how to backup photos in the field?

[langier]

I have two Sanho Colorspace Hyperdrives, each with 500GB drives.

When I travel for more than a week or without my Macbook, this does the job.

I've traveled overseas with these now for three one-month trips shooting my cares 1x then backing-up on each 2x. A cherry-picked selection goes onto the iPad so that I can email my trip's progress and if a client on the road needs me to process quickly or fulfill from my portfolio.

So far, I had one failure (the drive died on the road, but I had both a apart and all the cards) and though it died, I saved the day for a client when he filled his cards and I backed them to this drive which I was still able to recover his files.

The case uses a 2.5 inch drive and my next move may to replace the disk with an SSD for speed and better reliability.

In practice, I'm about to download at least 150-200GB per charge and the built-in reader handles both CF and SD cards. It can be charged with a brick or using a USB mini cable, which also works to transfer files to my system at home. I also have a small AA battery case that will charge the Hyperdrive.

What this has allowed me to do is to not have to pack a computer and all the bulk and weight. Best of all, since I'm not downloading on my computer nightly then fooling with the images, I can socialize or sleep more, though it still takes time nightly with all the charging and peeking on the iPad (now my bottle neck during travel!).

The Hyperdrive fits in my vest pocket and the second goes into my carry-on, so I spread out the risk of loosing my photos. With card capacities rising and cameras taking smaller cards, it's also to the point where you can put in one large card and put all your photos into one basket! Best to back it up and spread out the images, IMO!

[Hans Kruse]

Hello



I would like to ask if you can advice me/ give me any recommendations on how to back up photos in the field (from CF cards into hard drive) without bringing my laptop?

what are basically my options?

 

Thank you very much

Just in case if you are not aware: A number of cameras have two card slots and I believe all of them allow to be setup such that the pictures taken gets written to both cards. Examples of cameras like this are Canon 1Ds III, 5D III, 1DX, Nikon D800(E), D810. In such a case you automatically have a backup and just have enough cards for the trip and there is no need for backup.

[vulture]

I am using UDMA COLORSPACE since years and it never let me down.
 You can even change the hard drive (available in capacities up to 1TB) in case you want to keep the backup a little while and the latest generation of batteries are really excellent.
Also good for storing video footage, although not playable on UDMA. My reliable companion on all work trips since its release.

[dwswager]

I am using UDMA COLORSPACE since years and it never let me down.
 You can even change the hard drive (available in capacities up to 1TB) in case you want to keep the backup a little while and the latest generation of batteries are really excellent.
Also good for storing video footage, although not playable on UDMA. My reliable companion on all work trips since its release.

Is this what you guys are talking about?


In my quick search, I was unable to determine if this uses a 500GB spinning platter drive, but the description says HDD.  If that is true, I wouldn't trust this thing in the field.  In the studio, maybe around town, but not in the field.  Maybe replacing the HDD with an SSD.  If you're not willing to toss this thing to a 5ft drop onto a solid rock surface, then already know how fragile it really is.

I'm thankful that both my cameras (D7100 and D810) has dual slots that let me configure the camera to have 2 copies written at the time of shutter release.  I also use small cards and use a new card every day so both those copies are not in the camera for an extended period of time.  I also have a $5 OTG USB adapter for my NoteII phone and Note 8" tablet and a $3 card reader that I use to view images from the cards. 

If you are worried about the card going bad, buy better cards.  The best solution is to use Industrial/Military Grade cards: Amtron, Pretec, etc. which are rated to extreme temperatures and shock loadings. 

If you are worried about theft, loss or flushing it down the toilet such that multiple copies is the only countermeasure, then a camera with dual slots is the best option.  The next best thing is a strategy to write out a 2nd copy to some sort of solid state media.  Writing a 2nd copy to a spinning platter drive would be the last resort.

[digitaldog]

In my quick search, I was unable to determine if this uses a 500GB spinning platter drive, but the description says HDD.  If that is true, I wouldn't trust this thing in the field.  In the studio, maybe around town, but not in the field.  

Well yeah, not only is this what we're talking about (and a link was presented in the 2nd post), it works fine in the field and a bunch of us here have used them (mine since 2007). But heck, there's no reason to back up anything at anytime since redundancy is just a panacea.

If you are worried about the card going bad, buy better cards.

No one said they were worried about cards going bad, we're worried about have ONE copy of precious (to us) images on location! And FWIW, on location, over many, many years, a lot of us backed up our files onto our laptops using guess what, a spinning platter drive! And not all of us have dual card slots in our camera!

