Advice or opinions on downloading memory cards

Have any of you found a completely satisfory solution to the problem of memory cards for your digital cameras? Do you just carry lots of memory along or do you download pictures to another media?

My wife and I are testing a Roadstor portable CD writer. So far it seems to be working as advertised and as the positive reviewers said it would. A fellow cruise critic pointed me to some negative reviews which pointed out a potential major flaw. He said the download quit on his do to the motion of the ship. I tried ours today on a rocking ottoman and rocked it steadily while it wrote to the CD. Have any of you tried this yet?

What are the pros and cons of your favorite solution to running out of memory for your camera? Right now, our backup plan is to buy and stand alone hard disk for the camera. But I know of no one who has gone this route.

We have 14 days in which we can return the Roadstor.

Jim

I take a laptop with me. That way I can download my cards from our two cameras each day and see how the pictures turn out. The disadvantage of course is losing one of our carryon bags since by the time I load up the laptop, the cameras, the battery charger, extra batteries and cards, etc. it takes up a rolling bag that luckily fits under an airline sear.

I will be interested in seeing what your results are with the Roadstor. That would sure be smaller than my laptop but I would still need someplace to pack the rest. Oh well I will be watching this board to see what answers you get. Good luck.

Have a great next cruise.

Jim,

I have a portable CD burner called the Addonics MFR, which is actually the very same device as your Roadstor (sold under two names). No difference but the name on the device.

I bought mine approx 8 months ago, and have used it on several trips and also on some photography sessions where I was taking lots of digital pictures. Knock on wood, it has performed flawlessly, both on AC and battery power, in cars, golfcarts, boats, and on tabletops.

I actually prefer this method of backing up over the alternatives:

1. Carrying the laptop along is just too much bulk, as well as too much to damage or steal.

2. Buying additional memory cards is not only expensive, but how do you know how much to buy? With a CD burner, you can keep shooting and keep burning as long as you need to.

3. Portable harddrive-based systems make me too nervous since all my photos are on a single drive or device...if it failed, there goes everything. Though risk of harddrive failure is low, I am a bit of a worrier and wouldn't want to take even that minimal chance after shooting 1,400 pictures!

As to the stability of the burning systems, I have been able to use them on battery power sitting in my lap in a golf cart, or on the seat of my car. Of course, with certain logic, I try not to shake or violently move the machine while burning...but the long slow rythm of a ship's movement would be highly unlikely to cause a burning failure, even in high seas.

I used the system extensively on the Celebrity Summit in November, and had no problems. I'll give you some advice to make you feel a little more secure with your photos:

First of all, there are many alternatives you can choose to making sure your data is secure...any of which can fail. A portable harddrive can fail, a memory card can fail, and even CD-Rs can fail. So rather than switch to another device with the same chance of failure and no real backup potential...why not make two CD burns of all your data? I've been doing this from the beginning and it really helps alleviate any fears that I will lose all my data. Sure, it can still happen, but the chances are that much lower when you have TWO copies of your data. And how much do some extra CDRs cost? Pennies! So I recommend you simply insert your memory cards and burn the data to CDs, and when you are done, load some more CDs and do it again. Every time you get more data to load to the CDs, do it twice. If you keep them in different locations...one in the luggage, one in the carry-on...one set of CDs should make it safely home with your pictures.

Secondly, a really good and easy way to make sure you've got the data safely and securely burned to CDR, is to use the A/V cables that came with the device to plug it into the cabin TV (or hotel TV, or home). By plugging the yellow cable in, and using the supplied remote control, you can play back the pictures on the CD. If it reads them properly and you can see the results on the TV, then the data has been stored and burned properly. I have always done this after any burn when I had a TV available. If you take my advice and make two copies of everything, check both copies on the TV.

The Addonics/Roadstor unit of course has other advantages when traveling that made it a good choice for me. The fact that you can hook it to a TV allows not only the ability to check burns, but also to display slideshows to friends and family. Plug in a pair of headphones and load a music CD and it can be a portable player...plug in the red and white audio cables to the TV in the room and you can play your CD through the TV speakers. The unit also functions as a DVD player, so you can bring some favorite movies along and play them with the remote giving you all the normal DVD player functions. Plus, if you ever switch cameras or buy an additional camera with a different card format, the unit can read any of the 9 formats of storage available today. Have friends with you who would like copies of your photos...maybe they didn't bring a camera or didn't take many pictures? Burn them copies on CDR to take home.

