The prices of CF cards are nose-diving, and I'm seeing these as low as PHP 1.2K/GB locally, even cheaper abroad, and falling fast.

I was seriously considering a PSD for extended birding sorties, as my laptop/burner/external HDD is just too inconvenient to bring to remote places. But with CF card prices falling, I wonder if it's actually more cost efficient to just buy additional cards. I've 32 GB now - good for only 3-4 shooting days (about 4k RAW pics).

While PSDs are still cheaper (PHP/GB capacity), it's more prone to obsolescence (I still use some of my 3-year old CF cards). Also, PSDs are electro-mechanical devices and as such are inherently less reliable than solid state CF.

Any high volume shooters here in the same quandary? Your thoughts will be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Romy

Hi Romy. Personal Storage Devices are a good investment. They are essentially an external notebook drive that accepts CF/SD cards with a USB port so basically obsolescence is not a problem unless um... there's a new memory card standard? or a new port connector that surpasses USB? :)

But since you already have 32GB now, you won't need a PSD anymore :)

I find the CompactDrive convenient to use as it ingests my CF cards fast. And while I still want to get a new 2GB card, it still is more of a luxury for my needs now.

But I also agree that they can fail since memory cards are more durable. So if you do get a PSD, you can use it as a backup for the shots that you've took, without having to delete your images from the CF. HTH :)

The prices of CF cards are nose-diving, and I'm seeing these as low as PHP 1.2K/GB locally, even cheaper abroad, and falling fast.

I was seriously considering a PSD for extended birding sorties, as my laptop/burner/external HDD is just too inconvenient to bring to remote places. But with CF card prices falling, I wonder if it's actually more cost efficient to just buy additional cards. I've 32 GB now - good for only 3-4 shooting days (about 4k RAW pics).

While PSDs are still cheaper (PHP/GB capacity), it's more prone to obsolescence (I still use some of my 3-year old CF cards). Also, PSDs are electro-mechanical devices and as such are inherently less reliable than solid state CF.

Any high volume shooters here in the same quandary? Your thoughts will be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Romy

Romy,

Get a PSD. I use the PD-70x for over a year now. No problems.


Now, I don't know if I am a high volume shooter at about 1,200 shots per event but my take is this --- Even if you had shot 10 or 50 pix, I'd like to have redundancy or a 2nd copy in the field (not at home), but in the field. It gives me peace of mind, knowing I have 2 copies of the same thing. I also don't like the faces of my clients knowing that if by so happenstance that my CF got corrupted or lost and I don't have a backup in the field. :Oops:


You shoot raw, so you are going to fill in that PSD in short notice. I recommend an 80gb or a 100gb notebook HD. BTW, my PSD uses penlight batts, so you can carry as many as you want if you want extended use. I still have to use up my 2500 sanyo ever, even if I used the PSD as a 2ndary HD (operating 1.5 hours) continuously.

The PSD is going to back up a 1gb CF in about 3-4 min depending on the speed of the HD. I have it on my waist, and just plug the CF there, power it on, wait 2 sec and then press the wheel and it will backup. I can resume shooting. I can even move around while it's there on my waist backing up.

-Mel

or PM Randy Kanapi for an Epson P2000.

@Mel

I am very interested in the PSD that you have described.
Is it possible to post a picture of the gadget you've talked about?
I will be heading to Africe by the end of October, and right now, I am stocking up on the essentials for the trip.
From the way you described your PSD (one touch back-up, battery powered), I think I will be needing several of these.
It would be very cumbersome to bring a laptop, as well as the external drives, the PSP and the Ipods...what with all the restrictions on hand carried luggage and all.

Do hope you could help a brother out.
Thanks in advance.

Rob

Hello Rob. I found a link that might be informative regarding the PSD you mentioned.

http://www.outdoorphoto.co.za/forum/showthread.php?t=379

Goodluck! :)

I would still want a PSD. The CompactDrive PD-70x is a fine gadget. What turns me off is the low grade plastic connector they used for the battery compartment lid. Break this and your convenience in using it will immediately reciprocate!

But aside from that, it is great. It also doubles as a battery charger, but because of the problem I stated above, you may not want it to act as a charger. Rather, this charger feature will ensure you not breaking the battery compartment lid as you do not have to always open it just to replace the battery.

You may want to look at Digimate III... the problem with this one is that it's not as fast as the CompactDrive PD-70x.

:D

@Mel

I am very interested in the PSD that you have described.
Is it possible to post a picture of the gadget you've talked about?
I will be heading to Africe by the end of October, and right now, I am stocking up on the essentials for the trip.
From the way you described your PSD (one touch back-up, battery powered), I think I will be needing several of these.
It would be very cumbersome to bring a laptop, as well as the external drives, the PSP and the Ipods...what with all the restrictions on hand carried luggage and all.

Do hope you could help a brother out.
Thanks in advance.

Rob

Kuya,

A compact drive will suite you. The only catch is that you don't get to see your photos with a compact drive. Check out www.compactdrive.com. Let me know if you want one.

Nin

The prices of CF cards are nose-diving, and I'm seeing these as low as PHP 1.2K/GB locally, even cheaper abroad, and falling fast.

