Luminous Landscape Forum
Site & Board Matters => About This Site => Topic started by: Martin Ocando on December 12, 2007, 02:19:27 am
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What a scare you gave me, Michael. I just thought: "What? Right when I was getting the hang of ProPhoto, now ANOTHER Color Space???"
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I have been wondering if the days of portable HDD storage are numbered?
With CF card capacity and speed going up at the same time as prices drop the need to recycle CF cards diminishes. 2 CF slots and 3" display makes the D3 an excellent review and duplication device. Additionally you get all the benefits of flash storage and the convenience of one battery type and charging system. An additional bonus is that the charging system is shared with the D300 (when used with a grip) if this is your back-up or second body.
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Well, as megapixel count and bit depth continue to increase, so will storage needs. But is true that price reduction on SD and CF cards allows you to but several and forget about external storage.
But still, in very critical shoots, you will want to have another copy in a separate place, not just leaving all the used cards in a bag pocket. I will do that when shooting to a place I don't think I'll be visiting again soon.
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I could not find a list of supported raw file formats anywhere. Is there a list? Is the Mamiya ZD or Oly .ORF files among those supported, perchance?
Quentin
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I could not find a list of supported raw file formats anywhere. Is there a list? Is the Mamiya ZD or Oly .ORF files among those supported, perchance?
Quentin
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The FAQ on their site say they support ANY RAW file, since is independent on the RAW format. Michael already said he couldn't preview P45 back files, but he can back them up.
I'm guessing that they will add more and more formats as firmware upgrades. But the important issue here is they can all be backed up, the limitation is on the preview only.
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Sorry, by support, I meant will the device provide a preview? In order to provide a preview, it needs to recognize the raw format. Simply copying the files without a preview is not good enough for me. I need to be able to see the image.
Quentin
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I have been wondering if the days of portable HDD storage are numbered?
With CF card capacity and speed going up at the same time as prices drop the need to recycle CF cards diminishes. 2 CF slots and 3" display makes the D3 an excellent review and duplication device. Additionally you get all the benefits of flash storage and the convenience of one battery type and charging system. An additional bonus is that the charging system is shared with the D300 (when used with a grip) if this is your back-up or second body.
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If all you shoot is 10, 20 or 30GB then sure, why not just shoot cards with in camera backup. Assuming of course that you have a 1Ds or a D3. But for the 90+% of photographers who don't have dual card cameras with auto backup, this isn't a solution.
And, for pros and others going on location and shooting 200 or 300 GB or more in a few days or a week, cards alone are also not a viable solution.
Michael
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Thanks for the review Michael - I've got an older product from the same company - the CompactDrive PD70X, originally with a 60 gig drive, upgraded to a 120 gig drive for a recent trip.
It works like a charm and I look forward to finding an excuse to get one of these new ColorSpace drives to accompany it.
I tend to travel with a much smaller amount of kit than many of the posters here and a laptop doesn't come with me, having a portable backup device that fits in a camera bag was a great way to let my wife and I shoot to our hearts content while traveling.
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If all you shoot is 10, 20 or 30GB then sure, why not just shoot cards with in camera backup. Assuming of course that you have a 1Ds or a D3. But for the 90+% of photographers who don't have dual card cameras with auto backup, this isn't a solution.
And, for pros and others going on location and shooting 200 or 300 GB or more in a few days or a week, cards alone are also not a viable solution.
Michael
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Just to clarify. I was starting a discussion rather than suggesting we had reached the tipping point.
Personally I could make it work for a 10 day landscape shoot. I don't shoot much more than I did when using film. For a 10 day wildlife shoot I would struggle with the current Extreme IV capacities. The SPACE will not be kicked out of my bag just yet.
I'm enjoying the D300 right now but when my D3 arrives - hopefully before Christmas - I'll put my theory to the test. There are still unanswered questions. For example is it possible to satisfactorily copy a card created in the D300 with a D3?
As I indicated I was starting a discussion rather than saying it's viable. It's still too early to say.
For the record I've been very happy with the older SPACE model from Hyperdrive. One tip I picked up was that the battery in my SPACE is actually from a Nokia cell phone. I bought a couple of spares eliminating the need for battery packs or PSU's. This may also work with the COLORSPACE.
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I never like to lug a laptop on a trip. I have two Hyperdrives, and HD-80 and a Space (no color). They are fast, rugged, easy to use, and have given me flawless dual backups.
The folks at Hyperdrive seem to come out with significantly improved models much faster than the old ones break down. Great product.
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I'm thinking about buying this thing, but I hate putting more crap in my bag. I already worry about a heart attack every time I go through an air terminal. I *must* take a laptop when I travel, and I'm a glasses wearer, and every time I head out, I have to take my regular glasses, plus a backup pair, sunglasses and a backup, and reading glasses. That's five pairs of glasses alone, plus I like to take sound-canceling headphones, an iPod, etc. A lot of junk.
I think the ultimate solution, other than for hard-core trekkers or people who go deep into the third world, might be on-line storage. Most hotels, even third world hotels, can sell you 24 hours of internet pretty cheaply, and you can upload a lot of stuff if you run the computer all night. B&H is now selling 4-gig Lexar cards for $78, and if you buy one card a month, you'd have a hundred gigs in a couple of years...a hundred gigs plus occasional overnight up-loads ought to see most people through a trip.
