Flash drives. USB Thumbdrives. USB Portable Drives. These little storage devices go by a couple of different names. Whatever you call them, they are quite useful and every digital photographer should have one.

One ongoing fallacy about USB drives is that you can download images from the camera directly. No. Can’t be done. These are dumb devices; just storage space.

You’ll find a variety of makes and storage capacities. I would not get anything smaller than 1 gig, although if you want to go all out you can get the new Transcend 16 gig device. Lexar and Sandisk are my two recommended manufacturers and you can easily find 2 and 4 gig USB drives for $25-$50.

Just make sure you buy a unit that is USB 2.0 compatible. Don’t go for the no name 2 gig drive for $10 if you want fast data transfer.

What are they good for

• Transferring files between your laptop and desktop. Some USB drives come with synching software.
• Putting a bunch of photos on it to take to the local camera store for printing. Delete after you’re done.
• Storing your internet Favorites or Bookmarks. Always have them with you.
• Store a limited backup of important files.
• For techies, keep your favorite applications stored on it. Anytime you visit a client you have all your favorite tools. (Some software makers offer ‘Portable’ versions of their programs just for USB drives)

I’m sure you can find more uses for a USB drive. Go get one already!