I have definately grown to trust my Addonics unit now that I've used it alot, and find it a reasonably priced alternative to additional memory cards or a harddrive storage device. It is much more portable than a laptop. And it alleviates my fear and panic of having all my eggs in one basket with the ability to make as many copies of my pictures as it takes to make me feel better!

Thanks so much for your reassurance. We did a lot of research and concluded that the Roadstor would be the best of the options if it worked well. There are 2 couples going together on the cruise so we will both use it to backup our pix. That makes it an even more economical choice. I had already decided to make 2 backups and check them by viewing them on the TV but thanks for reinforcing my decision.

Our first cruise hooked us on both cruising and Alaska so I doubt that our May cruise will be our last.

BTW, I am Jim's (singinman)wife, Judy.

Zackiedawg,

I second the thanks. I share your concerns about the hard drive being the only repository of precious data and was concerned that my Plan B had know way to back up data without a computer. Thus I would have to carry my laptop with me anyway which I do not like to do because it is in the desk-top replacement class and heavy. I was a professional computer geek in a previous life and data reliability was a constant concern.

Now some fun stuff. From your screen name I get a sense of time spent in Georgia perhaps at the other Georgia school of the Red and Black. The only Dawgs I know went to UGA. If true, we are beginning to accumulate some commonalites other than cruising. I also see from another post of yours that you are familiar with Panasonic's fine Lumix line. Our pictures on the Diamond to Alaska last May (see this forum) were taken with our FX10. To bad the 20 was not available last March. Do you have a Panasonic or do you just want one?

Now for the last question:D How many CDs do you take with you for 1400 pictures:confused: :) That is actually a facitious question. I will be taking my furry hat back to the Yukon for a visit in May and it takes up a chunck of suitcase, but a stack of CDs will fill its empty space nicely.

Again many thanks. May all of your travels be peaceful and enjoyable.

Jim

Glad to be of any help...even if it is just to reaffirm what you may have already been considering.

As for the screenname, I did not name it for a college, and am not from Georgia (though I've spent a fair amount of time there). My school colors weren't red and black, but green and light blue - known as the Green Wave, aka Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Though we may not have the commonality of Georgia schools, we do share commonality in the computer geek background (having started with a good 'ol Commodore 64 way back when). I never worked in a computer field, but certainly grew up with them. I am definately a tech-geek...I love toys, and the more functions or purposes a device or machine has, the more I want it, even if it serves me no purpose whatsoever. Unfortunately, that means I end up with closets and garages full of yesterday's technology, and constantly throw more money into continually upgrading to the newest, fastest, or best.

In digital cameras, my current 'full-featured' camera is a Sony DSC-F717, which has been a fantastic camera and takes gorgeous pictures. It also affords me the full manual control I like over a shot, and combines it with high tech features that speak to the tech-geek in me - like the laser hologram focusing (The 717/828s are actually the best-rated focusing cameras especially at night or in full darkness, when they can still lock on razor sharp focusing in under 1 second), the nightshot (using IR transmitter for green night vision photography by flipping the hot mirror up in the camera), and the excellent swivel body allowing shooting from many angles. The two features the 717 doesn't have which I wish I could get back are a 10x or bigger zoom, and image stabilization (my previous camera was a Sony FD91 with a 14x optical zoom with IS)...so of course the Panasonic FZ made me drool when I saw it! Even more amazing when I saw the price they offered it for - I think it is definately one of the best buys in the digital camera marketplace. I had already invested in my 717 and still love it, so I put off buying the Panasonic for a few years. I've had the Sony for 2 years now, and am starting to look at what's available...the Panasonic is definately on the short list. I'd like to compare the picture, speed, and ergonomics of the Nikon 8800 and the upcoming Sony H1 (12x zoom, image stabilization, 5.1MP) to the Panasonic FZ20 to decide which is best overall.

