The Stack Of Pancakes From Lexar

On a high shelf at our new Murray Street shop is a row of Lexar boxes that fooled the heck out of me.  But now that I have researched what they are, I am mightily impressed.

Firstly, the mistake I made; I thought that they were a set of multiple RAID-drive boxes like a Drobo array. AS I have a Drobo that has been working flawlessly, I was not interested, but i took a picture anyway...

Secondly, the truth revealed through a Google search; these aren't exactly a RAID array - they are a reader and storage tower. let me explain.

We all have some sort of input and output jumble on our computer desks. The maker of the computer has put a half dozen USB or other ports on the back or sides of the thing and we have duly filled them up in a twinkling. Mine has 10 things fighting for space. Wires snake over the desk, even if the mouse and keyboard are wireless - it is just like an electric jungle growing...

The Lexar Professional Workflow HR1 is a vertical box that will accommodate 4 devices on the front and lead them in and out from the back. That means you can stack in separate modules for CF, SD, and USB input. You can read fast as there is Thunderbolt and USB3.0 capability.

Bless me, you can also store from this tower if you plug in Lexar Portable SSD boxes in. It's not doing what the Drobo does, but it will be a lot neater than puting anther external hard drive down and trying to find space for another USB plug and cable!

Note also that on a lower shelf we have a selection of pretty big, pretty small Lexar memory cards. Reliable and good value.

Visit our new store at 2/324 Murray St, Perth
For opening hours, click here

The Two Card Shuffle

Or " How I Learned To Save My Hide ".

Many modern cameras come with two memory card slots incorporated in the body. This is no mean feat in some cases - if you are going to use the larger CF-style card it has a certain bulk and the volume of the rack into which it slides uses up a fair bit of the inside of the camera. Were you to design a camera with two CF card slots it would need be a larger body...and by and large the ones that do, are. These can be viewed as professional devices and professionals carry heavier weights.

Then there are cameras that have a hybrid style - they have a CF slot for that size and an SD slot for the smaller -sized SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. In some cases I think that the designers might have started with one of the larger bodies and just used what was a CF bay plugged up for SD. No real overall reduction in body size.

Finally, we have the cameras what have two SD slots - and here the rack structure can be smaller and they can fit in with smaller body sizes. This can be a real selling point if people are trying to reduce bulk and weight in what they carry or if they have smaller hands. I often think a number of cameras have succeeded or failed on their body feel without the prospective buyers really being able to say why they liked them or disliked them.

But two cards - what do you do with two cards? You confuse yourself, if you're not careful, but you save yourself grief if you are clever. Two cards can:

a. Record the exact same thing in exactly the same way. Two RAW images or two JPEG images at the same time.  If you do not trust that one card will do it, or know that you wish to put one card away physically for safe storage while the other one is re-used. Or if you know that one would be confiscated by the border police...

b. Record the image in RAW on one and JPEG on the other. This is the case where some cameras have the second slot for a much more faster card. It means that your camera might be able to cram things into the two slots - SD for JPEG and XQD or some other fast card for the RAW - and get an overall faster firing rate than trying to put both file types into one card. If you need speed you do strange things.

c. Record video on one and reserve the other for stills.

d. Record in sequence. All the previous options have been predicated upon parallel recording - if you elect to make it serial, you can carry twice the memory capacity in your camera. This is a matter for philosophical debate if you are trying to cram an entire trip onto only the memory cards in one camera, but becomes a matter of technical necessity if you have a camera that is going to be posted up somewhere to record time lapse work for a long time and need a lot of memory.

It will pay any photographer who gets a new camera with dual slots to sit down and read the factory manual about the numbering and distribution of the files. Indeed, if there is an aftermarket book - like the Rocky Nook series by Rico Pfirstinger who deals with Fujifilm cameras - that can also be a wise purchase. There are lots of options in what you do to the files that can make a difference to how easy they are to work with in the future.

