Travel Storage: Hi everyone. I will be taking an extensive trip across country in June for a wedding in Colorado and then continuing onto the west coast. I do not have a lap top to...

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

Hi everyone. I will be taking an extensive trip across country in June for a wedding in Colorado and then continuing onto the west coast. I do not have a lap top to download my photos from my SD cards. I shoot in RAW and can't put them and don't want to put them on my IPAD as I would have to shoot in JPEG. What PORTABLE drives would be recommended for my needs? Thanks in in advance.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

vininnj2u wrote:

Hi everyone. I will be taking an extensive trip across country in June for a wedding in Colorado and then continuing onto the west coast. I do not have a lap top to download my photos from my SD cards. I shoot in RAW and can't put them and don't want to put them on my IPAD as I would have to shoot in JPEG. What PORTABLE drives would be recommended for my needs? Thanks in in advance.

This looks like a reasonable solution.

https://smile.amazon.com/Passport-Wireless-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B00M9B3XZM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1488628796&sr=1-2&keywords=wd+wireless+hard+drive

More choices -

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_3_20?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=wireless+hard+drives&sprefix=wireless+hard+drives%2Celectronics%2C148&crid=WT1Q99PKG87

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

Thanks Jerry. There seem to be quite a few choices. Now I have an idea of which way I should go.

jerryc41 wrote:

This looks like a reasonable solution.

https://smile.amazon.com/Passport-Wireless-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B00M9B3XZM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1488628796&sr=1-2&keywords=wd+wireless+hard+drive

More choices -

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_3_20?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=wireless+hard+drives&sprefix=wireless+hard+drives%2Celectronics%2C148&crid=WT1Q99PKG87

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

I'm not clear on why you can't/don't wish to put them on your iPad. Which iPad model do you have? A card reader + an Apple cable would let you do that easily. Put them into the Photos app. Once on your device, cull them mercilessly, discarding all but the best. What am I missing?

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

rjaywallace wrote:

I'm not clear on why you can't/don't wish to put them on your iPad. Which iPad model do you have? A card reader + an Apple cable would let you do that easily. Once on your device, cull them mercilessly, discarding all but the best. What am I missing?

Will the "IPAD AIR" read and show RAW files? I already have the FIREWIRE adapter for SD cards but have only transferred JPEGS. I also have an IPAD Mini. My regular computer is a PC Windows 10 format. Not that it should matter.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Will your camera do raw+jpg?
download the jpgs to your ipad for immediate use
save the cards and use the raw files when you get home.

Carry a few extra cards.

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

DirtFarmer wrote:

Will your camera do raw+jpg?
download the jpgs to your ipad for immediate use
save the cards and use the raw files when you get home.

Carry a few extra cards.

I am using a NEW Canon 80D. Never shoot RAW and JPEG. The reason I am looking for a portable source of storage is I don't want to worry about running out of SD cards. My wife also shoots and uses SD cards.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

vininnj2u wrote:

...The reason I am looking for a portable source of storage is I don't want to worry about running out of SD cards...

For the price of that hard drive that was suggested you could buy a lot of SD cards. Why not just carry a few extra? Even if you run out, those things are available everywhere unless you're travelling to really remote places.

On the other hand, having a backup system is always good and will mitigate the possible loss of one of those small cards, which could easily drop through a small hole in a pocket.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

vininnj2u wrote:

Will the "IPAD AIR" read and show RAW files? I already have the FIREWIRE adapter for SD cards but have only transferred JPEGS. I also have an IPAD Mini. My regular computer is a PC Windows 10 format. Not that it should matter.

**No screen app or edit software will actually show/display a Raw file ever.** Raw files (if you don't believe me, Google for the definition) are DATA only and cannot as such be displayed. What you view, in your camera or after downloading on your desktop, is a software REPRESENTATION of the Raw image. A Raw file can be edited and saved as a Jpeg or other selected format so you can send the photo to National Geographic or to your Aunt Harriet. Very important to understand what a Raw file is.

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

rjaywallace wrote:

**No screen app or edit software will actually sho... (show quote)

Why wouldn't I believe you? Thanks for your replies.

vininnj2u Loc: Whiting, New Jersey, USA

DirtFarmer wrote:

For the price of that hard drive that was suggested you could buy a lot of SD cards. Why not just carry a few extra? Even if you run out, those things are available everywhere unless you're travelling to really remote places.

On the other hand, having a backup system is always good and will mitigate the possible loss of one of those small cards, which could easily drop through a small hole in a pocket.

I am thinking of going to purchase more SD cards, as you suggested.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

rjaywallace wrote:

**No screen app or edit software will actually sho... (show quote)

It is true that no software will display raw data.
It is however, quite possible to display a raw file.

The difference in those statements lies in the fact that most raw files (I'm not familiar with the format for ALL cameras) include a jpg produced in camera using the current camera settings. That jpg can be displayed just like any other jpg.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

vininnj2u wrote:

I am thinking of going to purchase more SD cards, as you suggested.

While there are several options available to you - Carrying extra cards is the easiest way to go and
is not very expensive. Best Buy is always having a sale on some memory card, wait for yours.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

DirtFarmer wrote:

...most raw files ... include a jpg produced in camera using the current camera settings. That jpg can be displayed just like any other jpg.

Nitpicking Clarification:
After I wrote that it occurred to me that a dng file (a form of raw file) contains a preview jpg also. However that jpg uses edited settings from the PP software, not just the original camera settings.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

If you read closely about transfer speeds on the wireless storage devices, it seems to me like they could take all night to download a large SD card.