Storing images while traveling without a computer

[number_5]

I did a quick test using a Pixel 6a with:

• USB hub, data only, for $10 on sale ($18 for shorter cord).
• SD card reader for $8.
• 1TB USB SS flash drive for $118.

241 OM-1 images (RAW+JPG), ~4.34GB. The average transfer rate from the SD to the flash drive is about 60-65MB/s (displayed on screen). This is very doable for just copying a few hundred files to an USB flash drive. The only part I really didn't like is that Android created a few junk folders.

EDIT:

-

I get errors with the links which is common from this website. Security issues and doesn't matter what browser. Which hub is it out of interest?

Hub: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCDZWH5H

Card Reader: https://www.amazon.com/Card-Reader-Beikell-Memory-Adapter/dp/B09Z6JCKL7

SS Flash Drive: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-Solid-State-Flash/dp/B08GYPZ8GN

As for junk folders what are you using as a file manager?

I'm an Apple user. I got a budget Pixel 6a a couple of years ago as a travel phone, and I really don't speak Android. I plugged the hub with card reader + sd + flash drive, there popped a dialog for opening the default (?) file manager, and I selected 'yes'.

Okay sure. I'm guessing it's something called 'file viewer'. Was trying to work out what caused the extra files.

Folders - music, document, etc. Googled it, and can't turn them off.

What hub did you get?

I made sure it's USB and data only; too many hubs have HDMI, PD and network ports.

-

 

[Ephemeris]

I did a quick test using a Pixel 6a with:

• USB hub, data only, for $10 on sale ($18 for shorter cord).
• SD card reader for $8.
• 1TB USB SS flash drive for $118.

241 OM-1 images (RAW+JPG), ~4.34GB. The average transfer rate from the SD to the flash drive is about 60-65MB/s (displayed on screen). This is very doable for just copying a few hundred files to an USB flash drive. The only part I really didn't like is that Android created a few junk folders.

EDIT:

-

I get errors with the links which is common from this website. Security issues and doesn't matter what browser. Which hub is it out of interest?

Hub: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCDZWH5H

Card Reader: https://www.amazon.com/Card-Reader-Beikell-Memory-Adapter/dp/B09Z6JCKL7

SS Flash Drive: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-Solid-State-Flash/dp/B08GYPZ8GN

As for junk folders what are you using as a file manager?

I'm an Apple user. I got a budget Pixel 6a a couple of years ago as a travel phone, and I really don't speak Android. I plugged the hub with card reader + sd + flash drive, there popped a dialog for opening the default (?) file manager, and I selected 'yes'.

Okay sure. I'm guessing it's something called 'file viewer'. Was trying to work out what caused the extra files.

Folders - music, document, etc. Googled it, and can't turn them off.

What hub did you get?

I made sure it's USB and data only; too many hubs have HDMI, PD and network ports.

-

You can copy individual folders, files or groups of from the internal storage to external

Thanks for the data on the hub.

 

[jjbinx]

My wife and I take enough SD cards that we can swap-out every day or as needed.
Occasionally I’ll copy from card to card to backup ‘important’ images.

We use at least 3 cameras so if we do lose or have an SD get lost/damaged there’s always plenty of redundancy in the images across the cameras.

I’d worry about a computer or other single device failing or being stolen. Not every place we stay has a safe. A little bag/box of SDs is easy to manage and 64G cards are ideal for us and quite cheap too.

jj

I agree about the little bag of SD cards. I want mostly to copy them for back up.

If your camera has two slots you can write to both and swap out both each day, putting them in different boxes and keeping them separate for security.

Sandisk 64GB 200 SD are < $15 (B&H)

or you can buy a couple of 512GB cards as your backup media and do an in-camera copy each day.

Sandisk 512GB 200 are just $64. If your writing 50GB of images per day in your camera that would hold 2 weeks worth

jj

 

[Gary Martin]

It probably varies a lot by the length of the trip and type of trip. I'm guessing that someone shooting a safari with long lenses is very diligent about reliably backing up their work with multiple types of media, whereas a vacationer on a cruise could have a much simpler solution (or none at all).

