USB 3 card reader into USB 3 drive bypasses host?

It's been oddly difficult to find an answer, hopefully this forum can help. I shoot on 7D and I'm looking to get new card readers and drives for a road shoot. My Macbook does NOT have USB 3, it only has 2.

So, the question is: If I get a 3.0 drive with a 3.0 port on the back, plug a 3.0 card reader into the drive and then plug the drive into the 2.0 port on the macbook to interface with it all, does the card/drive take advantage of the 3.0 speed between them? Or does the transfer still drop to 2.0 simply because the host communicating with them is at 2.0 speed.

MANY thanks in advance for any insights here!

There is no direct communication between whatever is inserted into the drive's USB port and the drive itself. It's all mediated by a processor somewhere, and in this case it would be the MacBook. It sees the drive and anything attached to it as separate devices, and it is only capable of communicating with them at USB 2 speeds.

The situation could be different if the drive contained a processor and could operate as a stand-alone file server. Then, the MacBook may be able to instruct the server through whatever control interface it has (SSH, HTTP, whatever) to initiate a transfer from the attached card reader to the drive.

That's my take on it anyway, but I'll defer to any expert who comes along.

thanks xarqi! that's enlightening albeit bad news for my goal here.

What I have is an SDXC slot on my MBP. Have you ever heard of an SDXC (male) adapter card that gives you a USB3 port? I may be whistling dixie here, but it would solve the issue.

Thx

I've never come across an SDXC to USB-3 adapter, can't find one, and don't see how one would work anyway. Again, I'm happy to be educated here.

One possibility, but it'd be an expensive approach, is a thunderbolt dock that offers USB-3, such as this one:http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …97993&Q=&is=REG​&A=details

That presupposes that your MBP has thunderbolt of course.

Are you just looking for the fastest way to upload images to your MBP, or is there more to it?

I think you have an Express Card slot. I use a CF card to Express Card adapter that although not as fast as USB 3.0 is considerably faster than 2.0 and was only about $15. I also use an Express to USB 3.0 adapter and a San Disk 64 GB 3.0 memory stick on which I have a Lightroom catalog, Camera Raw Cache and current project Raws, which is not quite as fast as an integral 3.0 port would be but is pretty good.

An express card adapter, or something to that effect isn't a bad idea. But, if a USB 3.0 drive still has to connect to a 2.0 port won't that still limit the transfer rate to 2.0 speed even if the express card speed is faster?

Here's another idea: have you guys used a chromebook, or other netbook, for data transferring? Do any of the non-mac netbooks connect happily with mac formatted drives? It would seem this might be a good solution if it has a usb 3.0.

Ozzy - a thought - does your macbook have a Firewire socket?

My geriatric Powerbook G4 has one; although it can briefly be bested by USB 2.0 in a short burst, my experience is that there's simply no comparison in transfer speed in the longer term. Firewire card readers are available, but I've been out of the upgrade cycle so long, I don't know if that's an option for you.

ozzymandiaas wrote in post #16664911
An express card adapter, or something to that effect isn't a bad idea. But, if a USB 3.0 drive still has to connect to a 2.0 port won't that still limit the transfer rate to 2.0 speed even if the express card speed is faster?

If your MBP does indeed have an express card slot, then you get a USB 3 express card adapter. USB 2 won't enter the picture at all.
Something like this: http://www.sonnettech.​com …ct/usb3expressc​ard34.html
It'll need to be an early 2009 model at the latest (unless it is a 17 incher, when it can be up to a late 2011 model; any more recent and it would have USB 3 anyway). Exactly which model do you have - it'll save us guessing?

I'd be reluctant to go down that path myself, and not just because I prefer Macs. I don't think Windows machines can read HFS+ formatted disks natively, but there is I believe some commercial software available to allow this. I looked into it a while back and as I recall neither of the two leading contenders had unambiguously positive reviews. As for Linux, I did get a Raspberry Pi accessing HFS+ disks, but not with journaling enabled. It was a bit of a mission though and I doubt if I could describe how I achieved it!

xhack wrote in post #16664947
Ozzy - a thought - does your macbook have a Firewire socket?

Good idea. Firewire 800 is there from 2006 models, right up until USB3 was included. A Firewire 800 reader could be the answer, if they exist.
...
Well, they do...
http://www.amazon.com …-RW034-7000/dp/B0090X943W
... but over $200!

How about this:
http://www.everythingh​ereplus.com …ctflash-drive-read-writer

xhack wrote in post #16664947
Ozzy - a thought - does your macbook have a Firewire socket?

My geriatric Powerbook G4 has one; although it can briefly be bested by USB 2.0 in a short burst, my experience is that there's simply no comparison in transfer speed in the longer term. Firewire card readers are available, but I've been out of the upgrade cycle so long, I don't know if that's an option for you.

A classic 400Mbit/s Firewire interface manages the same transfer rate as USB2 (USB2 has 480MB/s but more overhead). But doesn't most Mac have the 800Mbit/s variant of Firewire? So twice the speed of USB2.

Just checked - Yup - 800 Mbits/sec.

Anything connected to USB 2.0 will be limited to the USB 2.0 data rate no matter what you daisy chain after the port.

Gregg.Siam wrote in post #16665157
Anything connected to USB 2.0 will be limited to the USB 2.0 data rate no matter what you daisy chain after the port.

Just that there will not be any USB 2 daisy chain if having express card -> usb3 -> usb3 device.

This is all great info and food for thought. Thanks folks!