# JPEG as a travel alternative



## miah (Aug 30, 2013)

Like probably most of the folks on this forum I shoot RAW, but I'm considering switching to large-format JPEG and would like some feedback.

I travel. A lot. I do so either on foot or by motorcycle, so space and weight are critical. In November of last year I swallowed hard and purchased a 5D3 to "replace" my T3i, knowing that this body and L lenses would be quite a bit larger and heavier than what I was accustomed to carrying. I did so because my desire for better IQ eventually trumped my desire to minimize weight/bulk. Here's a quick comparison of my old set-up vs new:

OLD: T3i + EF-S 15-85 + EF 70-300DO
NEW: 5D3 + EF 24-105 + EF 70-300L

I presently own a 2011, 11-inch MacBook Air equipped with USB 2.0. The new 2013 MacBook Air is equipped with USB 3.0. The latter would make transferring files between CF cards and computer much more rapid/convenient, though it would also require upgrading to all new USB 3.0 hard drives, as well (I carry 2, 1TB mirrors).

So here's my thought: I could forego upgrading my computer and hard drives, thus saving money that could be spent on traveling instead, and still maintain speed/convenience, if I switch from RAW to shooting JPEG for this trip. JPEG files are so much more compact than RAW that I wouldn't need larger HDDs or USB 3.0 to push the files around.

I'd love to hear some pros and cons while I still have time to exercise either option. Oh, and I use LR4 and Photoshop CS6 to edit my photos. I mention this because I've had good luck in the past when faced with editing the occasional JPEG file.

Thanks in advance for any input you can offer.


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## Sporgon (Aug 30, 2013)

It really depends upon how much pp you are going to do with the images. With the latest generation of FF if you can get it pretty much spot on in camera and only do minor pp adjustments then you won't see a difference. But the problem I find is that I don't always know how much pp manipulation I might end up doing to an image, and if you don't have access to the raw file you're going to produce an inferior quality image, are at least you will be greatly restricted in what you can do. 

A compromise can be to shoot joeys when you are confident you are spot on and within the latitude of the sensor, shooting in easy or lower contrast lighting, but switch to raw ( on a custom setting for speed ) when lighting is more challenging. 

Another option if you are not intending to produce huge prints is to shoot in a smaller raw so you can still convert and process in 16 bit. 

I think on balance when I'm on a trip to special places I shoot everything with a raw option. Also if you don't shoot in full raw you'd be breaking the second commandment of CR, so expect a lot of condemnation


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## tpatana (Aug 30, 2013)

I missed the actual reason why you'd need to go jpeg instead of raw.

Are you saying you shoot more than 1TB on a trip, so your current hard drives are not big enough?


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 30, 2013)

If the pics are important, shoot RAW. 

Does your 2011 MB Air have Thunderbolt? Mine does. Get a Thundebolt to FireWire adapter (Apple, $29) and FW800 drives, and your USB2 speed bottleneck is solved.


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 30, 2013)

You might be able to put your current external drives in enclosures with USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt; It's more a question of what they're in now. I have a Samsung 1TB hybrid drive in a Vantec USB 3.0 enclosure that goes like a... Well it's quick. FFT.

Jim


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## viggen61 (Aug 31, 2013)

A couple years ago, I took a Scandinavian holiday, and shot primarily with JPEG instead of my usual RAW. I did that because I was recovering from a broken ankle and did not want to haul around my MacBook Pro and external drives. I did bring an iPad to back up my images to. But the 16GB cards held over 2000 JPEGs from my 7D.

But I knew I would be shooting mostly "holiday snaps", and JPEG would be fine in 99% of the cases. And, I always had the 7D's one button RAW+JPEG available, and custom modes, etc. for the more interesting opportunities. And RAW was always a menu or two away, in any case.

While USB3 is (well, can be) a lot faster than USB2, I'm not sure I'd upgrade my entire kit just before a trip, when the money can be used for other things. The speed difference will be forgotten after the trip, but that evening cruise you had to omit from the itinerary...

