iPad as portable image storage

[Cal Walters]

Has anyone use their iPad as a portable flash drive to store RAW images during travel? I am looking to lighten my load as much as possible on an upcoming trip so I can get all my camera, lenses, scope, tripod, etc. gear over with few extra charges. If I can leave my laptop at home - all the better.

I have one of the portable hard drives with a screen to store images, but it is probably won't hold more than 8 gig. I always found the unit heavy and rather clunky in its operation so I am not keen on getting a new one.

If you've used an iPad in this manner, did you find any issues with image quality (as the images get copied on and off devices several times before they get worked on)? Were there Apps that supported RAW ties or the copying, organizing, and storing of images?

[Ulli Hoeger]

Not sure with what kind of internal storage capacity iPads currently come with (128GB, 256GB?), but without external HD to dump files their capabilities as mass-storage device are somewhat limited during extended trips ..... However, with one or better two external HDs (backup!) the combo would still be a space and weight saver over net- or notbooks.

As far as data integrety is concerned just copying files from one drive to another will not degrade image quality -unless the file gets corrupted, but then there is no more image to be worried about-. Image degredatrion will only happen to compressed image formats (jpgs) that are repeatetly openend and saved (not just copied or closed without saving the original again) as here the compression routine will everytime loose a bit more of the information in the resulting file. That will be not an issue with your intended workflow that involves backing up raw files from memory cards to another storage device. Even looking and working with those should not harm image integrety.

Ulli

[Cal Walters]

Ulli,
Thanks for the thoughts. So if I am following you, I could move them to the iPad - delete any obvious lousy ones and then move them to a portable external hard drive? Good idea. Thanks for the clarification on file degradation too.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Cal,

Greetings. I used an iPad (version 2) for image storage, maybe a dozen times. Capacity wasn't so much of an issue most of the time, but the last trip I was on juggling videos (for entertainment) and backup photo space wasn't much fun so I no longer do this. It is nice to be able to preview images on a relatively large screen. I was unhappy with the one editing app that I got (a couple of years ago) and never looked for another just being happy with previewing (I don't delete images).

I/O is a little slow (or was on the iPad 2). It's just a electronic copy of your raw file so image quality isn't degraded (if you use the iPad as just a backup).

It's not my style to attempt to edit on an iPad so no advice there on apps & such.

In any event I used a Hyperdrive Colorspace as a secondary backup to the iPad backup. I now skip the iPad backup & try to keep one set on cards, one on the hyperdrive. I think it won't be too long before we are all backing up to the cloud.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Steve Greenhough]

Cal

Only the new Ipad Air has a worthwhile amount of storage for photo use (128 Gb). However it will not store or display RAW files it imports and converts to JPEG. It also will not transfer images back to a hard drive so reviewing,deleting and storing on an external drive is not possible.

If you really don't want to take a laptop and save weight the only cheap solution is to use a Raspberry Pi with Gphoto2 software and a small portable external HD. The whole lot can be purchased for less than £100 and run over WiFi using an Ipad or Ipad Mini.

Hope this helps

Steve

[Cal Walters]

I think it won't be too long before we are all backing up to the cloud.
-Michael-

I'm just not sure the cloud will make it to New Guinea by June!:e3 So you had no issue getting the images back off the iPad? I had read other comments like Steve's indicating it was an issue.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

I'm just not sure the cloud will make it to New Guinea by June!:e3 So you had no issue getting the images back off the iPad? I had read other comments like Steve's indicating it was an issue.

I hook the iPad up to my PC (USB/iPad old style connector for iPad2) and open it like an external drive to move files to the computer. In WIndows Explorer the iPad looks like an external drive. It has a file called Internal Storage that is just the base folder for the images with a folder called DCIM.

Recalling the set-up. There is a Ipad2 port to USB connector (a typical white Apple connector) USB cable to mini-port (USB) on camera. The app just downloaded images (either selected or all on card). Raw files (& jpegs) are just copied to the location described above on iPad. From iPad to computer (as above) is again just a digital copy from iPad to computer disk. No difference from card to disk as any digital copy.

You should definitely try it all out before it's critical. Not an expensive solution if you already have the iPad. I have no experience with this solution on the newer iPads (minis or Air).

By the way, I used a similar solution using an iPod (2nd or third generation) a few years ago. Worked okay but slow and drained both the iPod battery and camera battery.

Good luck.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Steve Greenhough]

Cal

Michael is correct it is possible to transfer the files back from the Ipad to a computer, including the RAW files, which it will store but not display. As I understood your original question you did not want to carry your computer on the trip and wanted to transfer to an external hard drive in order to save weight. It is not possible to transfer files from the Ipad to an external drive without a computer intermediary.

If you are shooting RAW (even with a 128 GB Ipad) the Ipad doesn't provide much storage over using CF or SD cards which are much cheaper per GB. If I go out for the day to shoot bird photos I can easily fill a 16 GB card :-) Depending on your keeper ratio you may get away with


If, like me, you want additional backups then the Raspberry Pi solution (which does require a bit of Linux learning) works very well.

Best wishes

Steve