Epson P-4000

Epson's P-4000 looks a bit like a gaming system such as the Sony Playstation Portable and is just large enough to require both hands to hold.

It features a 3.8in LCD display with a set of control buttons just to the side and houses an 80GB hard disk.

But rather than being a games machine, the P-4000 is a specialised storage device designed specifically for photographers.

Two slots on the front edge of the unit for Secure Digital and Compact Flash memory cards, allowing you to quickly transfer photos from your camera onto the P-4000.

It can handle photos stored either as jpeg files as well as the raw file format used by many pro and semi-pro digital cameras.

Raw files, in particular, tend to be pretty large, so the P-4000 will allow photographers to free up the memory cards in their cameras and get back to work straight away.

When importing pictures into the P-4000 you're given the option of simply dumping them onto its hard disk or alternatively organising them into albums.

The screen has a resolution of 640 x 480 and provides a good preview of your photos, along with options such as the ability to play slideshows and zoom in up to 800%. A USB2 interface is provided for transferring photos onto a Mac or PC.

Mpeg4 video can be played on the P-4000, including DivX files. But with the 4:3 aspect ratio and battery life only lasting just over three hours, it's not something we'd recommend doing that often.

The P-4000 will certainly appeal to photographers who need extra storage when they're out on a shoot.

It is, however, very expensive. It's much more than just a portable hard drive, but when you think of the extra features offered by Archos's similarly priced portable media players it loses some of its appeal.