Card reader or use USB wire to transfer pics to comp?

I used to have a PC and used the card reader that it came with to upload my pics but now w/ my mac, I dont see a built in card reader so I've been uploading pics using a USB wire. Now I would like to know which is better for my camera, use a USB wire or use a card reader?

Plugging the camera directly in will use battery power, but some people like it because it saves "wear and tear" from removing and replacing the card in the camera.

However, external card readers can be faster, some times a lot so.

tonylong wrote in post #14317639
Plugging the camera directly in will use battery power, but some people like it because it saves "wear and tear" from removing and replacing the card in the camera.

However, external card readers can be faster, some times a lot so.

Thanks, Tony. I find it a pain to always use a wire but I guess its worth it if it helps the camera one way or another.

Card reader FTW, every single time.

Somewhat dependent on your camera and your computer savvy.

If you use a camera body that employs CF cards, then there is a risk of possibly bending the pins in the camera body upon reinserting the card. This is not a high risk but can happen. Poor quality cards, damaged cards, counterfeit cards, all increase the risk.

There have been people who have had issues doing an out of the camera format of both CF or SDHC cards. The advantage of working "in camera" is once your images are removed, then you can do a low level format and the file structure will most certainly be what the camera wants.

If you find an Firewire card reader, that will work best on the Mac. USB works also but slower due to the handshaking protocoll. Check if your mac have the 400 or 800 version of Firewire. I haven't found any for the 800 yet.

It's funny most of the time I shoot tethered but whenever I don't I always use a card reader it is just faster. ArcticShooter your best bet for a FW card reader is to try to find a used Lexar Pro FW800 they have stopped making them but I have 2 of them and they are seriously fast. I will be keeping them till someone comes out with a Thunderbolt one.

well im mixed anymore..
my wifes computer has a 3 1/2" card reader.. does some stupid number.. 58 various cards??? plus usb.. etc... well i have been through 2 of them in 2-3 years.. i made sure to get a different model each time.. seems that the SD slot stops working... so im on the fence about them..

however my laptop has a SD slot and i use it ALL the time. i edit on my laptop.. so i put it in there and go.. my wife uses the SD on the kitchen computer to copy from her camera to the server... no processing...

i have a friend that also had a card reader go bad..

guess im just saying.. either way will work... the internal card readers are cheap... id rather wear out the card reader than the port on the camera.. I have never had a SD slot go bad on a camera

New Firewire 800 card reader reviewed by Rob Galbraith a few months back:

http://www.robgalbrait​h.com …age.asp?cid=7-11673-12298

FeXL wrote in post #14327188
New Firewire 800 card reader reviewed by Rob Galbraith a few months back:

http://www.robgalbrait​h.com …age.asp?cid=7-11673-12298

Thanks for the info

"guess im just saying.. either way will work... the internal card readers are cheap... id rather wear out the card reader than the port on the camera.. I have never had a SD slot go bad on a camera"

It would seem to me that removing/reinserting the card into the camera/reader would more likely wear things out than leaving the card in the camera and making a simple electronic transfer of the images. Card readers can be had for about $5 and with 10 people in the food chain with their hands out, probably cost 50 cents to make and are most likely the weak link. Buying an expensive card I don't think improves much either except the profit margin for all involved.

FeXL wrote in post #14327188
New Firewire 800 card reader reviewed by Rob Galbraith a few months back:

http://www.robgalbrait​h.com …age.asp?cid=7-11673-12298

Widely held to be very flakey with recent Mac OSs.

There are apparently Thunderbolt card readers on the way…

John from PA wrote in post #14344817
"guess im just saying.. either way will work... the internal card readers are cheap... id rather wear out the card reader than the port on the camera.. I have never had a SD slot go bad on a camera"

It would seem to me that removing/reinserting the card into the camera/reader would more likely wear things out than leaving the card in the camera and making a simple electronic transfer of the images. Card readers can be had for about $5 and with 10 people in the food chain with their hands out, probably cost 50 cents to make and are most likely the weak link. Buying an expensive card I don't think improves much either except the profit margin for all involved.

Im hearing both sides...use card reader because it will have less damage and the other, use wire so it will have less damage. I would like to do whatever is best for my camera but still unsure since I guess there are no obvious answer. Worst case scenario for both if I were to use either the card reader or wire....1. Card slot on cam doesnt work....2.Usb port on cam doesnt work. So my question is which one is more likely to happen?