Memory card management / backup in the field.

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

David M. Anglin said:

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

Click to expand...

ipad pro 12.9 with keyboard actually weighs slightly more than a 13.3" iPad Air, and about the same as the 13" Pro, so no benefit over the laptop for portability.

Could go with an iPad Mini, which has the same functionality but is actually very compact and light (280g). More likely to fit in a safe if you want to leave it copying while you head out. Don't think you should need a keyboard to copy files, so save the weight and skip it.

Wildlife Guy said:

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

Click to expand...

This will definitely work, you'd just have to test how much battery and copy time it will take.

Wildlife Guy said:

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

Click to expand...

This works, too, but your CFExpress will always be waiting on the SD card. The impact on performance is that SD card takes like 20 seconds to clear buffer instead of 6-7, and your buffer full performance will drop faster. Before the buffer fills, it should be the same.

Wildlife Guy said:

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

Click to expand...

You need two copies of the pictures to be a backup. (Main copy and backup copy) so if they are not written to both cards or card + HDD, then you don't have a backup. So either way, you should not be deleting pictures until you have two copies somewhere.

If it were me, and you don't have enough CFExpress cards for the whole trip, I'd be making a copy on SD card and copying it to your external drive with the laptop, etc.

Wildlife Guy said:

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

Click to expand...

I used a prior version of this on a five week trip to England and Ireland. Downloaded some 11,000 images, Never had a glitch. Used the internal WiFi to connect to my iPad to ensure images were transferred and stored before erasing cards. Then I simply hooked it up to my computer when I got home to transfer the files over.

I took two trips last year. I brought my laptop on the first but got a new (regular) iPad for my October trip. Both options worked well. My laptop is older so the iPad is lighter and slimmer (and had less data on in case of theft!)

In 2015 I used an older iPad and a Western Digital hard drive with an SD slot. It worked last time I tested it but I've read some horror stories about those batteries failing, and the drives failing too. So I didn't bring it on my trips last year.

I am still on an older camera and have enough SD cards that I don't have to worry about overwriting them (I don't shoot in raw often yet)

David M. Anglin said:

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

Click to expand...

Appreciate the comments. The reason I wanted the iPad over the laptop is that the 12.9 iPad is more useful overall than the MacBook. I didn't want to take both the MacBook and the iPad because of weight. I have a mini, but I have some vision issue and it is a little small other than as a book reader for me.

Good comments and I appreciate your input. I just bought 2 512gb CFexpress cards from BandH for $324. I had several 256 cards, so I may be good not erasing cards for the trip.

diane143 said:

I took two trips last year. I brought my laptop on the first but got a new (regular) iPad for my October trip. Both options worked well. My laptop is older so the iPad is lighter and slimmer (and had less data on in case of theft!)

In 2015 I used an older iPad and a Western Digital hard drive with an SD slot. It worked last time I tested it but I've read some horror stories about those batteries failing, and the drives failing too. So I didn't bring it on my trips last year.

I am still on an older camera and have enough SD cards that I don't have to worry about overwriting them (I don't shoot in raw often yet)

Click to expand...

Did you use a port expander on the iPad to connect a card reader and SSD?

Just my opinion and over-caution. I would just use multiple cards. Once you start adding devices and adapters you start adding things to go wrong or get lost. Cards are small and easy to hide or ship back to your home. Think of it this way: technically they're mini SSD drives.

thinkinginimages said:

Just my opinion and over-caution. I would just use multiple cards. Once you start adding devices and adapters you start adding things to go wrong or get lost. Cards are small and easy to hide or ship back to your home. Think of it this way: technically they're mini SSD drives.

Click to expand...

Very much my thinking. I don't like to erase cards in the field. CF express can be expensive, but would be only a small part of the total budget for the trip.

If the speed is acceptable I would write to two cards in the camera, then keep both. I guess my second choice would be to copy in the camera as the OP described. If I were backing up in the field I'd for sure want a way to check the backups, probably an iPad or tablet.

