Photography buffs: Portable card readers with a screen?

[Kaido]

My wife has been getting into digital photography and I would like to get her one of those devices with a screen/hard drive that has a card reader for storing photos while you're out shooting. I played with a couple at CompUSA but I wasn't overly impressed, plus they lacked a CompactFlash slot. Are these devices to the point where they're pretty decent yet, or do they still have a few years to go? It will be a Christmas present, so any model recommendations would be appreciated

 

[mugs]

How much are you looking to spend? I just recently ordered a Creative Zen Vision W that has that feature (CF slot only) and has a pretty large screen. It's $300 retail, but it's also an MP3/video player

Mine is still backordered.

(acemcmac just got one too, he could answer your questions about it)

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mugs
How much are you looking to spend? I just recently ordered a Creative Zen Vision W that has that feature (CF slot only) and has a pretty large screen. It's $300 retail, but it's also an MP3/video player

Mine is still backordered.

(acemcmac just got one too, he could answer your questions about it)

I don't really have a specified budget; I just want to invest in a quality one that is easy to use and will last a long time. Under $500 I guess. It needs to (1) import pics from a CF card, (2) be able to view those pics on screen, and (3) talk to both Macs and PCs for downloading the pictures.

 

[Rubycon]

Doesn't your camera offer playback?

I just found out not long ago I can zoom in on mine to check a shot which is a nice feature.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Doesn't your camera offer playback?

I just found out not long ago I can zoom in on mine to check a shot which is a nice feature.

Yeah, but she just started a children's portraits business...a 1-hour shoot easily fills up a 2 gig card and she has been doing 2 or 3 shoots a day on weekends. She is generous in letting me get computer toys, so I want to get her something really nice for Christmas

 

[MixMasterTang]

Epson P-2000

Or an Epson P-3000 can be found for around your same budget

 

[Rubycon]

I've seen people using this; it's probably overkill but it is a full blown pc.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
I've seen people using this; it's probably overkill but it is a full blown pc.

Hmm that could go in *my* stocking instead :laugh:

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
I've seen people using this; it's probably overkill but it is a full blown pc.

That looks quite cool. However i dont see that fitting in my back pocket.

 

[Rubycon]

With 1GB of RAM and a solid state HDD it probably runs OK too. :Q

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: MixMasterTang
Epson P-2000

Or an Epson P-3000 can be found for around your same budget

I think I've tried the P-2000 at CompUSA. It seemed pretty slow...you could feel the HDD spinning up to retrieve the data lol.

 

[aphex]

http://smartdisk.com/eWeb/smartdiskus/www/staticpages/FlashtraxXT.asp

 

[Kaido]

Bah, Creative's Zen Vision W doesn't work on OS X

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Bah, Creative's Zen Vision W doesn't work on OS X

Its video conversion tools may not, but you might be able to use it just like an external hard drive.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Kaido
Bah, Creative's Zen Vision W doesn't work on OS X

Its video conversion tools may not, but you might be able to use it just like an external hard drive.

Yeah I have been trying to find someone who has done that. I don't want to blow $300 just to find out it doesn't function at all The Zen W looks like the best of the bunch; I really hope it will at least allow OS X to pull off photos from it!

 

[drinkmorejava]

I'm pretty sure you can get an adapter for the zen to take other cards.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
I'm pretty sure you can get an adapter for the zen to take other cards.

Well the stock CompactFlash is fine, it's the operating system I'm worried about

 

[aphex]

Don't they make a card reader for iPods?

 

[aphex]

They make a camera connector: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/W...o/3.RSLID?mco=7E6F3C91&nplm=M9861G%2FB

Combine that with a 30gb iPod Video for $179, not a bad setup.

 

[shuttleboi]

The current top-of-the-line device is the Epson P-5000 (there is also a lesser P-3000 model). It has the highest pixel count of any portable storage device. It is intended for pro photographers and most definitely has a CF card slot. See: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06093004epsonp3000p5000.asp

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
The current top-of-the-line device is the Epson P-5000 (there is also a lesser P-3000 model). It has the highest pixel count of any portable storage device. It is intended for pro photographers and most definitely has a CF card slot. See: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06093004epsonp3000p5000.asp

Actually that P-5000 looks pretty dang nice. Too bad it's $700. It's so new it doesn't really have any reviews for it either. I would also like to get my hands on it before blowing that kind of money.

Then again, I could just buy a laptop for $700...lol.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: aphex
They make a camera connector: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/W...o/3.RSLID?mco=7E6F3C91&nplm=M9861G%2FB

Combine that with a 30gb iPod Video for $179, not a bad setup.

That would be a nice option, but she has a D70s which only has USB 1.1. Importing 600 photos would be slow as molasses

Edit: From a review:

Download times aren?t overly speedy. When I attached my 60GB iPod photo to my Nikon D70 digital camera, it took 12 minutes and 45 seconds to move 180 photos (which consumed 253MB) from the camera to the iPod. It?s worth noting, however, that Belkin?s devices are no speed demons either. There?s only so much you can do over a USB connection.

So 600 photos from her camera would take approximately 40 minutes. That wouldn't be terribly horrible, except for the fact that it has to be plugged into the camera while it's doing it. What they need to make is a USB 2.0 card reader (with it's own battery) that straps onto the iPod. Maybe the fabled "iPod Video Widescreen" will have a card reader...

 

[Koing]

The laptop isn't as portable as the epson. And when shes on off site shoots a laptop is bulky and the smaller epson would be great imo.

The epson is portable and you will feel the HD spin up as it is a HD .

Koing

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Well, since you need a screen your options are pretty limited.

You're basically looking at the Epson line and the Creative Vision W or the M.

There are others like the stuff from Archos and Vosonic, but their screens either aren't as good or their transfer speed is lacking.

 

[BRObedoza]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0401/04012802nikoncoolwalker.asp

takes CF cards, but they also make an SD adapter.