Are Card Readers Necessary?

[c2ironfist]

I was reading up on the FAQ here and the authour suggested getting a card reader...

I do encounter some problems with loading video files to my computer but other then that its fine..

Why would you consider getting a card reader? Is there something about a card reader that I don't know of?

I was thinking of getting one but would like some feedback first before doing so.

[David Metsky]

Simplicity, ease of use, no cables to futz with, easier interface for downloads, easier to write to the card.

[c2ironfist]

Thanks David

one more question. Do all card readers write to the card or only the certian ones?

I've looked into many card readers but only few specify that they write to the card.

[haikai]

most, if not all, card readers should be able to write to the card... it wouldn't be very useful otherwise.

nice thing about card readers is that you don't have to bring your camera around everywhere. also, good card readers are USB 2.0 so they're generally faster to transfer than most digital cameras which are still mostly USB 1.1 or slower. some digital cameras also require software in order to read/write to and from the memory card while a good card reader should act similar to a removeable drive so you can use it on almost any PC without worrying about software. last reason i can think of off the top of my head is that most card readers power themselves with the USB cable so you don't need to worry about wasting your camera's battery life just to transfer files. :)

hai

[Dave Dilks]

Absolutely necessary? Probably not. A worthwhile convenience? Absolutely.

My main reason for getting one was related to haikai's final point. Many trips, I'll shoot until my batteries are near dead. When I'd get home, I was too impatient to wait for my batteries to charge before seeing the pictures on the big screen.

Shop around and/or wait for sales and you should be able to get one very cheaply.

[Rhys]

I started using card readers years ago. I had an Olympus C820L that communicated via a seriel cord. To download a single 8mb card via that cord could take 15 minutes. The NiCads in my camera only lasted 45 minutes too so that meant transferring 4 memory cards or more could take well over an hour and several sets of batteries.

Then I bought a card reader and reduced read times to mere seconds. Now, with a 256mb card the most I have to wait is 6 minutes for the whole card to download - with no wasted battery power.

Essential - no. Definitely more practical though.

[D70FAN]

I was reading up on the FAQ here and the authour suggested getting a card reader...

I do encounter some problems with loading video files to my computer but other then that its fine..

Why would you consider getting a card reader? Is there something about a card reader that I don't know of?

I was thinking of getting one but would like some feedback first before doing so.

Looks like everyone agrees. :)

Here is a good place to buy one.

http://www.softwareandstuff.com/DRV10466.html

If your system doesn't have USB2.0 High Speed, then get an adapter card.

With a 512MB card you are looking at 1-2 minute download using a USB2.0HS reader and I/O. With USB1.1 it's over 10 Minutes!

[gary_hendricks]

Card readers are good because you need not mess with a USB cable connection from your digital camera to your PC.

Also, they can cater to a wide variety of card formats, from SD to CF cards.

[PeteD]

I say no, for 2 reasons. I have read that sometimes you can lose data using a card reader. And my printer reads cards anyway. (So I suppose it is a card reader.)

But I don't like to use massive SD cards, I have 2 at 256 atm, and if I need more storage I will buy some more. I don't want to risk losing a 1 gig card with all of a day's or a weekend's work on it. Using a smallish card means it only takes a short time to transfer work onto the PC anyway.

[ReF]

card readers are good for several reasons. one is that it leaves your camera free to take pictures (assuming you have at least 2 cards) while the images download. card readers are much faster than cams that are equiped with shabby USB 1.1. another reason is that it saves battery life especially if your cam takes a long time downloading with USB 1.1. you can also use the writer function to transfer all kinds of data using your free memory cards like a thumb drive (if you don't feel the need to spend money on one).

here another thing i'll add: it took the Rebel 50 minutes :eek: to down a full card (512 sandisk ultra) with it's crappy USB 1.1 but it took the 7 minutes to download the same data even though the reader is hooked up to a USB 1.1 port. downloading via the camera also drained the battery near empty while a good day's worth of shooting didn't. the small amount of $$$ you pay for a reader/writer is totally worth it IMO.

i agree with pete that it's a good idea not to have all your eggs in one basket.
when i was learning about film photography in school we used short rolls to make sure we didn't waste a whole day or two worth of shooting if some mishap occured.

[dwig]

Some more reasons for card readers:

1. OS Compatibility: Downloading directly from your camera requires that your desktop OS is able to understand the camera. With the newer cameras that function as "standard" mass memory devices, this is easy for the newest OSs like XP (and W2k and Me), OSX, and as I understand it, many Linux builds. Cameras that require a driver from the camera manufacturer are at risk of not working with the next version of an OS and are less likely to work with anything other than MS Windows. If you use one of those (like my "antique" CoolPix 950) its nice to have the option of using a card reader so that the OS doesn't have to grok your particular camera.

2. Multiple cameras vs. cord tangle: Not all cameras use the same cable although, thankfully, manufacturers have recently begun to get smart and use the standard mini-USB connectors, usually the 5pin mini. When you have multiple cameras, a multi-format card reader (9-in-1, 12-in-1, ...) simplifies like bigtime.

I have great respect for #1, above; I've lived through several similar compatibility compatibility problems and now strive to have all my "toys" as platform and OS neutral as possible. OK, I'm an "old fart" (AARP card to prove it...) as can be seen by my use of "grok" (common usage in the '60s; read Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" for a definition) but technology rages forward with little consideration for whats left in the dust.

If you have one camera, 5mp or less, don't shoot in RAW or TIFF format, and don't take many pics at a time, then using the cable is probaly fine. You can always get a card reader when an OS upgrade or platform change makes it necessary.

[gary_hendricks]

Another advantage of card raders is that they reduce cord tangles!