Photo management using a tablet

Dreadhead

Dreadhead

Dreadhead

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1 Apr 2009
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Hi there,

Next year I am going travelling (backpacking) around Asia for a full year.
I intend to photo-document my travels, specifically shooting RAW along the way.

I wish to travel as light as possible whilst having the flexibility to shoot, edit and manage photos.


Device requirements:


Managing RAW files-

I need to be able to copy RAW files from the Camera's SD card to the Tablet and then to a HDD for archiving. I will also be saving a second copy to a USB memory stick which can be posted home to the parents.

I also need to view these files and cull any crap ones. I realise I can use the camera for this but would prefer to work from one device.



Editing RAW files-

I will need to be able to crop at a minimum, but would like to be able to modify curves and the like. Ideally my best keepers will be uploaded to a map as I progress. I am currently looking into using the Google Maps API to host my own photomap that my friends and family can keep an eye on. The idea is that as I travel map markers appear which click through to the nicer images I capture.



Current Ideas:


I have seen a few apps on the Android Play Store which look interesting.

DSLR controler looks like it may be handy for composing some landscape shots.

RAWVision looks like it may be good for viewing and sorting the images.

Geotag Photos Pro looks like it could take care of the geolocation as long as the tablet has enough battery to monitor between stops.

If anyone has any experience with these please chime in.

I mention Android apps because I currently have an android phone so have had chance to look through the store.
I am not adverse to Apple products so if they provide a better solution I would be interested.

If I can get away with a seven inch device that would be good, I half expect most people would err toward a ten inch device though.


Thanks for any advice :)
 
The Nexus 7 will be able to handle your workload if anything can. You'll need to root it to be able to transfer stuff but if you can, it's the cheapest way into anything remotely powerful.

It might be worth shooting jpeg and raw, and archiving the raw files and editing the jpegs on your tablet - save the RAWs for your absolute best photos and huge prints when you get back; edit them on a proper computer. For just documenting your travels that will be best and it will be a much lighter load on both the tablet and your storage space.
 
Hi Ksanti, thanks for the suggestion.

Shooting RAW and JPEG would certainly save a lot of conversion time, Which I assume on a tablet would be considerable.

I have done some research after you suggested the Nexus 7.
It looks like I would need a USB OTG cable as well as a USB card reader in order to get the functionality I am after. It would be nice if this was built in to the device, but there is a definitely a large price difference between the Nexus 7 and more fully featured devices. It looks like I would also need the 16GB version so that I can handle the transfer of my 16GB SD cards, 8GB would be too limiting when just copying files.

I will head to a retailer and see if I can have a go with one.

Has anyone else tried using a Nexus 7 for the type of work I am interested in?
 
Tbh depending on what you want to spend I'd be looking at a second hand air 11inch or Asus UX21. same size as a tablet but with a proper OS. I'm playing around with a tablet on holiday at the moment and its just a pain compared to a proper laptop.
 
I'd also suggest forgetting the tablet and just get a notebook.

You need to write from an SD card to a harddrive, easy either a notebook. Most have inbuilt SD card readers, anyway and its all in one package.

Yes, it'd be cooler to use a tablet but there just seems to be more things that could get lost, broken or go wrong with it compared to a notebook.
 
Another vote for tablets being useless in situations like this, go for a small proper laptop/notebook/whatevertheycallthemthesedays :)
 
[Thread hijack]Hi all, I'm looking at the same thing.

I've given up on the tablet - i think...

Can anyone recoment a sub £250 note/netbook thingy?

[/Thread hijack]
 
I've used my iPad for storing RAW files from my camera when away travelling. All I need is the Camera Kit and a mini USB Cable. If I was just using SD cards, I could just carry the SD card camera connection kit and not even need a cable.

You can of course then edit with dozens of different apps, including ones from the likes of Apple and Adobe.

It is though the copying to an external drive part that comes a cropper for the above method. Are you doing so just so that you have a backup and free space on the device?

Provided you are somewhere where you have internet access, you could upload a backup to Dropbox or similar.
 
Hi Nexus,

Thanks for the info. Are you happy with the features that the iPad provides or do you find yourself wishing for a notebook?

I will be travelling for a whole year, from India across South East Asia. I will build up a massive collection of photos so will need a HDD to archive them all on to.
I will also take a bag full of 16GB USB sticks to put backups onto and then post them home for safe keeping incase anything happens to the HDD.

I had considered using a cloud solution, but my fear is that backing up RAW files may be too much for which ever internet connection I have access to. As far as I know, shared hotel wireless in Asia will probably have really limited upload bandwith.
If I take 200 photos in a day, at 20 megabytes each I would be looking at 4GB to upload in an evening. Plus if I end up in a village without internet I could possibly start to run out of local storage.
 
I'm happy with it and I've not found myself wishing for a laptop or netbook. However, its something that I've only done for a few weeks, rather than an extended period of time. Plus I still prefer to process images on my main computer, unless I have a need to post something immediately.

Given the time you are travelling and the fact that somewhere like India and South East Asia probably won't have the internet infrastructure you need, I think you probably are best off with a small netbook type device, due to the amount of images you are going to be taking and offloading to sticks and a harddrive. I have no experience with Netbooks, so somebody else will be able to advise better there. To go with it, I'd get something like a LaCie Rugged drive to store your photos on, I've got a lot of experience with them and they are small and hold up well to being shipped about.
 
I've just bought a 3G Samsung Tab 2 7.0. I'm going to use it for a USA road trip in October, although I'll have a laptop with me as well. I bought it for general browsing over here, and also for DSLR Controller.

When I've had a bit more of a play with it I'll stick up some feedback.

I had considered the Nexus, but the Samsung was only £200 and had the 3G and Micro SD functions. It's now back up to £300 from the large big online retailer I bought it from.
 
Cheers chaps, I look forward to the feedback.

I've just borrowed a first gen Asus eeepc netbook with an Atom processor off of a friend. To see if that will work.

The form factor seems OK, but the machine is slow as molases. I am definately going to need something with a better processor.
 
From what you've mentioned a tablet isn't going to be the best solution for your photo needs. They are not as flexible as you may be required to do so, yes you can travel light but you'll loose out on functions.

Scrap the tablet idea and start scouting for a light / semi powerful / long lasting battery laptop as you'll cover every angle when your out in Asia.
 
Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 or the Asus Transformer Prime or Infinity 32GB or 64GB.
Looks ideal to me.
 
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