Sorting images from a large shoot on the road..

[MMarz]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this question...

I have a few multi-day events to shoot over the next few months. I expect these shoots to yield anywhere from 1''' - 2''' images per shoot, spread over two or three days each.

At the end of the day, I'd like to be able to make a backup of the images, possibly strip the images from the cards (I have a hand full of 4gig cards and don't really like the idea of 8gig cards). Plus I would like to be able to preview the images to determine if there is a composition I will need to reshoot the next day.

I typically shoot RAW. I am using a brand new HP Mini-Note, with plenty of HD space, and will carry a WD Passport to backup to. I am trying to keep things simple with regard to app on the Mini Note, and don't want to do any post processing in the field, just preview and backup, so I don't think I will install LR since I doubt it will run too fast.

The Mini-Note is a pretty cool notebook, but it has limited resources and doesn't take to RAW files like my desktop does.

So I am looking for ideas as to how to handle the file backup and preview in the field. I am thinking it might make sense to shoot RAW/JPEG Basic. I can use Vista WinExplorer to stack the images by file type after copying them to the HD, then use Elements or Windows Photo Gallery for previews.

If I want to cull any obvious rejects from the jpegs I can use Beyond Compare to compare the files in the jpeg stack to the RAW stack and delete the rejects from the RAW stack as well.. then again, use Beyond Compare to sync the RAW files to the Passport, and discard the jpegs, at some point..

This sounds to me like a decent plan, with the exception of the reduced memory capacity on the CD cards due to the addition of the jped files.

Thoughts??? Suggestions?

 

[Replytoken]

I would use ImageIngester and Fast Stone. Image Ingester can re-name/back-up/convert to DNG (if you so choose) and then you could use Fast Stone to review and delete. Both are very light on resource demands, and should serve you well.

--Ken

 

[stasber]

For straight-after-shoot backup (I shoot gigs mostly) I use an Archos 6'5. It's the WiFi version with 16' Gig storage. Presently I have all of this year's shoots on it as well as some pics from my portfolio for demoing finished samples whilst mobile.

No problem storing the CR2 files and it displays from the embedded jpgs (i.e. I shoot only RAW and can view them on this device). Display quality imo is good (and much better than a Canon M8' I once owned). It is also fast to zoom in and around an image and when browsing the screen shows thumbnails, with enlarged thumbs for the one currently selected. All of this is what sold the device to me.

I have a separate 19-in-1 card reader that I connect to the device via USB (it has standard and mini usb ports in the optional battery dock).

Besides that I've my entire iTunes library and a few movies on it too! A nice piece kit, it's robust and 'just works'

 

[MMarz]

I would use ImageIngester and Fast Stone. Image Ingester can re-name/back-up/convert to DNG (if you so choose) and then you could use Fast Stone to review and delete. Both are very light on resource demands, and should serve you well.

--Ken

Ken I'll check both of these out..

I don't know if I need to do the DNG conversion in the field..I am thinking less is more. Assuming I will do the conversion to DNG, keywording using LR when I get home; I and can drap and drop the files in Vista to transfer them; and Beyond compare works great for back-up..what would the benefits of ImageIngester be?

Fast Stone might be useful as I find the image gallery in Windows cumbersome. I have yet to try Windows Live Photo Gallery, but I would be interested in a a very simple viewer.. I'll check out Fast Stone. Thanks!

 

[MMarz]

...I use an Archos 6'5....

Stas, thanks.

I'm not looking to add another device. Truth told, I purchased (then sold) an iPod touch for portable display of images..but it had limited uses; I had and sold a P3''' and considered an Epson P5''', or a Hyper Drive for portable storage, but these all have limited functionality. When I found the HP Mini-Note for about the same price as the P5''' with far more functionality, I jumped at it and it has proven to be perfect.. Memory is cheap these days, so the WD Passport 16'gig external is perfect as well.

 

[MMarz]

I would use ImageIngester and Fast Stone. Image Ingester can re-name/back-up/convert to DNG (if you so choose) and then you could use Fast Stone to review and delete. Both are very light on resource demands, and should serve you well.

--Ken

Ken, I downloaded Fast Stone.. it's a winner!! Perfect for the notebook. I was finding Elements Organizer way overkill for what I wanted and Fast Stone is just the ticket. Thanks!

Now for Image Ingester... I downloaded the trial but can't seem to get the swing of it. I took a card that I shot today..RAW + Jpg Basic, I see in the ImageIngester Ingest window that there are both Nikon NEF's as well as Jpg files, but can't see how to limit the ingest to just the JPG files other than to go one by one in the preview pane. Can you tell me if I can limit the ingestion to just the jpeg files?

 

[Replytoken]

Ken, I downloaded Fast Stone.. it's a winner!! Perfect for the notebook. I was finding Elements Organizer way overkill for what I wanted and Fast Stone is just the ticket. Thanks!

Now for Image Ingester... I downloaded the trial but can't seem to get the swing of it. I took a card that I shot today..RAW + Jpg Basic, I see in the ImageIngester Ingest window that there are both Nikon NEF's as well as Jpg files, but can't see how to limit the ingest to just the JPG files other than to go one by one in the preview pane. Can you tell me if I can limit the ingestion to just the jpeg files?