As for the TB-FW800 adapter, it's only practical if you already have a lot of FW800 drives that don't have eSATA. USB3 blows the doors off FW800, do I don't see any point in buying new FW800 drives today, unless it has USB3 or eSATA as well, or they will be used exclusively on a non-TB Mac.

Late last year, I upgraded to a retina MacBook Pro. I had a whole string of FW800 drives connected to my old MBP, but their secret weapon was they also had eSATA connections. Two LaCie Thunderbolt to eSATA hubs later, and the olde FW800 drives were transformed. Fantastic speed (3Gb/sec, not even taxing the TB), and far cheaper than buying all new drives.

My point in all this is that while USB3 will phenomenally speed up your camera file transfers, in my book, that can wait until after your trip, when there isn't as much of a money crunch. You can always transfer those files while you're out at dinner...


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## fugu82 (Aug 31, 2013)

If you don't shoot a a vast number of images on a trip, you might try stocking up on CF cards, shoot in RAW on the CF + jpg on the SD, and leave the RAWs on the extra cards till you get back.


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## miah (Aug 31, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

OK, to make my objectives clearer, I could go on this 3-4 month trip with my current computer and HDD enclosures and shoot RAW, but I risk filling the HDDs too soon and slowing down my whole operation due to the size of the files. I'm often without electricity, so slow file transfers eat lots of battery.

I could solve the transfer time and get a more efficient battery by purchasing the latest MacBook Air, which has USB 3.0 plus a better battery, but this costs a lot of money (new computer plus one new HDD enclosure). Alternatively, I thought, maybe I could get by shooting JPEGs to squeeze more shots onto each drive and speed the transfer time (thus gaining power efficiency).

My current two external drives are a NEXTO Extreme (USB 2.0 + eSATA) 500 GB and a LaCie Rugged Mini (USB 2.0-3.0) 500GB. I attach both to my current MacBook Air using USB 2.0 which is very slow. Both drives are presently full, so either way I have to buy two, new 1TB drives to put in the existing enclosures. And to answer the question as to whether I could fill 1 TB in 3-4 months the answer is definitely yes, especially if shooting the 5D3 in RAW (the second terabyte simply mirrors the first, so I don't have 2 TBs of space--just one).

The 128GB SSD in my MacBook Air barely holds my system and apps, so all photo files are saved to the HDDs.

Buying new FW800 drives for an older computer and carrying a Thunderbolt adapter makes no sense, since Firewire is dead (they'll be obsolete once I do get a new computer). I don't think there is an adapter to convert eSata to Thunderbolt for my Nexto drive; at least there wasn't the last time I checked. Carrying more CF cards won't work for a trip of this duration. And uploading anything to the cloud is out of the question due to infrequent and extremely slow internet connections.

*Sporgon's* comments are along the lines of what I've always thought; RAW gives you a lot of PP options that might help rescue that once-in-a-lifetime shot. But I have to be practical. I can't physically carry more than one drive, plus one back-up drive. I have to preserve my Mac's battery during transfers, because I often have no access to electricity. Sometimes I nail 'em in-camera, but it's the rare shot that needs no PP.

Maybe, as some of you suggested, it's best to split the difference and shoot JPEGs in good light and RAW when it's dodgy. This would give me more PP possibilities for shots in poor light or low contrast, but still preserve CF/HDD space and transfer-speed/battery-life by shooting lots of JPEGs.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 31, 2013)

I'd suggest looking at 2TB drives if you are short on file space. They are reasonably priced. Get a USB3 model, they work on USB2, and you are ready for the future. Get two!

Add the Thunderbolt to USB3 adaptor and you have the speed.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236187


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## tpatana (Aug 31, 2013)

miah said:


> OK, to make my objectives clearer, I could go on this 3-4 month trip with my current computer and HDD enclosures and shoot RAW, but I risk filling the HDDs too soon and slowing down my whole operation due to the size of the files. I'm often without electricity, so slow file transfers eat lots of battery.



That is tough one, I'm not sure how I'd solve that problem. Have you thought about those automatic CF-copy-devices, can't remember the name/models, but the simple device where you stick your CF / SD card and it automatically copies it to the internal hard drive. If you want mirroring, get two of them. That way you don't need to haul your laptop around so much.


