I picked up a used Epson P-2000 last week, and gave it a test run today. It is awesome! Pictures (I shoot in RAW) upload to the Epson as fast as they upload to my camera (about 10 minutes or so), but they offload from the Epson to the Computer in seconds!

Aside from speed here are the two biggest reasons for buying a solution like this:

1. Never needing to buy more memory cards. If you have two cards, that's all you need for nearly continuous shooting.

2. Viewing your photos in the field.


When you sit down and think about those two things they're very powerful......fill up one card in your camera, upload it to the Epson while you're shooting with the other. No worries about going Japanese-tourist on the shutter. If you're traveling, this works well two ways: no need for more memory cards, you can view the photos on the 3.8" screen to see which ones are keepers then delete the bad ones on the spot. If you're on a shoot for a client or a job, you can show the person cutting the check what things look like immediately......maybe this isn't always the best idea, but you have that ability.

I highly recommend investing in something like this. The Epson models are the only ones that allow you to view pictures, and they carry a much higher price tag for that feature. I bought mine used for less than half the retail price and it looks like it came off the shelf yesterday.

If you aren't going to buy a new one, the Epson P-2000 is plenty sufficient for the job - hobbyist or professional

 

I've been kicking around the idea of picking one of these up, I'm shooting my club's first invitational later this month and I may do so with that in mind. Where would you suggest finding a used one?

 

I found mine on POTN by just clicking on "New Posts", but I guess eBay might be your only option.

 

Just stumbled on another one on POTN: http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/sh...ad.php?t=287977

 

Awesome, thanks you VERY MUCH. I think that would be perfect for showing the powers that be the pictures they want to orders. Also, the p2000 is HIGHLY regarded http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...es/P-2000.shtml

For $275 that's a steal, even if I've drinken too much tonight.

 

Except by me.

I probably had a dud though.

Battery life was awful - 6 transfers maximum of a 1GB card (without using the screen to review). Windows XP would not recognise it (tried multiple machines and updated firmware, drivers etc. So I had to transfer BACK onto a card then put the card into the PC reader. Ngh.

Still got it lying around somewhere, but I now use a Premier "DP-3520 Digital Player" that I spotted in Jessops for 130 quid. Which also has a 3.5" screen, so the P2000 isn't the only one to do this. The only problem with it is that it isn't much cop at rendering RAWs (well, CR2s anyway). It's discernible but you couldn't tell if focus was off for example. But then how much can you expect from that size screen anyway - if I hadn't have spotted this unit, I'd have been getting a non-screen portable anyway to be honest. Just fill it up and sort it out on the PC at the end of the trip.

But it's certainly good enough for my purposes and it's much much quicker than the Epson - about 3 minutes to transfer a 1gig card. Also plays MP3s, has a headphone socket and microphone too, and takes CF/Microdrive/CD/MMC/MS.

Oh and a handy desktop cradle you just drop it into rather than faff about with cables each time

Gets my vote over the P2000, without a doubt.

 

I use a Zen Vision which has a CF card slot .....

But I don't shoot in raw.

 

Wow Graham - you've had a completely opposite experience from me. I've transfered photos off a card (just testing) about 4 times, and these are 4 GB cards, to see no loss in battery life - maybe the 6th time is the charm. I do wish the card -> Epson transfer rate was faster, but it is identical to my computer on a USB 2.0 transfer so I can't really complain. I did notice that the Microdrive offloads faster than the SanDisk Extreme III 4GB card

I'm not trying to tote the Epson over another product, I just have no experience with anything else. The Epson also deserves its fair justice.....good or bad.

The Epson takes all the CF-type cards (including Microdrives), SD cards, and some forms of Sony's Mem-sticks. It will also play most sound and video files. I don't know what the battery life is while listening to music, but it would be nice to eliminate the iPod from the bag too!

 

All of my photos are tack sharp, so I don't have to worry about this ......yes, you're right. After shooting and reviewing roughly 350 photos yesterday a few of the soft-focused ones slipped past the Epson making me think they were dead-on. I guess if you take an 8 MP image and reduce it to 640 x 480 that is going to happen. I'm still not complaining.

 

I went the cheapo route and got a 40gb Jobo Giga One.

It doesn't have a photo revue function but it does exactly what I need which is to give me somewhere to dump/backup my cards to. Its never let me down.

Peter