[KAHA]

Hello

I would like to ask if you can advice me/ give me any recommendations on how to back up photos in the field (from CF cards into hard drive) without bringing my laptop?

what are basically my options?

 

Thank you very much

Along with the other suggestions made on the forum the 128GB iStick USB drive might be another option for storage back up. It looks very promising as an iPad storage/preview device.

[rolei]

so what hard drives are available to get for the HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA2 3.5?
what is the one that comes originally with it and is it better to get HD separately?
which internal hd  do you recommend me to get for the hyperdrive?

thank you

[dwswager]

Well yeah, not only is this what we're talking about (and a link was presented in the 2nd post), it works fine in the field and a bunch of us here have used them (mine since 2007). But heck, there's no reason to back up anything at anytime since redundancy is just a panacea. No one said they were worried about cards going bad, we're worried about have ONE copy of precious (to us) images on location! And FWIW, on location, over many, many years, a lot of us backed up our files onto our laptops using guess what, a spinning platter drive! And not all of us have dual card slots in our camera!

Not sure what all the snark is about, but I'm just discussing probabilities.  The probability of failure for CF is fairly low, especially good flash.  Having a 2nd copy is great.  And I am glad those of you using 'spinning disks' in the field have not experienced a failure.  But that does not change the fact that in any failure mode you can think of from shock to temperature to electromagnetic fields to spurious or accumulated error, spinning disk is inferior to CF and flash memory in general.

My question still stands.  Are you willing to drop that device from 5ft onto rock expecting it to survive? 

[digitaldog]

Not sure what all the snark is about, but I'm just discussing probabilities. 

The OP asked a simple question: How to backup in the field. Not how many cards should he take. Not if backing up in the field is a panacea. Not if backing up to a spinning disks is problematic. Not how far his backup has to survive a drop. Some are staying OT and attempting to help the OP, some are pontificating.

My question still stands.  Are you willing to drop that device from 5ft onto rock expecting it to survive?

Start a new post and ask that question (although it's a rather silly question). 5 feet, 5000 feet, doesn't matter as long as you had a backup!

[digitaldog]

so what hard drives are available to get for the HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA2 3.5?
what is the one that comes originally with it and is it better to get HD separately?
which internal hd  do you recommend me to get for the hyperdrive?

I purchased mine with the drive. You can add your own too (or upgrade to a larger drive). Perhaps even an SSD? Not sure. Not sure it's worth the extra cost either. The unit comes with instructions on doing this HD swap.

[stever]

clarification on the two-card strategy - there are two alternatives:
  1. ALWAYS remove the backup card before the camera is lost, stolen, dropped overboard, etc.
  2. Carry as many cards as you have days to back up (each card with capacity for the maximum number of images you can take in a day) and at the end of each day put the backup in a secure location.  for me this would be about 30 64gb cards for a international trip

on a more practical note I have had one failure of a hyperdrive when I knocked it off a table and broke the USB connector - spinning drive was fine and still working in a new hyperdrive case.  I have a slight preference for Western Digital, but Samsung and Seagate are fine too.  5400 rpm without any bells and whistles is all you need.  drive must be FAT format

note that the hyperdive can write to cards and external drives (which requires an extra cable and power supply and the drive written to must also be FAT formatted).

for those who do not have a camera (and backup body with two slots) the hyperdrive is an economic alternative to new camera(s)

[Colorado David]

I can't remember for sure, but I would bet the last time I went on a trip without a laptop was 2007.  At that time I had to pare down as much as I could to fit in a float plane.

[Alan Smallbone]

The unit can take any 2.5 inch harddrive. Easy to do. I have not had a problem with spinning disks but then I don't throw them down either, I know accidents can happen, that is why I have redundancy. I usually back up in the evening after the day's shooting, when I can sit down and control things and not in a hurry, less chance of mistakes. I have had memory cards fail, so anything is possible and why we have redundant backups.    It is a good alternative to carrying a laptop, it is also good to carry one with a laptop as a backup device. The Colorspace works well, it does what it says it does. I find the whole wifi transfer to the phone a worse alternative to transfer to tablet to an hd, for one I like keeping the phone as charged as possible for emergency use and the Colorspace is a faster better workflow for me, and less effort. Turn it on, put the card in, press the right buttons and I have my backup.

