Storing photos

Thanks Mike just want to store and post some along my travels.I normally shoot JPEG but many say why not RAW and the thing is I can save on my camera both .Is it really worth getting photoshop and Lightroom .I am still slow learner as always had SLR.But love this new technology ...Yes I like to take on plane as go Thailand where my wife come from.We are planning about 8months trip around Oz .Thanks Stephen ..

'
Hi Stephen,

I have a Samsung tablet for navigation and initially used to transfer my photos to that and do some editing in the evenings. It was quite successful but I became bored with it and now leave them all on the SD cards until returning home to download onto the computer.

I do have Photoshop and Lightroom (plus others) on my computer but use them only rarely as I dislike spending even more hours at the computer. I grew up with film and while enjoying the benefits of digital cameras I prefer to get it right in the camera rather than correct the image on a computer.

Shooting RAW is only of benefit if you expect to do a lot of image manipulation. RAW images also consume a lot more of your SD and computer capacity even when you save in both JPEG and RAW.

Stephen it really all depends on how serious you want to be. You don't need Photoshop and Lightroom u you have lots of photos and want to get the very best out of them (PS isn't just for making them look like something else, you get the very best images by using it, or something similar, but it needs a better computer and you need to be prepared to put in the time. I prefer to work on my shots as I travel, but I take a lot and need to get as much quality as I can and hate having piles to work through when I get home. RAW files are a lot bigger and need more storage space. You only want them if you want to extract every last bit of information out of files, not just for making corrections.
I'd suggest the following. Check out FastOne.
http://www.faststone.org/
It's quite fast, free, doesn't take up much space on your computer and allows you to use either RAW or jpeg if you want to play around with RAW. It allows you to do things like basic editing /cropping to photos as you travel if you want to. ie, you wont have to have as powerful a computer.
But: play about with it a bit before you leave- you want to know how to use it before you start trusting your precious travel shots to it. There are quite good tutorials on the site as well.
You say you want to be able to take it on a plane. This changes things as this means smaller and lighter. I agree with the recommendations for SSD (solid state drive) computers. Faster, lighter, better battery life and less fragile. But a bit more expensive and with less storage space. I agree that getting an external drive is a good move. The new ones are small and fast. I'd make sure it (and the computer) had USB3.0 as this really speeds up downloading shots to the external drive. I wouldn't get a computer with less than 4 gig of Ram, get at least a 128 gig SSD drive and an i5 processor. I prefer laptops to tablets for photography. They also tend to come with more ports and this is often useful for things like plugging in external drives and printers.
I like the Hewlett Packard Folio Ultrabook computers. You could probably get a second hand one to the above specs for about $300. I used one like that for several years for travelling and it was great. Sold it recently for the new HP Envy which is better, but quite pricey new and also it doesn't have as good battery life. About 13 inch screen. Asus make some well regarded SSD laptops around these kind of specs as well. The only tablet that I think is comparable is the Microsoft Surface Pro but these cost quite a bit more.

Ditto on all of the above, all good advice.
We also have a 1TB Seagate external hard disk with a built in battery and wifi.
The kids use it to look at photos and watch separate movies using their iPads.
You can use it with any tablet/PC / laptop.
The battery lasts 10hrs and it supports 3 connected devices at once.
There is a new model that is 2TB and supports more devices connected at the one time. It cost approx $200 at office works. I work in IT and highly recommend them. You need a laptop or PC to set it all up.
Marty

You wont need one with Firewire They sell them with just USB Havent seen a computer with Firewire for years.
Buffalo extreme
I have one of these and so far its survived some fairly hard use. Is the Eqiv to this Lacie Model
You do need a laptop though to run it
Lacie 1TB

This is the one with the battery
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Wireless-Portable-Built-STCV2000100/dp/B00JSQV44S

How do you transfer photos from a Canon SLR, or similar, to the disk?

Phil

Hi,
The link posted by TomH is the new model that has superseded my unit.
$289 at Officeworks, so you can save money online if you can wait.
I transfer all data to it via a USB connection to my laptop..
Ie I transfer all photos / video to the laptop from SD card and then copy to the Seagate disk. Depending on video format, you may need an extra app on your tablet to play them if the Seagate app (free) does not play it on your tablet.
The wifi connection is read only on my unit, not 100% sure if that can be changed to read/write.
Martin

PS
It comes with 2x USB cables, one is for data transfer and the other is for charging. Plug the USB cable into the provided AC charger to charge on 240v or plug it into a USB-cigarette lighter adapter (buy this yourself they are cheap) to charge via 12v in the car.

Thanks Martin

Okay if you have the laptop. Stick the SD card in the laptop and copy the files to the portable drive or laptop with Windows Explorer etc.? I forgot that the camera had an SD card. It's the larger one also.

If you have a laptop then just use the laptop hard disk and keep it charged up from the car with a 12V laptop cable.

But without the laptop how would you copy the photos from the camera to the portable drive.