Though DSLRs are really starting to take off, and I hear many references to the superiority of a DSLR over a 'prosumer' cam, I still want a prosumer camera in my arsenal. I have two film SLRs now, and may buy a DSLR in the near future, but still like the idea of a single, light, portable camera with full manual controls that can deliver ultra-fast focus, a huge zoom range from 28-35mm all the way to 420mm+, and a built-in flash for emergencies...plus a movie mode if needed in a pinch - and hang it all around my neck without lugging a 20Lb bag full of gear with me everywhere. I'll still HAVE all that gear, and will pull out the DSLR when I've got the time to really play and go for the perfect technical shot - but sometimes you don't want to bring it all with you.

I also carry an ultra-compact digital with me everywhere...and find it very useful on vacation. Currently I am using a Sony U20, which is roughly the size of a zippo lighter. It is only 2mp, but since it can comfortably fit in a pocket or hang around my neck like a necklace, and be with me all the time...I can get impulse shots when a larger camera wouldn't be ready, convenient, or available. Due to size, I can fit the baby camera through fences, and shoot with it hidden in the palm of my hand in sensitive areas for shots you might not otherwise be able to get. I am looking to upgrade the super-mini to either the Canon SD200, the Sony L1, or the Pentax Optio S5...all of which are slightly different shapes but all miniscule pocket cams with 4-5MP, 3x optical zooms, and basic P&S scene modes. Bringing along a ziploc snack bag makes the little cam waterproof and means you can bring it many places and under many conditions you would never consider putting your big camera through!

CD-wise, I tend to bring a mini-stack of CDRs in my luggage...usually a 20-pack is good enough. I figure if I need more, I can buy CDRs in almost any major port...but a spindle of 20 or so is enough to handle most needs. I'm sure you already know, but you can span mulitple disks with the device...so you can completely fill a CD over a series of burn sessions, and when a disk is full, the device will prompt you for another CDR and pick up where it left off. When dumping 256MB cards, I could load roughly 2 1/2 cards on a disc over 3 sessions. On my Summit cruise, I used 14 discs (7 for the data x 2 for duplication). With a furry Russian-style winter hat, you could probably hide a spindle of 100 in the empty space!

You're out of control!...... isn't it fun? :D

Seriously, wanted to thank you for the suggestion on the CD-writer. I was just about to buy 2 one gig CFs that would have cost me more. I had looked at these CD writers once when I was shooting 5MP jpegs, and it seemed pricy. But now that I have a different camera and am shooting raw, the memory needs have gone way up. THANKS!

If any of you have an ipod - you can get this great device to store pics on your ipod until you get home to get them onto your PC. It's great! No need to buy extra memory cards! You attach your ipod to this device, then plug this into your digital camera with a USB cable...hit a button and all your pics are now stored on your ipod. Takes a while to download so I'd do it when you're in your room getting ready for dinner or something.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T9184LL/A

The only problem with the Roadstor unit, and I can't blame them for this one, is the Compact Flash converter can only read up to 256m Xd cards.

Enjoy

If any of you have an ipod - you can get this great device to store pics on your ipod until you get home to get them onto your PC. It's great! No need to buy extra memory cards! You attach your ipod to this device, then plug this into your digital camera with a USB cable...hit a button and all your pics are now stored on your ipod. Takes a while to download so I'd do it when you're in your room getting ready for dinner or something.

I'd rather not trust to a hard disk. I know the iPods are really reliable, but one drop on a hard surface, and there goes your photos. That's why I like the CD burner. I like zackiedawg's suggestion of burning 2 CDs each time. I'd probably go so far as to store the pairs in different places on my return trip. Also, I figure in the unlikely event that the CD burner dies, I still have the ship's CD burning service as an expensive alternative.

I went the other route and chose a portable hard-drive storage unit. I wanted to conserve on space and didn't want to haul multiple CDs as well as the CD writer. After researching many devices, I chose the vosonic VP6210. Mine has an 80 gig hard drive and plays movies and mp3s too. What I liked most about it (attn Sony camera users) was I didn't need an adapter to use sony memory sticks with it unlike most other devices. I back up my pictures on my computer as well as another external hard drive. The 6210 has an LCD screen so I can confirm that my pictures copied, although I only spot check as I take a LOT of pictures (3000 last vacation I think). I realize dropping it could destroy the hard drive but we all have lots of things that we shouldn't be dropping. I've only had it a week so haven't figured everything out (the manual is lacking what I consider some basic info). However, I have loaded my mp3s and old photos into it and am generally happy with it. Another option that I considered was the Epson P2000, but I would have needed an adapter for it.