I recently opted to do the wrong thing, after years of doing the right thing, and ended up shooting a fresh job with image numbers that duplicated earlier numbers - I must have poked the wrong setting while camera fiddling. It means that unless I renumber the new job I encounter occasions when the computer can't decide which of the two identical numbers I want and stops until I decide.

Note: the new Pentax K-1 has dual slots for SD-size cards as does the Fujifilm X-Pro2 and the designers have in both cases been wise enough to put the compartment for these around on the right side of the camera. In practical terms this means that if the cameras are locked onto tripods and need a card change, you can do it without unbolting the whole darn thing. This is no small advantage  - I wish I had it.

Waiting For The Buffer To Empty

Here are ten useful things a photographer can do to fill in time while waiting for the files to crowd off the buffer of the camera onto the card:

1. Calculate how much money was saved by purchasing a 15 MB per second card over a 95 MB per second card. And how that money has been put to wonderful use saving the planet...

2. Time a boiled egg from the flashes of the little light as the files are transferred. Rather have soft-boiled eggs? Buy a faster card.

3. Hold the camera with the right side down and gently shake it. That lets the pixels run into the card faster.*

4. Watch the rest of the football game as it goes on. Wow! Did you see that winning goal? Just as well...your camera didn't.

5. Look all Ansel Adamsy and face ruggedly into the driving sleet. Okay, you're inside at a christening, but you can still be rugged....

6. Sing a Wiggles song to the timing of that damned little flashing light. A happy Wiggles song. Sing it through gritted teeth.

7. Watch the guys with with the 1DX Mk II's and the D5's as they flash through the high speed zillion frames per second exposures. Pray that one of their cameras catches fire from the friction of the air.

8. Practise saying " I like to contemplate the steady rhythm of Nature by slowing down my camera's metabolism. " Try not to giggle or wince as you do.

9. Shield the LCD screen from observation so that people can't see the little hour-glass turning over. pretend that you are editing the images for ultimate quality. Occasionally shout out  " 5 Stars! ".

10. Make a list of things you would like to do to the designer of the camera.

Let us lift your morale, if not your morals. Buy a new card - a fast card. They cost a bit more but they give the modern camera a chance to process the raw files fast enough to let you do a sensible series of shots. Camera Electronic has Hoodman, Lexar, San Disk, and other fine memory cards - some of them are blazingly fast. You can get 'em on-line as well - they ship through the post easily if you cut air holes in the crate.

* I read it on a Facebook side advertisement so it MUST be true...

For more information on the best card for your camera please come visit our sales staff for a speed test!

Tiny Cards For Action Shooters

The Lexar company caters for memory cards of all sizes and capacities - some of these can really be said to be "chips" as much as cards.

The action cameras so popular these days take very small chips known as Micro SD XC. Apparently this is also the case with some mobile phones and tablets - and we know of at least three compact cameras of a larger size - and a mirror-less system camera - that also use them. They certainly save size and weight in the camera designs.

Here are two different packages - one for use with an adapter in case you need to plug it into a sstandard SD port, and one with the tiniest card reader you have ever seen. It feeds into a 3.0 USB port but if you blink twice you miss it!

Note the different capacities and speeds - something for every requirement. Slight increase in price for faster transfer.

" Does It Come With Batteries?"

Today's post is occasioned by an enquiry that I had last Saturday from a customer. It pointed out that there may be some misconceptions regarding modern cameras and their sale - misconceptions that we may be able to clear up. Here goes.

1. Does it come with a battery?

If it is a modern digital camera, yes. All the manufacturers include a battery with it. Generally it is the rechargeable Li-ion type. If it is a camera that runs on 2 or 4 of the AA batteries they generally include a set of alkaline ones in the box.

If you are going to do anything with your camera past leaving it in a dresser drawer - ie actually go out and take pictures - you would be very wise to purchase a second rechargeable battery or a second set of AA's for it. They don't cost that much and if you are on a trip you can leave one battery to recharge while you go on with the other. Which leads is to the next question...