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## miah (Aug 31, 2013)

tpatana said:


> Have you thought about those automatic CF-copy-devices, can't remember the name/models, but the simple device where you stick your CF / SD card and it automatically copies it to the internal hard drive. If you want mirroring, get two of them. That way you don't need to haul your laptop around so much.



The Nexto HDD enclosure I mentioned is such a device. The problem is that it's internal battery is worthless and cannot be replaced/upgraded. That means that I have to plug it into my MacBook Air with its USB cable to get power as well as to view the files on it. This rapidly degrades the MacBook's battery.


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## miah (Aug 31, 2013)

Thanks for the link, MSP, I was unaware that they had pushed to 2TBs in the 2-1/2" drive format. Unfortunately neither Newegg nor WD list the speed of this drive. I'll bet it's 5400 RPM, but prefer 7200 RPM drives. There are 1TB 2-1/2" drives that rotate at the higher speed, but as you say, they hold half as much data. Do you have one of these drives and can you tell me what its rotational speed is?


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## hgraf (Aug 31, 2013)

miah said:


> Thanks for the link, MSP, I was unaware that they had pushed to 2TBs in the 2-1/2" drive format. Unfortunately neither Newegg nor WD list the speed of this drive. I'll bet it's 5400 RPM, but prefer 7200 RPM drives. There are 1TB 2-1/2" drives that rotate at the higher speed, but as you say, they hold half as much data. Do you have one of these drives and can you tell me what its rotational speed is?



I'm confused: you want to preserve battery power right? Then why do you want 7200rpm drives?

The slowest 5400 rpm drive will still be faster then any SD card, and pretty much even the fasted cf card. Using 7200 drives is just a waste of power and money in your case. You don't need the lower latency or extra throughput for the task you are describing.

Thanks, ttyl


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## ecka (Aug 31, 2013)

I'd rather shoot mRAW/sRAW than a JPEG.


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## shashinkaman (Aug 31, 2013)

It's always nice to read about the (luxury) problems amateur photographers have :'(

First of all, talking about "weight and bulk" when you are referring to an eos-5d mark III and two not-heavy-at-all zoom lenses!? :Jeezzzzz :

And secondly, how many pictures do you take on average per day when traveling 32.000!?!? 8)

Just download the 'catch of the day' while taking a shower before going to dinner on a 2,5 inch (500-750GB) HD connected to your old and ever so slow Mac and be done with it :Jeeeeezzz :


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## pwp (Aug 31, 2013)

miah said:


> The Nexto HDD enclosure I mentioned is such a device. The problem is that it's internal battery is worthless and cannot be replaced/upgraded. That means that I have to plug it into my MacBook Air with its USB cable to get power as well as to view the files on it. This rapidly degrades the MacBook's battery.



Nexto are OK but it's true, the battery life is not strong to say the least...even with the accessory cigar shaped external battery booster.

King of the tree in these types of devices is the Sanho Colorspace UDMA-II.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=sanho+colorspace+UDMA&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

Battery life is simply awesome. Download speed is brisk. Do your own web search and read lots of positives.

OP...don't Q&A with this question too much....shoot RAW. That shot of a lifetime may be five minutes away & you don't want your camera set to JPEG. 

-PW


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## bholliman (Aug 31, 2013)

I think you will regret ending up with a marginal picture of a unique experience or environment if you limit yourself to JPG. I'd find a way to shoot RAW. Storage is relatively cheap these days.


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## Don Haines (Aug 31, 2013)

For travel, I would set it to RAW+JPG. That way you get the quality of RAW when you get home, but the convenience of JPG when traveling. 

For storage, take a peek at the Hyperdrive units.... Battery powered hard drive....and if you get the unit with no hard drive and put a SolidState hard drive in, you get even better battery life.... Charge it with USB every so often and away you go


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## alexanderferdinand (Aug 31, 2013)

Or take a smaller body than the 5d and shoot raw.
Or leave the grip at home. 
I absolutely dont want to miss the possibility of pp.
Neither Canon or my beloved RX100.


