For those of you shooting RAW...(poll)

[A200Eric]

For those of you who shoot exclusively RAW or close to it, what type of external HD are you using for storage (brand, model, capacity etc.) With my work flow, which may be assbackwards, is to convert to TIFF then JPEG, so I have several files of each image and my storage is getting tight. I'm shooting with the A100, so my RAW files are about 8MB and my TIFF's are around 28MB. Maybe somebody will tell me I'm a fool and I'm creating more work than what I need to. Anyway, to put it plainly, what kinda hard drive ya got?
--
Always learning.

 

[dennismullen]

I've got a 500gig external hard drive.

I save the original Raw file and a finished jpg. Why save the tiff file? You can always recreate it from the Raw file. Of course I save it if I made a lot of time consuming edits.
--
See my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/dennismullen

“Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Ben Franklin.

 

[BackToSlr]

Currently

1 TB primary - 1 TB backup
Raid 0

500GB (RAID 5 SCSI) high speed storage array for local server apps.
Don't ask me why

I am thinking of changing it to RAID 5 on a 2TB array. Havent decided for sure yet. But i want to split RAW and JPG onto different disks. Still contemplating change

Future:

1 TB RAID 5 (Selected only)
2 TB RAID 0 (Rest/undecided) -> backed up ??

500 GB (RAID 5) active

Cheers,

N

 

[shaocaholica]

Putting all your photos onto an external drive is about the worst thing you can do. External drives are prone to damage due to their very nature. Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic tools for a wide range of tasks but keeping valuable photos on one without a backup/redundancy is suicide.

 

[A200Eric]

Putting all your photos onto an external drive is about the worst
thing you can do. External drives are prone to damage due to their
very nature. Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic tools for a wide
range of tasks but keeping valuable photos on one without a
backup/redundancy is suicide.

I agree with you, however I'm operating on a dated system and have no choice but to use external hd's as primary storage. I'm currently backing up originals to DVD. Is there a better way to back up? I'm trying to figure out the best method of storage...what is your current set-up/work flow?
--
Always learning.

 

[ILikePhotography]

I shoot in RAW now, the first 1000+ images I did as RAW+ but found that I never go to the jpg from the camera so I just stop using the setting. The last 3 or 4 hundred images, I go from RAW to PSD to jpg for the web pages and screen images. I store the RAW images and my working files in PhotoShop on DVD disk. If I use Image Data Converter then an intermediate TIF file is created for working within PhotoShop with.

The original RAW files are never modified. I work with a duplicate from the beginning. Since Picture Motion Browser stores the files in a monthly calender folder array I simple store each month on a DVD. This also makes it easy to have an extra set of DVD's and a friend and I are currently discussing keeping each others backup files so the second set is at a second location.

Security in triplicate so to speak!
--
Paul Cassidy
----------------------------------------------------------->

 

[dennismullen]

Uploading the original to a web picture sharing site adds one more backup.
--
See my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/dennismullen

“Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Ben Franklin.

 

[A200Eric]

I shoot in RAW now, the first 1000+ images I did as RAW+ but found
that I never go to the jpg from the camera so I just stop using the
setting. The last 3 or 4 hundred images, I go from RAW to PSD to jpg
for the web pages and screen images. I store the RAW images and my
working files in PhotoShop on DVD disk. If I use Image Data Converter
then an intermediate TIF file is created for working within PhotoShop
with.

The original RAW files are never modified. I work with a duplicate
from the beginning. Since Picture Motion Browser stores the files in
a monthly calender folder array I simple store each month on a DVD.
This also makes it easy to have an extra set of DVD's and a friend
and I are currently discussing keeping each others backup files so
the second set is at a second location.

Security in triplicate so to speak!
--
Paul Cassidy
----------------------------------------------------------->

Thanks Paul, that helps a lot. I must get in a better routine of backing up though. I tend to focus on the images and processing and always leave backing up for another day. I better change that!
--
Always learning.

 

[al1571]

I use an internal Seagate Barracuda 120Gb HD and duplicate DVD copies to store my photos. I plan on doing a larger 250+ Gb Hd soon BTW. I shoot RAW, download to a specific named folder( ex. Fall 2007) and then convert to JPEG and retouch in respective subfolders. Archaic? Unconventional? It works for me, for now at least.
--
Al

http://www.flickr.com/photos/al_1571/

'There's a feeling I get when I look to the west and my spirit is crying for leaving.'

Minolta Maxxum 50 1:1.7(22)
Beercan
Sony 18-70 3.5-5.6 (KIT)
Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 DG APO Macro

 

[A200Eric]

--
Always learning.

 

[phazemstr]

Generic hard aluminum case, IDE to USB 2.0 adapter, fujitsu mhv2120ah

It's a 2.5inch 120GB drive and with case costs roughly $100. The drive itself is very quiet and low power consumption (more important than you'd think). All in all it's a reliable solution for me and with the current rates costs less than $1/gig with case cord and adapter and is portable enough to fit in my pocket if need be.

