Expedition Media Storage Problem

Storage is always going to be a problem on these kinds of trips. There are various different solutions, and all have the benefits and downsides.


1) Optical Media - Pretty robust, but relies on your Laptop drive to write them. If your laptop drive dies all bets are off. It's also a pain to split memory cards over CDs (unless you are using small cards) - so I usually use DVDs.


2) External USB Hard Disks, like the WD Passport range are reasonably cheap, small, and pretty robust when they they are not running. They should survive a landrover through rough terrain as long as you are not using them while you move. They offer up to 250GB. These are no more likely to die than the HDD in your laptop..... and what would you do if THAT died?


3) More Memory Cards. Memory cards (4GB etc) are cheap now, and for a couple of hundred quid your could get lots and lots. You could diligently delete the bad shots each night.


4) External HDD with viewer system - like the Epson Px000 series. Not cheap, slowish to copy and of course have a hard disk inside that has the same problems as your laptop and external HDDs.


5) ..... floppy disks.... (joke!)

Sorry, here is the actual 7200 RPM version:


http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10997

That's the one that goes around faster (the slower version with 250GBs is also much cheaper- note I have no idea what difference having it going around at 7200 rpm as opposed to whatever the other ones do makes. Maybe it keeps up with the landrover more easily?)

The 7200rpm provides faster access speeds, faster sustained transfer speeds and uses more power. That's the basic difference.

Hi, I went to Africa last year and feared the same problem. I took with me an external hard drive but bought an extra shock support from a store. It was fine as I always kept it in my Lowpro and the support and was only downloading at night in camp.


Have a great time

Exciting! Keep plenty of backup memory capacity for the camera.

Yes, taking D200 and D300 - although I don't know where I will put them!

RollingEarth, Wow! I am amazed, that is one of the most impressive camera bag I have seen! Good luck!

Actually, from the benchmarks I've run, I can tell you that the 2.5" 200 GB Toshiba (@ 4200 RPMs) is actually slightly faster than my slightly older 3.5" Seagates 7200 RPM drives, they are 300 GB and 400 GB.


It seems to me that lower-RPM drives pack data at a higher density and that makes up for the lower physical speeds.


At any rate, I shock damage has potential to ruin anything that isn't solid-state. I think the safest suggestion I would have is that you buy lots of big flash cards. They're cheaper than ever before and you can just sort through everything when you get back home. Moving your data to hard drives or optical discs would require you to stop what you're doing and wait while the data is written in order to maintain the integrity of the data.


But I'm not sure how many pictures you'd plan on shooting. It could be that your best option is to buy a 160 GB iPod and one of those card adaptors that lets you upload data from your card directly to the camera. However, I'm not sure if there'd be a CF version of that sort of device.


But if money is less tight, your best option is definitely FireWire 400 or 800, both interfaces are faster than USB 2.0. In fact, my benchmarks on my MacBook indicate that my dual-interface (USB 2.0 and FireWire 400) drives are double the speed over Firewire 400 that they are over USB 2.0. FireWire is definitely the interface of choice.

(Edited on 2008-07-25 11:37:27 by devin6687)

RollingEarth, I spent two and a half week in Peru last year, and took 25,000 raw files, I used two photo storage devices, so I can download every card twice for backup, I used an Epson storage and a hyperdrive storage, both can direct download your CF card, I would not recommend downloading or even turning them on while you are moving across rough terrain, but if you are stationary in the evening, I don't think you would have any trouble, just pack your drive very well with bubble wrap everyday before you head out. I would treat your camera and lens very carefully as well, some adventure photographer wouldn't even put their camera in the trunk across rough terrain, they always recommend putting them in the back seat for more cushion, even lens element could be vulnerable to severe shock.