As for me, I feel comfortable relying on a dual-card slot camera, with two 64 or 128 GB SD cards from a reliable brand like SanDisk, with each card holding the same data. So far this has worked well for over a decade, for lots of trips and many thousands of images. I don't shoot video, but I imagine if I did that I would need much more card capacity.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

While I always travel with a computer or tablet that can store my RAW files, here are some options if you don't:

1.) multiple cards (if your camera supports dual card slots, keep one copy in the hotel, and take the second copy with you so there is always two copies in two different locations). For me, this is what I do in addition to backing up on my tablet/laptop, so that way I have 3-4 copies, with at least one copy off-site (not in the hotel room). I have never needed to rely on any of the backups (knock on wood) but it's nice to have them, but at the very least, use the backup mode in your camera if you have dual card slots and just bring spare cards.

2.) Get a drive like the WD Passport with a USB port or built-in card reader (these are harder to find, but they are still available some places -- it automatically backs up your cards to the drive).

3.-) If you don't have a second card slot, and you don't want to buy an external HDD, you could get a USB dongle to read your memory cards and store them on your phone but you will need enough storage to do this.

Even though you don't want a tablet, I would recommend at least getting a small tablet like a Samsung Galaxy 8" tablet with an SD card slot and reader to back up your photos if you don't have two card slots on your camera. You want a backup of some sort. You can find these tablets relatively cheap like $150 in some cases, and a 128GB micro SD card say for about $20. The combo is not very big, and then you'd just need a cable or card reader that works with the tablet. That's what I would do at the very least, unless you just carry spare cards.

 

[john isaacs]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

I prefer having a computer so I can see, process, and post some pictures. But, if it's a short trip, just bring some extra cards. If it's a longer trip, then you can transfer photos from a card to an SSD, you just need a modern smartphone, a USB hub with card reader, an SSD, and a power adapter (plus a few cables).

 

[Chizuka]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

While I always travel with a computer or tablet that can store my RAW files, here are some options if you don't:

1.) multiple cards (if your camera supports dual card slots, keep one copy in the hotel, and take the second copy with you so there is always two copies in two different locations). For me, this is what I do in addition to backing up on my tablet/laptop, so that way I have 3-4 copies, with at least one copy off-site (not in the hotel room). I have never needed to rely on any of the backups (knock on wood) but it's nice to have them, but at the very least, use the backup mode in your camera if you have dual card slots and just bring spare cards.

2.) Get a drive like the WD Passport with a USB port or built-in card reader (these are harder to find, but they are still available some places -- it automatically backs up your cards to the drive).

3.-) If you don't have a second card slot, and you don't want to buy an external HDD, you could get a USB dongle to read your memory cards and store them on your phone but you will need enough storage to do this.

Even though you don't want a tablet, I would recommend at least getting a small tablet like a Samsung Galaxy 8" tablet with an SD card slot and reader to back up your photos if you don't have two card slots on your camera. You want a backup of some sort. You can find these tablets relatively cheap like $150 in some cases, and a 128GB micro SD card say for about $20. The combo is not very big, and then you'd just need a cable or card reader that works with the tablet. That's what I would do at the very least, unless you just carry spare cards.

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I do have dual card slots but that might mean that I will need a lot of SD cards. But i think I will start that way and if I run out of SD cards, i will start backing them up on a USB via my phone.

 

[Aaron801]

... just make sure you have plenty of SD cards. They're cheap enough and if you were to transfer the stuff to another device that might fail. SD cards are probably more reliable than a lot of other, if not most/all other storage mediums...

 

[BirdShooter7]

I’ve been testing out the following combination for the past week and so far it’s been working.

Samsung Galaxy A14 that I bought for $100 “refurbished” from Amazon.

Anker USB-C SD 4.0 Card Reader, Powerexpand+ 2-in-1 Memory Card Reader.

I have a 512GB microSD in one slot and use the full sized SD slot for the memory card from the camera. Using My Files I can back up 32GB of photos in around 15 minutes. I’d love faster but this is at least fast enough to be acceptable for me.

This gives me a way to back up and organize my photos while on the road. The microSD card is my backup and I bring a SD card for each day as my primary copy. When I get home I can download everything from the microSD card to my computer for editing.

I like that it’s small, light and simple and didn’t cost all that much.

--
Some of my bird photos can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregsbirds/

 

[Ephemeris]

I’ve been testing out the following combination for the past week and so far it’s been working.