I was seriously considering a PSD for extended birding sorties, as my laptop/burner/external HDD is just too inconvenient to bring to remote places. But with CF card prices falling, I wonder if it's actually more cost efficient to just buy additional cards. I've 32 GB now - good for only 3-4 shooting days (about 4k RAW pics).

While PSDs are still cheaper (PHP/GB capacity), it's more prone to obsolescence (I still use some of my 3-year old CF cards). Also, PSDs are electro-mechanical devices and as such are inherently less reliable than solid state CF.

Any high volume shooters here in the same quandary? Your thoughts will be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Romy

I believe you still need PSD even if you have enough CF/SD cards with you. I look at PSD not as a "reserve" space for my photos but as "protection" in case my CF fail with photos in it. I use the cheapest PSD, the Digimate II Plus with only 15Gb of hard disk and it really serves its purpose.

=)

Thanks for your thoughts, guys... much appreciated.

Allow me to rephrase my dilemma - I need about 60 GB of field storage to be comfortable in extended birding sorties (say a one-week Palawan trip). This can be exclusively CFs, or part CF with either a laptop/burner/external HDD or PSD support.

I've convinced myself to leave my laptop in these remote trips, as the 3 bodies/birding lenses/tripods/chargers, etc. are enough to give me logistics nightmares. So it's down to either buying another 28 GB of CF cards, or getting a PSD with 40 GB or more capacity.

These will be primary storage devices, not as backup. I'm actually comfortable with not backing up CF cards in the field, as these are broken down into 4, 2 and 1 GB denominations (eggs in many baskets).

If you were in my shoes, which direction will you go? Are PSDs as reliable as CF cards as primary storage, or do i need to buy two sets of PSDs (one is backup) to attain the "safety level" of a pure 60 GB CF card solution?


Thanks,

Romy

But since you already have 32GB now, you won't need a PSD anymore :)


Thanks, Lester... I need about 60 GB - when the birds are flying, a 1 GB card will last about 15 seconds of RAW bursts at 8 fps.... :)

I seldom chimp/erase images in the field because this takes so much time (I'd rather be shooting). Likewise, I've difficulty evaluating images (as regards quality or rarity of the capture) using the camera LCD. I'd rather discard pics after reviewing in my desktop, with my bird identification database on hand.

In birding, an unsharp capture is not necessarily a discard. The blurry image could just be a first time photograph of a rare endemic bird (I've gotten several of these) and it could be a valuable documetary image.

Regards,

Romy

Thanks for your thoughts, guys... much appreciated.


If you were in my shoes, which direction will you go? Are PSDs as reliable as CF cards as primary storage, or do i need to buy two sets of PSDs (one is backup) to attain the "safety level" of a pure 60 GB CF card solution?


Thanks,

Romy

Yes. They are reliable. Remember- these are notebook HDs you are using. If you use notebooks while the car is moving (not recommended, but possible) or in airports (like my friend who is all about asia), then you can see how notebook HD need to be robust. It's the HD that is its weakest link, but since you are using notebook HD, then you are set. I still have to break a notebook HD. I have 7 desktop notebooks busted in 3-5 years, and to think, they are not moved at all. Shows you how good notebook HDs are!

Yes, again. In certain jobs, I carry only 2 x CF and my PD-70x. That's how much, I trust my PSD. I would not trust a pure 60gb CF solution, though that is feasible. They're about even-steven. But I don't like the idea of too many CFs lying around.


-Mel

Thanks for sharing your shooting workflow Romy :)

Actually, the more field storage you require, the more a PSD becomes essential. But only if you are comfortable in re-using your CF cards for shooting later on.

I could be wrong, but assuming you would be using 4GB cards for shooting birds continuously in flight then later using lower capacity cards for still shots, in around 10 minutes or less in the CompactDrive, your 4GB will be ready for the next session.

In case anyone is interested in the CompactDrive, here's (http://www.philmug.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=8067&highlight=compactdrive) a review I posted last year. And due to the recent price drop of the Epson P-2000, the last sentence in my review no longer holds true today :)

Thanks for the interesting insights, Mel and Lester. With the price drop of the 40 GB P2000, a PSD looks very tempting.

Here are my locally available options at the moment:

1. 28 GB CF cards (Ridata 4 GB 150x) - circa P 40K plus.

2. Two units of Epson P2000 (one as backup, as posted in Randy's thread) - PHP 40k.

With a PSD, I can empty my cards at the end of the shooting day (I doubt if I can exhaust all 32 GB in one day) into two redundant systems.

Romy

Or you could also try the Giga Vu PRO Evolution (http://robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-7892-8176):) In terms of features and performance, this is probably Epson's fierecest competitor.

Or you could also try the Giga Vu PRO Evolution (http://robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-7892-8176):) In terms of features and performance, this is probably Epson's fierecest competitor.

Thanks again, Lester. I won't go on an extended sortie in southern Philippines until the rains are over, so I'll probably decide to buy extra CFs or PSDs in October-November yet. That should be enough time for the prices to sink even lower....:)

Romy

Lester where is the Giga Vu Pro Evolution available locally?