Being slightly paranoid, I would keep the two batches of cards separate. And I do not carry cards with important images in the camera bag. If the camera is lost or stolen that's a one kind of loss, but if I also lose my images that's a real disaster.

Gato

David M. Anglin said:

diane143 said:

I took two trips last year. I brought my laptop on the first but got a new (regular) iPad for my October trip. Both options worked well. My laptop is older so the iPad is lighter and slimmer (and had less data on in case of theft!)

In 2015 I used an older iPad and a Western Digital hard drive with an SD slot. It worked last time I tested it but I've read some horror stories about those batteries failing, and the drives failing too. So I didn't bring it on my trips last year.

I am still on an older camera and have enough SD cards that I don't have to worry about overwriting them (I don't shoot in raw often yet)

Click to expand...

Did you use a port expander on the iPad to connect a card reader and SSD?

Click to expand...

Yes, I bought the Apple one. No issues with it.

For my third gen iPad, I'd bought a different model, Scoche maybe? That one was a little more temperamental.

Note that you can rent CF Express cards from Lens Rentals. Like $44/wk for 512GB.

For a big trip we bought a super cheap laptop—you can get a Windows laptop for like $300. Add a slowish storage external and card reader and it's probably cheaper than the iPad solution + external. And you've got Windows if you ever need it.

We now use a WD My Passport Wireless. Not the simplest storage device to use, but very powerful especially if you need to share among computers, etc (it can connect to LANs, or act as a server, etc). And you can attach a CF Express reader.

Gato Amarillo said:

thinkinginimages said:

Just my opinion and over-caution. I would just use multiple cards. Once you start adding devices and adapters you start adding things to go wrong or get lost. Cards are small and easy to hide or ship back to your home. Think of it this way: technically they're mini SSD drives.

Click to expand...

Very much my thinking. I don't like to erase cards in the field. CF express can be expensive, but would be only a small part of the total budget for the trip.

If the speed is acceptable I would write to two cards in the camera, then keep both. I guess my second choice would be to copy in the camera as the OP described. If I were backing up in the field I'd for sure want a way to check the backups, probably an iPad or tablet.

Being slightly paranoid, I would keep the two batches of cards separate. And I do not carry cards with important images in the camera bag. If the camera is lost or stolen that's a one kind of loss, but if I also lose my images that's a real disaster.

Gato

Click to expand...

On my two previous trips to Africa, I had plenty of CF cards and did not erase anything until I got home. I did use a laptop to load cards to Lightroom and copy to a backup drive - taking a big chunk out of my evening. With the two 512 GB CFexpress cards I just received, I should be able to shoot the entire trip without erasing any images. I towards the following:

1. RAW to Slot 1 (CFExpress), high quality Jpg or HEIF to Slot 2 (SD)

2. When CFexpress card is full, do an in camera copy (reasonably fast based on test) to a fresh SD card.

3. Store the cards in separate Think Tank Pocket Rockets. Store Slot (2) cards in wallet when full.

4. I carry the CFexpress cards and my wife takes the SD backups.

If I am curious while in the field, I can always pull images from the jpg / Heif files.

This will take a lot of cards and discipline, but small price compared to the cost of the trip.

David M. Anglin said:

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

Click to expand...

Maybe get one of the WD drives that has a built in USB port (for a card reader) or SD card slot, like this one:

https://www.westerndigital.com/en-c...d-my-passport-wireless-ssd#WDBAMJ2500AGY-NESN

I would still bring a lot of extra memory cards, and if your camera supports dual cards, then set the second one to backup. Cheap insurance and not as costly (except for buying spare cards). This way, you have two backups: the cards and the WD SSD drive.

As a general suggestion for travel workflow: have two external SSDs and backup your files to both at night. Keep a copy in the hotel room, and take the other drive with you when you leave for the day. Maybe even do a cloud backup at night if the hotel has wi-fi. In this scenario, the SD cards are then your "third" backup. I always try to carry enough cards so I don't have to erase cards while traveling (unless I'm gone for more than a week, then I might). But I try to avoid having to do this so they can act as an additional backup.

