Sanho HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

easy to use and fast

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

The hard drive is relatively simple in construction and theory. The menu screen isn't the most simple thing to navigate through, it's a lot of "trial-by-error" in order to figure the menu system out. The screen colors aren't very vibrant and strong, a little on the dull side. I wouldnt expect to use it for looking at images with great detail.

It does however have exceptional download speed to it's hard drive. I took a fully loaded 4GB CF card and downloaded the RAW files in less than 3 minutes. This is exceptional speed!! The other great thing about this device is it's size. It is small enough that you're not lugging around a large device, I was considering various other models and makes, but this really beat them out in the long run of things.

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

I use this product on weddings and photo shoots to instantly back up my cards, and to easily transfer them to my computer at home in one shot.

With fast cards the Hyperdrive downloads cards very quickly.

The OS is very clumsy, but I don't use the Hyperdrive for viewing or editing, I literally download cards to it, then transfer them to my computer. The functionality of the view is low, especially it seems with RAW images. But it does what I need it to do.

My boss has owned the same one for 4 years, and its still running strong. I got mine so that when I shoot wedding with a second photographer I can transfer images the day of the wedding to my Hyperdrive and then take them home without having to keep hold of my second photographers cards.

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

USE:
- I purchased this device for use to backup the photos on my CF cards.
PROS:
- It allows me to just bring the device and power supply during vacation and distant photo shoots where space is a premium and the concept of less-is-more prevails (i.e. traveling overseas, etc)
- Firmware is fairly updated on their website often, and they have great support for all kinds of file formats. I was especially surprised when it was able to decode Sony RAW files (.ARW). Most products support Canon and Nikon, whereas this device covers them too!
- HDD is user-upgradable (Keep in mind to select a 2.5 inch HDD that is 9.5mm or less in thickness with SATA support) I upgraded mine to a 500GB 7200-rpm Hitachi Travelstar, which also rates energy consumption equivalent to the 120GB it came with.
- Battery is user-replaceable (and can be found on the net for cheap!)
- Despite the manual, it can also charge via mini-USB port (if there is enough power)
- OK user interface. Not the best, but certainly not the worst :)

CONS:
* it does not work with all CF cards!: Some cards I have that were not able to be read:
Kingston 32GB Ultimate 600x CF (no)
Patriot Memory 32GB 266x CF (no)
It did however work with:
Kingston 32GB Elite Pro CF 133x CF (Yes!)

OVERALL:
- I haven't tested other CF cards or SD cards yet, but all in all definitely a value on having to serve its intended purpose. I would recommend to get the bare version and purchase a HDD separately for those who are technically inclined DIY folks. If not, the 120GB version should be great for those needing only temporary storage at a good price point.
- Transfer rate is pretty good ~ 28MB/s (Used with Kingston 133x EP CF)

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

Don't buy this product if you are using an Ipad. It has no compatiblity with that device.

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

I used this for travel where I had access to electricity but it seemed to charge quickly and hold the charge for a long time. Backup was fast. Viewing images is tedious. It doesn't seem to have any ram, so reloads the entire thumbnail page each time you go back to it. I was excited about the incremental backup, but it didn't quite work as advertised. I have multiple copies of the same images that I have to sort through (in an annoying twist, my d90 decided to restart the filename sequence with a reformatted card, so I can't just delete the dups.)

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

It was between a mini laptop and this for backup of my photos while travelling in Europe. Though the mini laptops are the same price and you get more for it, I knew I wouldn't really use one once I got back to the states (I already have a laptop- plus the mini processors are so slow at this point). Though, if Apple had a cheaper 64GB iPad, I would've gone that route. I also shoot weddings and am able to backup on-site. Overall very happy with it and it's much cheaper than an Epson.

Comments about Sanho 120GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage / Player:

I purchased a similar type of unit from another manufacturer about 3 years ago and returned it because of poor performance of the machine and unreliable connectivity of the device with my computer (Macintosh OS). What a difference three years makes! This device performs exactly as advertised and handles my 5D Mark II files without difficulty. I purchased this unit so that I could stop taking my laptop with me when I travel. Most of my trips are for photo opportunities, so losing the pictures is a big fear of mine. Some other storage devices do not have a screen to view the images. Personally, I do not really care about viewing the images other than to check to see if the file had transferred correctly. The HyperDrive does this, but also allows zooming and has a histogram (luminance as well as each color channel). The unit is decoding the RAW file to view the image, so I am sure the file is intact. The best thing about the Hyperdrive UDMA is that the hard drive is user replaceable. I purchased a 120 GB unit, but then a week later decided I needed more space for trips lasting more than 10 days (5D Mark II RAW files are large). I ordered a standard laptop hard drive from [@] and an external drive case. I put the original Hyperdrive UDMA drive in the external drive case and installed the new 320 GB 7200 RPM drive in the Hyperdrive unit (Sanho even supplies the required screwdriver for this purpose in the original packaging). The Hyperdrive unit asked to format the new 320 GB drive on start-up, which it did in about a minute. The 120 GB hard drive that came with the unit originally also started up perfectly in the new case and now makes a nice portable back-up unit. I do know any other unit that allows this kind of user upgrades. On top of that, there is a universal charger and battery life is excellent (the rechargeable battery is also user replaceable). I am very satisfied.