose any data ( as far as it's not working during the accident ).

Still, it's not yet available on B&H and I have no personal input on that for you guys this far.

[digitaldog]

I have two of the Orange LaCie drives, no issues so far. But I have to say, I think the G-Technology mini's are a lot better but at a higher price point. Smaller, faster and I believe they run cooler.

www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm

[pixjohn]

I have 2 of the G tech min 100 firewire 800  for location and never had 1 problem.

[JessicaLuchesi]

I guess the only real reason behind getting a Lacie rugged disk, is the ruggedness itself, and the anti-shock qualities, that (I presume) will make it a bit safer to carry data around. Of course, it's nothing close to a bulletproof guarantee that nothing will ever happen to your data. But again, no single storage is bulletproof, not even your notebook's HD.

And it sucks :|

[narikin]

I will NEVER buy any LAcie bigger, biggest or whatever other harddrive again....I had 6 (and within a year 2 crashed!!!! and they are still 800 bucks (so not cheap) for 2 TB).....the other 4 make very strange sounds,
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=153504\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I dont know how many dozen times I have read about LaCie drives breaking down, it astonishes me that anyone buys ANY of their products. Once again - they buy the cheapest drives they can (to make them extra $) and stick them in a cool looking but badly designed case (no fans= hot drives) and charge premium prices for them by clever marketing.

Please dont buy their crap: AVOID LaCie.

buy Seagate or WD or just about anyone but them.
make sure you have a fan in the case. or is well vented. if it must be ruggedised try one of the notebook external drives like Seagate, up to 200Gb these days, perpendicular heads and all you could need in reliability.

[Harris]

I bought 2 500 gig LaCie's a while back.  When one of them failed shortly after the warranty period and LaCie refused to help on it, I opened it up and found two 250 Western drives.  So if you want to pay a premium for LaCie, remember it is for the name and maybe a better looking case.

[MattLaver]

I have two of the Orange LaCie drives, no issues so far. But I have to say, I think the G-Technology mini's are a lot better but at a higher price point. Smaller, faster and I believe they run cooler.

www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=153867\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for your feedback folks.

Andrew, I looked up the G-Tech minis you suggested and they're not very available over here. The only one I could find in stock anywhere was the 100 GB version at a price of nearly £200 ($400) ! Maybe they are too new, maybe their distribution is limited here.

All the Seagates and WDs I could find were limited in storage size or interface speed. Buy comparison the 160 GB Lacie Rugged Firewire 800 is available here at just over £100 ($200) so I guess its 'swings and roundabouts' as we say here. Pros and cons both ways.

I agree about the unreliability of their desktop drives though.

Matt

[Fritzer]

I've heard a lot of bad things about the Lacie 500+ GB hds, and for that reason wouldn't get one.

That said, I have 4 portable lacie drives, 1 seven years old 'rugged', a new orange one, and two of the 'cheap' Porsche ones, plus a bunch of lacie desktop hds (300GB or smaller), some running 24/7 for many years.
Not a single hickup, much less any serious issues.

[geesbert]

i have the 0range triple interface one, works like a charm. it is bigger than other drives, and has no operation LED, which i miss, but otherwise, one of those things in my bag where i don't loose any thought on...

[BJNY]

I hope the new upcoming Lacies (200GB 7200rpm and 250GB 5400rpm) uses SATA internally.
The current versions use PATA/IDE type, which is about 10MB/sec slower in transferring.

Also, I wish Lacie would publicize which brand hard drives they use inside,
whereas G-Tech's new upcoming G-Drive mini Triples use Hitachi:
http://www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm

[4ER5pKqRYaEbOcqv]

If you know which hard drive you like, (I like Hitachi TravelStars)
Oyen Digital sells an $80 bus-powered eSata 800/400-USB
external enclosure for standard 2.5" laptop drives.

I hope the new upcoming Lacies (200GB 7200rpm and 250GB 5400rpm) uses SATA internally.
The current versions use PATA/IDE type, which is about 10MB/sec slower in transferring.

Also, I wish Lacie would publicize which brand hard drives they use inside,
whereas G-Tech's new upcoming G-Drive mini Triples use Hitachi:
http://www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=154094\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[Wayne Fox]

Recently purchased two OWC 200gig 7200rpm fw800 drives.  I've been really pleased so far.

The clear case makes it obvious which mechanism they are using (mine are Hitachi), and they have a heat sink on the bottom similar to the G-Tech

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/on-the-go

[BJNY]

Lacie has extended their warranties:

http://www.lacie.com/us/company/news/news.htm?id=10361

I hope the new upcoming Lacies (200GB 7200rpm and 250GB 5400rpm) uses SATA internally.
The current versions use PATA/IDE type, which is about 10MB/sec slower in transferring.

Also, I wish Lacie would publicize which brand hard drives they use inside,
whereas G-Tech's new upcoming G-Drive mini Triples use Hitachi:
http://www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=154094\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[JessicaLuchesi]

Talking about on the road backup units for MF Digital shooters... what's a good size? Let's say, to store a day or two shooting, and the selected ones, converted into 16Bit TIFF files for a 22Mp back?

120Gb? 160Gb? Or nothing less than 250Gb? I'm on a budget ( story of my life ) and I won't go from the 160Gb Lacie All Terrain Triple Interface to the 250Gb, unless I really need the extra 90Gb ( because, with custom taxes, the exchange rate and so on... the 90 dollars price difference more than double, and I honestly don't need the extra room on my everyday workflow. MFDB is something that happens once or twice an year only, with rental back ).

[JessicaLuchesi]

Ok, updates!

January, I got my hands on a Lacie Rugged 160Gb tripple interface. Ok, it's not 7200rpm, ok, it's not a huge, 250Gb HD... but it does it's job. I carry it around as my main backup unit on the road, and this far, no issues.

I'm not as of now, a Medium Format Photographer, but since I started debating this unit here, and I guess this piece of info will interest you, here it goes... last friday, it was dropped, from waist-level down. A careless assistant on a hurry, grabbed it by it's cord to carry from table to table in the studio, and as you can guess, it disconnected and dropped to the hard concrete floor. Bounced a couple of times, with me screaming like hell when I saw it. The assistant turned into a "OH SH*!#" shade of white. I instantly plugged it back into my notebook... and did breath relieved that all my data was there, intact.

Later, I conducted a surface test, no issues. The fall was within the resistance limits Lacie advertises, and I can vouch for them now  Felt anyone who needs a sturdy, shock resistant, dust resistant unit would be happy to know that.

PS: Yes, the unit was already disconected ( so, nothing spinning in there ) when the accident took place.