Transfer Images From D3s & D810 To iPad To External Drive

[jvora]

Hello :

I have been googling the net to find a solution to transfer files from a D3s ( CF Card ) & D810 ( CF n SD Cards ) to an iPod & External Drive WITHOUT using a Computer - My aim is to travel without a computer.

The more I read & the more YouTube I see, the more confusing it gets - Specially as many articles are not current n the gear, that card reader or that drive is no longer available or works in ways not possible with today's gear.

I am hoping you great guys will be able to shed some light on what should be a straight forward back up workforce but unfortunately is not :banghead:

Kindly share insights how I can achieve the mentioned requirements - Thks,

Jai

ps : May cross post this Question on other forums.

 

[TRSmith]

I ran into a similar frustration during a trip to Italy last year. I was able to solve it by purchasing a reader that allowed lightning to SD card that I found at an Apple store in Rome. It worked flawlessly and allowed me to offload the SD card to the iPad. I noticed on the Apple site that they are still selling the lightning-to-SD card reader. I don't think there is one for CF cards, but they do sell a lightning to USB camera connection that might allow you to plug the camera directly into the dongle and offload that way.

One alternative might be a WiFi card that would enable wireless transfer to your iPad. Like this one: Eyefi mobiProZ-32 Mobi Pro 32GB WiFi SDHC CARD.

Good luck!

 

[stngoldberg]

Buy a Epson Multimedia storage viewer...
I have a P-5000 that holds 80 GB that I will sell you cheap
It is in original box, used just once
Stanley

 

[Godfrey]

This is not too hard to do but it isn't utterly simple. Consider it as a two step process:
- transfer images from camera to iPad
- transfer images from iPad to hard drive

What you need:
- compatible solution for moving the files from camera to iPad

For SD card cameras, this can be either the Lightning to SD Card Camera Adapter or Lightning to USB Camera Adapter cable. With the former, you pull the card from the camera and plug it into the cable, plug the cable into the iPad, and tell the iPad what files you want to transfer to its storage. With the latter, the caveat is that some cameras are not recognizable as image storage devices or don't have the correct protocols for PTP. You can also connect a USB card reader to the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter for both CF and SD card reading. Again some are not compatible but my current Lexar is ... If I can find it, I'll post the model number back to this thread.

The Lightning to SD Card Camera Adapter seems rock solid with every camera I've used it with, and every card, so for your D810 that's a simple solution. For the D3, you'll have to experiment with the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter and a card reader.​

- compatible solution for moving the files from iPad to hard disk

You need a drive specifically set up with an storage management app on the iPad to do the transfer. I've heard good reports from people using the LaCie Fuel listed in this article: https://www.lifewire.com/best-external-hard-drives-ipad-1994420

You use this drive with the storage management app supplied for it to move image files from your iPad to the drive or the other way as well.​

So: the workflow is pretty straightforward.

- Take pictures with camera
- Read pictures with iPad from card or camera
- Store pictures from iPad to hard disk

G

Hello :

I have been googling the net to find a solution to transfer files from a D3s ( CF Card ) & D810 ( CF n SD Cards ) to an iPod & External Drive WITHOUT using a Computer - My aim is to travel without a computer.

The more I read & the more YouTube I see, the more confusing it gets - Specially as many articles are not current n the gear, that card reader or that drive is no longer available or works in ways not possible with today's gear.

I am hoping you great guys will be able to shed some light on what should be a straight forward back up workforce but unfortunately is not :banghead:

Kindly share insights how I can achieve the mentioned requirements - Thks,

Jai

ps : May cross post this Question on other forums.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Cheap, alternative solution:

- Buy cheap, Chinese tablet computer. Mine is a $300 Chuwi 12" that runs Windows 10 and Android.
- Attach card reader, any USB card reader, to one of the two USB 3 contacts.
- Attach an external disk drive to the other USB 3 contact or insert a 128 GB Micro SD card to the slot of the tablet.
- Transfer photos to disk or Micro SD card.
- Open Photoshop under Windows 10 (I haven't tried this yet, but it's supposed to work, although slowly).
- Edit photos.

