Reto's Experience

[Hier clicken für die Deutsche Version]

Remark: I'm using a US Image Bank version (Sima Image Bank) that may be slightly different from the European model.

Included in delivery:

Image Bank 12V Car-Adapter 120-240V 50/60Hz to 12V Adapter USB cable Manual CD-Rom with driver for Win 98SE, Win 98ME, Win2000 and Mac9.0/up.   US-Version: - Battery pack (empty) for 6 AA batteries - Case for Image Bank and battery pack

Handling
To give the plastic case a longer live, I suggest to store it in a small carry case.
The 12 pages manual is basic but answers most questions to install the Image Bank on your computer and copy the data via your memory card. What's missing is a description how to install/upgrade a hard drive.

To connect the Image Bank with 120-240V you simply put your 12V car adapter cable into the AC adapter.

To copy data from a memory card to the Image Bank
The handling is quite easy, the unit has separate input slots for SmartMedia card and CompactFlash cards (type 1 or 2, supports microdrives).

	After you inserted your CF card, you just have to push the "Copy CF" button and the Image Bank starts immediately with copying data. If you use a SM card, you push the "Copy SM" button.
	Then a series of five bars on the LCD screen indicate the progress.
	Each time it creates a new folder, they are labeled 0001.itd, 0002.itd etc.
	To delete the content from your CF or SM card you have to insert them in your camera and erase there all pictures.
	It's not possible to copy data from CF/SM to the Image Bank, if the Image Bank is connected via USB with your computer.

To copy data from the Image Bank to a Computer
Connect the Image Bank and the computer with the USB cable (the first time, you have to install the driver). The Image Bank is now accessible as a removable drive and you could already now watch your picture with a viewer software on your computer/laptop screen, without copying the files first to your local hard drive. 
You can copy data in both directions, rename files and folders etc., long file names are no problem. You can store any type of files on the Image Bank, not just pictures.

Measurements:

1. Speed Memory Card - Image Bank:

2. Speed Image Bank - Computer:
Download speed Image Bank to PC: ca. 47 MB/Min

3. Battery Capacity:
With six 1600mAh NiMH AA batteries, I could download data from CF and SM cards during more than one hour, approx. 4 GB.

Conclusion:

The Image Bank is a portable digital file storage device and has all the functionality a digital photographer needs, when taking lots of pictures and not having access to a laptop to download all the files to an other media. With the possibility to install any 2.5" notebook hard drive, it's very flexible and the cheapest solution right now.
The handling is very easy and even if the manual is small and just basic, there is not much more to say about it.

For me, it's the right solution.

© Copyright 2002 Reto Bolliger