Security Measures

You can back-up your downloaded photos onto a second mobile hard drive in the field. The big advantage is that you can build a back-up library without having to worry about download times or doubles, since the feature works incrementally, adding only new files. In theory the second hard drive only needs a USB connection and formatted in FAT32. That’s the theory, but unfortunately things are never that easy

I have tested the back-up with an older X’s-Drive, which tends to switch itself off rather quickly when nothing happens. This was not a problem during back-up since I was unable to use the X’s-Drive as my second HD; it may have to do with the old, proprietary USB plug Vosonic provided. Curiously I still have trouble connecting a second mobile HD to the GVPe though it is now a JOBO GIGA one, which is expressly recommended by JOBO. Be aware that an external card-reader/hard-drive once used as a backup device for the GVPe will not accept a direct card download without first being formatted.

One of the USB ports on the JOBO GIGA Vu Pro extreme is a full-blown USB-to-go. With this the GVPe can serve as a USB host to download files from it to another USB-device.

As can be seen in the picture showing both connected it does work – just not always on the first try. The adapter from USB mini to USB A comes standard with the GVPe. It shouldn’t matter at all on which side it is used but I find that whenever I put it into the GIGA one I don’t get a connection. Even if I remember to use it on the GVPe’s end it takes two or three tries for a connection to establish. Luckily from then on it is a very robust connection – and a fast one. It may not be as fast as downloading directly onto the GVPe, which is faster than the GIGA one but it is fast.

What I miss is an automatic back-up as a background process during downloading files from the memory card to the GVPe. On a desktop PC several programs offer this feature,  i.e. ImageIngester, Breeze Downloader Pro, Adobe Lightroom, saving you a bit of work and freeing you up to do other things. With the GVPe all files from the memory card have to have been downloaded before you can connect a secondary HD, to start the incremental back-up

Up to Speed

The large amounts of data photographers have to shuffle around bring a need for speed. Nobody wants to wait half an hour for a memory card to be downloaded. The problem is not so much with the time itself, just use your second and third memory cards till the first has downloaded. The problem is with battery drain, the longer it takes to download the faster the battery empties – and that is a big problem in the field. What use is the largest of hard drives if you cannot use it due to a flat battery?

JOBO’s GVPe is very fast: 1 GB downloads in under 2 minutes! The manufacturer claims, one charge will be enough to download 25 GB of data. You can buy an additional rechargeable battery with a whooping 29.6 Ah, which is used to charge the internal battery. That should help the photographer even through bigger shootings far from any power grid.

The GVPe has two further connectivity features, WiFi and FTP. With the latter one transfers photos directly from the camera via wireless LAN to your PC. All you need is a WiFi-enabled camera and an optional adaptor for the GVPe. This feature was not tested.

In the field

A mobile device has to be tough, easy to handle and use or it will be left at home gathering dust. The first thing you notice with the GVPe is the thick rubber encasing. The rounded design and the rubberised surface make the GVPe very nice to handle. It retains its grip even when your fingers are wet. Another plus with the rounded angles is the ease of tucking it away. The top is a removable cover protecting the TFT and USB, IR, CF-card slot, HDMI, audio/video and power. While the rubber alone gives good protection, be aware that a hard drive is still a delicate device to be handled with care.