Shooting RAW files gives you lots of flexibility in post-processing, but they don't half take up a lot of space on memory cards. Typically, a 2GB card holds 100 RAW files for my D200. For day trips, I've enough memory cards to get by, but for longer trips I need something else. A laptop is one option, as would be something like the Nikon Coolwalker or Epson P-2000/3000/4000. However, I found the Thecus N1050 "nano" 2.5-in drive enclosure together with an 80GB Fujitsu drive on offer from Scan. Having used it in anger a couple of times, I've now got a good idea of it's pros and cons.

Thecus N1050 Review

One of the problems you rapidly come across when shooting RAW using digital SLRs is that your memory cards don't hold as many pictures as they used to. On my Minolta G400, I've got 4 256MB SD cards, each of which holds about 150 photos. With the D200, a 2GB CF card only holds about 100 photos (when shooting RAW + Large JPEG). So despite having about 14GB worth of CF cards now, for a week away shooting lots of pictures, that's not quite enough storage. There are a number of portable storage devices out there aimed at photographers, all hard-disk based, varying from 20GB upwards (eg Nikon Coolwalker, Epson P-2000/3000/4000). Unfortunately, they all cost in excess of £200 (typically around £300 to £400). However, I did find another option. Thecus make a 2.5-in disk enclosure - the N1050 - capable of acting both as a standard USB mass-storage device, but also as a USB host. What this means is you can plug a flash card reader (or your camera) into the N1050, and copy from the card/camera directly onto the disk in the N1050, with no need to carry a laptop. Scan.co.uk were selling these on offer with an 80GB Fujitsu hard disk at around £70, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Firstly, unlike the more expensive devices aimed at photographers, it doesn't provide any way to view the pictures you're copied to it. You have a 3-way switch (Off, PC, Copy) to select whether you're attaching it to a PC (as a mass-storage device) or using it to copy from a camera/card. Then there's the copy button - if it's in copy mode, press this to copy from whatever's attached to its USB port. Information about what the N1050 is doing comes from 3 lights on the front. There's a green power light, which comes on when the device is powered up and switched on. There's also an error light and a disk full light. When you're copying to the N1050, the power light flashes - copying stops when the light is on constantly. That's all the feedback you get. It takes a lot of faith to trust the device, so I tested it lots before I was satisfied that it really does work and really is reliable. Even so, I felt very nervous the first time I copied a full card onto it in the field and then erased the card!

Whilst I had no problems with it in Northumberland (and I had my laptop with me to check everything at the end of the day), I did suffer some issues whilst in Kenya (where I didn't have the laptop...). I copied a 4GB card, but it seemed to take a remarkably short time. So (before erasing the card!) I tried another card, and couldn't get it to copy at all. Panic set in, as I could hear the disk trying to spin up but failing, and I thought the disk had failed. Halfway through safari, and I've lost all the pictures so far, and limited storage for the remainder of the trip - argh! Fortunately, I thought about it, and decided the logical course of action (before resorting to heavy drinking) was to try new batteries. This did the trick - at least, the disk seemed to spin up, and I managed to copy the next card OK. (At which point I begged the hotel to find me a PC so I could check everything was OK on the disk.)

Annoyingly, there's no indication that the batteries are low, and if I hadn't noticed that it took 3 minutes to copy the 4GB card instead of 11, I'd have wiped the card and lost the photos!

Also, it's worth pointing out that the N1050 doesn't include a card reader, so you have to carry one of them as well (I have an Icy Box removable card reader that fits into a 3.5-in disk enclosure, and reads CF, SD and various other formats), or plug the camera into the N1050's USB port. However, it does come with a leather case that holds the N1050 itself, plus in a separate compartment, the USB leads (there's a USB A-A lead, which will power the N1050 if the PC's USB port can provide enough power, plus a second lead which can plug into a PC's USB port and then into the power socket on the N1050 if the main USB connection doesn't give enought power), and a battery pack which takes 4 AA batteries (which can be used to power the N1050 independantly of a PC - especially for copying from cards/cameras). I'll try and post a photo of it when I get the chance.

Conclusions

So, overall, would I recommend the Thecus N1050 (or Y.E.S Nano, or whatever it's actually called)? Yes, but with caveats. It's not as fully functioned as other devices such as the Epson P-2/3/4000 or Nikon Coolwalker, and you have to trust it to copy correctly (there's no way to check without a laptop, which probably defeats the point). But it's a fraction of the price. For copying in the field, with the option to check stuff on a laptop on an evening, it's great. As the only device for a multi-day trip, it can be worrying. The main advice I'd give is to make sure you know how long each card takes to copy (time probably varies with each size/make/model of card, and with different card readers), so use your watch and keep and eye on it whilst copying! Also, make sure you keep some spare batteries handy.


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