Card Reader vs USB Cable

I have been using the USB cable to upload my photos from my D60. I currently have a cable on my computer at home, one on my computer at work, and a spare in my backpac

Recently, a photographer at our local camara club recommended that using the memory card slot or a card reader was a better method than using the cable. This, of course, would require removing the memory card from the camera then inserting it again.

Is there really that much difference? I cannot imagine that repeated plugging and uplugging the cable would be any more detrimental to the camera's connectors than plugging and unplugging the memory card.

I don't think you will ever notice much of a speed difference but I think most use a card reader since we use multiple memory cards, quite simple to just keep plugging in the cards. I do remember there was always fears of bent pins with the Compact Flash type media but I have had mine in and out many many times without issue. I prefer a card reader.

using the memory card slot or a card reader was a better method than using the cable.

Click to expand...

Did he say why?

Personally, I just don't like "shoving" my memory card into a card reader. Seems like there would be more risk to damaging the card and possibly losing the pics due to static electricity (or some other misfortune). I may be a little "overprotective" of my pics, but I prefer to not touch that card until I've downloaded the pics into my computer and backed them up elsewhere. I use lightroom to import from camera via USB cable. Works fine . . . even for 500 pics (in RAW) I don't think it's too long. I just go do something else (like pour a glass of wine until it's done.

Best Regards

Hi Helene, so what do you do when you use multiple cards, shove them back in the camera? I think if you buy a quality card reader it's mechanical design is adequate to align the card properly. If I just have a few shots on one card I also just use the cable. Missed a good outing last week.

Hi, Bill!

I use a 16 gb card in the D2x and an 8GB in the D200 so that I have "plenty of room", and yes, I just swap out the cards if I do use multiple cards. I download every night . . . love the feature in lightroom that recognizes which pics on the card have been previously downloaded.

Missed a good outing last week.

Click to expand...

I know. had to work that day and then go home to all my doggies You posted some nice pics from that outing . . . I really liked the BW of white sands that you posted in the Challenge (that disappeared!)

Lib and I were a little late to class on Tuesday. Did we miss you or was it cancelled?

Didn't know we had one scheduled, we need to start getting ready for our expo! I think Becky and Sheri were gone on tuesday and I am so sorry you made the trip for nothing. I deleted the post cause I broke the rules, I did the shots on friiday night which was before the start, my bad.

Found this interesting, especially the specs at the end that say 10,000 removal cycles for CF Card and 5,000 for mini usb.

USB card reader vs USB cable to camera direct

I've got it, wear out the usb first and then you still have 10,000 cycles on the card, gives you a total of 15K.

10,000 removal cycles for CF Card and 5,000 for mini usb.

Click to expand...

Well, the writer claims he has no "official" source so I consider it just his opinion. And frankly, the whole business of knocking your camera off while it's connected and breaking off the usb connection is a pretty lame excuse for not using usb. I've used the usb transfer method since I started with nikon digitals (at least 12 years --time flies!) and never had a problem . . . even the usb connectors on printers have never broken off and I'm not as careful with them as I am with my cameras.

I guess it's a matter of personal preference. Unless someone can offer me technical proof that a card reader is better to use than the usb connection, I prefer to handle my cards as little as possible UNTIL the pics are transferred off the card. Besides that, I'd rather save my $$ to spend on another lens I'm craving . . . sigh

Best Regards

Yibel said:

I've got it, wear out the usb first and then you still have 10,000 cycles on the card, gives you a total of 15K.

Click to expand...

I love your logic, Bill! LOL

This discussion comes up on forums every so often, probably boils down to preference but when I come back from Ukraine I usually have multiple 4gb cards filled up and I use a reader, while there I download to my vosonic each night. I usually don't take a laptop with me but with my new netbook maybe I'll take it.

I have a dedicated card reader built into my PC, and I've never had a problem. The reason I don't use a cable from camera to PC is because the camera has to be on while it's transferring. That, to me, is a waste of camera battery power. Also....I don't have that particular usb cable! lol

Came across an interesting problem regarding this.
-My older PC will except and automatically read in my D40's 2GB card thru a Targus card reader that's plugged into one of its USB2.0 slots. However if I put my 4GB card in the card reader, nothing happens; my PC just ignores it and I can't get it to read in no how!!
So far the only way I can load the 4GB card into my PC is by hooking up the D40 directly to my PC via that same USB cable, and then read the pics in using Elements 6.0...
Strange, no?

Greywoulf

Something to check on. The 4 GB card is a high capacity type and you also need a high capacity card reader to download. So the card reader is probably not a high capacity type. Where as the camera is a high capacity reader and can do the download. The 2 GB card is not high capacity and the card reader is able to read that one. Hope this helps.

In a few more years, we'll look back and laugh at this thread. Bluetooth is coming, and file transfers will be wireless. The camera manufacturers are bit behind the 8-ball on this one, and should've adopted Bluetooth by now. My guess is, due to the limited power of in-camera firmware, wireless file transfers would take a lot longer.

Helene brings up a very good point, and I don't remove my memory card unless I have to for that very reason. Static electricity can wipe out memory card data instantly. Imagine ruining someone's wedding shots just because you scuffed your feet across the carpet. Nauseating.

Anthony Hereld said:

In a few more years, we'll look back and laugh at this thread. Bluetooth is coming, and file transfers will be wireless. The camera manufacturers are bit behind the 8-ball on this one, and should've adopted Bluetooth by now. My guess is, due to the limited power of in-camera firmware, wireless file transfers would take a lot longer.

Click to expand...

I not sure that Bluetooth will be the way the camera manufacturers go. Ultra Wideband (UWB) connecting as Wireless USB (WUSB) devices appears to have a bigger upside primarily because it uses much less power.

UWB overview: Ultra-wideband - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WUSB overview: Wireless USB - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph Bautsch said:

Something to check on. The 4 GB card is a high capacity type and you also need a high capacity card reader to download. So the card reader is probably not a high capacity type. Where as the camera is a high capacity reader and can do the download. The 2 GB card is not high capacity and the card reader is able to read that one. Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Thank you!
How can I tell if a given card reader is a "high capacity" type or not?
Do you have any recommendations regarding them?

Greywoulf said:

How can I tell if a given card reader is a "high capacity" type or not?

Click to expand...

Look for the phrase UDMA in the description. I use the Lexar Dual-Slot Card Reader.

ohkphoto said:

Well, the writer claims he has no "official" source so I consider it just his opinion. And frankly, the whole business of knocking your camera off while it's connected and breaking off the usb connection is a pretty lame excuse for not using usb. I've used the usb transfer method since I started with nikon digitals (at least 12 years --time flies!) and never had a problem . . . even the usb connectors on printers have never broken off and I'm not as careful with them as I am with my cameras.

I guess it's a matter of personal preference. Unless someone can offer me technical proof that a card reader is better to use than the usb connection, I prefer to handle my cards as little as possible UNTIL the pics are transferred off the card. Besides that, I'd rather save my $$ to spend on another lens I'm craving . . . sigh

Best Regards

Click to expand...

Well...My paying occupation is a tech in a repair centre. we see USB, mini USB, flash memory, computers, cameras every day. I have never seen a bent pin on a CF card, but I have seen quite a few damaged, mangled USB ports. I use card reader 99% of the time. never had an issue......yet.

John! said:

Well...My paying occupation is a tech in a repair centre. we see USB, mini USB, flash memory, computers, cameras every day. I have never seen a bent pin on a CF card, but I have seen quite a few damaged, mangled USB ports. I use card reader 99% of the time. never had an issue......yet.

Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more!