Alternative solution for those with more money than me:

- Buy a MacBook MacBook, the one that is Light. Years ahead and costs a minimum of $1,299 and is almost as light as an iPad.
- Find a USB-C card reader or buy a dongle or buy a USB-C hub, since the damned thing is so many Light. Years ahead that it only has one USB-C contact and is probably meant to transfer files by cosmic brain waves.
- Transfer photos to MacBook MacBook (your photos will now be Light. Years ahead), or to a WiFi enabled disk.

Bonus: it's a real computer, kind of, with a real keyboard and can run Photoshop too.

 

[Godfrey]

Jorgen,

This isn't an answer to the question. It's very tiresome to see you promoting your crusade against Apple whenever someone asks for a little help in doing something.

Many of us are quite happy with our iPads and Apple computers. Even the very latest ones, thank you. We have zero interest in buying another computer, table, or learning/running Android or Windows.

I don't give a damn if you hate Apple for whatever reasons.
You should use something else and let other people help each other use what they have in peace.

G

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Jorgen,

This isn't an answer to the question. It's very tiresome to see you promoting your crusade against Apple whenever someone asks for a little help in doing something.

Many of us are quite happy with our iPads and Apple computers. Even the very latest ones, thank you. We have zero interest in buying another computer, table, or learning/running Android or Windows.

I don't give a damn if you hate Apple for whatever reasons.
You should use something else and let other people help each other use what they have in peace.

G

I've been an Apple user for 20+ years and will probably remain one for the foreseeable future. I don't hate Apple. However, an iPad isn't a very practical solution for transferring photos from a camera to a hard disk. The best solution is actually a small MacBook, although much more expensive than the solution I bought. I've mentioned the MacBook MacBook already, but the discontinued MacBook Air 11" is almost perfect for the task, with a weight of around a kilogram, two USB 3 ports and a Thunderbolt port. It lacks an SD slot, but for those who needs a card reader for the CF cards anyway, that doesn't matter much. The MacBook Air 13" is still in production and isn't much larger or heavier at 1.365 kg. It's more than an iPad of course, but no dongles, converters or innovative solutions are needed. You just connect what you need to connect. It has a decent, backlit keyboard too, and runs full versions of any software, obviously including Photoshop etc. With up to 512 GB SSD, an external hard disk isn't really needed. It's a "one-stop-solution", and it is what I travelled with for years before I changed to the 15" Retina. I still miss it.

As long as I have worked with computers, for 40+ years now, compatibility has been a major priority. It was a priority with an IBM 370 and it's a priority with a modern, pocket sized device. For many suppliers, not least Apple, that priority seems to be fading. The result is that for every new gadget, we often need to buy new peripherals and/or dongles and converters to make stuff work. The most diplomatic term I can find about this is "counterproductive". If I need to transport 5 people, I buy a car with 5 seats, not a sports car with an optional roof rack for 3 extra passengers. If I need to copy photos from a camera that uses CF cards to a hard disk, I buy a computing device that can connect the CF card and the disk drive. That's also what I recommend others to do. The iPad is not that device. It's a cool gadget that can do many things, but copying files between external devices was clearly not the priority of the Apple design team.

 

[Jack]

I'm with Jorgen on this -- and honestly of late have become much more "anti-Apple."

First re the OP, I agree the best solution is a small laptop. I'd probably choose one of the Airs or possibly a MacBook or even one of the now so reasonably-priced PC tablets for travel, and a small 1TB remote drive.

I know folks like their iPads, I have one I used for all of one trip and it's been sitting on my floor unused ever since. In my mind, it's less useful than my iPhone except for personal games, entertainment and basic web/email -- heck, you can't even print out an email attachment from it, so for my business it's basically useless -- and all of those shortcomings I can still do on my 6 year old Air. And it still runs CS and C1, not fast, but well enough for one-off processing...

