Workflow needs.........Sanho Hyperdrive iusbport.

I want to run my plan past our experts. At the moment I use my laptop for all my editing, using Lightroom 5 and Elements 10. All my photos are stored on the laptop and on an external HDD. Technology is moving at such a rate, it is difficult to keep abreast of things. Anyway, this is what I now want to do.

Shooting largely in RAW, I upload all the shots to the iPad, obviously not RAW files, using an SD lightening reader, keeping the originals on the card. I then check my shots, deleting those I do not need. I am thinking of buying a Seagate Wireless Plus wifi HDD, so that I can download from my iPad and view the contents on the Seagate using the iPad. I would also want to upload direct to the Seagate via a USB controlled SD reader, backing up the shots from the camera.

This system will save lots of time trying to assess my RAW files and will keep my iPad free of lots of photos, while keeping them viewable. I can then be selective on using the lap top for post processing, storing all my shots on the Seagate, backing them up to another HDD, so I have several copies of my shots.

Does all this sound viable? and will the Seagate do what I want? I have searched but cannot be sure that the Seagate will read via an SD reader.

Thanks in advance for any help that can be given.

My current on-site workflow is similar to what you propose, and I'm working with one of these: HyperDrive iUSBport HD

It has a full-sized SD card slot built into it (and despite the lack of info on that site, it can copy files from the SD card to the HDD), along with all the wi-fi sharing features of the Seagate device. I shoot raw+JPEG and backup all the files on each card to the HyperDrive, then view the JPEGs on an iPad. It can also charge the iPad or power other USB devices from its internal battery. Way more flexible than the Seagate Wireless Plus...

My work is HDR 360 panos (50+ raw files per pano), so I can fill up a 32GB card in half a day. Bigger SD cards alone are not a great solution if one fails and I lose all that data at once.

Mark,

Thanks for the quick reply.That sounds exactly what I am after. Looks like more research is going to take place before I part with my hard earned cash. It is expensive at 50% more than the Seagate. Worth it?

Footski said:

Mark,

Thanks for the quick reply.That sounds exactly what I am after. Looks like more research is going to take place before I part with my hard earned cash. It is expensive at 50% more than the Seagate. Worth it?

Click to expand...

It might be worth it if you want an "all-in-one" solution (with a lot more than just wireless storage and transfer), but that's up to you. The Seagate will be cheaper for the same capacity because, well, they make the drives!

A similar device to the HyperDrive is the RavPower FileHub , which is much cheaper because it has no internal drive, but allows plugging USB devices into it. In this case you'd be backing up the SD card contents to a USB flash drive or similar very low-power storage (so not a HDD), or just viewing and copying to the iPad.

To me, it's an extra step and a USB stick is another thing dangling off the intermediary device. Plus, the cost of reliable USB flash drives are right up there with SD cards (memory chips, go figure!), and far more expensive than HDD space.

I also know a few people who are successfully using netbooks as cheap on-the-go storage with USB host capabilities (to be able to plug an SD reader into them), but once again the cost of the internal NAND flash limits capacity. I think most of the cheaper netbooks (under the $300 of the 1TB HyperDrive) top out at 256GB, but can theoretically do much of what an iPad can.

Thanks again Mark. I think you have convinced me. An extra 50 quid does not seem much for the advantages......Now I must have a nice chat with my good lady wife.....Watch this space!

No problem - I've just gone through the same process myself, so it's fresh in my mind.

Don't forget that the iUSBPortHD Amazon.es (ahem) price of EUR 130 is for the enclosure by itself, which actually works without a drive in it (you can view SD card contents on an iPad or similar, just no backup to local storage), and I think good 1TB 2.5" drives are like EUR 50 or so (I like Toshiba, personally).

I have an Amazon .uk price if £150 for a 1 TB HYPERDRIVE. Not too bad.

Mark Banas said:

A similar device to the HyperDrive is the RavPower FileHub , which is much cheaper because it has no internal drive, but allows plugging USB devices into it. In this case you'd be backing up the SD card contents to a USB flash drive or similar very low-power storage (so not a HDD), or just viewing and copying to the iPad.

Click to expand...

This isn't really the case, you can use a 2.5" USB drive with the RavPower FileHub, Kingston Mobilelite, SanDisk Connect, Monster Digital Sky, ...

I mostly just use larger SD cards to back up to as they have the size and weight advantage to them. I have used a Mobilelite with a USB enclosure with a SSD mounted in it, and also at times a laptop hard drive in the USB enclosure. I know of other people doing the same with the FileHub. Even with a larger desktop hard drive, as long as the enclosure has it's own power supply, it all works.

Thank you
Russell

I really would like to order the Hyperdrive 1tb, but to get it here in Spain will cost 325 US dollars, which includes 61 dollars postage from the UK. Scandalous delivery charges. I will wait and see what happens in the market over the coming months, rather than skimp on a different product now.

I have today taken the plunge and ordered two Sanho Hyperdrive iusbport HD units, one for me and one for a friend. I have not decided which HDD to put in it yet, but will keep you all posted. I am favouring a 1tb drive, but not sure which one as there are so many to choose from.

