Difference in Card Readers?

[LegMaker]

:?:
I have always directly connected my camera to my computer to upload photos. I know there is a difference in card speeds when using a card reader, but is there a difference in card readers or can I buy a generic one?
Thanks guys
CMH

[RichardtheSane]

If you have USB 2 on your PC then get a USB 2 reader, otherwise just any USB reader will do fine.
Also if oyu have firewire that will work quicker, but thy are more expensive.
:D

[Morden]

The camera connects to the computer using USB version 1. If you buy a reader that also uses USB 1 then you won't see any increase in transfer speeds. If, however, you use a reader that connects using USB version 2 - or better still Firewire (IEEE 1394) - then you will see substantially increased file transfer speeds.

I hope that this helps.

[Cordell]

The camera connects to the computer using USB version 1. If you buy a reader that also uses USB 1 then you won't see any increase in transfer speeds. If, however, you use a reader that connects using USB version 2 - or better still Firewire (IEEE 1394) - then you will see substantially increased file transfer speeds.

I hope that this helps.

Only if the USB on your computer is version 2 also. A USB reader that is version to will default to 1 or 1.1 if that is what your computer has.

[Morden]

The camera connects to the computer using USB version 1. If you buy a reader that also uses USB 1 then you won't see any increase in transfer speeds. If, however, you use a reader that connects using USB version 2 - or better still Firewire (IEEE 1394) - then you will see substantially increased file transfer speeds.

I hope that this helps.

Only if the USB on your computer is version 2 also. A USB reader that is version to will default to 1 or 1.1 if that is what your computer has.
Indeed, I forgot about 1.1, and that - of course - the computer's USB must also be 2.0 compliant to take advantage of a USB 2.0 reader. Sorry about that!

[timmyquest]

The camera connects to the computer using USB version 1. If you buy a reader that also uses USB 1 then you won't see any increase in transfer speeds. If, however, you use a reader that connects using USB version 2 - or better still Firewire (IEEE 1394) - then you will see substantially increased file transfer speeds.

I hope that this helps.

firewire= 400mbits/s where as USB 2.0=480mbits/s so how is firewire better?

[sjprg]

Only for brainwashed Mac users

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

Firewire has less load on the CPU and appears to be alot faster when using external HDD's.

Greetings,
Frank

[timmyquest]

Firewire has less load on the CPU and appears to be alot faster when using external HDD's.

Greetings,
Frank


Less CPU load huh...i'll make sure and not type very fast for the 2 mins that i'm transfering my pictures :roll:

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:lol:

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

:D.
The difference in firewire and USB2.0 is not ONLY for the 2 minutes you transfer pics, I use a 1GB card and that takes a bit longer, but I also use a 1 touch external drive for backups, here you can REALLY see a difference between firewire and USB2.0.

Greetings,
Frank

[Morden]

firewire= 400mbits/s where as USB 2.0=480mbits/s so how is firewire better?
I believe that the sustained maximum transfer rate for firewire connections is greater than that for USB 2.0, though the latter's burst speed may be higher. When transferring megabytes (Gigabytes?) of data in one session, burst speed is meaningless.

[timmyquest]

firewire= 400mbits/s where as USB 2.0=480mbits/s so how is firewire better?
I believe that the sustained maximum transfer rate for firewire connections is greater than that for USB 2.0, though the latter's burst speed may be higher. When transferring megabytes (Gigabytes?) of data in one session, burst speed is meaningless.

tushay

Got proof though??

[Morden]

firewire= 400mbits/s where as USB 2.0=480mbits/s so how is firewire better?
I believe that the sustained maximum transfer rate for firewire connections is greater than that for USB 2.0, though the latter's burst speed may be higher. When transferring megabytes (Gigabytes?) of data in one session, burst speed is meaningless.

tushay

Got proof though??

I've never used a USB 2.0 reader myself, but....
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/usb20vsfirewire/index.html

By the way, it may be worth pointing out that current Compact Flash cards have a hard time providing data at rates to make use of the full potential of either USB 2.0 or Firewire. That isn't the case for external hard drives that use USB 2.0 or Firewire.

[miksmi]

In my laptop, I use a 16-bit PC Card/PCMCIA card reader, a Lexar CFAD-003 (OEM version of CFAD-231, retail version). Today, I'd buy a faster 32-bit CardBus reader, the ASKA CardBus 32, sold in US as the Delkin eFilm PRO CardBus 32. Some links:

http://www.delkin.com/cardbus.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/delkinCB32.htm
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-6395-6430
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0305/03050801askacf32acardbus.asp
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/aska32.shtml

[robertwgross]

Somehow I don't get too worked up about transfer speed.

I stick my CF card into the (USB 1) card reader and set it to copy everything to a hard disk directory. I start it and then walk away. About one cup of tea later, I check on it and change cards if necessary.

I guess I can check my progress by how many cups of tea I drank.

I have Firewire ports on this machine also. I'll have to try that someday.