2. Does it come with a battery charger?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " Basically, yes..."

Most manufacturers do include an A/C charger block and connecting cords. You pull the battery out of the camera, pop it into the charger, and plug the charger into the wall.

Some clever clogs makers have decided to have the battery charge within the camera and include a cord from an A/C adapter to the side of the camera. NOT clever, clogs. It ties the camera to the A/C just when you might want to be out using it. Owners of these cameras need more batteries and sometimes need an additional off-camera charging block to free them for field use. It might be tempting to think that you are avoiding taking a charger on your trip, but that electricity has to get in there somehow...

Note: Many people lose the chargers from their cameras when they leave their hotels. Every hotel concierge has them in store. If you forget, ask to borrow one from the concierge.

3. Does it come with a case?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " Basically, no..."

The good old fitted never-ready case that we got free with the 35mm camera was made of leather by wizened old craftsmen. Whether it is the leather or the craftsmen that has disappeared, they are no more. The one exception to the rule in the last few years was the case with the LE edition of the Fujifilm X-100 camera. Wonderful and nostalgic, but mine sits in the box unused as I take the camera out and about.

You can get bags and in some cases, cases from independent manufacturers. We have a wall of them and there is a shape and size to suit all tastes and pockets. Knock yourself out.

4. Does it come with a strap?

Yes. The big cameras will have neck straps and the small ones will have wrist straps. If you get a crick in your neck from the maker's strap, you can always purchase a Black Rapid, Joby, Lowepro, or Op/Tec strap to spread the load.

When it comes to attaching the strap to the camera be prepared to expend language - or ask one of the staff members nicely and we will do it for you. We know language...

5. Do I need to buy batteries for my flash?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " basically, yes and no..."

Yes, if you want your new portable electronic speed light to flash. You will need to put 4 AA batteries into it. Fresh batteries. Two up, and two down.

We have the excellent Toshiba AA batteries for sale. Also the excellent Powerex rechargeable AA and chargers for sale.

No, if you are content to leave it in the box and not use it.

6. Do I need to buy a memory card?

See answer #5. None of the manufacturers put a memory card in the box as a matter of course, though they occasionally panic around the end of the Japanese financial year and have been known to throw a tiny one into a deal to boost sales. It is never big nor fast, and it is never enough.

Memory cards are not expensive in monetary terms and extremely cheap when set against the value of the time and effort taken to make images on them. DO NOT STINT YOURSELF by purchasing a no-brand card. You will regret it. Get a good one.

7. Does it come with a lens?

If the camera design does not have an interchangeable lens, yes. Yes it does. Turn it on and go for it.

If the design has an interchangeable mount, it comes with a lens if you buy a lens. Sometimes the lens and body are in one box as a kit, which is a good idea, and sometimes they are separate and you can choose what you like, which is a good idea. You'll know hat you need.

Please note that we have not got into the subject of wifi, Bluetooth, near-field connectivity, or Pilsner beer. These are delightful topics but beyond the scope of this simple posting.

Hand Of Cards - Two More Possibilities For The Digital Shooter

We have a lot of options presented to us in photography - cameras, lenses, lights and flashes. The range of accessories is mind-boggling, and once your mind has been boggled sufficiently you are generally only fit for light duties or election to the local council...

What we tend to forget is that there are options also in the memory cards we use. Of course we sell SanDisk cards here - they have always been good and reliable in the major cameras. We have been selling Hoodman cards, and Promaster, and in each case the ratio between card success or shutdown has been wonderfully high.

I have also been testing two brands of card and can report 100% success so far - I've got Lexar and Panasonic cards in my Fujifilm cameras right now. They are fast enough for any still work I do, and would probably be fine for small videos.

The prices are sensational - cheap as chips when you think of the comparable film stowage. and as they are proof against all the x-rays and magnetic fields that I might encounter on an air trip, I can feel confident that whatever images i put on them will come safely home.

Vast Amount Of Memory At A Half-Vast Price

Today we are featuring the spirit of Christmas cheer and offering a buy one-get one free offer for all sorts of memory cards. All the manufacturers too - SanDisk, Promaster, Hoodman, Lexar.

