digital camera and ipod connector

[tstoneman]

Hi guys,

I've read through some of the threads and I haven't read anyone mentioning the following so I was wondering if it's a good idea.

I am gearing up for my trip to Europe, and I am bringing my digital camera. Instead of bringing a laptop, I bought a 60 GB iPod with the ipod camera connector, since I plan on taking photos, but also a lot of digital videos. I'm going for 30 days, so this allows me to take a ridiculous 2 GB per day if need be, so I should be okay. Since I will partially fill this with movies and tv shows to keep me entertained on long train rides, it serves a dual purpose.


Does this sound like a good idea?

Thanks,

Terry

[MuvverRussia]

Sounds like a great idea to me. In terms of storage the ipod is bigger than most photo storage devices, as well as being cheaper (UK prices), smaller and multi function.

The only problem is the battery life on the new ipods when watching videos and the theft risk. That said, if you don't use white headphones (these scream steal me and are also pretty poor in terms of sound quality compared to decent aftermarket ones like Shure's e2cs) and don't wave it around then you should be ok.

[rchua]

there's a way to connect a digital camera to an ipod? how's that possible? i'm bringing my dig cam and was wondering how to store pics....

[dumbdiety]

www.belkin.com/ipod/cameralink/#

[Eagle]

I've also got a few relevant comments on the subject of using I-Pods for photo storage.

First, regarding the Belkin Photo Adapter - I've seen a LOT of comments on this on various photo forums, as this is generally not considered the best option. The device is larger than the I-Pod, and requires it's own batteries. The transfer speed is also reported to be very slow (2GB transfer might take a while, and if the batteries in either the I-Pod or the Belkin device go flat in the middle of the transfer, it's a pain in the a**!).

The Apple supplied Camera connector is probably an easier solution, as it's simply a Cable that connects the Camera to the I-Pod (again, it's important that the I-Pod is fully charged when doing photo transfers).

As Muvver mentioned, the risk of theft is an important consideration as well. I've read a few reports on the web about "gangs" in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower watching for people with the "signature" white Earphones, and then swarming them and taking the I-Pod. I'm not sure I want to risk my vacation pictures by "advertising" that I have an I-Pod. Using "other" Earphones such as the Shure E2C might minimize this somewhat? If you're looking for other types of Earphones, have a look at www.headphone.com for a good selection. I've found their prices and service to be quite good. I've been using a pair of the www.headphone.com/products/headphones/in-ear-monitor/ultimate-ears-superfi-3-studio-white.php for a few months, and they've been awesome!

Finally, the MOST important point to consider if planning to use an I-Pod for photo storage is the reliability of the device! There have been numerous posts on various I-Pod forums concerning the units "freezing" or whatever; this seems to affect ALL generations of I-Pods. According to what I learned in a LONG conversation with the Apple service people yesterday, this can occur due to either a hardware problem or a software problem (or perhaps both?). If this does happen after you've loaded your photos, and it's necessary to do a "restore", then all data (including photos) on the I-Pod hard drive will be lost!!!

The exact scenario mentioned above occurred with my Son's I-Pod, so I can tell you from personal experience that this DOES OCCUR! It was a later generation I-Pod photo, so I had assumed that most of the "bugs" had been worked out of the product (apparently not yet???). I won't know until later this month whether we'll be able to recover the several months worth of photos that he has stored on it?

I'm still debating which option to use for photo storage on my next trip, but highly doubt that I will use an I-Pod. I'm "leaning" towards the 80 GB FlashTrax XT, but will wait until seeing the reviews on the new Epson P-4500 before making a decision. I'm also considering just travelling with several 2 / 4 GB CF Cards, and getting DVD's burned at local photo shops.

Hope this has been some help? Good luck with your decision!