Samsung Galaxy A14 that I bought for $100 “refurbished” from Amazon.

Anker USB-C SD 4.0 Card Reader, Powerexpand+ 2-in-1 Memory Card Reader.

I have a 512GB microSD in one slot and use the full sized SD slot for the memory card from the camera. Using My Files I can back up 32GB of photos in around 15 minutes. I’d love faster but this is at least fast enough to be acceptable for me.

This gives me a way to back up and organize my photos while on the road. The microSD card is my backup and I bring a SD card for each day as my primary copy. When I get home I can download everything from the microSD card to my computer for editing.

I like that it’s small, light and simple and didn’t cost all that much.

--
Some of my bird photos can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregsbirds/

That does look a very compact system BS and only one wire.

I've seen things like this but not sure if better ones are available.

Pardon our interruption...

Maplin (what was a UK electronics store) sold something that looks very similar but only for Apple.

 

[Chizuka]

I’ve been testing out the following combination for the past week and so far it’s been working.

Samsung Galaxy A14 that I bought for $100 “refurbished” from Amazon.

Anker USB-C SD 4.0 Card Reader, Powerexpand+ 2-in-1 Memory Card Reader.

I have a 512GB microSD in one slot and use the full sized SD slot for the memory card from the camera. Using My Files I can back up 32GB of photos in around 15 minutes. I’d love faster but this is at least fast enough to be acceptable for me.

This gives me a way to back up and organize my photos while on the road. The microSD card is my backup and I bring a SD card for each day as my primary copy. When I get home I can download everything from the microSD card to my computer for editing.

I like that it’s small, light and simple and didn’t cost all that much.

That sounds like a great set up.

Are you doing the transfer via Files or File Manager?
As i said before, i have now manage to copy 6 photos that were on an otherwise empty SD card but when I put a 64gb SD card in, i cannot see the content in File manager app. It’s like there are too many files for the phone to process.
But with Files, i can see the content but cannot copy!!
i will maybe buy the set up you have and see what happens!

Thanks for your contribution to this conversation.

--
“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” -
Robert Bresson.

Lucie Gagnon

Browse 200,000 curated photos from photographers all over the world

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Explore Lucie’s 855 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[number_5]

That does look a very compact system BS and only one wire.

I've seen things like this but not sure if better ones are available.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40383988...hSttH_LRP6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Unfortunately, the SD reader is USB 1, ~15MB/s.

Matlin (what was a UK electronics store) sold something that looks very similar but only for Apple.

 

[Ephemeris]

That does look a very compact system BS and only one wire.

I've seen things like this but not sure if better ones are available.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40383988...hSttH_LRP6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Unfortunately, the SD reader is USB 1, ~15MB/s.

I hadn't spotted that, thanks.

I just read 'Quickly and smoothly speed up the transfer, support all USB 3.0/2.0 device'but couldn't see any detail.

Matlin (what was a UK electronics store) sold something that looks very similar but only for Apple.

 

[Chizuka]

I’ve been testing out the following combination for the past week and so far it’s been working.

Samsung Galaxy A14 that I bought for $100 “refurbished” from Amazon.

Anker USB-C SD 4.0 Card Reader, Powerexpand+ 2-in-1 Memory Card Reader.

I have a 512GB microSD in one slot and use the full sized SD slot for the memory card from the camera. Using My Files I can back up 32GB of photos in around 15 minutes. I’d love faster but this is at least fast enough to be acceptable for me.

This gives me a way to back up and organize my photos while on the road. The microSD card is my backup and I bring a SD card for each day as my primary copy. When I get home I can download everything from the microSD card to my computer for editing.

I like that it’s small, light and simple and didn’t cost all that much.

Yeh! THAT WORKED!!!
Thank you so much Birdshooter 7 and everyone who has helped in trying to solve this problem!
I spent 5 days trying most of the things you suggested but nothing worked. I still don’t know why but…

this solution from Birdshooter 7 works well and fast.

THANK YOU ALL !

--
“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” -
Robert Bresson.
https://1x.com/luciegagnon
https://500px.com/blue_iris
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chizuka/

 

[joseph_AU]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

I just buy several SD cards (if I am going to exceed the capacity of one card). Otherwise, a large capacity card is a beautiful thing (256GB, 512GB, etc.)