---Bob Gross---

[w10d]

Going back to the start of this thread: Before I bought a card reader I discovered by chance that I could transfer a card full of images by putting the card from my 10D into my old G2 camera, and this cut the transfer time in half ! No idea why (the computer only has USB 1).

Hope that discovery comes in useful for someone...

Also, re- Firewire card readers, they were a lot more expensive than USB 2, but I discovered they had come down in price when I ordered mine in December... worth looking at if you have a spare FW port on your computer.

[Nolz]

I have Firewire ports on this machine also. I'll have to try that someday.

---Bob Gross---
i'd say try it a lot sooner rather than later....the difference between USB1 and firewire will be night and day. unlike the usb2 vs firewire discussion above :) where either of those would be substantially quicker than usb1....

you'll wonder why you left it for so long once you get it happening...your cuppa wont be cool enough to drink yet and it will be done :D ....well almost ;)

[timmyquest]

Somehow I don't get too worked up about transfer speed.

I stick my CF card into the (USB 1) card reader and set it to copy everything to a hard disk directory. I start it and then walk away. About one cup of tea later, I check on it and change cards if necessary.

I guess I can check my progress by how many cups of tea I drank.

I have Firewire ports on this machine also. I'll have to try that someday.

---Bob Gross---

I pretty much do the same thing, infact as i type i'm downloading 70 RAWS...i odnt think i'll ever be in a situation where the photos need to be downloaded within 65.3 seconds....

[CyberDyneSystems]

O.T.

Firewire Vs. USB

In the good old days it was easier to explain,. as we all knew the inherent spped advantages of SCSI over IDE/ATA,. now the line is blurred despite the fact that S.C.S.I. remains the far more capable, more robust solution.

I bring this up because the differences between SCSI and IDE,. pure data transfer specs aside,. are very similar to the diferences between Firwire and USB

To whit,. Firewire,. like SCSI has a cpu of it's own on eache device as well as in the controller. The controller itself is a robust unit that takes the laod off of the computers CPU,. and therefore does not need to traverse the massive wireworks of crap that lie between the controller and CPU to gaet a task accomplished.

So,. when it really counts,. the Firewire, or SCSI controller can continue to dump info full speed directly from pointA: to point B: even if the traffic arpund the cpu and system memory is congested... with USB (and IDE-ATA.. although it was worse in the days of "PIO" aka "pre Ultr-DMA") if the CPU and sustem ram become stressed or busy,. data transfer can and will drop to stadstill. In critical situations like video editing and tranfer where such things will cause a disaster like video drop out,. this clearly is a problem. Thus all video devices use Firewire.


//You may return to your originally programmed sitcoms now :)

[Jesper]

The camera connects to the computer using USB version 1. If you buy a reader that also uses USB 1 then you won't see any increase in transfer speeds. If, however, you use a reader that connects using USB version 2 - or better still Firewire (IEEE 1394) - then you will see substantially increased file transfer speeds.

I hope that this helps.

firewire= 400mbits/s where as USB 2.0=480mbits/s so how is firewire better?

For CF card readers it does not matter at all that one is 400 mbit/s and the other is 480 mbit/s. Even the fastest CF cards are MUCH slower than this - the speed will be limited by the CF card, not the reader.

There is no practical difference at all between Firewire and USB 2.0 card readers.

[Marky UK]

If anyone is interested, the Lexar firewire CF reader is available from amazon.co.uk for £25.99 with free delivery, not much more than a USB reader, and lexar is a good make :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OMZM/qid=1073757165/sr=1-36/ref=sr_1_2_36/026-3098345-8631645

A lot quicker than USB1 if you have a firewire port :)


Mark.

[evilenglishman]

--

[MarcelMutter]

I got a SanDisk ImageMate CF USB 2.0 and a SanDisk Firewire ImageMate. I use it with my PC and I get transfer speeds below 2MB a second on the USB 2.0 version and around 6 MB a second on the Firewire version. I use two Sandisk CD Ultra CF cards.

I got the FireWire first and the USB later for being able to download my pictures on other PC's. I am not pleased with the low speed of the USB 2.0 version however it is still better than the sub 800 Kb of the USB 1.1 version.

I also use the Firewire for a small network with two computers and I hope firewire will not be limited to MAC users because it is a very good system if not better than USB...IMHO.

Marcel :)

[Marky UK]

[
I bought one of those.
Plugged it in and ... nothing. Called them about it they sent a replacement. Plugged it in ... nothing. Called them again, they sent another replacement. Plugged it in ...WooHooo ... nothing.
Got a refund


Maybe I am just lucky, but was plug and play for me :) (windows 2000 and a firewire card with NEC chipset)

If three readers did not work on your system, then maybe some incompatability.

The Lexar firewire readers that Amazon are sellling are Revision 'C', so maybe there have been problems with earlier revisions.


I really like that website Evilenglishman :)


Mark.