For card management in the field, I put empty cards with the label facing out, and full cards with the label facing inward, so I know which cards are blank. I also number my cards and try to start with #1 (first pair) first, and then #2 (second pair) etc. This way when I pop the cards out at the end of the day (say I'm on pair #3) I know that the first two pairs are full, plus the third pair is used (has some photos). Learned this the hard way after accidentally formatting a card once that wasn't backed up first. Luckily I had dual copies of the card so nothing really lost, but almost gave me a heart attack.

I do the same for my batteries (number them, and start with #1).

--
(NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread.)

sirhawkeye64 said:

David M. Anglin said:

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

Click to expand...

Maybe get one of the WD drives that has a built in USB port (for a card reader) or SD card slot, like this one:

https://www.westerndigital.com/en-c...d-my-passport-wireless-ssd#WDBAMJ2500AGY-NESN

Click to expand...

Depending on where you look, this seems to be discontinued or on special order. I tried early versions of this device and had mixed results with files being dropped. I am sure they sorted this out in later versions.

sirhawkeye64 said:

I would still bring a lot of extra memory cards, and if your camera supports dual cards, then set the second one to backup. Cheap insurance and not as costly (except for buying spare cards). This way, you have two backups: the cards and the WD SSD drive.

Click to expand...

I had a fair number of cards and order 2 additional 512gb CFexpress cards on a deal at B&H - 2 512gb prograde cards for $324. With this I have 2TB of CFexpress and enough SD cards for backup. My camera does support writing to dual cards, but I need to verify the impact on write speeds / buffer. Canon R3 & R6.

sirhawkeye64 said:

As a general suggestion for travel workflow: have two external SSDs and backup your files to both at night. Keep a copy in the hotel room, and take the other drive with you when you leave for the day. Maybe even do a cloud backup at night if the hotel has wi-fi. In this scenario, the SD cards are then your "third" backup. I always try to carry enough cards so I don't have to erase cards while traveling (unless I'm gone for more than a week, then I might). But I try to avoid having to do this so they can act as an additional backup.

For card management in the field, I put empty cards with the label facing out, and full cards with the label facing inward, so I know which cards are blank. I also number my cards and try to start with #1 (first pair) first, and then #2 (second pair) etc. This way when I pop the cards out at the end of the day (say I'm on pair #3) I know that the first two pairs are full, plus the third pair is used (has some photos). Learned this the hard way after accidentally formatting a card once that wasn't backed up first. Luckily I had dual copies of the card so nothing really lost, but almost gave me a heart attack.

I do the same for my batteries (number them, and start with #1).

Click to expand...

I don't follow the number scheme, but I do the Unsed card label out/used card label in and it has forked for me for years. I am very disciplined. The cycling by card number is a little more challenge. If you write RAW to Slot 1 & JPEG to Slot 2, you would end up with a partially filled card from Slot 2 if you tried to keep the cards matched.

I have some more test to to run, but I will probably just go with the duplicate card strategy. Basically, in camera backups to SD cards when he CFe card in slot 1 is full. I always carry my iPad and card reader, so I can throw in a 2TB Samsung T7 and do a 3rd backup as I have time. The only additional item I will be carrying is the SSD.

I don't want to loose photos, but this will be one of my last trips to Africa and I don't want to spend a lot of time on the computer. I want to enjoy every minute of the trip.

David M. Anglin said:

sirhawkeye64 said:

David M. Anglin said:

I am headed to Africa in May on a trip originally booked for 2020 that was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. This is my 3rd trip to Africa (2015,2017 & 2022), but I have changed my mix of gear and want a more streamlined strategy for card backups. I have dropped from 36lbs of DSLR gear to 21lb by moving to mirrorless and changing my lens mix. My gear for 2022 Africa is R3, R5, RF 24-105 f4 L IS, RF 70-200 f4 L IS, RF 85mm f2, RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 and 1.4x TC. The RF 85 f2 and RF 70-200 f4 are "nice to have" and one or both may be eliminated to make room for extra space in the Mindshift 26L bag.

