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Card Reader or USB Cable?

ScottoScotto Registered Users Posts: 187 Major grins
edited December 23, 2008 in Accessories
Just curious really, :scratch

Do you guys use Card Readers or do you simply plug in a USB Cable to the camera.

Personally, I use a card reader, always have done always will
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    aj986saj986s Registered Users Posts: 1,100 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    My experience has been that the card readers are MUCH faster. Plus, AFAIK, you don't have any "battery going dead" issues with the typical card readers. I use the built-in one on my PC, and keep a small portable one in my camera bag. I cannot ever remember connecting my camera to the PC.
    Tony P.
    Canon 50D, 30D and Digital Rebel (plus some old friends - FTB and AE1)
    Long-time amateur.....wishing for more time to play
    Autocross and Track junkie
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,848 moderator
    edited December 23, 2008
    I use card readers exclusively. The drivers are more stable and reliable, transfer speed is faster (IMO and experience) and it saves electronic wear-and-tear on the camera as well as preserving the USB port for those times when you need it. (Every time you power an electronic device it stresses the circuits.)
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    15524779-Ti.gif w/ everything Ziggy just said. Let me add, if you have FireWire, the SanDisk Extreme FireWire CompactFlash Card Reader works a real treat - it's just plain fast! For me, having to frequently download anywhere between 6 and 16 4GB cards, it's well worth the premium you pay to acquire it.

    But, I'm just as sure that most could easily get by with a $8 SUPER TALENT EXTAI1SILG All-in-one USB 2.0 Card Reader - it may not, but could, be very fast, but for one card - who cares:D
    Scott
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    ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    +1 on the card reader thumb.gif
    Scott_Quier wrote:
    Let me add, if you have FireWire, the SanDisk Extreme FireWire CompactFlash Card Reader works a real treat - it's just plain fast! For me, having to frequently download anywhere between 6 and 16 4GB cards, it's well worth the premium you pay to acquire it.
    15524779-Ti.gif this is one of the best accessories I have for my camera. It's great.
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Card reader definitely, either stand-alone or built-in (on the lcd).

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    ScottoScotto Registered Users Posts: 187 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Scott, is there much difference in speed between the USB2 and your FireWire reader?

    A FW reader is something I have considered in the past
    My SmugMug | Follow me on Twitter | iChat: ScottMacUser
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    ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Scotto wrote:
    Scott, is there much difference in speed between the USB2 and your FireWire reader
    it's much faster for me thumb.gif
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
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    Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Scotto wrote:
    Scott, is there much difference in speed between the USB2 and your FireWire reader?

    A FW reader is something I have considered in the past
    Opinions differ. Some say there's little if any difference between USB 2.0 and FW. Others, like me, report huge differences.

    It might be that my USB 2.0 reader is sub-standard, but my FW reader is something way faster. Using a full 4GB 300x Transcend CF card (something like 185 RAW images from a Canon 50D), the USB reader was telling me that it would take, IIRC, about 10 minutes to download the card. The FW reader took just a bit more than 3 minutes.
    Scott
    My Photos
    Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
    Equipment List - Check my profile
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    Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    readers are the only way to go.......now I am trying to decide if I want to add one to an empty 5.25 bay on my computer and get rid of the usb stand alone
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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    Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Art Scott wrote:
    readers are the only way to go.......now I am trying to decide if I want to add one to an empty 5.25 bay on my computer and get rid of the usb stand alone

    The internal readers are not up to snuff. Externals are much faster. Now if SanDisk or Lexar decided to make an internal reader that could change. I suspect...no market...no interest.
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    Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    Ric Grupe wrote:
    The internal readers are not up to snuff. Externals are much faster. Now if SanDisk or Lexar decided to make an internal reader that could change. I suspect...no market...no interest.

    Wow I owld have figured the case fit to be the better, how ever you have one great point on the use of name brand readers ( i am presuming an implied the SD / Lexie to be better than say a Stratitec).....may have to try a name brand one to see how it runs when I get all my stuff (mobo, ps, ram (4gb), ram cooler and sata drive ) arrives and gets installed.......I can't process pics unless the windows are open and a fan blowing directly into the case and it has been in the single digits:D.....so waitng on box from tiger direct.........
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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