Gald to hear that Fast Stone works for you. Its also portable, so you can place it on a memory stick or portable HD and use it as a "no install" program if you are uins ga host computer instead of your own.

Regarding ImageIngester, it can (at least in the older version that I am using)
be set to just work with the JPEG files. II can also add metadata to files if you so choose. And, it can back up the files to a second drive at the same time that it is copying them to the first drive. The interface is not too user-friendly, but the help manual is well written. Have you had a chance to read it? Its a very powerful program, and its author seems responsive to posts at The DAM Forum (where he hosts a help board for the program).

--Ken

 

[MMarz]

And, it can back up the files to a second drive at the same time that it is copying them to the first drive.

You just saved me a bunch of money!!

I was looking at Photomechanic for the ingestion, and was leaning that way (at a cost) since it would do the dual backup.. but if ImageIngester does it as well, I'll stay with that. I did download the manual but haven't gotten through it yet.

Thanks again!! Perfect combination of applications!!

 

[Replytoken]

You just saved me a bunch of money!!

I was looking at Photomechanic for the ingestion, and was leaning that way (at a cost) since it would do the dual backup.. but if ImageIngester does it as well, I'll stay with that. I did download the manual but haven't gotten through it yet.

Thanks again!! Perfect combination of applications!!

Photomechanic is a great program, but II does the basics pretty well. Marc is selling the new version of II at a pretty reasonable price, and I believe that you might be able to find the limited version of the past release (v.2) for free if it meets your needs. II is my front end to LR and I find that it meets my needs quite well.

--Ken

 

[MMarz]

Photomechanic is a great program, but II does the basics pretty well. Marc is selling the new version of II at a pretty reasonable price, and I believe that you might be able to find the limited version of the past release (v.2) for free if it meets your needs. II is my front end to LR and I find that it meets my needs quite well.

--Ken

I did a few ingestions with the combo of apps and it seems to work just fine. v2.3 seems to be all I need, and you were right about the manual...it's makes the UI perfectly clear after a single read. I did download Photomechanic just to see if I was missing anything, and truth told, LR does everything I need on my desktop and ImageIngester & Fast Stone are just perfect for my notebook. The two things I would like to ImageIngester to do, but haven't found it in the manual yet..

1) Not create the xmp side car files. I don't need these for field backups. I just want a clean transfer to the notebook and the external

2) direct jpeg previews to the notebook and RAW files to the external...this would be a bonus, not critical.

Thanks again!!

 

[Replytoken]

The two things I would like to ImageIngester to do, but haven't found it in the manual yet..

1) Not create the xmp side car files. I don't need these for field backups. I just want a clean transfer to the notebook and the external

2) direct jpeg previews to the notebook and RAW files to the external...this would be a bonus, not critical.

Thanks again!!

I am not sure about the XMP issue, but I know that FastStone does read the embedded JPEG in my D3'' NEF files. So, you might not need to convert the RAW file to JPEG if the embedded JPEG will suit your needs. There is another program out there that will pull the embedded JPEG out of the RAW file, but I believe that FastStone will do this as well.

--Ken

 

[MMarz]

Ken, not sure I follow.. I shoot RAW almost exclussively and have never given the embedded jpeg too much attention. The goal is to end up with jpegs on the notebook and NEF's on the backup external drive.

I'll be studying the manual later this evening, but are you saying that at import I might be able to extract the embedded jpg to the notebook and send the NEF to the external? This would save me having to shoot RAW + Jpeg.. I am using the D2X and the D3'' if this helps.

 

[Replytoken]

Ken, not sure I follow.. I shoot RAW almost exclussively and have never given the embedded jpeg too much attention. The goal is to end up with jpegs on the notebook and NEF's on the backup external drive.

I'll be studying the manual later this evening, but are you saying that at import I might be able to extract the embedded jpg to the notebook and send the NEF to the external? This would save me having to shoot RAW + Jpeg.. I am using the D2X and the D3'' if this helps.

Michael,

Let me try and explain it through an alternate workflow. I shoot RAW files with my D3''. If I am in a hurry to "preview" my images before importing (and renaming and converting them to DNG), I just "view" the RAW files with FastStone. Actually, FastStone is viewing the file, but what it is presenting to you is the embedded JPEG that is inside the RAW file.

So, if your preview needs are minimal, such that the embedded JPEG would suffice, then I would suggest using II to copy the RAW files to your netbook's HD (or SSD), and copy a backup of the RAW files to your external USB HD. This would allow you to just shoot RAW without the "+JPEG" setting in your camera. If space is at a premium on your Netbooks sotrage (HD or SSD), then you could use FastStone or another extractor to pull a copy of the embedded JPEG from the RAW file. This way you could still just shoot RAW exclusively.

Personally, I would not want to rely on just one copy of my images while I was on the road. If my netbook or laptop did not offer enough storage, I would probably carry two USB hard drives so you always have two copies of what you shot.

Now, if you specifically need a high quality JPEG like that created by the camera (RAW+JPEG), then I believe that you would probably need to create two scripts for II. One to copy and if so desired, back-up the RAW files, and another to handle the JPEG files. There may be a way to to do it all in one script, but I would have to dig into II to see if that is possible. Alternately, you could always just use File Explorer to move the JPEGS from the card. It just depends how automated you want the process to be, as well as your needs.

--Ken