Frank, hope you find it as useful as I have found mine. I agree with everyone that a harddrive will likely never fail and the likelihood of dropping is very thin, but for the really panicky types like me, 2 copies that are not likely to fail are better than 1 copy that is not likely to fail!

At home, I keep my photos on my desktop, my laptop, AND an external harddrive backup. Plus, I keep a copy of the CDs burned on trips for archive, just in case!

SuzieB, I hadn't heard of that issue with Xd on my Addonics unit, which should be the same guts. I don't use XD cards, but have used many sizes of MS and CF without issue. As far as I knew, no Compact Flash converter was needed to read XD cards...the 9in1 reader appears to have XD capability directly. I apologize if I am wrong...I'm not as familiar with those cards.

Pengu1n, I had the same concern as you with the memory cards, since I've got two Sony cameras. I've got lots of Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro cards, and noticed that alot of these backup systems didn't have an MS slot, or if they did, several couldn't read the faster and newer MS Pro sticks. Fortunately, the Addonics unit reads MS, MS Pro, and MS Duo directly without a converter or adaptor.

I wouldn't have considered the Addonics device if it wasn't capable of both multi-session burning AND disc spanning...with larger and larger memory cards, I wanted to be sure the unit could be used with even larger cards that exceed the storage capacity of a CDR (800MB)...so disc spanning was invaluable. And when using 256MB or 512MB cards, multi-session burns are a space saver, allowing you to fill every space on a disc before loading another.

The Vosonic, and most other harddrive systems, are fine and have gotten great reviews. Definately having multiple uses make a machine more valuable, like storing your MP3s and pictures.

As I mentioned, one of the nice selling points for me on the CDR system was that this one in particular could play CDs or DVDs as well, including MP3s, and can burn them all. With standard AV inputs and USB input/output, I can plug in another device like Ipod and burn a CD of MP3s off the device. And with the unit plugged into the TV, they supply a nice full-featured remote control to use the machine as a standard DVD player with all the menu functions.

No matter what type of unit you decide to use, one of the most important things to make sure of is that they are compatable with your type of memory card. Adaptors can be used, but why buy a unit requiring adaptors and extra parts if you don't have to?

I certainly recommend not dropping any device...certainly it can happen, but if it does, nothing is foolproof. If we dropped our CDR burner, we may not lose all of our archived photos, but we can't make any more either!

Zackiedawg our units are simular but I guess mine is not the same. I only got a 6-1 card reader and I am jealous of yours. Through research the CD burner too was my choice, although it does take a little more space in packing than HD units I felt the CD's are much more safer than HD's.

I can live with my little problem or maybe I can add a 9-1 or more card reader in the unit. You never know what can happen

Suzie, you must have a slightly older unit than mine. I know the Roadstor brand was on the market before I bought the Addonics unit. I think I remember the previous version to mine had a smaller reader, and also wasn't compatible with Memory Stick Pro, which I use.

They have upgraded the Addonics unit a few times, with the card reader being one of them. I noticed the CDR burner and the card reader appear to be removable from the unit, so you may be able to just install a new reader if you wanted.

The newest Addonics unit is actually a DVD burner...which makes me a little jealous too! I may actually upgrade my burner to a DVD in my current system (Since that drive is removable), since you can pack so much more onto DVD than CD. Imagine, only having to bring 4 DVDs to have the same capacity as 20CDRs!

Heavy sigh, just went to Addonics's web site and check out the stuff. You unit is a touch differant with the card reader and Microsolutions still only offers the 6-1 card reader. Looks I did not check out all the options! You even got it cheaper :D

Oh well this will work for what I want

Enjoy

Today's USA Today (p6B) reports on a trade convention in Orlando, FL for photo marketing. All the new cameras are on display.

There is a 5MP P&S for $99.

