Portable storage to connect directly to camera (Page 2): I think the issue the OP is posing is: is there a way to wirelessly stream, in real time, photos from a DSLR to an external...

bcmink Loc: Monona, WI

I think the issue the OP is posing is: is there a way to wirelessly stream, in real time, photos from a DSLR to an external WiFi or bluetooth storage device?

There are certainly many options that allow one to view thumbnails from a camera wirelessly in real time on a smartphone or tablet. I don't think that is the issue.

There are many ways to manually as an automated process copy SD/CF card images to an external drive. Don't think that is the issue.

One can in fact use an eyeFi card to transmit images in real/post buffer time to an external wifi device like a laptop or tablet or a device running eyeFi connect software.

Question is can one transfer eyeFi transmitted images directly to an external WiFi connected drive?

The answer using available technology is yes. One can use an eyeFi card and a modified Seagate GoFlex Satellite external HDD to accomplish this task but one needs to be willing to do a little hacking:

http://www.hackseagatesatellite.com/wordpress/2012/08/20/how-to-configure-the-eyefi-card-to-use-it-with-the-goflex-satellite/

Hopefully manufacturers of DSLR's will remedy this issue to make the task easier. The electrical engineering and circuit design hurdles I don't think are all that difficult. One would use two recording buffers in the camera one ported to the onboard storage, an identical buffer ported to WiFi or BT. Biggest drawback is that supporting two WiFi or BT (transmit and receive radios) uses a lot of power.

Then again this might not be a significant issue for the DSLR market. How many professional photographers would want to port a real time capture stream to and external WiFi/BT drive? Just another layer of things that can go wrong.

dsmeltz wrote:

There are quite a few threads on this topic. Some of the devices come with a built in viewer so you can see the images. Some are just storage devices.

For $150.00 the WD Passport Wireless seems a popular choice. You can transfer wirelessly, through a USB or by inserting a SD card.

At B&H you can check "Memory Card Back-up Devices"
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Stand-Alone-Data-Storage/ci/3369/N/4291085496

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Capture48 wrote:

Yes, it's called a Secure Digital Card

They should abbreviate that to SD. :D

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The best solution I can think of is using an Eye-Fi card or you camera's Wi-Fi to send images directly to storage, but I think that would have to be a computer, rather than a wireless drive.

bcmink Loc: Monona, WI

jerryc41 wrote:

The best solution I can think of is using an Eye-Fi card or you camera's Wi-Fi to send images directly to storage, but I think that would have to be a computer, rather than a wireless drive.

It is possible see my post above. Just have to be willing to modify an existing WiFi drive with some new firmware.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bcmink wrote:

Question is can one transfer eyeFi transmitted images directly to an external WiFi connected drive?

The answer using available technology is yes. One can use an eyeFi card and a modified Seagate GoFlex Satellite external HDD to accomplish this task but one needs to be willing to do a little hacking:

http://www.hackseagatesatellite.com/wordpress/2012/08/20/how-to-configure-the-eyefi-card-to-use-it-with-the-goflex-satellite/

I wonder if that would work with the new Mobi cards, since the original Eye-Fi cards have been discontinued.

Leitz Loc: Solms

bcmink wrote:

I think the issue the OP is posing is: is there a way to wirelessly stream, in real time, photos from a DSLR to an external WiFi or bluetooth storage device?

I should think the issue the OP is posing is given in the title of the thread.

wkocken Loc: McGregor, MN

I was able to kludge something together using my Android Phone. I did this as an experiment to see if I could do it, but it's actually too involved for me.

Here are all of the pieces I needed:
Android Phone. For me it is a Moto X
A free phone App called Nexus Media Importer
A small cable called an On The Go (OTG) cable.
I have a combo memory card reader with slots for various card sizes and full size USB ports and a micro USB port.
An external disk drive
An external Battery pack.

Process:
1.Plug the memory card into the card reader/USB hub. Alternately, I suppose you could plug your camera's phone cord into the USB hub.
2. Plug The OTG cord into the USB hub and the other end into the phone.
3. Plug your external disk drive into it's power source.
4. Plug the exernal disk drive into the USB hub.
5. Open the Nexus media importer app.
5. In the App: use the Advanced features. Select the destination disk drive and navigate to the folder you want to use.
6. Select the source data drive, navigate to the directory with your images. Select all or just the images you want . Copy
7. Wait.
8. When done copying , exit the Nexus App and use the notifications shade to disconnect the drives.
9. Unplug
(If you don't do steps 7, 8 and 9 you run the risk of corrupted disk drive.)

bcmink Loc: Monona, WI

jerryc41 wrote:

I wonder if that would work with the new Mobi cards, since the original Eye-Fi cards have been discontinued.

