74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

I'm Now Starting to Transfer My Images from SD Cards to Flash Drive as Recommended by UHH Members.

I'm Using a 16GB Flash Drive, but The Current Cards I'm Using are from my Canon Powershot SX-150 Pocket Camera (8GB), & Canon SX-50 Bridge Camera (16GB).

I want to Fill Up the Drive with The Entire Card From Each Camera, but the 16GB will Hold Up to Around 6000+ Photos, but the Manufactures Give Very Little Advise on The Size of the Photo if it's a Low Megapixel Like 5 Megapixel with My SX-50 that I Mostly Shoot with, or 7 Megapixel with my Powershot SX-150, I do Shoot with The Max Megapixel for Special Shots for Both Cameras, sometimes, but Mostly 5 or 7 Megapixel at the Norm, cause it Carries More Images on the Card if I was Shooting High Quality or Raw with My SX-50 which I don't Ever Use on that Camera.

But the Bottom Line which is the Best Bang For my Buck on Flash Drives, a 16GB, or 32GB, that will Carry More Lower Quality Images?

I Need Questions from the Experts from their Own Personal Use, as Well as Link Sites on High Capacity Flash Drives.

No Bad Attitudes from Site Members who Wanna Be Jerks & Criticize, Just Straight Answers!

Thank You
74images

Quixdraw Loc: x

Try this Link http://www.mediaxpress.net/usb-flash-drive-capacity.html

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

This can be a sticky wicket. It may open me up to criticism but I'm a grumpy old coot. Add to the fact that I have been shooting film for the longest time. I only became digital recently. Six years ago at last count.

I don't reformat my memory cards. I'll buy new ones and save the used cards indefinitely.
I prefer to copy all my photos onto an external hard drive. That way I have photos in two places, namely on the memory card and on a hard drive. I like being redundant.

I said I was a grumpy old coot not a stupid old fool.

When I want or need to transfer photographs from a memory card to a USB Drive, I prefer to go one size higher. For example, if I have a 16GB CF card or SD Card, I will transfer the photos to a 32GB drive. For the most part, USB drives are mass produced and are relatively the same price. For example, a 8GB drive is about $1 cheaper than a 16GB drive. That 16GB drive is about $2 cheaper than a 32GB drive. I will rarely use a memory card or a USB drive of 64GB or more. It's too many photographs with a great potential for loss. I have heard of a 1TB SD Card. Besides the price I would not feel comfortable using it. I remember something about all your eggs in one basket.
When I'm in the store buying gear, I will add on additional memory cards and USB drives. For a few dollars, I prefer to stock up and save them when needed.

I don't re-format my memory cards. I have lost count of the stories my friends have told about how they formatted the wrong card. Then I get a call how to retrieve those precious photos of Timmy's 10 years old birthday party. Besides they are so cheap now, explain to me why would I need to do more work (transferring and reformatting) when I'm inherently lazy.

Happy Shooting!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The flash drives are just storage space. The best "bang" for the buck divide the device cost by the Gb. That will give you the drive with the best cost to Gb ratio.

X megapixel (Mp) images probably won't take X megabytes (Mb) of storage bits and pixels are not equivalent.
For instance, a 5Mp image may have a file size of 2Mb on a drive.

The amount of images that can be stored on a drive depends on the image file size in bits, not the image size in pixels.

Is the flash drive you want to use going to be used for backup?
Do you have the images on a hard drive also?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

It does not matter, all-flash drives are junk for long term image storing. The reason they were called "sneakernet" was to transport files from computer to computer when no other network medium was available. They are just too fragile to be dependable.

And if you don't like bad attitudes and manners, then enjoy the pain when you lose all 8000 images. With full-on snark, that is the difference between a Photographer and an amateur.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I would never use flash (USB) drives for <archival> backup either.
(Nor would I have hundreds of memory cards either.)