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## miah (Aug 31, 2013)

*hgraf* Thanks for your input. I've heard and read competing information with regards to drive speed. It seems a friend showed me some tests where the power draw of a 7200 vs 5400 RPM HDD was disproportionately small compared to the additional speed of delivery. I don't claim to know that much about it, but the article he showed me seemed to make sense. My objective is to speed the entire through-put, not because I'm impatient, but because every second the computer is on the battery is going south. There are times when I must make one charge last a week or more with daily use.

*shashinkaman* Yes, it's true: I'm an amateur photographer. So, what's your point? As I said, I travel alone and on foot or by motorcycle, so every cubic centimeter and every gram of weight matter a lot. And as for quantity of shots taken, I certainly take a lot more than I ultimately keep. Sorting, storing and processing the keepers is why I have to carry a computer and hard drives when in the field, since my excursions are typically multiple months at a time.

*pwp* Thanks for the heads-up on the Sanho device; it's nice to hear you and *Don Haines* have had good luck with them. I'll take a closer look online as my Nexto battery now lasts maybe 5 minutes and cannot be replaced (in my model). 

I also appreciate everyone's kick in the butt to stick with RAW. I guess I was just hoping for an easy way out...


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## MrFotoFool (Aug 31, 2013)

Well I will be the one to go against the grain. I shoot JPEG only almost all the time. After doing it that way for a couple years, everyone said I was crazy so I tried JPEG plus RAW for about six months. The alleged advantages of RAW were virtually nonexistent IMO. I went back because RAW _for me _ is a waste of time and storage space. I only went digital three years ago and before that I was shooting slide film, which has a narrower latitude than even my current JPEG's (on a 5D2). So two plus decades of shooting slide film taught me how to get exposures spot on and _for me _ I don't need RAW.

Even when I look at examples online, where they show a side by side of a RAW and JPEG, most of them look virtually identical and they are trying to tell me how much better the RAW looks but honestly I do not see it. The advantages to RAW may be there, but they are blown completely out of proportion.


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## alexanderferdinand (Aug 31, 2013)

Another idea:
I don't travel with a notebook, I look at my "harvest" at home.
In other words: what about leaving the notebook at home and carry some more CF and/or SD cards?
Mail and social contacts every smartphone could do.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Aug 31, 2013)

MrFotoFool said:


> Well I will be the one to go against the grain. I shoot JPEG only almost all the time. After doing it that way for a couple years, everyone said I was crazy so I tried JPEG plus RAW for about six months. The alleged advantages of RAW were virtually nonexistent IMO. I went back because RAW _for me _ is a waste of time and storage space. I only went digital three years ago and before that I was shooting slide film, which has a narrower latitude than even my current JPEG's (on a 5D2). So two plus decades of shooting slide film taught me how to get exposures spot on and _for me _ I don't need RAW.
> 
> Even when I look at examples online, where they show a side by side of a RAW and JPEG, most of them look virtually identical and they are trying to tell me how much better the RAW looks but honestly I do not see it. The advantages to RAW may be there, but they are blown completely out of proportion.


I agree. Not every photographer needs to always use RAW. Especially on a long journey, which may result in 50,000 images. Imagine when he gets home and look at your computer full of tens of thousands of RAW to process ... :-\ For this type of situation, JPEG is more quiet and less tiring.


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## captainkanji (Aug 31, 2013)

I always shoot RAW+Jpeg. RAW for archival and the jpegs are for those time when I need to share photos right away. Most of the time, the jpegs just go into the trash. I shot a convention once and got lazy and used the jpegs instead of processing the RAWs. I don't know what I was thinking. There isn't a camera in existence that can process files better than I can and I'm a noob. I don't care if it takes me a week to process them, the flexibility of the RAW lets poor photographers, like myself, recover from mistakes in exposure and WB. I process each file individually instead of syncing in order to practice my LR skills. It can be a pain though  I just don't see the value in spending $2000 for a camera body and then shooting in less than the highest setting.


