UnifyDrive UT2: The portable photo backup solution you’ve been waiting for?

[@PHOTOG0019]

FYI -- I received my UT2 this week and the SSDs today. The software update version installed during setup was V1.4.0210032. The app update was 1.3.2. The first feature I tried was the PlugBackup function using SD cards from my Fuji GFX 50S, X-T5, X-T4, X100V, X100T, and XF10. The UT2 flawlessly backed up the cards from all the Fuji cameras. Since card backup was my primary reason for getting the UT2, I am quite happy with it. Now to learn about all of the other features. ;-) BTW, I appreciate your straight forward review of the UT2 from a photographer's point of view. While it was good to see KZbin reviews from gear-heads and NAS afficionados, it was your review that resonated with me. Thanks!

[@MaurySmith]

I have a definite interest in this product. I've watch a half of a dozen videos designed to have the same function as this one. This video, in terms of detailed information and production quality, is laps and bound superior. Thank you for talking the time to research and produce this product video. 🎬

[@FieldingSmith]

I run a nas at home for photo backup and media server, so I get the added complexity and benefits this has over a standard ssd. But like you said, for a portable unit for field work I’d want longer battery life and weather sealing… and a micro sd slot.

[@dominey]

Yep. Agreed.

[@Johno530]

Great review. While an interesting product, the last thing I want to do is deal with a NAS when backing up on the go. I just need a place to dump my days work for emergencies. $400 dollars without drives is a no go for me but then again this product doesn't fit into my workflow.

[@dominey]

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

[@francistheriault5622]

Great review. TKS. Did you ever use Lightroom with a laptop with this drive to see if the performance is good?

[@DokoGaTV]

Fantastic review/overview. Is the unit TB3 or TB4 speeds, or USB 3.2? Curious about read/write speed. Many thanks!

[@malcolmmacgregor6222]

An interesting idea - but it sounds too complicated and may be prone to malfunction due to lack of weather sealing. Not sure why it cannot support Fuji GFX. The best and simplest system is Hasselblad's X2D camera with 1TB internal storage and CF express. One backs up the other whichever way round you want. Simple and straightforward. Many thanks

[@ChrisThe1]

Fuji has 2 card slots, hasselblad has one. Putting two cards in is the same as the internal SSD. The backup solution seems to be intended for backup beyond internal, so not like the hasselblad

[@malcolmmacgregor6222]

@@ChrisThe1 An interesting take on the fuji, and yes - one of the slots could be regarded as as an internal back up. I am not sure why the UT2 cannot support Fuji. Somehow I missed Todd's explanation so will take another look at the video. Thanks

[@dominey]

Yes, I'm concerned about malfunctions as well. Hoping the developers can come up with a fix that supports Fuji.

[@testshoot]

​@@malcolmmacgregor6222 try @10:34

[@DavidM2002]

Not to be confused with products made by Unifi although I suspect that is no accident.

[@MiguelMorenoGP]

Fujifilm cameras are themselves sensitive to different cards, the issue could stem from that

[@dominey]

I tried formatting different brands of SD cards using my GFX, and they all failed to mount. Appears to be more of a problem with whatever formatting scheme the cameras use. Weird, especially since I have no trouble reading those same cards elsewhere.

[@larsmichael7162]

What kind of d/l speeds (card to device) do you achieve with CFExpress with this device? CloudZen Tainer (which can hold a single NVME SSD) is reported to achieve 500MB/s.

[@dominey]

Company claims around 312 MB/s. That's the max speed, but actual speeds will depend on the cards themselves.

[@larsmichael7162]

@@dominey thank you! That's a bit disappointing considering the speeds possible with NVME and CFExpress.

[@zacharias21]

I’m still new to this but can I use western digital black ssd’s? They seem to be faster but not sure if it’s the right call if I go for this. I’m a videographer and want to edit off of ssds for that speed if that helps.

[@dominey]

As long as they're the correct type of SSD that should be fine. I'd recommend contacting the company through their Kickstarter campaign to verify.