Alan

[dwswager]

The OP asked a simple question: How to backup in the field. Not how many cards should he take. Not if backing up in the field is a panacea. Not if backing up to a spinning disks is problematic. Not how far his backup has to survive a drop. Some are staying OT and attempting to help the OP, some are pontificating. Start a new post and ask that question (although it's a rather silluestion). 5 feet, 5000 feet, doesn't matter as long as you had a backup!

We previously went over that.  Best option for backup in the field is in-camera. Next best is backup to solid state NAND memory. Backup to spinning disk would be last option because spinning disk is the least reliable.

But, It is vital to understand what you are trying to prevent against and determine the appropriate strategy.  If in camera backup is best, that only works if you regularly are separating the original and the backup.  Otherwise, if the camera is lost, not only do you loose all the originals, but all the backups.   That dictates how many cards you might need.

I build computers and know personally how unreliable hard drive are.  They have gotten much better over time, but the basic design is susceptible to all kinds of errors.  I have personally experienced the loss of about 1 years worth of family photos due to hard drive failure.  My desktop, which does not experience any of the temperature and shock events a hard drive in the field has experienced 1 media failure and 1 on-board controller failure.  Luckily those were in mirror arrays.  My server runs enterprise drives because they are much more reliable than desktop drives.

[digitaldog]

I build computers and know personally how unreliable hard drive are.
 I have personally experienced the loss of about 1 years worth of family photos due to hard drive failure. 

Begging the question, why didn't you back them up?

I've been using a Mac since 1988. My wife, who at the time was the computer expert (that's her degree) taught me to backup religiously. At the time, that was done on floppies! I've NEVER lost a file since. I've got no less than thee backups (one off site).

So, you state that redundancy is a panacea while telling us you lost a year worth of family photos due to hard drive failure. What are we supposed to make of those two statements?

Best option for backup in the field is in-camera.

That's not an option for many of us. We've been over that.

[Conner999]

I shoot tethered with automated backups on location, but if going ultra light/remote I'd just be tempted to p/u a used or refurb copy of a basic Macbook AiR (or PC equiv) and some usb3 case(s) that I'd populate with HDDs and SSDs of my choice. That or a Seagate Thunderbolt 2.5" drive sled/dock (use one, works like a charm) and treat 2.5" drives (HDD or SSD) like large CF cards.  The AiR could act as own backup copy, can check files, etc, etc. Even go tethered if desired/able.

[dwswager]

Begging the question, why didn't you back them up?

Hadn't executed the backup yet.  Was young and stupid.

I've been using a Mac since 1988. My wife, who at the time was the computer expert (that's her degree) taught me to backup religiously. At the time, that was done on floppies! I've NEVER lost a file since. I've got no less than thee backups (one off site). So, you state that redundancy is a panacea while telling us you lost a year worth of family photos due to hard drive failure. What are we supposed to make of those two statements? That's not an option for many of us. We've been over that.

I said redundancy is not a panacea.  Common cause and common mode failures can lead to loss of multiple copies if not implemented appropriately.  My 9TB server is setup using Stablebit DrivePool which allows me to select directories to duplicate such that the drives are in a pool, but some directories are backed up like a mirror array.  But there are modes of failure like lightnig strike that can take out both copies, so I have implemented a significant surge suppression effort.

And yes, I understand that some cameras do not facilitate in-camera backup.  In that case another strategy needs to be implemented.  My recommendation would be backup to some sort of solid state media like CF or SSD.

[dwswager]

In researching the Colorspace UDMA2, there is conflicting information about the ability to use 2.5" (laptop size) SSDs with this device.  Once Sanho employee reported YES, while another via email customer support reported NO!  In addition, there are reports from owners that say they are using SSDs with this device.  Specifically mentioned were the Samsung 840 series.

"have just checked with my spare samsumg 250 gig ssd the 840 series perfect in both udma and udma 2 the prices are very good now and it makes the colorspace featherweight now"

[Vincy Logan]

Since taking picture as I traveled to different place, I did take a lot of pictures. So all these photos became previous to me that I did back them up in more than one location.
 
I use xcopy and cloudbacko to backup them in daily & weekly basis at night. The strategy between xcopy and cloudbacko is different. xcopy sync all files from my laptop to my portable drive once a week while cloudbacko does it in daily basis. In this case, I mostly just bring some sd cards with me while travel.  Once I am backup, I will plug them to laptop and backup directly.  This is ideal to me coz the weight of sd card is minor.

In this case, you also don't need to buy many sd card to keeps backup