My main gripe with Apple as a company is adopting every new connectivity solution without leaving any on-board legacy connectivity on every new release laptop. But then it's my choice to NOT upgrade until I find an appropriate connectivity solution *I* am comfortable with. So in the long run, it's got me using my Apple products for many more revision cycles than most do.

 

[Steen]

(...) My aim is to travel without a computer. (...)

Do you need more storing space then what you can get by buying some large CF and SD cards ?

(At least the D810 has dual card slots so that you can use the one slot for backup storage).

 

[Vivek]

Jack, yes you can print (email attachments) from an iPad. Use a wifi or bluetooth enabled printer.

USB Type C is awesome and Apple made the right move.

I'm with Jorgen on this -- and honestly of late have become much more "anti-Apple."

First re the OP, I agree the best solution is a small laptop. I'd probably choose one of the Airs or possibly a MacBook or even one of the now so reasonably-priced PC tablets for travel, and a small 1TB remote drive.

I know folks like their iPads, I have one I used for all of one trip and it's been sitting on my floor unused ever since. In my mind, it's less useful than my iPhone except for personal games, entertainment and basic web/email -- heck, you can't even print out an email attachment from it, so for my business it's basically useless -- and all of those shortcomings I can still do on my 6 year old Air. And it still runs CS and C1, not fast, but well enough for one-off processing...

My main gripe with Apple as a company is adopting every new connectivity solution without leaving any on-board legacy connectivity on every new release laptop. But then it's my choice to NOT upgrade until I find an appropriate connectivity solution *I* am comfortable with. So in the long run, it's got me using my Apple products for many more revision cycles than most do.

 

[Vivek]

To the OP, avoid Chinese PCs, tablets Chuwavi etc. worthless crap and money down the drain.

 

[Godfrey]

To the OP:

I found this device: Seagate Wireless Plus hard drive. Looks like it would do you the job you want simply and easily.

To Jorgen and Jack:

Fine. I think it's a crappy way to try to help someone to tell them "do something else" when the equipment they have is quite capable of doing what they want.

G

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

To the OP:

I found this device: Seagate Wireless Plus hard drive. Looks like it would do you the job you want simply and easily.

To Jorgen and Jack:

Fine. I think it's a crappy way to try to help someone to tell them "do something else" when the equipment they have is quite capable of doing what they want.

G

A wireless disk may be a functional solution, and one that I investigated when I considered the iPad Pro a year or two ago. There are however limitations.

- Wireless transfer speed is according to reviews slow, and not even documented by the suppliers of these devices (mostly Seagate and and WD).
- Functionality is limited by the on-board apps. Since the wireless function depends on one or more of those apps, one can't just format the disk and configure it for one's own needs. This is actually the first thing I do with any HDD, format it for Mac to get maximum performance with my Apple computers.

People have different needs, but I maintain the view that a small MacBook is a much more functional solution for this purpose. I do consider buying an Air while they're still available.

 

[Godfrey]

A wireless disk may be a functional solution, and one that I investigated when I considered the iPad Pro a year or two ago. There are however limitations.

- Wireless transfer speed is according to reviews slow, and not even documented by the suppliers of these devices (mostly Seagate and and WD).
- Functionality is limited by the on-board apps. Since the wireless function depends on one or more of those apps, one can't just format the disk and configure it for one's own needs. This is actually the first thing I do with any HDD, format it for Mac to get maximum performance with my Apple computers.

People have different needs, but I maintain the view that a small MacBook is a much more functional solution for this purpose. I do consider buying an Air while they're still available.

Happy to hear your view—again.

