VERY CHEAP alternative to flash card storage

[masgrada]

Instead of stocking up on flash cards, memory sticks and such I came across this cool device....Here

I guess you can use any 2.5 in hard drive with this unit, so its very upgradeable. They have a unit with thier own hard drive, but only 3.2 gig and expensive at that. If you can find a cheap 2.5 from somewhere this is extremely cheap compaired to the flash cards we have been using. Given it does take a little transfer from the card to the unit, i think it is definately worth it. Espically if you're going on a trip, you'll have a ton of space.

.78 - cents per meg for 64 meg ( about ) with memory stick
.39 - cents per meg for 64 meg ( about ) compact flash

.01 - cents per meg !!!!!!!!
I figured in a 30 gig ibm drive from here and buying the unit without the hard drive.

so that's 2.5% the cost we pay now for "cheap" flash media.


If anyone knows of something better. please share

 

[MrEnigma]

Still 199 bucks for the unit....

 

[sirfergy]

Hmm.... seems like it'd be cool. Too bad they charge so much for the base unit.

 

[TechDreamer]

I think you are missing the point of Flash Media. Different media have different uses. I use Compact Flash in my Digital Camera and in my Handheld computer. Those are my only options for self contained storage in those devices. I did buy a USB Card Reader for convienance. I have used this to quickly transfer files between two computers, but that is not the main purpose for the cards. I own everything from a full height external scsi drive to the small compact flash and each has a use that best suits that media.

 

[MrEnigma]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly, although I think that's pretty reasonable, there are others that run like 400-500, but then you're getting into laptop range.

I think the coolest thing I saw was non rewrite media adapter (so like cf to this new format) convertors...and they were pretty cheap, although you would have to always buy new media They were super tiny dvd's...although you could probably do dvd-rw's now.

 

[TechDreamer]

I guess it would save you having to carry a laptop on trips, but I can't believe it's not battery powered.

 

[masgrada]

i guess i found it appealing sence i run out of my 64 and 128 meg memory stick in a NIGHT of taking pictures at parties and stuff. So when i go on trips, it would be the only only way i could take as many pictures i want without spending a ton on memory.

It really isn't a replacement, more a compliment. For memory hogs on the go.

 

[GetReal]

<< i guess i found it appealing sence i run out of my 64 and 128 meg memory stick in a NIGHT of taking pictures at parties and stuff. So when i go on trips, it would be the only only way i could take as many pictures i want without spending a ton on memory.

It really isn't a replacement, more a compliment. For memory hogs on the go. >>



Just buy a cheap laptop with USB support if you need a large amount of portable storage. For the price of this unit plus the required hard drive, you can purchase many late model laptops and with a laptop solution you not only get portable storage, but also a device that allows you to edit, organize and even email your pics!

 

[VisionsUCI]

or... you could just buy a dazzle 6 in 1 media reader and use it with your computer. if you have a laptop, you'll never have to worry about running out of space while on the go

 

[kentech]

Check out the Mindstor by Minds@work. It's a 5, 10, or 20 gig firewire and usb portable harddrive with a PCMCIA slot, about as small as a PDA, so it's easy to carry in your pocket. You just get the PC card adapter appropriate for your media. They're a bit expensive (about $400US for the 20 gig), but with heavy shooting, it's extremely cost effective. I have shot and stored 2 gigs worth of pics (950 5-megapixel shots) in about 3 hours and it saved me all those trips back to the car for the laptop. Highly recommended.

 

[Devistater]

You can actually buy external enclosures for internal hard drives for about $100. You can find 2.5" or 3.5" ones, USB 1-2 or firewire. Its probably more cost effective to buy the enclosure, put a hard drive into it and then use it. Plus you can pick your own capacity that way. I mean you can get like 60 or 80 gig hard drives now for like $90. So for $200, you could get a USB 2, 3.5" enclosure and stick a 3.5" 60 gig hdd in it.

