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markg
2005-11-15, 12:06 PM
OK, finally got some shots at PHL last weekend with my new FZ5.

I've not downloaded any of them yet, but was wondering, what is the advantage of a smart card reader, over downloading using the supplied USB cable?

Any tips from the pros out there?

T-Bird76
2005-11-29, 04:37 PM
I bought a card reader from SanDisk and its holy **** fast. It takes 15 secs to download a 2 gig card then the hour or two it took through the camera. I'd also say its less wear on the camera, less turning it on and off. That has to pay off somehow in the long run.

mikeisbeast
2005-11-29, 10:52 PM
thats pretty much it u sae alot of time... since all the stuff being sold now is usb 2.1

Derf
2005-11-30, 12:32 AM
......I'd also say its less wear on the camera, less turning it on and off. That has to pay off somehow in the long run.

WRONG!!!! I will not pull my CF card out unless I have to! I have seen 4 cases of people bending pins inside the camera! MAIN BOARD REPLACEMENT is big bucks!!!! I have seen the CF card reader at walmart broken about 2 dozen times in the past year. They have problems going past 2 weeks with it not needing replacement!!! I pull my card out only when I have to. I have never seen any probems with ANY other memory module! SORRY TOM!

Derf
2005-11-30, 12:34 AM
thats pretty much it u sae alot of time... since all the stuff being sold now is usb 2.1

My camera (Rebel XT) is USB 2.1 :D

mikeisbeast
2005-11-30, 02:23 AM
thats pretty much it u sae alot of time... since all the stuff being sold now is usb 2.1

My camera (Rebel XT) is USB 2.1 :D

haha i keeps it real with the 10d, usb 1.0 ... woot woot lol

Derf
2005-11-30, 08:49 AM
and I keep it real FAST with my 2.1! ;)

cancidas
2005-11-30, 10:44 AM
it goes beyond just wear and tear on the camera. i'm still using the CF cards to transfer stuff between computers since i'm too far away for the network to work. it's easier than burning to CDs all the time. so simple even my parents can do it.

NIKV69
2005-11-30, 12:13 PM
Fred is right. A friend of mine has the Coolpix 8700 and did the same thing somehow and bent one of the pins. For now I don't mind burning to CD.

T-Bird76
2005-11-30, 12:26 PM
Well after seeing how fast my Smart Card reader is I don't mind taking the card out. Time is money as well in my book, and 15 secs surely beats 2 hours. I'm just careful when I put the card back in.

Derf
2005-11-30, 01:24 PM
Well after seeing how fast my Smart Card reader is I
don't mind taking the card out. Time is money as well in my book, and
15 secs surely beats 2 hours. I'm just careful when I put the card back in.

Careful is not the answer.... I go on DPChallenge.com and it is an
AWESOME website for Great Photography ideas and have seen computer
geeks and Professional Photographers there bend the pins. It is more to
do with the memory module and not so much "Being Careful" I would
recommend using the cable to the camera because it is made for high
usage and leave the card reader for the "OH ****, I forgot to dump my
images last night and need to leave in 3 min for the E-2's at KFRG!"

Do not get me wrong, I would not say "NEVER USE IT" but more, "Leave
the card reader for when you need to do a BIOS upgrade.

Your camera and pictures are too nice to chance a bent pin..... I love you
Tom (In a manly beer drinking way) and do not ever want you standing
next to me holding the OLY C-4000 while at JFK!

Please read these....you need to be more scared than you are Tom!
http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=227697&highlight=bent%20pin

http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=249026&highlight=bent%20pin

MARIO, This is for you!
http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=52512&highlight=bent%20pin

This one has info on the cost!
http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=230613&highlight=bent%20pin

In other words, BE CAREFUL GUYS....and never let your wife or girlfriend
have the camera to use!!! NEVER! You might get shown up!
My wife took this over the summer....

http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/photos/37513235-M.jpg

mikephotos
2005-11-30, 02:39 PM
While Fred has his reasons and they are very good reasons I personally recommend using a USB 2.0/Firewire reader. The benefits highly outweigh the very low risk of bent pins on a quality DSLR. I've had my D70 for close to two years now and have always used a reader without problems. I also constantly change cards in the field and have never had a problem. Most of the time I'm careful but there have been many (and I mean many) quick changes swapping a full card for a new one. When I was shooting LAX 2 weeks ago I went thru 2x1GB cards and 2x256MB cards in a days shoot. No way would I make it by leaving a card in the camera and not 'pulling out'. And those pull-out's were usually done in very crampped spaces with lenses/gear all over my lap and requiring a fast swap to capture the next photo....no problems at all.

There are also risks with tranferring via camera/cable. If your battery dies during transfer there's a risk of corrupting a photo(s) and having the camera body on your desk during transfer adds the risk of it being accidently knocked off. Sure, these risks are small and avoidable but so is bent pins if you're dealing with a quality DSLR.

I've followed many posts about this very subject on dpreview and it's usually the card reader getting the most votes.

It still comes down to personal choice, do what you feel comfortable with.

Mike

mirrodie
2005-11-30, 04:33 PM
Im reading those threads right now.

damn, I didnt even post and I got a thread posted for me to read! :)