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## Don Haines (Aug 31, 2013)

captainkanji said:


> I always shoot RAW+Jpeg. RAW for archival and the jpegs are for those time when I need to share photos right away. Most of the time, the jpegs just go into the trash. I shot a convention once and got lazy and used the jpegs instead of processing the RAWs. I don't know what I was thinking. There isn't a camera in existence that can process files better than I can and I'm a noob. I don't care if it takes me a week to process them, the flexibility of the RAW lets poor photographers, like myself, recover from mistakes in exposure and WB. I process each file individually instead of syncing in order to practice my LR skills. It can be a pain though  I just don't see the value in spending $2000 for a camera body and then shooting in less than the highest setting.



The number of times that I have shot with the wrong white balance is embarrassing.... I go inside, change it, come back out, and forget to change it back.... RAW to the rescue!!!

My jpg files are more for indexing than anything else, I leave them at small... just enough to give me a thumbnail and if I want to use the photo, I process the RAW.


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## miah (Aug 31, 2013)

alexanderferdinand said:


> Another idea:
> I don't travel with a notebook, I look at my "harvest" at home.
> In other words: what about leaving the notebook at home and carry some more CF and/or SD cards?
> Mail and social contacts every smartphone could do.



On shorter trips I do just that, but when I'm out for months I need the notebook (an exceedingly diminutive 11-inch MacBook Air) to write and post to the web. I don't carry any sort of phone. Carrying extra CF cards is a good idea, for it would allow me to keep the computer/HDD turned off for a longer period of time. Thanks.


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## Rienzphotoz (Aug 31, 2013)

shashinkaman said:


> It's always nice to read about the (luxury) problems amateur photographers have :'(
> 
> First of all, talking about "weight and bulk" when you are referring to an eos-5d mark III and two not-heavy-at-all zoom lenses!? :Jeezzzzz :
> 
> ...


It is always amusing to read about unhelpful amateur responses (like yours) to genuine advice people, like the OP, are seeking. :


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## tpatana (Aug 31, 2013)

MrFotoFool said:


> The advantages to RAW may be there, but they are blown completely out of proportion.



That one I do agree completely.

For me the big item is increased DR. The other advantages are minor, but I don't mind having them too.

And with computer speed and storing capacity increasing so fast, I find it easy to stay on RAW myself. For some people, I'm sure JPG is just fine.


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## Rienzphotoz (Aug 31, 2013)

miah said:


> alexanderferdinand said:
> 
> 
> > Another idea:
> ...


If the card speed is not that important, you could invest in several 32GB CF (and/or SDHC) cards ... the 40MB/s (and below) cards are quite reasonably priced ... my primary cards are a set of 64GB CF (145MB/s) & SDHC (90MB/s) cards, but I keep several older/slower cards in case I run out of space during long vacations when I don't want to carry my laptop. But if I were in your shoes, I'd just shoot JPEGs


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## Sporgon (Aug 31, 2013)

tpatana said:


> MrFotoFool said:
> 
> 
> > The advantages to RAW may be there, but they are blown completely out of proportion.
> ...



This doesn't have to be the case. When shooting joeys you are left with processed information, so beware of the 'picture style' settings, especially contrast. IMO Canon still set the default contrast too high. 'Neutral' and 'Faithful' have a straighter response curve to the other styles, but even within these you will need to reduce contrast setting in light with high contrast. If you are careful with this you won't loose latitude. Also watch out in DPP applying the picture style to the converted raw. It is on by default and hidden away to turn it off.


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## Frodo (Aug 31, 2013)

Miah
I can relate to your challenges. My primary travel camera is a 5D2-24/105-200/2.8, so similar to you. Take a small flash - a 270EX has saved the day on numerous occasions! I also have a G11, which is great on weight but not IQ. I travel. A bit. Often on motorcycle, so weight is also important. And I don't have the budget to purchase SSD drives, etc. And I travel with a small laptop (Vaio netbook). I shoot RAW exclusively. I can extract better quality out of the images and my workflow with LR is not much slower than with JPEGs. I probably don't shoot as much on a trip as you though.

