Author: Aaron

Aaron shows you how to use an iPhone or iPad through a USB hub to copy an SD card to a hard drive or SSD without a laptop or PC.

Click here to watch on YouTube (computer or app)

It is now possible to use only an iPhone to copy or backup an SD card to a HDD (hard disk drive) through a USB hub without using a laptop. This is huge for travelers, backpackers, adventurers, and filmmakers. Having all of your footage on a single SD card is scary. Losing or having the card fail can be catastrophic. Often it’s not possible to have a laptop while backpacking or traveling. Aaron shows how to use a powered USB hub to run access a portable hard drive using an iPhone Xs. You can also use this technique to copy from on SD card to another.
Aaron shows the process of using IOS 13’s File app for connecting, copying, back up, pasting, creating folders, navigation, and ejecting devices. This is great for photographers, videographers, drone operators, filmmakers, adventurers, travelers, and the like.
This technique works for SD, CF, Compact Flash, QXD, and any other card you can think of. You can even copy your USB mass storage camera/camcorder to a HDD/SDD using your iPhone or iPad.

**** UPDATE ****
I changed the Amazon USB cable link below. This may dramatically improve your file transfer speed. It appears the bottleneck is using USB 2 cables and the Apple Lightning to USB 3 adapter.
**** END OF UPDATE ****

0:13 SD to HDD and thumb drives overview
2:04 Files on iOS 12 and iOS 13
2:24 Hardware overview
2:39 Powered USB hub options
3:17 Required iPhone adapter
3:29 Wall power for phone
3:41 SD card to phone
3:58 How the iPhone handles non-standard file formats like Canon camcorders or Sony RX100
4:29 How to connect everything
5:41 Inserting & Detecting SD card
6:40 Connecting HDD to iPhone
7:11 How to copy a folder of the SD card
7:33 Creating and naming a folder on the HDD using iPhone
7:59 How to paste file from SD to HDD – special trick
8:13 Beginning paste from SD to HDD
10:28 Finished copy from SD to HDD
11:05 Why use a powered hub with HDD
11:15 Viewing files on HDD
11:42 Overview of ejecting all devices, risks, indicators
12:30 Eject SD card
12:54 Eject HDD (portable laptop hard drive)
13:22 Why SD backups matter (saved $10,000 shoot)
15:08 Other iOS 13 features
15:08 Plug in 64GB Sandisk SD chip
15:14 How to copy any camcorder or other folder
16:19 Future How To SD to SD video plan
16:56 Device eject issues and indication
17:08 HDD drive light indicator
17:14 SD card reader access light indicator

Get the following on Amazon:
LaCie 2TB Hard disk (HDD): https://amzn.to/2Lmjv4A
Sandisk 2TB Solid state drive (SDD): https://amzn.to/2NSvo3V
Sandisk 64GB SD card: https://amzn.to/2HMPits
Sandisk 32GB SD card: https://amzn.to/2Ln0hfv
Sandisk USB 64GB thumb drive: https://amzn.to/2zQq6h8
USB and SD card reader hub: https://amzn.to/2NOvIAU
Lightning to USB & power adapter: https://amzn.to/2LlJB87
Lighting SD card reader: https://amzn.to/2NOAiz6
Additional USB-C to USB 3.0 cables from the video: https://amzn.to/2JhtDdF

Aaron unboxes and reviews the Sandisk 2TB Extreme Portable External SSD (solid state drive). He tries it in the following ways:
With the USB-C cable plugged directly into the iMac
Using a USB-C to USB-3.0 converter with a USB-C hub
Using a USB-C to USB-3.0 converter with a USB-3.0 hub
Copying to and from the Sandisk Drive

He tests with Black Magic but also REAL-WORLD tests with 4.7GB and 16GB folders back and forth from the Sandisk to the iMac SSD. This way you don’t see just a test anyway can do but with real-world folders transferred back and forth like you would do.

1:09 Portable USB C and 3.0 hub options
1:46 Unboxing
3:10 Size vs iPhone Xs
4:06 Real world dimensions
4:54 How drive initially powers up on iMac with built-in files
6:48 Black magic theoretical performance
8:29 USB-C 3.0 connector options and performance
13:59 USB 3.0 powered hub performance
16:34 Initial failure test
17:22 Real-world file copy discussion
17:47 Real-world 4.7GB folder copy to SSD from iMac SSD
18:27 Real-world 16GB folder copy to SSD from iMac SSD
19:34 Copy 4.7GB from Sandisk to iMac SSD
20:36 Copy 16GB from Sandisk to iMac SSD

Get the items from this video on Amazon:

Sandisk 2TB Solid state drive (SDD): https://amzn.to/2NSvo3V
Uni USB-C hub: https://amzn.to/2NOvIAU
USB-C to USB-3 cables: https://amzn.to/2Q13Ko7

Aaron unboxes and reviews the E-Image 2-Stage Aluminum Tripod with GH03 Head. It is supposed to be the fastest inexpensive video tripod on the market. He talks about this tripod vs the expensive Sachtler Flowtech tripod. Is the Sachtler worth the extra $1000? Aaron talks about that. He demonstrates how the E-Image tripod opens, what the bag weighs, and everything you need to know.
Setup speed comparison of E-Image vs Bogen Manfrotto tripod. This may be the fastest inexpensive video tripod on the market. It has a pan bar, bag, 75mm ball head, removable spreader, foot spikes, spirit level, and everything you expect in a video tripod. Aaron shows how to use the tripod.

Video table of contents
0:52 Unboxing
3:22 Video plate
4:14 Weight and measurements
7:49 Max leg width
8:43 Breakdown speed
9:04 Bungee leg lock
10:02 Rubber feet and spikes
11:18 Remove rubber feet
12:46 How to mount the plate on a camera
13:48 Plate mounting options, handling, switches, locks
17:47 Ball head usage
19:05 Spirit Level
19:46 Max tilt forward and back
21:28 Raise up speed – whole value of tripod
22:33 Spreader ring
23:28 Tripod deployment speed
23:59 Tripod breakdown speed
24:43 Remove spreader
26:28 Compare setup speeds E-Image vs Bogen
28:35 Bogen breakdown comparison
29:38 E-Image extra pan bar and other options

Get the E-Image tripod on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZPNo6j
Get the Sachtler Flowtech 75mm tripod on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PZoMUp

Fast Fastest video tripod best setup speed