Camera Memory cards & external storage

[Richard H]

I intend to shoot RAW Images.

1. What size memory cards do other people use ? I have a 4 gig card. Do you think I need 8 ?

2. How do people get their photos on to some external storage i.e. off their camera on holiday ? Do you take a laptop with you and store them on that, do you upload them to Flickr, do something else, or do you just keep them on your camera hoping there isn't a problem.

Thanks for your help,

 

[D_B]

I can't find it now, but there have been posts about portable, battery operated hard drives with, and without video screens for storing and reviewing pics

 

[AndyT]

Hi Richard

The memory card size depends on a few things. How big are the RAW files for your camera? How many images do you take on a dive? Do you intend to download pictures between dives or a whole days worth of images. If you camera battery only lasts 2 dives then a 4 gig card should be OK - if you are going to open the housing to change batteries then you may as well download the card at the same time.

I used to use an Epson P-4000 as external storage, but now I carry a laptop. Unless you have a few cards to swap out I wouldn't keep them in the camera.

HTH

 

[D_B]

I found it, Photo More II ... was from a post by OE2X .. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/1679160-post8.html

this is the new model ... Savit Micro Photo More II

 

[diverrex]

I use 4 and 8 GB cards. 4GB is plenty big for a couple hundred shots (even with RAW) usually what I'll take during a two dive morning. But I like to use 8GB cards just in case I get the urge to switch to movie mode for a few minutes, generally at the end of dives in shallower water with better natural light. I take my laptop (I like having convenient internet access) so I download each night, plus I take some larger flash drives and/or a portable hard drive to also make backups. And I use a different card each day and don't erase the card until I get back home. Call me paranoid but I come back with 3 copies of each photo - original card, laptop hard drive, and portable hard drive or flash drive. Each of those is kept in carry-on luggage, and I separate them into each of my 2 or 3 carry-ons, just in case an airline reguires me to check one.

 

[randini]

I'd say just get lots of cards. They're cheap and take up less space than an external hardrive card reader thingy, plus they're fairly indestructable.

 

[spoolin01]

I've used the Delkin Picture Pad (external HD/viewer, with some RAW formats viewing capability) a couple of times, but it's old tech now, slow and though battery powered, it's not practical to rely on it unless you can plug it in. An Ipod + camera adapter will do about the same thing for any camera with a USB output, from what I understand (but no viewing of RAW pics). There are a number of small portable HD/viewer combos, but for the most part they can store but not view RAW pics. I'd like to hear if there are any good new ones out there for RAW viewing. Has anyone used the Wolverine MVP?

 

[M_Bipartitus]

For my trips this year I plan on bringing a bunch of cards. For me my laptop and it's contents are too valuable to risk losing. Though I have considered spending a few hundred on a netbook-style laptop as these are small and provide for better in-flight entertainment than a dedicated photo backup device.

If you keep an eye out on a site like TechBargains you can find 4GB and even 8GB cards for less than $15 after a rebate.

 

[Eugenepommier]

I find 4 G cards plenty large enough. I take RAW on a Canon Rebel XT in an Ikelite housing. I download every night onto my laptop using Photoshop CS3 raw processor and save them as .DNG files. I leave the photos on the card as long as there is room to shoot the next day that way I have two copies of every pic. You never know when you are going to flood your housing so better not have your only copy in the camera. There was still space left on the card after 9 dives.

 

[bvanant]

As others have said, this really depends on your personal work flow and circumstances. If you are in a place (like a liveaboard) where you have time and space between dives then 4 GB is plenty for at least 200+ pictures and you can download to either a laptop or external reader/display like the Epson or the Vosonic (i use the Vosonic, you can put up to 320GB hard drives in them and they are open architecture unlike the Epson, but the Epson has a bit better screen). If you are doing lots of dives from a small boat or without access like on a day trip in Bonaire then 8 GB will suit you for a full day. I always use duplicate downloads, one to each of 2 external hard drives which I then put directly into Lightroom where now the pics are labeled both by date and dive site. SO it all depends.
Bill