The New eyeFi Mobi Pro cards use the same WiFi protocols. Should not be an issue.

bcmink Loc: Monona, WI

To the best of my knowledge there is no way to directly connect an external hard drive to a DSLR. I don't think that DSLR's have a USB configuration that will work in host mode and even if the circuit design were such the hard drive would drain a lot of power from the camera.

I was assuming the OP was looking for a WiFi solution, but yes, maybe you are right. Maybe the OP could clarify.

One can use a smartphone to achieve the functionality of DSLR host mode. Someone has done that here.
http://petapixel.com/2013/03/21/give-your-dslr-a-brain-by-connecting-an-android-phone/
Using an OTG hub one could connect both the smartphone and external drive directly to the DSLR. While technically workable that seems like a lot of bother. Could keep the phone + OTG hub + Hard drive in a back pack but then there is the issue of power. I only know of one device that allows the simultaneous injection of external power into an OTG host hub and that only works with a Samsung S3. The international standard for external power to OTG hubs has not been widely implemented (i.e., a standard that allows simultaneous charging or external power when USB is being used in host mode)http://lavalink.com/products/samsung-galaxy-tab-usb-adapters-hubs-poe-hubs-2/usb-otg-host-charge-adapter-tab4-tabpro/

Bottom line is this all seems like a whole lot of bother when there are easier WiFi solutions or dedicated external hard drives that will automatically transfer photos from memory cards to a hard drive.

Leitz wrote:

I should think the issue the OP is posing is given in the title of the thread.

Leitz Loc: Solms

bcmink wrote:

To the best of my knowledge there is no way to directly connect an external hard drive to a DSLR. I don't think that DSLR's have a USB configuration that will work in host mode and even if the circuit design were such the hard drive would drain a lot of power from the camera.

I was assuming the OP was looking for a WiFi solution, but yes, maybe you are right. Maybe the OP could clarify.

And I thought the OP was looking to back up to something like a flash drive rather than a hard drive. He's been silent today, but the poor chap may have to work!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Leitz wrote:

I should think the issue the OP is posing is given in the title of the thread.

:thumbup:

bcmink Loc: Monona, WI

Leitz wrote:

And I thought the OP was looking to back up to something like a flash drive rather than a hard drive. He's been silent today, but the poor chap may have to work!

Semi retirement does have some advantages :>) I'm sure the OP will chime in and clarify when it is possible.

Nonetheless it is an interesting discussion. The kind of discussions that might ultimately lead DSLR manufacturers to offer an engineering/circuit/functional design solution that would allow one to seamlessly stream photos via WiFi or BT to external hard drives that have built in WiFi hubs and UPnP/DLNA servers at speeds that make sense for RAW image files.

foxhal Loc: Boynton Beach FL

If you have an ipad or ipod the $30 camera connector will permit direct transfer of raw or jpeg files. I have a 64gb ipad mini which I use to do transfer and aas a sub for my laptop when travelling.

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Mogul wrote:

For stills or video?

Mogul, that's a valid consideration, too! :thumbup:

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Leitz wrote:

I should think the issue the OP is posing is given in the title of the thread.

I believe you are correct, though based on a few replies, the words "connect directly" are either ambiguous or those have waxed poetic on the subject of WiFi SD cards have an idée fixé. To me, the OP's wording implies, if not indicates, the use of a cable from the camera to the portable storage device that the OP is searching for.

At the risk of appearing egotistical, I'd like to suggest that those who are interested in helping the OP with this matter review my 1st post, which is on the first page. I mention a number of possible devices or device categories. Some of you have subsequently expanded upon (probably independent of what I posted,) some device categories I mentioned; that is potentially useful. But if anybody comes up with a device category or actual device, exclusive to those I mentioned already, that could be a significant contribution!

I also agree with Leitz that the OP needs to give further information; specifically, he should address the perceived ambiguity in his Topic title and the type & volume of image data he wants to transfer, at the very least. Remember that saying popularized in the film Jerry Maguire? It was, "Help me help you." But on the Hog, I'd modify it to read, "Help us help you."