Fastest CF card reader?

marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
edited December 12, 2006 in Digital Darkroom
Is there one CF card reader that is USB2 (or PCMCIA) that is regarded as the fastest one out there?
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  • ChrisJChrisJ Registered Users Posts: 2,164 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2006
    marlinspike wrote:
    Is there one CF card reader that is USB2 (or PCMCIA) that is regarded as the fastest one out there?
    For PCMCIA cards, you must get a CardBus 32 adapter, otherwise it will be SLOW. Personally, I have an eFilm Pro [delkin.com], made by Delkin. These were difficult to find when I bought mine.

    I'm not sure of much difference in the USB2 readers, though I've been satisfied with my SanDisk 12-in-1 [amazon.com].
    Chris
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2006
    When I download through RSP it reads at 7.3mb/sec using my sandisk usb2 hi speed card reader...there has got to be a faster way (this is whith an Extreme III card).
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  • W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2006
    marlinspike wrote:
    Is there one CF card reader that is USB2 (or PCMCIA) that is regarded as the fastest one out there?

    You may be familiar with the Rob Galbraith database showing that the effective speeds of various CF and SD cards depend on the camera in which they are being used.
    marlinspike wrote:
    When I download through RSP it reads at 7.3mb/sec using my sandisk usb2 hi speed card reader...there has got to be a faster way (this is whith an Extreme III card).

    The read speed you have experienced for that card is about the same as the write speed Rob Galbraith reports for it on topline cameras. Could the limitation be with the card rather than with the SanDisk reader? If so, there may be little potential for any significant improvement.
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  • bwgbwg Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,119 SmugMug Employee
    edited December 12, 2006
    marlinspike wrote:
    When I download through RSP it reads at 7.3mb/sec using my sandisk usb2 hi speed card reader...there has got to be a faster way (this is whith an Extreme III card).
    Are you sure you're plugging into a usb 2.0 port on your pc?

    My PC has a multi card reader built in but for some reason they put a usb 1 card reader in a USB 2 PC. Plugging the card reader into one of the usb ports on the back of the PC gives me full 2.0 speeds.
    Pedal faster
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited December 12, 2006
    marlinspike wrote:
    Is there one CF card reader that is USB2 (or PCMCIA) that is regarded as the fastest one out there?
    From what I understand a card bus 32 adapater and PCMCIA is going to be your fastest solution. I have a friend who switched from FireWire to the PCMCIA/32 solution for speed. Next fastest will be Firewire. Last in the race is USB 2.0. Yes, FireWire 400 is faster than USB 2.0 at 480. Go figure. :)
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  • colourboxcolourbox Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited December 12, 2006
    mercphoto wrote:
    From what I understand a card bus 32 adapater and PCMCIA is going to be your fastest solution. I have a friend who switched from FireWire to the PCMCIA/32 solution for speed. Next fastest will be Firewire. Last in the race is USB 2.0. Yes, FireWire 400 is faster than USB 2.0 at 480. Go figure. :)

    In reading this Rob Galbraith article, it looks like interface type may not be the most reliable way to determine what's fastest. There is a thing called PIO mode that may be more important.

    For Mac people reading this thread, a PC card is certainly not fastest. The Galbraith page above indicates that a FireWire reader should be the way to go on a Mac, and USB 2 on a PC. (Macs and PCs seem to have very different characteristics handling USB and FireWire). I have been using a PC card in my Mac PowerBook but I just bought a Lexar FireWire CF reader for my desktop. I just ran a test and here is what I found. I transferred a 1GB Sandisk Ultra CF card full of Canon Raw files.

    minutes:seconds

    Transfer using Sandisk Ultra PC card adapter for CF:
    11:00
    CPU usage high, other apps bog down

    Transfer with Lexar FireWire CF card reader (the normal one, not the new Extreme version):
    2:08
    CPU usage reasonable, other apps operate smoothly

    When I use the Lexar FireWire reader on a Mac Pro, the time is so short I have to pick my jaw up off the floor. I haven't measured it there but it was a matter of mere seconds, indicating that the CPU also has an effect.

    The point of this post is not to inject Macs into this discussion but to question whether PCMCIA is really fastest, based on the Galbraith article. Although my test is interesting, I also wonder if Macs just don't support PC cards that well.
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