SD card backup without laptop

[MCAsan]

Did you ever come up with a solution for this? I'm interested since it is similar to what I want to do as well.

The wife and I have two camera bodies. Worse case, we have been shooting wildlife all day and have two 128GB or 256GB cards to down load. Downloading each card into an iPad could take more than 1 hour. But to then try to export those images via wifi (even dual band AC) can take hours more. The only thing I can see for improvement is that Apple opens up IOS and put a proper file manage into IOS or you jailbreak you iPad. My iPad Pro 12" should arrive tomorrow and I will do some more experiments with it. I do not plan to jailbreak the new iPad. So for right now our game plan is simply to carry a gracious plenty of 128GB and 256GB of SD cards into the field. If a card goes bad, we could lose all the shots on it. But I have had far better luck with SD cards....that HDs going bad in the field. I trust a Lexar or Sanddisk SD card far more that anyone's HD.

For me the problem with the standalone card readers like the Sanho unit, Nexto unit, or Passport Wireless is the very slow read and write time. They do not read at UHS-II U3 speeds and seem to have slow 5400rpm drives. It would take hours to backup two full SD cards. So I would rather invest in many larger SDXC UHS-II U-3 cards from Lexar or Sanddisk.

 

[elf69]

I use an acer mp330 media player.

it has a 40GB ipod HDD in it and with a lead bought separately it will allow you to copy anything from a usb device to it.

I had a usb to SD adpater, kind looks like a pen stick.
I must be single port card reader as the acer will get confused.

or there are usb copy boxes, mine failed years ago.

but the sd adapter in one side and larger pen stick (i have 128GB) in other side and just hit the button.
all data copied from one to the other and very cheap too.

 

[Ray2]

The wife and I have two camera bodies. Worse case, we have been shooting wildlife all day

I can understand your issues with storage/backup in the field. As well as your trust in sd cards versus a portable drive in the field. However, wouldn't a simple investment in a dual slot body provide for your needs? If you're shooting wildlife, chances are you're shooting a dslr. In which case your choices within whatever system you're shooting are abundant.

 

[MCAsan]

I started with SLR in the early 70s. I migrated to DSLRs in early 2000s. Now I shoot m43 mirrorless. So no big heavy expensive dual slot bodies for me. My two body four lens kit weights just 20 pounds. The old DSLR equivalent was around 50 pounds and needed a rolling suitcase.

 

[Ray2]

Get the system you deserve to own, Fuji, dual slots on the XPro2.

 

[MCAsan]

Get the system you deserve to own, Fuji, dual slots on the XPro2.

Funny coincidence...this morning I saw the rumor that the new Olympus E-M1 Mark II will have dual SD slots. The sensor for that camera will also likely be 20MP and have a high res mode (like E-M5 II does now) that will combine several shots into one raw image of around 70-80MP. So no plans to abandon m43 for a return to 35mm system, even a cropped sensor 35mm system.

http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-the-new-olympus-e-m1ii-has-a-dual-sd-card-slot/

 

[Ray2]

Nice way to get dual slots without having to reinvest in lenses.

 

[JDDavis]

http://www.gnarbox.com/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gnarbox/gnarbox-edit-and-share-hd-footage-in-seconds-lapto

I've been watching these guys as they have been in development. I have dual slots on the D750 and images are mirrored on the second card but I still get nervous on longer trips. I'd like to see this gnarbox out in the wild and see how it works.

 

[MCAsan]

Our game plan for the future....

If shooting with both camera bodies, 1 card goes into the iPad Pro 12.9" 512GB and the other card goes into a WD My Passport Pro 2TB. Each device retrieves all the files on the card. Then swap cards between the devices. After both cards are twice downloaded they go back into the camera bodies and are reformatted. On the iPad cull the obvious rejects. When back home download the raw files from the iPad Pro into the Mac file system using Photo Mechanic and complete the culling. When you import via Photo Mechanic it will create any needed new folders and subfolders, do an needed file renaming, add in all the IPTC data....etc. When that is done, I definitely run a TM backup. Then I can consider deleting all the files in the iPad and on the WD Passport.

I do not a serious investment in field equipment (beyond bodies and glass). I want the serious investment and resources in the computer and software sitting on the desktop where I will edit on a large calibrated monitor.

 

[Zaqfalcon]

Anyway; i just bought one of these RavPower Filehub Plus which is a Wireless Travel Router, SD Card and USB Reader & 6000mAh Portable Charger in one. Basically you can put your SD card in plug any USB drive into and transfer your files, you can also see all your files and move them around using your smartphone and the app over the built in WiFi and even stream and watch stored movies or whatever. It even acts as an external charger for your mobile with the built in 6000mAh battery. Good stuff (no affiliation BTW).

