Transfer Equipment
Along with all the camera accessories, you also need some peripheral gear to download footage from the camera. This is a job your digital imaging technician (DIT) or (possibly you) might do, depending on the size of the crew. (We'll look at on-set data management in more depth in Chapters 9 and 14.)
You will use a computer to transfer footage from CF cards or RED-DRIVEs. Try to match the transfer computer type to your editing system. If you're working on a Mac editing system, for example, use a Mac to transfer footage; conversely, if you're cutting on a Windows machine, transfer with a Windows machine. This saves you some initial challenges involved in transferring from Mac to Windows systems. I like to carry a 17-inch MacBook Pro with a FireWire 800 port. When I know there will be available AC power, I use a MacPro desktop with an eSATA card and eSATA drive.
You need sufficient hard drive space to hold all the footage you intend to shoot, along with enough for a backup, too. If you're shooting CF cards, you also need a card reader. (For more workflow details, see the section "Archiving in the Field" in Chapter 14.)