What better pastime in the winter than planning your getaway to somewhere warm. And here is an item you should consider. A digital storage bank.
The fact is that as you get more and more mega pixels on your cameras, the files are larger, and you need more and more storage while away from a computer. Or a bunch of media cards. And we all shoot lots more with digital. Not worrying about processing costs helps that along.

There are a few of these storage units on the market, and more coming soon. All to help in your transition into full digital freedom.

Coming soon:
[photopress:jobo_spectatorx_1.jpg,full,centered]

New from JOBO AG at PMA 07 is the Spectator mobile storage device for digital images. The Spectator joins JOBO’s GIGA Vu PRO evolution and GIGA one family of image storage devices by offering consumers a mid-range and very affordable option for backing up, storing and viewing their digital images. Similar in style to the GIGA one, with the added benefit of a vivid color display, the new Spectator allows users to immediately view and share their precious images. Available in the spring of 2007, the Spectator will be offered with three different storage capabilities – 40GB, 80GB and 120GB and retail price is expected to be $249, $299 and $349 respectively.

Or perhaps this one:

[photopress:B000J3YFM2.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg,full,centered]

An essential tool for the professional photographer, the Epson® P-5000 provides an innovative way to download, store and display thousands of photos, videos and more on the spot – without a computer. With the ultra fast processor, it’s easy to backup images right from your memory card or camera. Transfer thousands of photos in no time at all. Then, continue shooting.

With the large, four-inch LCD, you’ll be able to instantly review images, or share your portfolio with clients immediately after the shoot. In fact, you can easily view slide shows and videos, or listen to audio files. Best of all, you’ll be able to present professional quality images anywhere you go. Epson Photo Fine® Ultra LCD technology means you’ll see every color and detail. With Adobe RGB color space support, each viewer displays over 16.7 million colors. You can even zoom in and verify RAW files.

So, what do you need one of these for? Well you may not.

Yep, you can download your media cards directly into these babies. I use the Epson for a variety of reasons:
Versatility, screen quality, speed. And video. Very cool.
On a lot of shoots, I may review with people I’m working with, and I’d rather use this unit than hand over the camera. And unless I’m plugging in the laptop, which is unusual for shoots I’m doing, this is the perfect unit.

But lets see what comes out new at PMA (Photographic Marketing Association) show in Las Vegas March 8-11.

We will be bringing you updates from the floor of the good, the bad, and the ugly (but maybe useful) products being introduced.
There are some pre-releases coming and we’ll keep you informed.

Cheers!
Damon Webster