Here in Cool Kit, we look at equipment on the market for the professional photo-journalist and provide links to information and independent reviews.

In this edition, we examine those devices available for the storage of digital images on location becoming known by some as Image Tanks. Links to some reviews and manufacturers’ sites appear at the end of the article.

Among the many advantages of “going digital” is that it releases the photographer from having to worry about the cost, both in stock and processing terms, of film. Relatively cheap and re-usable digital memory cards mean there is almost no limit to the number of images that can be captured.

That’s the theory anyway. But as technology improves rapidly and more people choose to capture in the RAW format, individual file sizes grow and the photographer on location for lengthy periods has to consider the best way of storing all those pixels.

Taking an armful of memory cards is one answer. But then the cost does rise, only one copy of each image is stored and the only way to review your precious pictures is on a small screen at the back of your camera. There is always the danger too that cards, which are relatively small, can get lost or damaged.

Many photo-journalists travel with a laptop which, if equipped with a DVD/CD writer, can provide excellent viewing, editing and multiple back-up facilities. But some hesitate about taking an expensive computer on the road which can be heavy and vulnerable in inhospitable locations.

So, one solution adopted by an increasing number of traveling photographers is a specialist piece of equipment some call an image tank.

Most crucially perhaps, these devices allow a photographer to back up and, in most cases, view images on reasonably large screens until, on returning home, they can be transferred to computer hard disc or more permnant archival media such as CD or DVD.

Images tanks come in various forms, some of which are adaptations of existing media devices and others which are designed specifically for the purpose.

One not-so-specialist choice is something which many people carry already – an Apple ipod. Among the latest incarnations of this hugely popular MP3 player is the ipod photo which is designed to allow you to store and then show pictures on its two inch, 116,000 pixel, 65,000 color LCD screen.

Available with 40 and 60 gigabyte discs, storage should be adequate. However, whilst this may be the most popular portable music-player around, you cannot transfer images straight into the machine from the camera without extra attachments nor can you see them without using Apple’s own i-tunes.

So what of the devices designed specifically for digital photo storage? One popular model is the SmartDisk Flashtrax, a flip top which resembles an oversized clamshell mobile phone.

It has been around for a couple of years now and is roughly the size of a paperback book which should fit well inside any photographer’s bags. A

According to some reviewers, a newer version - the Flashtrax XT - is an improvement but no longer lets you rotate photos nor display TIFFs. But you can still zoom and pan JPEGs, GIFs, and some raw files, and compile photos into albums. It’s ability to record and play back audio, FM radio and TV is a nice-to-have but whether they’ll be much use to the serious photographer is questionable.

Two companies better known for their other photographic equipment now have image tanks on the market – Nikon's Coolwalker MSV-01 and Epson's P-2000. At first look, there is not a great deal to choose between them but both appear to have been developed with the professional in mind.

Like the Flashtrax, they display JPEG and some Raw images and use USB 2.0 connections to computers.

Some things to consider are that the Coolwalker, a 30gig handheld, is - according to some reviews - specifically designed to be used with Nikon digital SLR cameras and certain Coolpix point-and-shoot models. If you’re shooting with another brand of camera, the device won’t display Raw images (though it does display TIFFs and JPEGs from other cameras), and its audio functions, such as playback of voice notations with photos and MOV or WAV video files, work only with files generated by Nikon cameras.

The P 2000, which has a 40-gig capacity, has 3.8 inch screen, more than an inch larger than the Coolwalker. But one review points out that it can’t apparently view any JPG over 8.9 megpixels, which should be available in cameras soon. There are reports of battery life of about three hours.

As with many new pieces of kit, however, some shortcomings are soon ironed out with firmware upgrades, so keep an eye out on manufacturers’ websites after purchase.



Links:

PC Magazine reviews the ipod Photo

Macworld reviews the ipod Photo

Creative Pro reviews the Flashtrax

Macworld reviews the Flashtrax

Macworld compares the Nikon Coolwalker, the Epson P-2000 and the Flashtrax

Digital Photography Review reviews the Epson P-2000

Apple

Nikon

Epson

SmartDisk (Flashtrax)