Backing up digital photos

[simpo two]

I want to get all my 2004 pix (about 4.5Gb)safely onto disc for long term storage.

I can use 6x CD-R or 1x DVD-R. It would be nice to have them all on one disk, but I have a nagging doubt that DVD, due to its higher data density, it more prone to corruption/damage. I've also had bad experiences burning video onto DVD, but maybe that was questionable media.

Do you think CDs are safer than DVDs? Thanks all

[parrot of doom]

Buy a cheap hard drive, and shove them all on there. Keep it in a cupboard, and keep your photos on your normal computer HD as well, backing it up once in a while.

[Andy M]

I store all of my music and photo's on both my compters HD, a backup HD, and also a pile of DVD-R's.

If I were in your case I'd probably backup to an external HD as well as a couple of duplicate copies on DVD.

I buy my DVD-R's (Ritek dye) from: www.diskdepot.co.uk

[pug406]

I back up all mine to a 60 gig USB HDD. Never had a problem getting them back. If you use winzip from time to time you can archive them and take up less space.

D70's rule

[chrisjl]

pug406 said:

If you use winzip from time to time you can archive them and take up less space. D70's rule

It might work on RAWs, I suppose, but JPEGs don't compress (I just tried one, and managed <1% reduction).

[V6GTO]

pug406 said:

D70's rule

[simpo two]

V6GTO said:

pug406 said: D70's rule

Excellent, that's what we WANT you to think... :strokefluffycat:

[simpo two]

Thanks folks. Does anyone an opinion Delkin?
www.delkin.com/delkin_products_archival_gold.html

[bilko2]

No opinion on delkin but learnt something.

TAKEN FROM DELKIN SITE>
"Maximum resistance to the harmful effects of oxidation, a main cause of failure to optical media."

If this is truely the case then may i suggest a different storage case with your choice of writable media.

This will sound weird but you know the moulinex hand blender?; Well i saw an advert the other day for a new atatchment. A VACUUM PUMP!
I'm blowed if i can find a link but the basic principle is this. They have special tupperware boxes for food with a one way valve on them.
You apply the vacuum pump and when all the air is sucked out it locks ( or something ).
This will prevent oxidation as no oxygen will be present. Can't be more than £50 odd.

It may not have been Moulinex but it was definately a hand blender.
Any good?, or good for a laugh?

>> Edited by bilko2 on Monday 3rd January 16:37

[rico]

V6GTO said:

D70's rule

Much better

[_dobbo_]

All I wouold say is if you do go with DVD backup, don't buy cheap DVDs... I bought a bunch of "BUDGET" brand DVDs, and the failure rate is unbelievable. A slight flex of the disc is enough to render it unusable, so it's goodbye data if you aren't careful!

Better quality disks don't seem to suffer this problem.

[s a m]

Get a USB external hard drive, simple plug and play on XP and easy to unplug at the end and hide under the bed. Reliable hard drive inside, and lots of storage – plenty to back everything up.

www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=4240632410&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=62174

200gig – lots of space, I have the 120gig version of this and its been great.

You can get cheaper ones, I have seen smaller drives for about £60 and up, but best to make sure you go with a good brand after all it is just a hard drive inside, so the better the make the less chance of it going wrong. No need to ZIP up files, just load them straight on plenty of room.