Best way to backup SD cards without laptop

Sbiriguda

For weight reasons, I would like to bring laptop in a trip
I will need to backup files from SD cards on an external hard disk. I found several solutions, none of them really good for me. Perhaps you have better suggestions
How to Back Up Your Camera’s Photos Without a Laptop
This link was a good start for me
1) from the camera (not possible mine is D3100 and wifi would be instable in any case)
2) WD my passport wireless pro: nice but expensive for that price you can buy a tablet or minilaptop
3) Apple Lightining to SD card reader
4) RAV Power Filehub plus
5) Amazon fire   SD to USB adpter

I think I will do 3 or 5...

stearman65

Why not just buy more cards?

Sbiriguda

Yes...
Indeed I already have many cards
But I am not sure they will be enough, especially for 4k videos

Terfyn

All the SD to DVD options I can see require a computer to do the job.
I go with stearman65 and would advise buying extra cards. Mark them in order before you start.
Or the RAVPower FileHub Plus looks a good alternative at a decent price.
The downside is that the SD card holds a lot of housekeeping information that you don't need so will clutter up any storage device. The computer option allows you to select the exact folder in the card that holds the video. Check in your User Manual for the page "About the PC Display", it's p258 of the User Manual for the HC-VFX1

Remember to ALWAYS format your cards in the camera before use and before re-use after backup. The camera format creates specific folders on the card for the camera to store video files etc. Also note that the "Delete" option only flags the file as not required but leaves it on the card taking up space. Only a "Format" will clean the card of old files.

Sbiriguda

Thanks also for this info, very helpful

Kevo

I've also been looking into this recently as i'm about to embark on a big multi stop trip in Peru where i'll be taking lots of RAW photos and a mix of HD 1080 5op and 4K video.got

I've read the article before and i'm still looking at my options.

I'll be taking plenty of SD Cards and a tablet but that won't help if anything gets damaged, lost or stolen so i'm looking into a 'cloud option' which may not be practical due to my location and the sheer size and numbers of files i'll be producing!

12harry

When I saw this Thread first I though OP wanted to Back-Up  AND keep the SD card - i.e. it was a "Safety" requirement.

If your planned travel is long=expensive, then perhaps an ATMOS recorder is worthwhile? Their 4K is really expensive, but the HD models may be available s/h and you'll record to your own HDD, or SSD. One extra benefit is the recordings are "Better than SDHC"  - since they are taken before the card-compression - this "may" give you a quality-edge.  
Of course it's more kit, batteries and Cost . . . but the screen will be larger than the Camcorder's - thereby making Manual Focus easier.

BTW if you buy "Extra Cards",  it's worth checking they will hold their full capacity ( use yr PC ) and then Format in the Camcorder, as Terfyn suggested.

Cheers.