Is it better to leave the memory inside the camera

hello
i have CF memory card with my 7D
Is it better to leave the memory inside the camera instead of using card readers ?
and use the USB cable connected to the Laptop for transfering photos and you can format this card inside the camera and leave it forever
because when i want to transfer the images from the CF memory i had to open the camera and take the memory and put it inside the card reader then when i finish i have to return it back to the camera again
and again and again everyday
i think this is not good for the camera and the memory
what about you ?
thanks

I use card readers and I also swap cards during shoots (weddings) to spread images over a larger number of cards. Hasn't hurt the memory or the camera, and I don't see why it would either.

Makes no difference. If you're using a higher speed card reader (USB3+), you'll get faster copy speeds out of that than in camera.

The only reason to leave the card in the camera is if you're worried about bent CF pins/corroded contacts.... hardly an issue imo unless you're shooting in extreme conditions.

Personally I find connecting my camera via USB a pain in the ass and really inconvenient (since you have to have the camera turned on and with power). Not an issue with a card reader, it's always on my desk, take out the card, slam it in, copy, take it out, back in the camera, all done, no issues.

Thanks Numenorean
Thanks moda

i used to never take the cards out, but then i started seeing a number of reports of broken connectors, and it's an expensive fix. I bought a card reader.

Thanks rick

Since owning p&s and dslr cameras, I always left the memory card in the camera when uploading. Only time I take out the memory card is that I can swap the cards. No issues.

rick_reno wrote in post #14398394
i used to never take the cards out, but then i started seeing a number of reports of broken connectors, and it's an expensive fix. I bought a card reader.

Rick, maybe I'm missing something, but that makes no sense at all.

Let me get this straight, you never took the card out to begin with.
Next you heard about people getting bent pins.
Then you were worried about this happening to you.
So now you take your card in and out every time, which is the only way to get a bent pin.

I must be missing something.

I upload direct from the camera. The only time I ever tried to use a card reader (I do own one) I got into so much trouble I decided that I like keeping things simple.

Raylon wrote in post #14398874
Rick, maybe I'm missing something, but that makes no sense at all.

Let me get this straight, you never took the card out to begin with.
Next you heard about people getting bent pins.
Then you were worried about this happening to you.
So now you take your card in and out every time, which is the only way to get a bent pin.

I must be missing something.

He meant the broken USB connector on the camera.

I always use my USB 3 card reader, it's just way faster than connecting directly to the camera. Also, the 7D USB connector isn't the sturdiest thing in the world so I've avoided connecting directly to the camera unless I'm shooting tethered. I cycle 3 CF cards so I'm never in a position where I need to immediately get images to the computer.

Much has to do with the amount of files you are downloading and how patient you are. It is one thing to be an individual shooting a few shots. But when the wife and I go out for a shoot, I can have two or more 32GB cards to download. The last thing I want is download that over slow USB 2. So I have native USB 3 ports on the laptop and desktop machines. I use Lexar USB 3 card readers that have been updated for UDMA 7. The UDMA 7 comes into play with the 1000x cards that can be used by 5DIII and 1DX. For our 7Ds we use 600x cards and in the 5DIIs we use 400x cards.

Thanks all

I've mostly used the USB connection on my 7D, the only time the card reader tends to get used is if I fill more than one card in a session. There are dangers in damage to both the USB connector and bent pins in the card slot, just need to be carefull, no problems so far.

I'm with artyman. I never take my card out of camera. You can bend pins and maybe damage a card pulling them in and out, but I do it my way because I'm lazy and I think card readers are over-rated. I prefer the EOS utility automated folder creations over having to copy from one drive to another as well as manually creating a folder.