Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Computers & Peripherals => Topic started by: PeterAit on June 02, 2018, 11:30:03 am

Title: On-the-road backup.
Post by: PeterAit on June 02, 2018, 11:30:03 am
I need a way to back up photos while traveling. I have heard of units that consist of a self-contained hard disk with an integrated SD slot. Basically you insert an SD card and the unit automatically copies new files to the disk. Any recommendations?
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: rdonson on June 02, 2018, 11:56:20 am
Perhaps you're looking for something like this...

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-pro.html
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: armand on June 02, 2018, 02:06:10 pm
I know the regular one it's more cost effective but I would get the the SSD version, more shock resilient and slightly faster.
https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-ssd.html
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: tcphoto1 on June 02, 2018, 03:02:05 pm
Do you normally travel with a laptop or just carry cards? I usually have a MBP with me so I write in camera to both cards, MBP and external drive. If I only have the camera kit, I’ll carry enough cards so I won’t need to format until I return home.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: rdonson on June 02, 2018, 03:43:55 pm
I know the regular one it's more cost effective but I would get the the SSD version, more shock resilient and slightly faster.
https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-ssd.html

Good thought, Armand!!!
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: Joe Towner on June 02, 2018, 07:31:43 pm
I tend to go with the HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA3 with my own SSD:
https://www.hypershop.com/collections/digital-photography/products/hyperdrive-colorspace-udma3

You can also plug in a secondary drive and have the Colorspace back it self up to that other external drives.

You can also go with Gnarbox, their v1 is out and the v2 is on kickstarter https://www.gnarbox.com/collections/all
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: PeterAit on June 03, 2018, 03:51:01 pm
Perhaps you're looking for something like this...

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-pro.html

Thanks! This looks like just the thing.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: Farmer on June 03, 2018, 05:48:51 pm
You can also go with Gnarbox, their v1 is out and the v2 is on kickstarter https://www.gnarbox.com/collections/all

This looks quite nice.  Thanks for posting the link, Joe.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: stever on December 02, 2018, 01:18:27 pm
the gnarbox is outrageously expensive for an inadequate amount of storage.

does anyone have experience with the WD My Passport Wireless?


Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: armand on December 02, 2018, 04:54:22 pm
the gnarbox is outrageously expensive for an inadequate amount of storage.

does anyone have experience with the WD My Passport Wireless?

The are some decent reviews out there. Overall better than the others in its class. I lost most of my interest for now because it only has an SD card reader. Yes, you can use a USB card reader but I think it's only USB2, it would take a long time downloading Z7 files.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: Telecaster on December 02, 2018, 04:56:27 pm
does anyone have experience with the WD My Passport Wireless?

Yep, I've got one…the 2TB SSD version. Works great. (I also use it as an intermediate device when copying files from my iPad to SD cards, which iOS on its own disallows.)

-Dave-
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: PeterAit on December 02, 2018, 05:56:06 pm
Yep, I've got one…the 2TB SSD version. Works great. (I also use it as an intermediate device when copying files from my iPad to SD cards, which iOS on its own disallows.)

-Dave-

I agree with Telecaster. We got one for a recent trip and were very impressed. At the end of the day, plug your SD card into the unit and go have a drink. It automatically backs up new files without any input from the user. Fortunately we never needed the backup but it was a comfort to have it.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: armand on December 02, 2018, 10:12:44 pm
Do you use the iPad app to edit photos on the go?
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: langier on December 02, 2018, 10:41:11 pm
I have a couple of Hyperdrives, both designed for my iPad I when I traveled exclusive of a computer. One had an SSD; the other a conventional drive. Worked great! Used them to back-up my SD and CF cards. However, that generation maxed out with 32gb cards and is no longer available, replaced with better.

At one time, you could just buy the bare Hyperdrives and use your own drives which I did since I could get larger drives much more reasonable in cost than the canned drives and it would only take five minutes in install the drives.

I still travel with one of the Hyperdrives at a minimum, but since my needs now include video capture and editing and many times need to turn-and-burn on the road,  I've had to up the anti and now travel with a MBP 13 with SSD and a couple of external drives so I can fully edit in the field, though I'd just as soon rest and socialize like during the days of film! :-p. Maybe one day again!

I know there are other solutions out there and that the iPads are finally available with lots more speed and storage along with full Photoshop capabilities, so who knows what the future holds. But if you need something today, get it and worry about the vaporware as we once called it when it hits the market.
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: Telecaster on December 03, 2018, 04:35:27 pm
Do you use the iPad app to edit photos on the go?

I use Affinity Photo on my iPad for Raw processing and editing. Nearly all pics I've posted here over the past 16+ months have been run through it. I only use my desktop when processing/editing photos for printing. I may give iOS Photoshop a spin, though, once it comes out.

-Dave-
Title: Re: On-the-road backup.
Post by: bassman51 on December 04, 2018, 08:59:22 pm
I’ve used a My Passport Wireless Pro for the last 18 months, replacing the Hyperdrive I previously used.  I’ll backup my SD cards each day, and then edit images on the iPad for posting to my travel blog while on the road.   I have the 2TB hard drive model.

One thing to pay attention to is the number of images on your SD cards.  The MPWP is smart enough to only copy new images, but it does this by comparing each potential copy subject to the existing database.  So as your cards get fuller, the copy time increases even if the number of new images is modest.  Two solutions: fewer images on your cards, or patience. 

On a workshop early next year I’ll use the MPWP as a tool to get edited images out of the iPad and onto a USB thumb drive for each review session.

I haven’t owned a laptop for years now, preferring to travel with the iPad and now the MPWP.  I don’t miss the laptop.