Phil

Hi,
Essentially you need a device (laptop or PC) to act as an intermediary to receive files from the camera and copy them to the Seagate external disk. You then have the files in 3x separate places.
If you have a tablet eg iPad you can view pictures on the disk easily on the road as the disk is portable and can be easily charged up via 12v.
If it is pictures of previous trips you want to look at then it is easy as they would already be on the disk. New shots taken that day would need to be copied so you can view them on a bigger screen.
Having said all that, there are tablets available that have a USB port and SD card slot in them that would help you avoid using a laptop/PC eg Microsoft Surface pro.
Martin

I think that I will stick to the laptop system and copy the camera SD card to it's hard disk with Windows Explorer. I also use the laptop to store any interesting scenery videos from the dash camera. No! Not other drivers - Just off road tracks and scenery.

And I don't want any more software. I have enough now.

We have been doing it the laptop way for years. That is if we even bother to take the laptop. The camera takes 64Gb cards and we have several. Simple system and less devices to stuff around with.

Even though I began my IT career, I was a Systems Analyst for BAE Systems, I have no interest in getting any more "toys". An old non internet capable mobile and the satellite phone does us. Not interested in being in contact 24/7, like the Borg of Star Trek fame.

If it isn't broken then I won't change it.

Thanks

Phil

Hiya Phil that makes sense small and no need charging other equipment,sd cards simple solution as long as not lose them
Wondering what satphone you use .Normally I never carry any communication devices but now married and have 5 year old son have responsibility for their safety. Cheers
.

The main storage that we worry about is at home on the desktop. We have thousands of photos with some family going back to the 1800's on the PC. That's why the external disk.

If we lose any from a trip we can either go back or take the attitude that it was meant to be. We only rarely carry the laptop. Only when the grandkids are aboard.

The satellite phone is an Isatphone Pro. Got it a few years back. It's a prepaid one and only used for special (none yet) calls and emergency calls (none of them yet either). Emails to it are free so the ids can tell us to call them when we turn it on. That is if we remember to power it up! We are not members of the "have to be connected 24/7" set.

It is a good step though, having it in the back as "insurance". Especially as we travel solo/alone and all trips are to very remote areas. Would be hell to pay if we ran out of tea leaves. Luckily that has not happened so far.

Phil

Here is what we did Bought a Sony Duo 11in s/hand and a Buffalo Extreme 1 Tb. Also had a 500gb Hitachi laptop drive in a case.
Used both to back up photos every night. Buffalo was for video Other for wifes Camera photos.
Then I copied each days folder across the drives so had two copies of each plus what was on the camera.. Kept drives in separate suitcases just in case.
When I got home I made a folder on two of my external drives on my PC, edited all the stuff on the portables into both of the PC ones. Total size of each folder from a year around Aus, local holidays and 2 x 65 days trips to USA is 381 GB. VIdeo of last US trip is 25 GB
I didnt store any on the Duo as it only has 128GB storage and feel you can plug an external drive into something else if the lappy becomes useless.
A bit obssesive maybe but better than having to go back if you lose them.
The Duo with extra battery has a 10 hour life I paid $575 for it a year old and the receipt was $1742 new for it, extra battery ($299) and bag.

TomH

FYI Tom I also have a Sony Duo. Excellent as it is a laptop and tablet in one. You got a bargain - I paid a lot more for mine new.


Tjilpi

More than the $1742??? The girl who owned it wanted to change to a MAC.

The Duo has a little bit of the flickering screen problem but for the price i was quite happy.
Especially with the clip on battery included

Tom


I paid more than that but I got the top of the range with the i7 haswell processor, a portable blu-ray burner, portable hard drive, 256gig internal memory, etc. I bought it to use for work but have now retired.

You could try updating the driver for the screen problem.


Regards


Tjilpi

Screen flicker is a known problem on some of them and is a chip fault as far as I could find out Its only minor and as I hardly use it I dont worry about it. mine is the SVD11215CGB which is the i5 earlier model

As here http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/vaio-duo-11-owners-thread.695049/page-43

Sounds good .What laptop you use.Its hard finding one with all the needs of travel .Yes can buy $1000 plus .I not want spend too much Long.Battery life and good screen and sturdy body main needs....Cheers Steve

We only buy Toshiba Steve, and the cheap ones now do not look as sturdy as our first Toshibas, but they have proved reliable. At around $600 from online stores, specials at Australia Post, or eBay.

The battery seems to last a long time, but I have a 12 v power supply which can plug into a cig. lighter socket.

For internet we have a small USB 4g modem that needs no external power source. My Terabyte external hard drive requires 240 volt (will work through an inverter), but I have been told how to run it from 12 volt too. Or you can get hard drives that draw their power from the USB.

Cool I have Toshiba but now bit slow and new battery not great seems to get quite hot.Had it for awhile been bashed around a bit and used constantly..My friend had one lasted long time thats why I got one.My wifes sister worked for HP in Thailand and said crap laptops.My other friend bought one nothing but trouble ..Cheers will look into another Toshiba cheers