Okay, the said Hyperdrive arrived today and straight out of the box, it had plenty of battery life. Very easy to set up and within minutes I was able to view my all my photos, stored on an external drive, using my iPad. Videos also played, as long as they were in MP4 format and all my music was available to play.

I have not put in the 1tb drive in it yet, but first impressions are not only good, but I am gob smacked as to how good this bit of kit is. All iPads should be sold with one.

Many thanks to Mark Banus for putting me onto it.

I have now installed a 1tb HDD into this unit and am simply amazed as to how good it is.

At first, I thought it was faulty as I could not get my laptop to recognise the new drive. After a couple of hours of wanting to throw it out of the window, I discovered that I had to download a Fat32 formatter from the web site to format the new drive. Easy to do and once done all worked well.

The only snag I have is that my iPad does not recognise Leica RAW (RWL) files. It does recognise Nikon's (NEF) files, but not Leica for some reason. I cannot blame the Hyperdrive for that of course.

Good to hear! I simply formatted the drive I installed with FAT32 from the MacOS app "Disk Utility" and it was good to go. As far as reading raw files on an iPad, I'm surprised even NEF files can be understood. Are you using a special app for that? Does Leica have an iOS app? (No idea, really...)

Mark Banas said:

Good to hear! I simply formatted the drive I installed with FAT32 from the MacOS app "Disk Utility" and it was good to go. As far as reading raw files on an iPad, I'm surprised even NEF files can be understood. Are you using a special app for that? Does Leica have an iOS app? (No idea, really...)

Click to expand...

Mark, I have to thank you for the advice. It is a great bit of kit.

NEF files are recognised with no special App. I am afraid Leica do not appear to have one, so a slight change in my system. Leica for JPEG and Nikon for RAW!

Footski said:

Mark Banas said:

Good to hear! I simply formatted the drive I installed with FAT32 from the MacOS app "Disk Utility" and it was good to go. As far as reading raw files on an iPad, I'm surprised even NEF files can be understood. Are you using a special app for that? Does Leica have an iOS app? (No idea, really...)

Click to expand...

Mark, I have to thank you for the advice. It is a great bit of kit.

NEF files are recognised with no special App. I am afraid Leica do not appear to have one, so a slight change in my system. Leica for JPEG and Nikon for RAW!

Click to expand...

Did you ever think about shooting RAW+JPG and moving the jpeg to the iPad for quicker review? I just ordered an iUSBport HD for my trip next week. Hope it arrives in time...

SethG said:

Footski said:

Mark Banas said:

Good to hear! I simply formatted the drive I installed with FAT32 from the MacOS app "Disk Utility" and it was good to go. As far as reading raw files on an iPad, I'm surprised even NEF files can be understood. Are you using a special app for that? Does Leica have an iOS app? (No idea, really...)

Click to expand...

Mark, I have to thank you for the advice. It is a great bit of kit.

NEF files are recognised with no special App. I am afraid Leica do not appear to have one, so a slight change in my system. Leica for JPEG and Nikon for RAW!

Click to expand...

Did you ever think about shooting RAW+JPG and moving the jpeg to the iPad for quicker review? I just ordered an iUSBport HD for my trip next week. Hope it arrives in time...

--
- Seth -

Click to expand...

Oh yes, I normally do shoot RAW plus JPEG. The RAW fieles Williams sutil dos load to the Hyperdrive, even though they cannot be viewed on The Ipad. Let us know how you gnomon with your new drive....

Mark Banas said:

My current on-site workflow is similar to what you propose, and I'm working with one of these: HyperDrive iUSBport HD

It has a full-sized SD card slot built into it (and despite the lack of info on that site, it can copy files from the SD card to the HDD), along with all the wi-fi sharing features of the Seagate device. I shoot raw+JPEG and backup all the files on each card to the HyperDrive, then view the JPEGs on an iPad. It can also charge the iPad or power other USB devices from its internal battery. Way more flexible than the Seagate Wireless Plus...

Click to expand...

Does the iUSBport HD use a "standard battery" that the user can replace if they are away from a charging source for extended periods or after a couple years when the current battery simply dies from old age?

I've been looking for an answer but have not seen anything posted yet, I guess my post also is the same for the HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA2 by the same company.

Any pictures of the internals by any chance, only thing I've seen is the standard external commercial pictures.

Thanks for the reply, Mark

You can change the battery in the HyperDrive ColorSpace UDMA2, not sure about the other. Just need to undo two screws, I think they even give you the screwdriver. Not a standard battery like a AA but the battery can be bought separately.

Thank you for the reply, Yeah didn't think it would be double AA's but as long as it is not some strange battery that you can only get from them (and of course they wouldn't have a year down the road) I'm good to go with the unit then.

This is the battery that B&H lists along with the Colorspace UDMA:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...6_tenergy_18650_rechargeable_lithium_ion.html

I will probably get the Colorspace because of the ability to change this battery in the field and also I understand that it downloads cards faster than the iUSBport HD.