Shoot Tools: Maxell iVDR-Xtreme

Bus-powered via its USB 2.0 or 9-pin FireWire 800 port. Price: $650

While there are an increasing number of portable drives available to take on location, the reality is that most of these are pretty fragile units — at least compared to the conditions of most productions. Maxell has come up with a useful alternative with its iVDR-Xtreme, which recently started shipping. With a capacity of up to 250GB, the lightweight storage device employs a tough, rugged exterior along with patented shock-absorbent technology that resists shock from a drop of up to 4.6ft. onto a hard surface such as tile flooring.