[@rjrgjr]

Me my entire life: "I wonder if there's a portable NAS on the market, around the same size as my phone, with one-button SD/microSD card backup, with ProtonDrive cloud storage, and a media server that can replace my Google TV, something I can take on the go that doesn't need Wi-Fi? I wonder if that exists??" UnifyDrive: "Yes."

[@ilonaschong4601]

Great review, I just backed today on Kickstarter. I might have a question: can you also attach an external SSD to the UnifyDrive and copy the files to the external SSD? I normally back up twice and safe the back-ups at different places (suitcase and cameraback for example) in case one of them gets lost or stolen. If so, can I also check the content of the external SSD through the UnifyDrive App?

[@thefoxhouse]

I’d recommend waiting to see how this campaign works out. You could also accomplish the same thing with a travel router and a far more capable N100 mini pc running Linux and CasaOS. I have a similar setup as being used as a traveling media server

[@dominey]

Yes and no. The UnifyDrive mobile app has most of the same functionality as the desktop app, but more limited when managing files on external cards and drives. With the desktop app you can browse everything on media cards and external drives, then copy/delete files all you want. The mobile app (at the time of this review) is more for browsing files saved to the UT2's SSDs.

[@roncraig617]

My Sony A7R will transfer images to my cellphone via an app, and I can connect a portable SSD HD to the USB port of my cellphone for backup. That's a good enough solution for me given the volume of photos I'm typically taking. The ability to connect the external HD to my cellphone and have it appear as a storage option was actually a pleasant surprise the first time I tried it.

[@dominey]

Interesting - thanks for sharing this!

[@jlaw8882]

Just get a good well made SD card wallet and fill it with good fast cards. You will still have some change left and never have to face that horrible reality that the backup was corrupted or failed.

[@happymystic9800]

Way too bulky 😮 for me …

[@fabmartel]

Too bad it doesn't support XQD cards

[@rayspencer5025]

Way too complicated and expensive without any advantage. I don't like that it doesn't have a screen so I can confirm what has been transfered. And I don't like that it "transfers" files rather than "copies" the files. What if the process partially fails so the it removes the files from your card but fails to write to the unit's storage (I have had this happen before). I currenty simply carry plenty of memory cards (cheap, tiny, and tough). When I am done for the day I can make extra file copies using my camera's 2 card slots or a tablet (1tb), or my phone (1tb), mini-laptop, or SSD. This process results in me having 3 full copies (in my pocket, in my carry-on bag, and in my checked luggage).

[@dominey]

The UT2 copies files. If I said "transfer" in the video, what I meant was "copy" not "move".

[@testshoot]

You can verify through the phone app without having to stand next to the device during long transfers. It's actually real simple. It is a small, portable, simple device and it comes at a price,

[@raytreat6599]

Noooo!

[@dominey]

Lol - what happened? :)

[@thefoxhouse]

It’s a neat concept, but I think it’s overpriced for what it offers. You could easily do something similar for far less. I get the need does an all in one solution, but if it fails you’re out of luck.

[@ChrisThe1]

This has existed for years. WD makes a MyBook wireless (or something like that), which does the exact same thing

[@dominey]

Are you referring to the WD My Passport? From what I can see that product has been discontinued. Please let me know if there's a similar product from them that's available.

[@ChrisThe1]

@@dominey Surprisingly it indeed seems discontinued. Surprises me; as I thought this type of product was rather available

[@dominey]

@@ChrisThe1 Yeah I'd love to know why they discontinued it.

[@krisalis709]

@@ChrisThe1 This is slightly different. WD Passport and other similar products are just simple external hard drives. This is a full-blown NAS with server functionality. Biggest difference is the redundancy and encryption. Most photographers probably won't really understand the difference since this is more geared toward homelab users, but this device allows a lot more flexibility while being safely encrypted and stored. With this I can backup my photos and then have it automatically backup to my computer at home. Or if I'm working on a project with a team while I'm out in the field I can put my files on this and my team would be able to access and edit the files anywhere in the world as if I had put these files in the cloud.

[@ChrisThe1]

@@krisalis709 I was referring to the WD My Passport Wireless Pro. It can be accessed wirelessly and has a sd slot to backup files. I don't remember whether encryption is an option but i assume so.