The new Canon EOS Rebel XT for $999

A new HP printer with 9 colors. A full set of cartridges go for $87

The most intriging idea was the on-line folks who will print, assemble and bind a coffee table book of your photos for a fairly decent price. 20 pages up to 6 pictures per page for $20 to $30. My publisher will go up to 20 pp. Shutterfly will go up to 100 pp. Do any of you know anything about this service.

Other newsy tidbits cover the decline of film. In 2000, 786 million rolls of film were sold. This years projected sales are 315 million.

Zackiedawg,

Sounds like we started about the same time. Our first PC was a TI994A. We have had several PCs since then. We got to digital cameras somewhat late partly due to price, but we needed something to take pictures of grand-kids. Our first was an Olympus 460. Our second is the Panasonic. We looked at the Sony 717 and really liked it, but I was holding out for the big zoom. Then we saw the 828 and it was almost love at first sight, but the FZ10 at a much lower cost and higher zoom won out.

Thanks for sharing some personal info and your technical expertise. I'm sure that we will be eager to buy another camera when features and price prove irresistable.

Jim, I agree with you on the FZ zoom...I purchased the 717 thinking I could get by with 5x...my previous digital had 14x optical! Well, I definately missed it, enough to spend some cash on a high-grade 2x tele-extender for wildlife and landscape purposes. It is optically excellent, but much bulkier and less convenient than a camera with that much zoom already built in.

I decided against the 828 as an upgrade, despite the larger 8x zoom, mainly because I have decided I really want a 10x minimum with image stabilization a must. That, plus the 828 has a slight issue with purple fringing and fairly high noise from the 8MP sensor, that even the newer 7MP sensors don't suffer from as much. I expect new technology down the road to replace the 828 will likely solve the noise and PF issue, while adding a bigger zoom and image stabilization.

Sony just debuted a 12x optical, stabilized, 5MP, 2.5" LCD camera called the H1 (at the PMA) which will sell for under $500 to compete with the FZ20...shows what a market impact the excellent Panasonic camera had. As this camera is down on a few features and has a bit lower MP than I would like to have (I would like a 7-10MP camera with the largest possible sensor and biggest zoom possible, leaving me room to crop and edit). But it bodes well for the probability of a replacement for the nearly 2-year-old 828 using that same 12x lens and IS...but with more manual features, a flash hotshoe, threaded lens, and maybe a bigger sensor and more MP.

If not, then I would likely buy Panasonic's FZ20 replacement when it comes, which will likely improve the sensor and increase MP as well.

Hi, does anyone have tried the SM to XD card adapter on a roadstor unit?, does it have any limit on xd cards with it?, i have an CF to XD adapter in the way, but i didnt know that it limit the xd card to 256mb, so i'm planning to try the smartmedia to xd adapter.... i have a 1gb xd card..... :(

thanks

I've been using an Epson P-2000. It has a 40GB hard drive, a 3.8 inch screen, and a built in card reader. It also will do slide shows, play MP3s, and videos. I will back this up with a laptop and CDs. I will use 2X2GB cards and one 1GB card. I have also used a Digital Album with a 20GB drive while in Alaska and it worked out great.

Wow you all have great info! Thanks! I am going to check out these Addonics and Roadstor units, was just about to purchase two large flash cards and an ipod to go with the DigitalRebel I just purchased. I also purchased a mini canon printer, but wow does that cost alot to print pictures from it, it does a great job but cost a bunch. I am just learning about all this and wish that I knew more about it all and computers, I really appreciate all your input thanks for taking the time to post all the information.

Just to let you know.... the SM to XD card adapter on a roadstor unit really works, I'd buy a cheaper one for about $8.00 and I used it with my 1Gb XD card, the roadstor read the card with no problem, i'd make 2 cd's back up from the card in about 1 hr. (I have the lastest firmware on my roadstor unit).

I have the 20 GB 4th gen. iPod so I'm interested in this for storing my photos on my cruise. I went to the Belkin site and my camera wasn't listed as being compatible. It's a Kodak Easy Share CX 7430 and I'm wondering whether anyone else has this camera and can verify its compatibility with the Belkin device.

Thanks.