"Digital Film" question

[Bacchus]

I now have the option of using CF, SM, Dx or a microdrive in my camera. Since I already have about 300mb of smart media cards I will use them. I can also have a microdrive or regular CF card in at the same time. It sure seems as if the IBM Microdrive which is selling for about $229 for 1 GB of memory is the most cost efficient way to do it.

Has anyone used one before? Are they reliable? Vibration problems, etc? I'd sure hate to have one freeze up or something with 500mb-1GB of picturres on it.

Any advise is appreciated.

 

[jhelmuth]

Bacchus - One thing I've discovered in my line of work (computer related) is that features are great if you can really use them. Overkill and waste are worth noting because it may be that the marginal benefit is not worth the cost. Have you considerd the current benefit you have with the smaller memory (easy change, reduundant supply, etc.) If you can't actually take enough pix to "fill" the memory card, then anything larger is of very marginal value. You could make arguments for buying them, but it might be just a case of a scratch that needs itchin'. I think having many memory cards is better than one (or only a couple) of much greater capacity (that assumes that the smaller ones are not in danger of being full and cutting short the opportunity).
Regarding reliability, I can't properly comment. My limited indirect experience tells me they are so. You make a good point on having bad feeling if the da*n thing does fail though!

 

[Dee]

So...you can have 2 of any of the 4 medias in the camera at the same time? Sweet! (I'm really don't want to know all these neat things about the 5050!!! ut: )

Do you plan on using the 1G microdrive as storage for the other cards? What I mean is....download the 128mg SM cards to the microdrive, then clear and re-use the SM cards. That would solve the problem of getting all those pics home without taking a laptop with you. But until they have been proven, I'd hate to risk my pics by depending on it.

I guess that's sort of what you're asking, huh?

 

[wetman]

Dee, that kind of how i was thinking of using it. A few xD cards and the microdrive for a backup would be a sweet little proposition.

You could do your backups without even taking the camera out of the housing if you wanted to.

The oly 256 xDs wont be out til sometime this jan though. I think i've seen another xD at 256 but not sure who makes it (fuji maybe?). I've been able to get about 150 shots on my 384 CF card though, so i think the 128s may may be a bit too small, so i'm waiting.

steve

 

[Bacchus]

Dee once bubbled...
So...you can have 2 of any of the 4 medias in the camera at the same time? Sweet! (I'm really don't want to know all these neat things about the 5050!!! ut: )

There are two slots. One for xD/SM and the other for CF/Microdrive.

Do you plan on using the 1G microdrive as storage for the other cards? What I mean is....download the 128mg SM cards to the microdrive, then clear and re-use the SM cards. That would solve the problem of getting all those pics home without taking a laptop with you. But until they have been proven, I'd hate to risk my pics by depending on it.

I guess that's sort of what you're asking, huh?

You're right... up to a point. The problem is that shooting at SHQ and 2560x1920 resolution the size of each pic is 4mb. So on a 128mb SM you would only get 32 shots. You could transfer from a card to the microdrive while still in the camera, but I'm not sure how long it would take and how much battery life it would suck down. Since I only have 128mb SM cards, I'm going to have to spend money on something, either the 384mb CF (which means that I can't use that and the microdrive at the same time), or a 256 xD (64 pics at SHQ).

If the microdrive is "stable" it sure seems as if it is the right way to go. 23 cents/mb storage vs. 40 or 50 cents per mb storage on a SM or xD.

I still think that a laptop or some other sort of storage device is necessary. Think about it, I shot 400-500 pics on my last trip. At 4mb per pic thats almost 2 GB.

 

[raxafarian]

I'd stick with the solid state devices rather than a harddrive.

No moving parts to worry about.

 

[Dee]

Bacchus once bubbled...
I still think that a laptop or some other sort of storage device is necessary. Think about it, I shot 400-500 pics on my last trip. At 4mb per pic thats almost 2 GB.

I agree with ya there. But for some folks a laptop isn't an option. You do have to consider write time and battery use if you d/l while diving but changing to HQ would increase your pic count and still allow good 8x10 prints and maybe even 11x14's.

 

[notabob]

I'd have to agree with Rax. While microdrive is much more cost-efficient, it is less reliable than solid-state devices. While the 1g drives have proved to be more reliable than the earlier 340mb models, they still fail in the field. They also have stricter environmental limitations, such as altitude, for example. You can't use them above 10,000ft or so or you risk destroying the drive (microdrives use air for "lubrication" or rather cushioning of the platter; at higher altitudes air is too thin and the drive can get damaged). I'm sure that moisture content can be an issue as well. In a harsh environment of underwater use, such as the warm moist air inside a housing, I'd be very concerned about long-term reliability of the microdrive. I'd say splurge on the higher capacity CF cards. 1gb CF solid state cards sell for <$400 on eBay. Alternatively, buy 2-3 cards that are big enough to hold the amount of photos that you usually take during 2 dives and swap them. You can also always find a cheap laptop for a couple hundred bucks that you can use to backup the images. Toshiba used to make Porteges that were really really tiny.

-Roman.

 

[scorpiofish]

I shoot a Nikon D100. I carry two 1gig microdrives. Each holds 107 images. I can go through them pretty quickly.

SM has technological limitations that have made it difficult for it to be supplied in large capacities. CF is now the way to go, but.....

Shooting large files requires either lots of capacity or lots of cards or both. Large capacity CFs are quite expensive, which is why I chose microdrives. It's easy to justify versus the cost of film and processing.

The microdrives are quite hearty, but they are still a hard drive with moving parts. I haven't had a problem yet. But, no one does until they do, if you know what I mean. I'll chose to save the money and take the risk. Solid state media aren't necessarily failure proof either. I have hard drive failures as well as solid state component failures in computers. They both can fail, just differently.

Shooting digitals with a SM card that only holds 32 shots seems a waste. You barely have enough time to evaluate an shot, let alone delete as you go. Just fire and adjust and sort them out later.

 

[Bacchus]

I just checked ebay and found that I can buy 512mb CF cards for $170 or less. Thats $340 for 1GB of storage vs. $230 for the microdrive. I'm not made out of money, but $100 won't kill me either. I'm thinking that the added security of the solid state cards may be worth it. I can always pick up a microdrive next year after more people have tried and reported on them.

Scorpiofish- thanks for the input. I hope you never have to find out what it's like to have one fail. I agree, solid-state can fail, also. I know, it happened to me! Probably just not as frequently as something with moving parts.

Notabob- Since I live at over 5000ft. and spend a fair amount of time at 12,000 and above, I really appreciate your input. I never would have thought about the thin air affecting the microdrive. I guess that the 2x512's is the way to go for me. I have a Sony Vaio that is only 2.5 lbs and thin. Guess I'll be travelling with it from now on.

Steve