Now to the real question. I have traditionally taken a 13" MacBook + card reader + external hard drive to backup my cards and get a jump on loading into Lightroom. There are two issues with the strategy - weight of gear required and time lost to experience the trip. I did not like leaving the laptop setup unattended and lost time I could have spent sharing experiences and just enjoying the environment. Below are the options I am considering. I thought I would search for opinions before going down the heavy testing path.

Note: 15 days of actual safaris drives and I have quite a few CFexpress cards.

A. Traditional "laptop" approach but using iPad Pro 12.9" w/keyboard folio to do a straight copy (no Lightroom) using the Prograde Card Reader and Toshiba T7 2TB SSD's. Doesn't solve the problem of socializing at the end of the day but I could lock the setup in the room safe and go away for a couple of hours.

B. Carry enough 256gb SD cards and do an in-camera copy from the CFexpress to SD cards at the end of the day. Takes a lot of SD cards, but you can use a cheaper/slower version based on testing. .

C. Write RAW files to both CFexpress and SD card, saving the SD card when full as the backup. This would be simplest, but I would need to test to verify impact on performance and frames per second. May even be mentioned in the manual. Does not provide dual backups.

D. Same as plan B but don't erase the CFexpress card when full. Would take a fair number of CFexpess cards.

I know the 13" MacBook Air (M1) + card reader + SSD's works, but looking for simpler alternatives. Anyone have experience to share before I dive into serious testing.

David

Click to expand...

Maybe get one of the WD drives that has a built in USB port (for a card reader) or SD card slot, like this one:

https://www.westerndigital.com/en-c...d-my-passport-wireless-ssd#WDBAMJ2500AGY-NESN

Click to expand...

Depending on where you look, this seems to be discontinued or on special order. I tried early versions of this device and had mixed results with files being dropped. I am sure they sorted this out in later versions.

Wildlife Guy said:

I would still bring a lot of extra memory cards, and if your camera supports dual cards, then set the second one to backup. Cheap insurance and not as costly (except for buying spare cards). This way, you have two backups: the cards and the WD SSD drive.

Click to expand...

I had a fair number of cards and order 2 additional 512gb CFexpress cards on a deal at B&H - 2 512gb prograde cards for $324. With this I have 2TB of CFexpress and enough SD cards for backup. My camera does support writing to dual cards, but I need to verify the impact on write speeds / buffer. Canon R3 & R6.

Click to expand...

Carrying extra cards is certainly better, but ideally you still want to copy that data to something else (a different type of media) despite having duplicate cards of the same photos. At least, that's my suggestion, and what I go for. A lot of stuff can happen to cards, including losing them (although I have never lost a card while traveling... at home, yeah sure but I always found them).

Wildlife Guy said:

Wildlife Guy said:

As a general suggestion for travel workflow: have two external SSDs and backup your files to both at night. Keep a copy in the hotel room, and take the other drive with you when you leave for the day. Maybe even do a cloud backup at night if the hotel has wi-fi. In this scenario, the SD cards are then your "third" backup. I always try to carry enough cards so I don't have to erase cards while traveling (unless I'm gone for more than a week, then I might). But I try to avoid having to do this so they can act as an additional backup.

For card management in the field, I put empty cards with the label facing out, and full cards with the label facing inward, so I know which cards are blank. I also number my cards and try to start with #1 (first pair) first, and then #2 (second pair) etc. This way when I pop the cards out at the end of the day (say I'm on pair #3) I know that the first two pairs are full, plus the third pair is used (has some photos). Learned this the hard way after accidentally formatting a card once that wasn't backed up first. Luckily I had dual copies of the card so nothing really lost, but almost gave me a heart attack.

I do the same for my batteries (number them, and start with #1).

Click to expand...

I don't follow the number scheme, but I do the Unsed card label out/used card label in and it has forked for me for years. I am very disciplined. The cycling by card number is a little more challenge. If you write RAW to Slot 1 & JPEG to Slot 2, you would end up with a partially filled card from Slot 2 if you tried to keep the cards matched.