My suggestion is a combination of previous suggestions:
- Shoot full RAW when it matters and if necessary shoot JPEG for snaps or when you know the photos are not critical. Save duplicates as JPEGs on the SD cards (I don't have that luxury). Number your cards sequentially to avoid confusion (and potentially overwriting cards).
- Have plenty of cards. Buy medium speed cards (I have a bunch of Transcend 133x CFs). Not sure what the speed is, but these are okay for the frame-rates I shoot.
- Have sufficient hard drive space, but it and the laptop need not be blindlingly fast if you don't have to copy the files every night. Do the file transfers and backup when you have access to power. You will have lots of other things to do and can do the transfer at the same time. 
- Save the cash saved on a new laptop and expensive drives on getting to places you otherwise could not get to. $1 in the US or Europe is $10 or more in the rest of the world.

Enjoy the trip - where's the next one?


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## wockawocka (Aug 31, 2013)

One 128gb CF card can hold over 5000 Raw files.

You intend to do timelapse or something?

Either way, if you are taking your laptop, write raw to a large 128gb CF card and medium jpeg to the SD card, which then backs up to the laptop.

That's 30+ images a day to fill a 128gb card.

If it was me, I'd write small jpeg to the SD card and upload it whenever there was a net connection nearby so you have a legacy backup. Things get lost, stolen etc.


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## miah (Sep 1, 2013)

Frodo said:


> Enjoy the trip - where's the next one?



Thanks for the tips, *Frodo*; always good to hear from a fellow traveler/motorcyclist. I'm heading back (my second trip) to SE Asia in Nov for 3-4 months. Most of my travels are off-road, camping in tiny villages or in the backcountry, hence the lack of amenities--like electrons.

* wockawocka*. My largest CF is a 1000X 32GB Lexar, but like you say, it wouldn't hurt to get either more cards or larger capacity cards. I'm just uneasy about having a full, 128 GB card go south on me; that's a lot of lost images. And to answer your question, yes, I do quite a bit of time lapse using a Satechi intervalometer.


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## paul13walnut5 (Sep 1, 2013)

cheap memory these days.

iclouds etc.

JPEGS are for powershots.


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## tpatana (Sep 1, 2013)

Small portable solar panel to trickle charge your devices? Then you don't need to worry about power consumption.


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## miah (Sep 1, 2013)

tpatana said:


> Small portable solar panel to trickle charge your devices? Then you don't need to worry about power consumption.



I've looked into these, but the ones that put out adequate power are quite bulky and heavy. I can, depending on which bike I'm riding, charge a camera battery off of the engine while moving, but it's awkward and again, only possible on certain bikes.


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## tpatana (Sep 1, 2013)

miah said:


> tpatana said:
> 
> 
> > Small portable solar panel to trickle charge your devices? Then you don't need to worry about power consumption.
> ...



On my bike, I installed a trickle charging device (to keep the battery charged when I store the bike for winter), and the special connector on the device works both ways, so when needed I can plug normal 12V devices on the connector. On my bike trips I bring e.g. 12V cell phone charger. If I really wanted, in theory I could bring my inverter, and thus get the standard 110V/230V AC for small power devices (~<300W).

For the solar panel, because you're space limited, you don't want the big ones, but small one combined with e.g. 10Ah power pack. The small solar panel will charge the power pack over time, and then when needed, you can power devices with that. If you want big enough panel to directly power devices, then they are big/bulky. I think e.g. Duracell has those power packs you can charge with small current USB, and it'll give large currents when needed.


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## Mrklaw (Sep 1, 2013)

If you are happy that your skills and experience means you mostly don't need the capacity of RAW for later adjustments, then go JPEG.

However, if you think you might need RAW, even only occasionally, then I'd stick with it. It would seem odd to me to increase the weight and bulk of your kit because you want that extra bit of quality, and then potentially compromise on quality by not shooting RAW.

Also, it seems to me that you can counter the increased time/capacity fairly well based on suggestions here


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## Canon1 (Sep 1, 2013)

Honestly, I would stock up on CF cards and get a backup drive that reads straight from the card. (Colorspace makes a nice one). 

I would leave the laptop at home unless you absolutely need to edit images while on the trip (You mentioned you might not have much electricity) Go light and get souvenirs and meet people.