I transfer hundreds of megabytes of files via wireless all the time. No problems at all, either with speed or with reliability. It's what the iPad and iOS was designed to do, better and more efficiently than macOS. I know: I worked in Apple technical support on that specific area for some years, and wrote some of the developer documentation for using the file system libraries on iOS and macOS in more recent times.

But what would I know about it? :toocool:

G

 

[rayyan]

On reading through the posts in this thread, I get a feeling of slight acrimony creeping in.

I am certain all contributors are trying to answer the OP's query, in the most helpful way based on their experience/knowledge.

That there could be alternate opinions/solutions being put forward, must be welcomed. Of course all such discourse must be ' civil '.

It is upto the OP to evaluate the responses, carry out his/her own evaluation and arrive at an option that is suitable to him/her, based on needs, and budgets.

Making no decision, is also a decision. If arrived at after due diligence.
I just carry multiple cf/sd cards, and appreciate the facility of a working dual card slot camera.

To the OP....take all our suggestions with varying quantities of salt grain.

Good luck with your search. May you find a solution with a devine connection to your computer.

 

[Vivek]

The campaign against Apple is easily understood following this:

https://www.getdpi.com/forum/gear-garage/60147-new-mbp-sums-up.html

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I've now spent a couple of hours on this, and there seems to be one very workable solution, and it's workable because it eliminates the iPad for the transfer to the disk. Here's the device:

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless-pro.html#WDBSMT0040BBK-NESN

It's wireless alright, 802.11ac which gives up to 433Mb/s. That translates into just over 50MB/s, but what it means in real transfer capacity is anybody's guess. I've been through more than 10 reviews, and none of them answers this question. It should be more than fast enough for reviewing files that are already on the disk though, using wireless or cable connection to the iPad.

It features an SD slot (it's slow but probably good enough), a USB 3 port for cable connection to other devices, and a USB 2 host port. That means that one can connect a card reader or even a camera directly to the drive. I don't own the device, so I don't know how this works in practice, but the SD reader is automatic and transfers all files from the card that are not already on the disk.

This is a device I might actually buy, since it can probably be used even with a phone, and obviously with most "real" computers.

Here's a link to the user manual:

https://www.wdc.com/content/dam/wdc/website/downloadable_assets/eng/user_manual/4779-705151.pdf

What is really frustrating is that the majority reviews on the internet are done by amateurs and enthusiasts with no journalistic background or knowledge. While some of them might know their technical stuff, they are rarely competent enough writers to convey the finer details of a product to their audience. They look at what they need for their own use, and that's more or less it.

Oh.... it doesn't feature a USB-C port, so can't be connected to the new MacBook Pro without a dongle. I have to live up to my "hate reputation" you know :ROTFL: :chug: :lecture:

Edit: The dpr review is actually rather decent:
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/wd-my-passport-wireless-pro

 

[TRSmith]

This thread made me smile. It somehow seems fairly representative of so many online discussions where lots of people chime in with helpful ideas (all of which are correct) and days later, the OP is in the wind. Ah well.

 

[Steen]

On reading through the posts in this thread, I get a feeling of slight acrimony creeping in.

I am certain all contributors are trying to answer the OP's query, in the most helpful way based on their experience/knowledge.

That there could be alternate opinions/solutions being put forward, must be welcomed. Of course all such discourse must be ' civil '.

It is upto the OP to evaluate the responses, carry out his/her own evaluation and arrive at an option that is suitable to him/her, based on needs, and budgets.

Making no decision, is also a decision. If arrived at after due diligence.
I just carry multiple cf/sd cards, and appreciate the facility of a working dual card slot camera.

To the OP....take all our suggestions with varying quantities of salt grain.

Good luck with your search. May you find a solution with a devine connection to your computer.

Phew, thank you rayyan, well spoken :thumbup:


Btw, I just realized that the D3s also has Dual Card slots, so actually both cameras have such an extra card slot for e.g. back-up storage.

And after all the OP explicitly mentioned that what he was looking for was a "straight forward back up workforce".