That's my solution. Anyone else?

 

[mark moe]

How about compressed tiff? I use LZW compressed TIFF (via CS2) and it saves space and is lossless. I convert to JPEG only to share w/ others.

I think I'm going to convert all of my RAW files to DNG RAW so that they are more compatible w/ others computers.

I use a 300GB external Segate drive to back up my hard drive. When I get a new DVD burner (mine died) I will make back ups on a RW disk (re-recordable).

 

[Alpha Doug]

Eric,

Please describe your entire workflow a little better. It would help in making suggestions about archiving. How do you import your images? Do you use some sort of organizational tool like iView, or Aperture, or Lightroom? Or do you just put them in folders on your disk? What do you use to do your initial conversion and basic adjustments? Do you move all your converted images as TIFFs into something like Photoshop? What adjustments do you do in Photoshop or whatever you use. What do you do with your JPEGs? Upload to the web, print, etc.? About how many images do you shoot/process per month? How big is your current library?

--
Only my opinion. It's worth what you paid for it. Your mileage may vary! ;-}
http://www.dougwigton.com/

 

[banzen]

I use DVDs to store all my backups. For very important photos, I upload the full size jpgs to Picasaweb so Google helps me to backup.

--
banzen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/banzen/

 

[Marco Cinnirella]

I am paranoid about losing important data, having suffered hard drive failure, data loss through viruses, etc., in the past.

So I keep images on an external USB hard drive (a Seagate) that gets backed up regularly to a second external harddrive (a Western Digital firewire one). I also periodically burn important images to Delkin gold archival DVDs and Fuji archival CDs. I always save the untouched 'straight out of camera' Raws or JPEGs, plus any edited versions.

Never rely on just one external hard drive, as they are prone to fail, some more than others. I think external ones fail more often than internal drives because some of the external ones run pretty hot, and don't benefit from the cooling fan/system inside the PC. External drives also tend to get moved around a lot, sometimes while they are accessing data, which is never a good idea! Interestingly, many photo stores seem to stock Lacie external hard drives, but these have, at best, an iffy reputation for reliability. Other options include RAID and on-line storage providers.

Best backup option is probably RAID + archival DVDs, IMHO

 

[lonewolf69]

External = Risk if traveling... Otherwise, if they're sitting at home as an alternative means of backup... Then, it's about the same as an internal HD the risks between using internal vs. external becomes neglible..

--
-Alex

From the minds of Minolta to the imagination of Sony, Alpha, like no other.

http://www.pbase.com/lonewolf69

 

[al1571]

--
Al

http://www.flickr.com/photos/al_1571/

'There's a feeling I get when I look to the west and my spirit is crying for leaving.'

Minolta Maxxum 50 1:1.7(22)
Beercan
Sony 18-70 3.5-5.6 (KIT)
Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 DG APO Macro

 

[KEITH-C]

Hard discs are now a lot cheaper & file retrieval from disc is easier & faster provided that you use a logical naming system using dates & sensible categories. I would appreciate opinions on file naming - I admit to being lazy in fixing on a long term system !

It certainly pays to have dual discs as backup as the likelihood of both discs failing at the same time is remote except, perhaps, in the event of fire or flooding. There are still doubts over the long term reliability of DVDs.

Keith-C

 

[al1571]

Hard discs are now a lot cheaper & file retrieval from disc is easier
& faster provided that you use a logical naming system using dates &
sensible categories. I would appreciate opinions on file naming - I
admit to being lazy in fixing on a long term system !

I try and keep it simple Keith. I was priviledged to board the USS BATAAN this year. So my photos from that trip were filed " USS BATAAN" Another example are birthdays. Joanne's b-day is filed "Joanne 07".

It certainly pays to have dual discs as backup as the likelihood of
both discs failing at the same time is remote except, perhaps, in
the event of fire or flooding. There are still doubts over the long
term reliability of DVDs.

As previously posted to this thread, I use a Seagate Barracuda 120Gb internal HD as well as dual DVD backup. I am getting another HD soon @ 250Gb+. I am not sure about the long term security of DVD's either. I have heard of CD's failing due to disc labeling causing physical damage to the CD. Guess rule of thumb here the more varied your backup/ storage system is the safer your data is perhaps?

Keith-C

--
Al

http://www.flickr.com/photos/al_1571/

'There's a feeling I get when I look to the west and my spirit is crying for leaving.'

Minolta Maxxum 50 1:1.7(22)
Beercan
Sony 18-70 3.5-5.6 (KIT)
Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 DG APO Macro

 

[CM PHoto]

I write everything to a CF card.
When I get home, I download everything to the home computer.
I run thru the raw files in Bridge and get rid of the obvious non-keepers
Do a batch rename for the remainder
Use my Raw converter to write jpgs
Make my web page.

I take the RAW and convert it to a 16-bit tiff for only the ones I want to print/etc.

I have a portable HDD, but very rarely use it.

--
That's a really nice pen. You must be a great writer.