JMcBrew
Registered
Hey guys/gals! It's been a while since I posted anything, but I had to post something about my new toy (I only found one brief mention of it on the board).
We go down to the Caribbean every year for a sailing and diving vacation. There are usually 8-10 people in all, and most of us have a digital camera (or two) with us. I have always been the one to bring a laptop, so that everyone can dump their memory cards. I really didn't enjoy this, as my laptop is big, heavy, and has an old battery that won't hold a charge for 5 minutes. Not to mention having to take it out four times in airports while I'm trying to take my shoes off, and randomly having it selected for drug/explosive testing.
Well, this year I bought a 120GB Digital Foci Photo Safe. For those who are not familiar with this unit, it is basically a battery-powered external hard drive with memory card slots. You turn it on, plug a memory card into it, and press a button. Everything on the card is copied over to the hard drive. You can then choose to erase the card (or not). It copies at about the same speed as any card reader, and also verifies the copy before you take the card out. It works with pretty much any type of memory card, although some might require an adapter.
Every time you make a backup, a new folder is created. This helps to keep everyone's photos organized. All files are copied, including photos, RAW, videos, or any other files that are on the memory card. You can also create partitions to keep things more organized.
The Photo Safe is also a fully functional external hard drive. When connected to your computer, it is USB powered (so you don't need an AC adapter). It's internal battery can be charged from a USB port or the included AC adapter. Of course, you can get a 12v adapter, too.
The unit is a little bigger than an iPod, but about the same shape. It has a simple LCD screen that tells you how much disk space is left, battery status, how many files were copied, etc. There is no photo-preview function (although they have models that do... for much more $$$).
I have only had it for a few days, but it works great with CF, MS, MS pro/duo (with adapter), and SD cards. I can't wait to travel without my laptop from now on!
We go down to the Caribbean every year for a sailing and diving vacation. There are usually 8-10 people in all, and most of us have a digital camera (or two) with us. I have always been the one to bring a laptop, so that everyone can dump their memory cards. I really didn't enjoy this, as my laptop is big, heavy, and has an old battery that won't hold a charge for 5 minutes. Not to mention having to take it out four times in airports while I'm trying to take my shoes off, and randomly having it selected for drug/explosive testing.
Well, this year I bought a 120GB Digital Foci Photo Safe. For those who are not familiar with this unit, it is basically a battery-powered external hard drive with memory card slots. You turn it on, plug a memory card into it, and press a button. Everything on the card is copied over to the hard drive. You can then choose to erase the card (or not). It copies at about the same speed as any card reader, and also verifies the copy before you take the card out. It works with pretty much any type of memory card, although some might require an adapter.
Every time you make a backup, a new folder is created. This helps to keep everyone's photos organized. All files are copied, including photos, RAW, videos, or any other files that are on the memory card. You can also create partitions to keep things more organized.
The Photo Safe is also a fully functional external hard drive. When connected to your computer, it is USB powered (so you don't need an AC adapter). It's internal battery can be charged from a USB port or the included AC adapter. Of course, you can get a 12v adapter, too.
The unit is a little bigger than an iPod, but about the same shape. It has a simple LCD screen that tells you how much disk space is left, battery status, how many files were copied, etc. There is no photo-preview function (although they have models that do... for much more $$$).
I have only had it for a few days, but it works great with CF, MS, MS pro/duo (with adapter), and SD cards. I can't wait to travel without my laptop from now on!