I have some more test to to run, but I will probably just go with the duplicate card strategy. Basically, in camera backups to SD cards when he CFe card in slot 1 is full. I always carry my iPad and card reader, so I can throw in a 2TB Samsung T7 and do a 3rd backup as I have time. The only additional item I will be carrying is the SSD.

I don't want to loose photos, but this will be one of my last trips to Africa and I don't want to spend a lot of time on the computer. I want to enjoy every minute of the trip.

Click to expand...

The number scheme just helps me keep track of what pairs of cards go together (as my camera shoots an XQD/CFE and SD).

Your last part about the Ipad, reader, and SSD are probably a good idea. That's basically what I do (although not in the field, but rather when I get back to the hotel).

Reading this and your post below, sounds like you have a good plan.

Hope you have a great trip.

Gato

Here my approach and perhaps not v. popular.

***Get enough cards to get er done. They take v. little space....keeping them in a small waterproof container. Don't think that 256GB cards would be among them, since I'd not be at good place to lose THAT many images if something went ker plunk.

***I try to shoot photos that count.....reducing the overall amount.

You do as it works for you.

Leswick II said:

Here my approach and perhaps not v. popular.

***Get enough cards to get er done. They take v. little space....keeping them in a small waterproof container. Don't think that 256GB cards would be among them, since I'd not be at good place to lose THAT many images if something went ker plunk.

***I try to shoot photos that count.....reducing the overall amount.

You do as it works for you.

Click to expand...

Good point. Smaller cards may be better, because if you do have a failure, it's less that's lost. Although with dual card slots in backup mode, this is less of a concern, but I personally would never use a 256GB card... that a lot to ask from one card (maybe if I was shooting a lot of video I might but not stills).

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(NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread.)

Shoot less.

Do you realize how much (dollars and weight) your spending, let alone stress of managing it all? What do you plan to do with the image, eventually?

Whether pro or amateur, you should always have a goal in mind. Shooting a lot of pictures doesn't equate to good photography.

Whether it's computer files or just household "stuff" people seldom think of how much they are paying to store things.

Think about your mortgage and how much of your floor space is actually used by humans vs storing boxes and junk.

The above also applies to time. Being focused saves time.

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Satan loves the shadows - and the highlights.

HRC2016 said:

Shoot less.

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I do not believe in spray and pray. Number of shots depends if you are shooting fast moving wildlife or sun setting on a mountain range. Lots of shots at air shows - panning, blurted panning, capturing passing shots, etc.

HRC2016 said:

Do you realize how much (dollars and weight) your spending, let alone stress of managing it all? What do you plan to do with the image, eventually?

Click to expand...

Yes. Personal enjoyment, charity auctions, people in need of a little joy, etc.

HRC2016 said:

Whether pro or amateur, you should always have a goal in mind. Shooting a lot of pictures doesn't equate to good photography.

Click to expand...

Sometimes you just enjoy the moment. I always have shots in mind based on the situation. If you photograph wildlife, a lot of time is spent learning about an animal -locations, habitat, behaviors, etc.

HRC2016 said:

Whether it's computer files or just household "stuff" people seldom think of how much they are paying to store things.

Click to expand...

Yes, ditched the big house in 2010

HRC2016 said:

Think about your mortgage and how much of your floor space is actually used by humans vs storing boxes and junk.

The above also applies to time. Being focused saves time.

Click to expand...

I lived to a schedule my entire career and the last 17 was non-stop travel &executive meetings. I no longer wear a watch although I do use scheduling on my iPhone.

Good advice in some situations.

Have you ever been to Africa?

• Magnificent landscapes
• Glorious night skies
• Incredible Wildlife
• Interesting Culture
• Unique wildlife interactions
• Some the best wildlife experiences are spontaneous

You will find more unique shooting opportunities in one day than a month in other locations. I have watched a pride of lions for hours as a new cub is introduced to the pride. The lioness may take the cub to every member of the pride, prompting a unique interaction as the cub is accepted into the pride. I could give you hundreds of these experiences over the years. I could give you examples of hundreds of similar experiences.