 

[Fritzo]

<< i guess i found it appealing sence i run out of my 64 and 128 meg memory stick in a NIGHT of taking pictures at parties and stuff. So when i go on trips, it would be the only only way i could take as many pictures i want without spending a ton on memory.

It really isn't a replacement, more a compliment. For memory hogs on the go. >>



I considered one of these a year or two ago, and ended up buying an IBM Thinkpad off of ebay for $200. It's a P-166 with a 3.5GB HD and the battery lasts a good hour and a half. I can store my pics on it when traveling, plus do any editing right on it and send it to my FTP site. Much more convienient.

 

[wjones]

<< You can actually buy external enclosures for internal hard drives for about $100. You can find 2.5" or 3.5" ones, USB 1-2 or firewire. Its probably more cost effective to buy the enclosure, put a hard drive into it and then use it. Plus you can pick your own capacity that way. I mean you can get like 60 or 80 gig hard drives now for like $90. So for $200, you could get a USB 2, 3.5" enclosure and stick a 3.5" 60 gig hdd in it. >>



External enclosures won't work without a computer to transfer from CF card to the HDD.

This solution works for those who need a truly portable HUGE storage for digital images. Laptop is portable but it is large unit compare to this. You usually leave laptop in the hotel, don't you? (unless you have the ultra slim and light laptop, which costs 2k-3k)
A laptop at $300 should be more than 7lbs (right?) and this Digital Photo Storage Unit is about 1lb. Anyway, this is not for me.... a 256MB CF is more than enough for me.

 

[Technocrat]

I have a Canon D60 and 2-256mb Transcend CF's and a Digital Wallet 6GB. I love it! Works great!

 

[CZroe]

I got an old $30 IBM 5GB 2.5" and a $30 USB 1.1 2.5" HDD unit off Pricewatch...

 

[cmv]

If you go with the laptop then do yourself a favor and buy the PCMCIA<->CompactFlash and/or PCMCIA<->SmartMedia adapter(s). I brought both and they are well worth it. Speedy and out of sight (you can just leave them in the PCMCIA slot of the computer). I've accumlated enough crap with all the extra cords a laptop needs. Less cords = better.

If you use Sony memory sticks then you might not have a choice... I even have a 6-in-1 from Dazzle but it's going to be fleabayed just because the PCMCIA cards are nicer (and usually faster!). NewEgg.com has the SmartMedia one for fairly cheap. They probably have a CompactFlash one too (I got mine from Dell w/ free shipping and all that).

 

[Mysterie]

<< If you use Sony memory sticks then you might not have a choice... >>


Either that or pick up a X, S or GR series Sony Lappie with the memory stick reader built in (course those will run you a pretty penny).

 

[XFreebie]

if u spend up 256mb of storage in 1 night, try to be more selective when taking pictures. you do not need to take 10 pictures of the same thing, even at different angles. also, you can delete pictures off the camera should u not like it and want to redo it, that's the digital advantage over film

 

[Fritzo]

I bought a Thinkpad P-166 laptop with a 3.0GB HD for $200. I think I'd rather carry around two 128MB cards and put them on a laptop for photo editing, then have the ability to upload them to my web site than buy one of these. Why does the base unit cost so much? It's only a card reader that transfers files to a hard drive. I could probably make one of these for under $100 if I didn't have a life

 

[KeyserSose]

One Media I always thought was cool but never made it far was the Superdisk. The Superdisk was a 3.5" Floppy Based Laser read/write that could except standard floppys as well, and held 120MB. When they first came out they were as much as the zip drives, now you can grab one off Pricewatch for $40.00 the disks arent to expensive either.

 

[randomlinh]

it's nice for long trips.. easier to lug around than a laptop. great for those who shoot w/ a dSLR in raw formats...

BUT, what in the world do you take pictures of in one night? What camera do you have? @2MP, i can fit ~128 pics on 128MB of CF... and for parties at night.. you don't need 4MP pics. You can't possibly need to take that many pics in one night... and if so, a 256 card doubles it. And it's reusable... if you take more than 250 images in one night.. then you a) need to be more selective or b) come up w/ a better reason to why