 

[Dc2006ster]

Another vote for the RavPower Filehub Plus https://www.ravpower.com/rp-wd03-filehub-6000mah-power-bank-portable-wireless-router.html

 

[MCAsan]

Just looking at the RavPower Filehub Plus specs, I don't like it is only USB 2 between the reader and attached drive. That may not matter so much for a relatively small (32GB) card. But I definitely want USB 3 speed for a 256GB card that can have up to 10,000 files on it. I have a 128GB card in my camera first slot and 256GB in the second slot.

 

[Dc2006ster]

This seems to be similar to the RavPOwer but has USB 3, USB 2 and internal storage.

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-pro.html

You can use it as a media server with Plex. It is more expensive but had I not already purchased the Ravpower, I might have gone with this,

 

[MCAsan]

For those that do load up an IOS device with photos to bring home, the linked documents gives one way to move photos from the device to the Mac.

http://www.lutheranhighnorth.org/technology/techfiles/importing-with-image-capture.pdf

 

[Hughmac]

For those that do load up an IOS device with photos to bring home, the linked documents gives one way to move photos from the device to the Mac.

http://www.lutheranhighnorth.org/technology/techfiles/importing-with-image-capture.pdf

Thanks; I've never thought of using Image Capture to copy photos from an iPhone. It makes sense, of course

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Zaqfalcon]

This seems to be similar to the RavPOwer but has USB 3, USB 2 and internal storage.

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-pro.html

You can use it as a media server with Plex. It is more expensive but had I not already purchased the Ravpower, I might have gone with this,

I looked at that one too, looks good but seems quite big, and you're tied to using the built in HD as opposed to using whichever one/s (for multiple backups etc) you like with the RavPower.

 

[MCAsan]

Not after you open the Passport and replace the HD with an SSD.

 

[Zaqfalcon]

Not after you open the Passport and replace the HD with an SSD.

Thought about that and had a look at it in a shop; it doesn't look practical for opening up, glued together case rather than screws etc.

 

[MCAsan]

Would not be the first time I have taken apart a plastic box.

 

[Zaqfalcon]

Would not be the first time I have taken apart a plastic box.

I've heard that rumour...

 

[Laird Knox]

Do you have the passport yet? If so, how do you like it?

 

[MCAsan]

Not yet. I ordered a Sandisk 12GB ixpand stick to experiment with first. That should let me move individual images (edited with Affinity Photo iPad) onto a USB stick to give to context judges at an upcoming contest. If that works OK I will get the Passport Pro in time for shooting the Tetons in October. Besides I want to get past the introduction of High Sierra and IOS 11 to do serious testing.

 

[MCAsan]

Did you ever come up with a solution for this? I'm interested since it is similar to what I want to do as well.

Since I wrote about using LR Mobile, I have dumped Adobe CC completely. I have iPad Pro 512GB. I connect SD card reader and import images into camera roll. That lets me cull or edit using Affinity Photo. At home I connect iPad to Mac and download to designated folder via Image Capture.

In the field if I need to give someone 1 or more images, I use Sandisk ixpand memory stick with corresponding app on iPad. If I want to backup the entire SD card before it is read by the iPad, use WD My Passport Pro Wireless. It can backup SD cards to an internal HD. I have not purchased the Passport yet.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

I started with SLR in the early 70s. I migrated to DSLRs in early 2000s. Now I shoot m43 mirrorless. So no big heavy expensive dual slot bodies for me. My two body four lens kit weights just 20 pounds. The old DSLR equivalent was around 50 pounds and needed a rolling suitcase.

Since I wrote about using LR Mobile, I have dumped Adobe CC completely. I have iPad Pro 512GB. I connect SD card reader and import images into camera roll. That lets me cull or edit using Affinity Photo. At home I connect iPad to Mac and download to designated folder via Image Capture.

In the field if I need to give someone 1 or more images, I use Sandisk ixpand memory stick with corresponding app on iPad. If I want to backup the entire SD card before it is read by the iPad, use WD My Passport Pro Wireless. It can backup SD cards to an internal HD. I have not purchased the Passport yet.

Card reader, iPad Pro, Passport Pro Wireless, power supplies...sounds counter intuitive to your earlier plan and that you're on your way back to needing the rolling suitcase MCAsan.

Extra memory cards that are as small, light and compact as can be work well for me. I know it's not for everyone but I've seen far too many people that, while in some of the most beautiful places in the world, spend their down-time glued to an electronic screen rather than absorbing and enjoying their surroundings.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

~ Peter

 

[MCAsan]

Card reader, iPad Pro, Passport Pro Wireless, power supplies...sounds counter intuitive to your earlier plan and that you're on your way back to needing the rolling suitcase MCAsan.

Extra memory cards that are as small, light and compact as can be work well for me. I know it's not for everyone but I've seen far too many people that, while in some of the most beautiful places in the world, spend their down-time glued to an electronic screen rather than absorbing and enjoying their surroundings.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

~ Peter

It is all smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a 15" rMBP plus a backup drive.