As to stress, I am a very organized individual and once I have a strategy it is easy to execute. The reason for this thread was to flush out the strategy so it is automatic. I had already used these strategies on past wildlife trips but wanted to see there were better solutions.

I am fortunate that my career (retired) pays for my hobby and allows me to enjoy being in the wild experiencing the day and capturing memories / photographs. I am a nature/Wilde

I will add that I enjoy the technical and personal challenge. I have been considered legally blind since birth and it is fun to see how people react.(0 left eye, 20/200 R best correction).

HRC2016 said:

Shoot less.

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You're sort of making an assumption here. Maybe I wasn't clear, but I don't usually fill up the cards each day. In a long day where I'm doing some stuff, I might (but this also depends on which camera I'm using, such as my Z7 which can easily fill a 64GB card in about RAW 500 images).

This assumes you're spraying and praying probably, which I'm not unless I'm having to photograph something moving erratically that doesn't have a predictable pattern, then I do short bursts and only a few of them (enough to a point where i think I got the shot). Most of my shots are landscape and portraits, and I might bracket landscape shots, so for one scene, I might have 6-10 frames, but they are usually brackets. Occassionally, I will do an in-camera "backup" (second shot).

I think it's easier to say "shoot less" in some cases, but in others (say a 2 week once-in-a-life-time trip) it may be harder to "shoot less".

I will admit I do tend to shoot more of locations that I may not return to (or have no idea when if/when I will return to that location) or subjects that may be soon be gone for good (such as abandoned buildings; possibly some street art -- things that could be gone at short notice and/or without notice; obviously national parks and other key land features are different).

I shoot enough to cover myself.

And how about those who are shooting things like weddings, sporting events, etc? Are you going ot tell them to shoot less even though they may in fact shoot 1000+ images per event.

HRC2016 said:

Do you realize how much (dollars and weight) your spending, let alone stress of managing it all? What do you plan to do with the image, eventually?

Whether pro or amateur, you should always have a goal in mind. Shooting a lot of pictures doesn't equate to good photography.

Whether it's computer files or just household "stuff" people seldom think of how much they are paying to store things.

Think about your mortgage and how much of your floor space is actually used by humans vs storing boxes and junk.

The above also applies to time. Being focused saves time.

Click to expand...

Let me ask you this: How much are your photos worth?

For me, the "cost" in terms of time backing up and cost of spare memory cards is negligible especially considering I am still using the same 4 XQD cards I bought 4 years ago for $100 apiece. As for SSDs, they are quite cheap and you don't buy those every year either (more like every 3-5 years, and a 1TB SSD, which is what I use, is $120 each).

I've adopted more of the "professional" workflow maybe because I Do have to do product shots for work, and sometimes, especially if I'm doing field work, I can't go back and re-do work, so I error on the side of having too many backups than not enough. Not to mention, using fresh cards every day (when feasible) also prevents other bad things. I've heard a lot of stories regarding people (not just beginners but even pros) who accidentally formatted cards with data on them that they maybe needed, but luckily they had a backup. Other times, I've heard sad stories about people who buy one or two 256GB cards, keep all their shots on that, and have lost all or most of their images due to some error with the card or it gets corrupt. Frankly, if you're going to put in the effort to go to lengths to capture the images you do, its' worth your time (and some money) to ensure those captures are safe and that you have backups. But of course, you're not paying for my workflow, I am.

It only takes one time to lose photos, for people to realize the importance of backups. The only time too many backups becomes a problem is when you start to lose track of which one is most up to date, which I don't really have that problem.

I'm also more about getting the shot when you can, and then deleting it later, because if you miss a shot, you likely cannot go back and get it again (unless maybe it's a studio shoot or some other "controlled" shoot; certainly not something like a sporting event ,wedding, etc). I'd rather shoot too many and delete later.

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(NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread.)