JC
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I *must* take a laptop when I travel
If you have a laptop, then probably you can write DVD (always two copies, and only high quality DVD+R). What else would you need?
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Picked up a hyperdrive space a while ago. Really like it. Will buy a colorspace sometime in the future.
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The days of hard drives is fast ending. Soon solid state drives will be as cheap and matching in capacity. They aren't too far off now from the best drives in either, and are many times faster.
Soon after that you will find a nice solid state device with 500GB, a 4"+ screen and light weight battery that lasts for 10,000 file transfers and views. Give it a year.
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Soon after that you will find a nice solid state device with 500GB, a 4"+ screen and light weight battery that lasts for 10,000 file transfers and views. Give it a year.
Maybe a little longer, but I agree. 16 Gb cards were "impossible" not so long ago.
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Maybe a little longer, but I agree. 16 Gb cards were "impossible" not so long ago.
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Those of us who loved the 12" Powerbook might get lucky. There is some evidence to suggest the new Apple ultra-portable will use a SSD instead if a HDD.
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I've used HyperDRIVE SPACE with a self-installed 160GB Hitachi HDD for about a year now, and am very happy with it. Michael's review was spot on, and I came to the same conclusion as he did that it's easily the best drive out there - and now that they have a model with a viewing screen it takes care of those who want that. Installing the HDD was easy, and I'm sure anyone can do it and save quite a few bucks over buying the pre-installed directly from them.
The thing that wasn't mentioned is that HyperDRIVEs work as external HDDs and are fast. While most (all?) other portable HDDs use their own HDD addressing methods, HyperDRIVEs use DMA. This means much faster transfer (and seek?) speeds than the competition. I used the SPACE for months 24/7 as an external swap drive on my laptop and it worked like a charm.
Another thing I'd like to add is that you can set up the drive so that it automatically copies whenever you insert a memory card - no need for that time-consuming single button press
The only complaint I have is that it doesn't get enough juice through the USB socket to backup the entire 160 gigs in one sitting - so I either have to plug it into AC or split the backup job. Not an issue in the field, but I use mine as an external backup while at home. I don't know if this is fixed in the later versions. Also, the UI is pretty clunky compared to, say, iPod. Then again, you don't really need the UI after installation - the only times I use it is to push one button to engage USB and another to turn it off.
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I like that it powers up via the usb cord. That same usb cord can plug into a cigarette lighter adapter. So, 1 cord and 1 relatively small adapter and you're golden. No wall warts or any of that if you don't want them. Made traveling with it easier than bringing my cf card reader.
The USB cable can be loose. I don't know if that was because I was using a creative Zen's USB cable or not. But I did have to be a bit careful with placement of the device so that the cable would not come out.
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If you have a laptop, then probably you can write DVD (always two copies, and only high quality DVD+R). What else would you need?
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DVDs take up a surprising amount of space -- not only the disks, but they have to be protected.
In any case, that is now a moot point. I went into a camera store last night looking for an Upstrap, and there, sitting on the counter, was a color hyperdrive, the 160-gig model. Taking this as a sign from God that he wanted me to buy one, I had the salesman take it out and show it to me. Pretty impressive; I bought it. Comes with a nice little kit (car adapter, USB cable.) I uploaded a few shots from a D3, somewhat skeptical about the claim that it took all RAWS, but yup, there they were. The interface is a little clunky for anyone who uses iPods, but hey, I've got time for three button pushes. The interface is actually easy enough that I haven't looked at the instruction booklet yet...all-in-all, it looks like another piece of crap that I'll be carrying around. Paid $369 for the 160-gig model, at a retail camera store.
JC
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Stick with some kind of Portable Storage Device. I just spent three weeks in Bali up mountains and down dales, and I couldn't have done without my Hyperdrive plus a cheaper device called Photobank to which both devices everything was backed up. I bought the Hyperdrive casing and had a 160GB drive installed locally.It doesn't show images - just confirms that the files have been transferred safely. All worked like a dream and I wasn't huddled over a hot laptop every night and could get out of the room!.
As you all know, CF cards get devoured on trips like this and at the end of the day, you're never sure which one is full and which is empty. Now, I can't imagine being without these PDSs. As for carrying a laptop, it can be a pain with the airline luggage rules. Pop a Hyperdrive or some such in your camera back and you won't even notice it. Don't forget though to bring the right plugs for whatever country you're going to.
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I have just ordered a hyperdrive colorspace 120Gb and should have it by tomorrow, really looking forward to it. I ll post comments later.
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I'm a happy user of the older HD-80 and was excited to see the colorspace article. Was in fact ready to order and called the US distributor to see if there was an upgrade path. There is for the B&W version, not for the older HD-80.
But I didn't order... in discussion they made a comment that there would be a new version released soon. After further conversation, it looks like there are plans to release a Colorspace-O mid-January. Big difference will be a higher resolution, slightly bigger display.
Will see if it hits in a few weeks.
Regardless, I'm hooked on this as there are times when I just can't carry the MBP (weight or space) and the HyperDrive is what I've found easiest for my workflow.
Regards to all...
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I have one. Not slick and shiny, basic graphics, but it works and works well. Good battery life. Option to verify all copied files. Easy and quick file transfer. What more could one want?