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I used to send photographs to friends via a CD disk. That was until computer manufacturers stopped making them. Then I started to use USB drives just to mail photographs. Perhaps one day I might just place them onto a cloud. Right now, I don't mind a trillion or so memory cards. I have them labeled with the date of use. I have yet to agonize over the loss of precious photographs.

therwol Loc: USA

Based on my experience of having several failures, flash drives are not reliable enough for archival storage. They might be useful for transferring pictures from one location to another, but a link to online storage is a better option these days. If you want to store 8000 pictures on some piece of hardware, put them on an external hard drive and then back that up for safety.

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

Thank You...

74images

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

I'm on a Budget, so I was Recommended in May when I Temporary Lost over a 100+ Images on My Digital Card, but in Order to View I have to View them on my Computer, Via Card Reader or Flash Drive, cause I Can't View them On My Camera Anymore!

So i was Recommended to Use Flash Drive or External Hard Drive, or Cloud Storage, Right Now I'm Using Flash Drives Until I can Afford to Purchase An External Hard Drive.

So I'll Still Use Flash Drive, & Keeping the SD Cards as Masters for the Time Being.

74images

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

[quote=Scruples]I used to send photographs to friends via a CD disk. That was until computer manufacturers stopped making them. Then I started to use USB drives just to mail photographs. Perhaps one day I might just place them onto a cloud. Right now, I don't mind a trillion or so memory cards. I have them labeled with the date of use. I have yet to agonize over the loss of precious photographs.[/quote

Funny I was at a Best Buy Store in Lakewood, Calif & I was Told By a Best Buy Rep & Showed me a CD/DVD Burner Device that you can Plug in your Notebook or Desk Top Computer that Doesn't have the CD Capacity Slot.

It Sells for Around $19.00 & you Can Transfer Your Photo CD's, Music CD's, & DVD's & Even Burn CD's to Record from your Notebook & Desk Top with this Device Hooked to Either Your Notebook or Desk Top that DOESNT have CD Capacity.

You May want to Check with Amazon or B & H Camera in New York, Most Likely they Sell the Device also!

I was Planning to Transfer my Photo CD's to Flash Drive but the 2 Public Libraries I Hold Library Cards for Here in the L.A. Area Phased Out it's CD Devices, so I can Purchase this Device & Hookup to its Computers & Transfer my Photo CD's as Well as my Music CD's.

Sadly... you can't Use it for Your Tablet, Only Notebooks or Desktop Computers Only!

74images

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

Me & You Brother... I Keep my SD Cards as Masters, Use the Switch Device to Lock & Store Away, I Just Started to Learn to Transfer to Flash Drives Late this Spring.

When the Money Gets Better I Will Buy a GOOD Storage External Drive!

74images

74images Loc: Los Angeles, California

You May have a Point Fella...

A Lot Of UHH Users get Slammed by Other Users who Need Help & a Joker Cops An Attitude with the Original Poster for Some Advice or Answers & Gets a Smart Ass Uncalled Answer from a User, I've Seen a Lot of Snide Remarks Posted Back, I've Gotten Some, & had to Push Back at the Person who Attacked me for a Simple Answer, or Another User.

74images

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

To answer the question you asked, the current amount of storage required is a good estimate of the amount of storage required anywhere else - so if you have 4 16gb cards and 3 8gb cards, you can expect to need 4 gb drives and 3 8 gb drives, or 6 16 gb drives or 3 32 gb drives, etc.

For a period of time, I did not have a desktop computer, so I was using flash drives to store everything, then plugging the appropriate drive into whichever computer {laptop or Surface tablet} I was using at the time. Each month I used the laptop to completely backup all the flash drives to an external drive, rotating the external drives each month so I had several copies of each flash drive. Yes, I could have used one external drive instead of a handful of flash drives, but this was more convenient at the time. Now that we have a desktop computer again, I use it's main drive as my primary copy, but still make a copy onto an external drive each month.