Buy one card, get the same one as as second card free. Couldn't be simpler than that.

Mind you, somebody will try to complicate it but we'll deal with it in the spirit of Christmas cheer. We have a big bunch of holly on the end of a stick.

Ho ho ho...

Readers Write - Right, Readers?

Every day. Every single blessed day. Three enquiries.

1. When is the new _____ going to arrive? My current one is 5 years old.
2. I lost my charger. Have you got a charger for a ____? It's 5 years old...
3. I lost the cord for downloading my pictures. Do you have a cord for a ____? It's 5 years old.

1. No idea. The ____people are not telling us. It is a safe bet that they do not know when they will arrive on the docks. After that it is in the lap of the Customs Department - that's like being in the lap of the gods but without the incense.

2. No. We have three types of universal charger that you can use. Or lose. Buy two more - you've got form...

3. No. But we have four different types of card reader that you can download your images with. the two cheaper ones run on USB 2.0 and the two dearer ones run on USB 3.0. If your camera is 5 years old the first two will suffice, and if you are looking to upgrade your system - and your computer system - the second lot are a wise choice.

If you have an odd memory card, stick, or other device in your old camera you might have to consider the SanDisk reader after all - it has several slots for unusual cards. I have one at home feeding into an iMac and it is utterly reliable.

One final thought. Much as I like 5-year olds ( I was one for 12 months in 1953...) they can hardly be relied upon for serious work. Time to change to a more modern camera. Camera prices and memory prices as a percentage of real GDP adjusted for inflation and cross-indexed to the Fijian Ruble...have become cheaper. And in every new camera box you'll get a fresh charger and cord to lose.

Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader

• Leverages SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology for high-speed file transfers, with USB interface speed up to 500MB/s
• Ultimate high-speed performance to accelerate digital workflow
• Maximizes speed and bandwidth of USB 3.0 computers, and the latest UDMA CompactFlash, SDXC, and SD UHS-I (SD 3.0) card formats
• Enables concurrent and card-to-card file transfers
• Pop-up design protects card slots when not in use
• Five-year limited warranty

SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Reader for Professional Photographers and Videographers
The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader is a professional-level, portable USB reader that provides maximum high-speed file transfer, with a blazing-fast USB interface speed up to 500MB/s. This lets you leverage the performance capabilities of the latest UDMA CompactFlash (CF), SDXC and SD UHS-I (SD 3.0) memory cards.

Save Time and Significantly Improve Workflow

Accelerate Digital Workflow with High-Speed File Transfer. The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader leverages SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology to deliver blazing-fast transfer speeds from card to computer, with a USB interface speed that reads up to 5 times faster than USB 2.0. An excellent choice for photo and video professionals looking to significantly accelerate workflow, the reader allows you to maximize the speed and bandwidth of next-generation USB 3.0 desktop and laptop computers, as well as the high-speed performance of the latest UDMA CF, SDXC, and SD UHS-I memory cards. And for versatility, it’s also backwards compatible with all standard CF, SD, and SDHC cards, as well as USB 2.0 devices.

Concurrent Transfers and Innovative Features for Ultimate Convenience. Created with convenience in mind, the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader has the ability to read both SD and CF cards simultaneously, and allows for easy file transfer from one card to another—further enhancing the reader’s versatility. And its LED activity light lets you know when transfer is complete. The reader also boasts an innovative, pop-up mechanism that protects the card slots by allowing you to close the reader when not in use. And with a compact, portable design, you can take it on the go, and its smooth contours help it easily slip in and out of your photo bag or briefcase.

Exceptional Performance, Quality, Compatibility, and Reliability. All Lexar memory card, card reader, and USB flash drive product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than 800 digital devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. This provides customers with a high level of confidence when using Lexar products to capture, manage, move, and store the memories that matter.

Available soon from Camera Electronic, contact one of our friendly sales staff for more information.