Anyone here use an Epson P-5000 (or little brother?)

[Rudi]

Hi everyone,

While out shooting, I usually have several GB worth of CF cards, and if on a longer trip, I have my laptop with me (Macbook, soon to be a Macbook Pro). Usually, this is enough to store any images until I get back to base and can cull them back, sort them out, etc. CF cards are cheap these days, but they will get cheaper into the future, and I have more than I need at this time, so I don't really want to buy more of them, even though they are probably the safest place to keep your files until backing them up at home.

Recently, I started reading "The DAM Book" by Peter Krogh, and it occurred to me that the addition of another "in the field" backup might not be such a bad idea! (And I'm only a few pages into it :D). The Epson would also make a great storage and viewing device when I don't want to have my laptop with me, but expect to shoot more than my CF cards will allow. So, with all that in mind...

Do you use one? How is the battery life? Especially interested in transfer speeds and how many GB of images I can expect to safely move to the Epson before the battery is flat (or too weak to be relied upon to transfer another card). How do you find it in the field? Easy to use? Does it need constant supervision, or can you trust it to transfer files without checking? Will an error message pop-up if the transfer does not go smoothly? How about if the battery is weak??? All this stuff is something that I'd like to know before I consider spending the cash (and it's a fair bit of cash) on something like this. PLEASE NOTE: I am not interested in a storage device without image display. I am really only interested in the Epson, unless there is another brand that makes the same thing, only better. :D

Thanks in advance! :)

[Mao]

I recently bought the 5000 for the Newfoundland trip and used it (someone ran out of CF cards - we won't mention who :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:, but it's not hard to guess).

I really didn't use it until the evening (I carry 52 gigs of CF cards with me) and found the transfer of my 16 gig card was pretty fast. Can't tell how it would do under battery power.

If you like, I will start recording the time for transfer under battery power for you.

So far, I've had no problems with it.

If you like, you can send me a Hasselblad HD3 with a HCD 4/28 and HC 4.5/300 in advance for my research work - as I'm turning blue holding my breath. Oh yeah, make it a Phase One Digital back too. If it's not too much to ask.

[Rudi]

Oh no! My 22Gb of cards seems awfully inadequate! ;) :D Then again, I'm not a bird shooter, so... :biglaugh:

I just thought that the Epson seems like the ticket when you don't want to have a laptop with you (which I know you did back at the hotel), and as additional backup (although I have a small USB external drive for the laptop as well).

Another thing that I'd like to know - how long does the P-5000 take to charge back up after the battery goes flat?

[Mao]

Do you realize what you've asked me to do? Hell, I might as well send the damn thing down under for you to do all the test and then you send it back to me.

But, I'll do as much as I can for you (groaning). Don't suppose you want the damn answers by tomorrow pm?

[Mao]

Oh, by the way, I'm going to have to stop taking the MacBook Pro along with me on flights. Weight restrictions on carry ons the biggest reason.

[Rudi]

But, I'll do as much as I can for you (groaning). Don't suppose you want the damn answers by tomorrow pm?
Actually, I'd like a report on my desk first thing in the morning! :D

Oh, by the way, I'm going to have to stop taking the MacBook Pro along with me on flights. Weight restrictions on carry ons the biggest reason.
So... what? No Pixel-Shooter for you while traveling, I guess???

[Ron Lacey]

I find the Epson pretty expensive and I don't need a portable image viewer. For on the road, which I am now :) my old laptop is good enough for proofing images when I finish a day's shooting. I have more than enough memory cards to cover myself for a day. My 4 year old laptop is rather long in the tooth but I only use it when I'm on the road and it still has enough grunt to run CS3. It's 40gig drive is too small to store all the photos I take on a one to three week road trip and I hate messing around burning CDs so I carry 2 160 gig 2.5" external hard drives. I copy all my RAW files to both so I have a back up. The 2.5" drives are quite small, about the size of my wallet and don't require an external power source so they travel well.

Ron

[Rudi]

Yes, I have external 2.5" drives for my laptop, so I know exactly what you're talking about, Ron. I guess this is why I'm trying to find out whether the Epson is for me. :)

How much CF card storage do you have, just out of curiosity?

[GoGo]

P4000 here, and I love it!

I find the little devise indispensable!

It is an absolute necessity and only a laptop can replace it.
I like to carry the little devise instead of a laptop when ever possible. The battery life is pitiful, but I am told spare batterrries are available via the web. The transfer rates are OK could be faster but this is about securing data so no big deal.

The devise has saved my ass once when I mistakenly erased a CF card that I should not have, these days I never erase (format) a card until it is downloaded twice once to the devise once to my computer.

I P5000 is supposed to be faster and better at viewing images.

[Ron Lacey]

How much CF card storage do you have, just out of curiosity?

I have 3 4gig cards, a 2gig card and 2 1gig cards to service 3 bodies, 12 8 and 6 MPs respectively though mostly I only use 2 bodies on a given shoot.

Ron

[Igor]

I tried the P4000, but soon sold it and bought a 16gb CF instead. I doubt I ever fill it in 2-3 days of shooting :)