Video Copy and Storage!

This year I want to shoot and post more videos.  Of course, that will mean being able to clear the camera’s MicroSD card quickly and easily while on the go (or at least while stopping for a bite.)  So, I went looking for a hard drive that was both wifi-enabled and would pull from a MicroSD card.  My first glance showed me an expensive solution for a 256GB drive with the processing shell for $400.  I know I can do better.

So, I went digging for wifi-enabled devices that allowed for plugging in a USB drive and SD card.  This yielded many more results with a much less expensive buy-in.  The unit I ended up purchasing was the RavPower FileHub Plus (RP-WD03) with a built-in 6700 mAh battery for $43.  Now, this did not include a USB drive – but I already have those.

I started thinking about travel, and keeping things as minimal as possible, so I opted to grab a 256GB USB stick.  This way, I can leave it plugged into the RP-WD03 and not have a separate item to carry along.  I searched around for price and size and settled on the SanDisk 256GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive for $46.  So, for less than $100 I had a wifi-enabled SD reader and USB drive solution as opposed to the $400 solution.  And, I can just take a couple extra USB drives if I need extra storage.

The initial power on and set up was very simple.  Download their app, connect to the RP-WD03 wifi hotspot and then you can change and secure the hotspot from within the app.  It took all of 5 minutes to change the passwords, SSID and tweak the settings.  I am familiar with the RavPower battery packs, so I know this one will last a long while, and it’s nice to not have to carry another battery pack just for this.

So, my use case is pretty simple.  Shoot while riding from the helmet cam until I stop or card is full (can take hours).  While taking a break, slide the MicroSD card into the RP-WD03 and move the files off the card, onto the USB Stick.  This frees up my SD card for more footage really quick.  It only took seconds to transfer a 100MB video file, and as soon as I shoot something longer, I will time the transfer.

The other use case will be for clearing the Drone cards as well.  I can create and move files around on the drive really easy, so I can have a Sena folder and a Mavic folder.  Or, if I am shooting with the Osmo+, I can add a folder for that.  And when I get home, I can put the USB drive into the computer and pull all the footage off at once, and it will already be organized.

I cant wait to start putting this through its paces.  It think it will be a great addition to the kit, allowing me more freedom to shoot longer without worrying about storage on the road.