For back-up (a sensible choice), I have been known to use a USB-OTG (On The Go) adapter in a tablet or phone, allowing for a regular full-sized USB device to be attached (such as a USB stick or SD card reader). Reading of the SD card from the camera is taken care of with an SD card reader. I transfer the images / videos to the device's MicroSD storage using my favourite file manager.

I prefer devices that have a MicroSD slot. This way, even if something happens to the phone or tablet (making the device inoperable), that MicroSD card can be ejected & placed in an SD card adapter and the images retrieved: the phone or tablet doesn't even have to work for you to get access to that back-up.

Of course, once the images are in the phone or tablet, with a USB OTG adapter those files may be transferred over again from the device to a USB stick or another SD card, etc.

 

[David PH]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

With a couple of 256GB (or larger) SD cards, you should be set for the entire trip. These days, I don’t think there’s much need to back up everything immediately like before.

If you really want to back up while traveling, you’d run into a significant issue: time and transfer speed. If you’re abroad, you likely won’t have much upload bandwidth on your phone for transferring photos via tethering—RAW files are heavy, even when compressed.

Using WiFi? I don’t trust hotel or restaurant networks, especially if you’re uploading work or personal photos. Plus, they’re usually painfully slow.

At this point, the only real option—if you absolutely want to back up—is using an external SSD. You’d need a small hub to connect both an SD card reader and the SSD to make the copy.

Cheers

David

 

[Ellinor William]

This is an interesting discussion going on here. Many photographers who travel without a laptop rely on a combination of SD cards, portable backup drives, and mobile phones to store their images. Some carry multiple high-capacity SD cards, swapping them as they fill up, and downloading everything once they return home.

I would highly recommend, use portable backup drives like the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD or WD My Passport Wireless Pro, which allow direct SD card backups without needing a computer. Since you have an iPad, you could also use an SD card to iPad adapter or the GoPro Quik app to transfer footage and then offload it to an external drive if needed.

 

[Chizuka]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

With a couple of 256GB (or larger) SD cards, you should be set for the entire trip. These days, I don’t think there’s much need to back up everything immediately like before.

If you really want to back up while traveling, you’d run into a significant issue: time and transfer speed. If you’re abroad, you likely won’t have much upload bandwidth on your phone for transferring photos via tethering—RAW files are heavy, even when compressed.

Using WiFi? I don’t trust hotel or restaurant networks, especially if you’re uploading work or personal photos. Plus, they’re usually painfully slow.

At this point, the only real option—if you absolutely want to back up—is using an external SSD. You’d need a small hub to connect both an SD card reader and the SSD to make the copy.

Cheers

David

Thanks David for your viewpoint. I am all set now thanks to bidrshooter7. See post a few posts above.

i don’t know how many SD cards i will use because if I get a chance to do bird photography, that could use a lot of pics.
Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Ephemeris]

Hi everyone,

Currently I don't use Cloud Storage and I am hoping to travel without a computer to save space and weight. For those of you who travel without a computer, what do you use to store images while travelling? Do you just buy a lot of SD cards and download your pics when you get home? Do you carry a portable drive and find an access to computer somehow along the way to download your pics?

With a couple of 256GB (or larger) SD cards, you should be set for the entire trip. These days, I don’t think there’s much need to back up everything immediately like before.

If you really want to back up while traveling, you’d run into a significant issue: time and transfer speed. If you’re abroad, you likely won’t have much upload bandwidth on your phone for transferring photos via tethering—RAW files are heavy, even when compressed.

Using WiFi? I don’t trust hotel or restaurant networks, especially if you’re uploading work or personal photos. Plus, they’re usually painfully slow.

At this point, the only real option—if you absolutely want to back up—is using an external SSD. You’d need a small hub to connect both an SD card reader and the SSD to make the copy.

Cheers

David

Fast USB 3.1 or above large USB memory stick storage is also readily available as an alternative to an SSD. Low power, small.

 

[AWG_Pics]

We do at least two month long trips per year. Birding including BIF, landscapes, interesting nature. I have never yet filled a card. Not even with my 45 MPixel D850. I always carry spare cards, but they sit idle.