When you get home you can take a week and just go through images. Spend your time on the road making images and enjoying your trip. Save the editing for when you get back home.


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## Don Haines (Sep 1, 2013)

There are camera battery chargers that work off of 12Vdc... I got one from B+H for LPE-6 batteries... You can hook it up to your motorcycle battery to charge the battery. You can get a Hyperdrive Colourspace as a data backup device, and charge from motorcycle battery. Likewise, you can charge a tablet from the motorcycle battery as well... That's about the lightest setup I can think of to allow editing/sending of photos and to keep everything powered in the field.....


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## RGF (Sep 1, 2013)

Canon1 said:


> Honestly, I would stock up on CF cards



Cards are very cheap. Cheaper per image than film was (is). Stock up on cards and forget the electronics. Enjoy your trip


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## miah (Sep 1, 2013)

Canon1 said:


> Honestly, I would stock up on CF cards and get a backup drive that reads straight from the card. (Colorspace makes a nice one).
> 
> I would leave the laptop at home unless you absolutely need to edit images while on the trip (You mentioned you might not have much electricity) Go light and get souvenirs and meet people.
> 
> When you get home you can take a week and just go through images. Spend your time on the road making images and enjoying your trip. Save the editing for when you get back home.



I have to have a laptop too, which is why I carry the smallest one out there (11-in MacBook Air), because I write travel stories and design/post web pages from the road. This means doing basic sorting and image editing both for my website and for a newspaper I freelance for. I also upload my GPS tracks to LR4 on the laptop, so that I can encode each image with location data. I've been doing this for years and have developed an efficient workflow, so it doesn't draw much time away from the more important travel experience. In fact, spending so many months alone on the road, often not speaking the local language and confined to my tent at night (rain, bugs, middle of nowhere, etc.), I find looking through the day's catch enhances the experience and helps me learn what to do/not do the next day, with regards to photographic technique.

Oh, and there's not one cubic centimeter of space available for souvenirs--so my photos serve that purpose.


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## tpatana (Sep 1, 2013)

miah said:


> I have to have a laptop too, which is why I carry the smallest one out there (11-in MacBook Air), because I write travel stories and design/post web pages from the road. This means doing basic sorting and image editing both for my website and for a newspaper I freelance for. I also upload my GPS tracks to LR4 on the laptop, so that I can encode each image with location data. I've been doing this for years and have developed an efficient workflow, so it doesn't draw much time away from the more important travel experience. In fact, spending so many months alone on the road, often not speaking the local language and confined to my tent at night (rain, bugs, middle of nowhere, etc.), I find looking through the day's catch enhances the experience and helps me learn what to do/not do the next day, with regards to photographic technique.
> 
> Oh, and there's not one cubic centimeter of space available for souvenirs--so my photos serve that purpose.



Sounds awesome. I wish I could do similar trips. When you're going? How detailed trip plan you already have, or do you just go around without much plan?


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## miah (Sep 1, 2013)

tpatana said:


> Sounds awesome. I wish I could do similar trips. When you're going? How detailed trip plan you already have, or do you just go around without much plan?



I fly on Nov 4 and I NEVER have a plan or reservations (other than airline). Serendipity rules. One issue I'm running into again is that Vietnam, Burma and China still won't let me cross their borders on my bike, so if I want to visit them, I have to fly in like everyone else. Any interest in meeting up in Yangon for a photo-tour of Myanmar?


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## tpatana (Sep 1, 2013)

miah said:


> tpatana said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds awesome. I wish I could do similar trips. When you're going? How detailed trip plan you already have, or do you just go around without much plan?
> ...



Nice. I did once 2 week trip to Thailand with only airline tickets booked. Then I usually did the bookings for hotels, airlines or boats 1-2 days ahead.

I'd love to go around SE asia for photo tours, but that'd require things like vacation, and especially permission from wife ;D Most likely my next trip will be Japan.


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## serendipidy (Sep 1, 2013)

miah said:


> tpatana said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds awesome. I wish I could do similar trips. When you're going? How detailed trip plan you already have, or do you just go around without much plan?
> ...



;D


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