In part two of my review, I would like to tell you more about operating the NPS-10 and my pros and cons.
Operating the NPS-10
Every control on the NPS-10 works with one button, which might take some time to get used to. The moment you put a card in the NPS-10, it scans the card directly. It even recognizes whether the data is new or already backed up. Then it will give you the option to copy everything or check if there are new files and only copy those. In the past my backup workflow consisted of formatting to prevent duplicates. Now I can quickly backup data from different cameras and automatically store it in separate folders which update with only newly added files, if you wish so..
For a quick data check on the card or internal SSD you can preview the footage on the screen. Especially if you backed up multiple cards, it gives you an insight into which card it was. You can copy or update four cards at the same time. In combination with the sync option, the NPS-10 can quickly copy from its own internal SSD and update to an external HDD or SSD.
Pros and cons
The NPS-10 is a small flexible device with a superfast transfer speed. Thanks to the advanced options in terms of updates and syncing with verifications against data corruption, you can safely leave your backup workflow to this ingenious device. It will transfer data from different memory cards with great ease. You can leave your NPS-10 transferring data in your bag while you are doing other things. To determine their lifespan, you can also check your SSDs on bad sectors. This way you know in advance whether you might want to replace a card or a hard drive.
Unfortunately NPS-10 is not completely weatherproof. The question is whether after longer use the internal mechanism will stay clean if I take it outside a lot. The control knob isn’t that intuitive (but this might change when I’ve owned the device for a while). I also noticed that with compressed codecs such as XAVC and AVCHD the NPS-10 is having a hard time with a frame rate of around 4 to 6fps. With ProRes and DNxHD, the frame rate is higher with 30 to 20 fps.
With the sync option the NPS-10 can copy data from the internal SSD to the extremal HDD/SSD. For ease and speed in the workflow, I can recommend choosing a SSD instead of an HDD. The reason for this is that some of the HDDs do not have their own power source or need phantom power which cannot be delivered from the NPS-10's USB host.
Conclusion
For those who can't afford to lose their footage and can’t spare the time to invest in a good backup workflow, the NPS-10 is an ideal solution. It simplifies and reduces the number of actions for making a good backup. It makes it very easy to transfer your data in an organized way. The NPS-10 is not perfect with its limited protection cover. But let’s face it, people don’t toss around their lenses either and people take them everywhere as well. This device can definitely unburden you and gives you a lot of time and focus back on your shooting days.
Regardless of how large your project is, safeguarding your footage is an important part of it. Whether you have a one-man band, a production crew, or a large production house/newsroom, the NPS-10 can help you with a good backup workflow. What this may look like? You can read it in my next article. If you want know more about my first impressions and features you can read the first part of my review.
About the author: working as an editor and post-production assistant, Sander van Iersel has seen a lot of different sides of the media industry. He worked on projects for international tv such as National Geographic and he travelled through Africa, Iceland and the Himalayas as a time lapser and photographer. Currently he works with his crew as a director and producer making media formats about science and nature.
Find out more about the NextoDI NPS-10!
