Is my card reader compatible with SDHC Cards?

I just ordered my CANON S5 IS for pickup next week, and someone recommended that I use SDHC memory cards.

I recently bought a Digital Concepts 21-in-1 Card Reader/Writer; however, I don't see the SDHC designation shown on the package. The only SD cards listed are: SD; SD-Ultra; SDC; and Mini SD. Will this reader read an SDHC card as well? Thank you.

Probably not. SDHC readers are backward compatible with SD cards, but SDHC cards require SDHC readers. If the reader doesn't explicitly say SDHC on it, I'd look for at least one SDHC card bundled with a reader.

Thanks for the good advice.

I hope it'll to be easy to find a card bundled with a reader, as I certainly wouldn't want to have to buy yet another reader.

Sandisk Ultra II SDHC comes bundled with the SD digital reader

I recently got a generic card reader/writer. Although it does not say SDHC in the specs. there is no problem reading and writing my SDHC 4GB card.

Old man Don wrote in post #5461626
Sandisk Ultra II SDHC comes bundled with the SD digital reader

Thanks. I saw that card (4 GB) today at Wal-Mart, but didn't notice the reader. I'll check to see if they still have one.

tombei wrote in post #5466489
I recently got a generic card reader/writer. Although it does not say SDHC in the specs. there is no problem reading and writing my SDHC 4GB card.

That's good to know. I should find out tomorrow if my new reader can read SDHC. Thank you.

Let us know how you go.

Many thanks to one and all for your help.

I picked up my S5IS today and have been tinkering with it most of the night. While it may not provide SLR quality, I must admit that it's an awful lot of fun -- and a pretty fair camera, too.

I purchased two 4 GB SanDisk Extreme III SDHC cards w/USB adapter, plugged the adapter into my USB hub and everything worked great. I haven't yet tried the SDHC card on the 21-in-1 reader. I figured I'd return it to Wal-Mart, but finally decided to keep it since it does accommodate my sister's new-fangled Memory Sticks. Soon I'll find out if it also accepts SDHC.

One thing has me slightly puzzled. I recorded a movie clip on the S5IS using an old SD card. During playback it ran for several seconds before pausing for several more seconds. Then it resumed playing and the exact same stop-and-go pattern was repeated over and over. Needless to say, this was very annoying. I then decided to record a movie clip on one of my new SDHC cards. The playback was smooth -- no stop-and-go like with the SD card. I guess the difference is in the cards. Those little things sure are pricey!

Thanks again!

FWIW, I just transferred the "stop-and-go" movie clip from the SD card to my hard drive, clicked on the desktop icon, and it played smoothly. Anyhow, I'll probably use only my SDHC cards.

I know that in at least some of the PowerShot manuals Canon recommends low-level reformatting the card in-camera for shooting video; this helps ensure that your clips are continuous, not fragmented, I believe.

Jon wrote in post #5477623
I know that in at least some of the PowerShot manuals Canon recommends low-level reformatting the card in-camera for shooting video; this helps ensure that your clips are continuous, not fragmented, I believe.

Thanks for the tip!

You're right. The manual suggests low-level formatting, so I'll definitelly give that a try.

I have yet to read the manual thoroughly, but will do so soon. There's still a lot for me to learn!