Compact Flash and USB 2.0

[Bosseboy]

Hello all.

I recently bought a Canon EOS 300D, which use CompactFlash. The connection between the camera and a computer is painfully slow, so I thought that maybe I would buy an external CF-reader with a USB 2.0-interface instead. My question: how fast is CompactFlash, i.e, is there any meaning of buying the external reader?

Best regards
Bosse

[Michael Fanelli]

Hello all.

I recently bought a Canon EOS 300D, which use CompactFlash. The connection between the camera and a computer is painfully slow, so I thought that maybe I would buy an external CF-reader with a USB 2.0-interface instead. My question: how fast is CompactFlash, i.e, is there any meaning of buying the external reader?

Best regards
Bosse

If your computer has USB 2 then the speed difference is substantial. If you have USB 1.1 in your computer, there will be no speed increase. In either case, a card reader is a much better solution than attaching your camera each time.

[Sean Dempsey]

USB 1.1 (Canon 300D) = 1.5 or 12 Mb/sec
USB 2.0 = 480 Mb/sec

QUITE substantial.

[Bosseboy]

USB 1.1 (Canon 300D) = 1.5 or 12 Mb/sec
USB 2.0 = 480 Mb/sec

QUITE substantial.

Thanks for your reply. I am aware of the diffrence between USB 1 and USB 2 though, but the questions was if it's any point to buy a USB 2-reader; can it read that fast from the CF-card?

[Michael Fanelli]

Thanks for your reply. I am aware of the diffrence between USB 1 and USB 2 though, but the questions was if it's any point to buy a USB 2-reader; can it read that fast from the CF-card?

Ah, I see. I have no idea how fast the CF card can respond but it is definately a lot faster than USB 1.1.

[Sean Dempsey]

huh... I don't know how fast CF outputs, but take a look:

1 gig Lexar 40x Card full of images. These are real numbers, I have both usb2 and 1 on different machines.

USB 1: 21+/- minutes
USB 2: 4+/- minutes

When you're out in the field downloading to a laptop... trust me, 21 minutes is SOOOOOOOOOOOO long.

[Peter_AUS]

Keep in mind it is also dependant on the rotating speed of the HD is as well. A 10000k HD will write much quicker than a 7200 will which is much quicker than the laptop speeds.

Also with Sean's example, which is a good one, you have to take into account the differences between the machines as well. Unless they are exactly the same build, with exactly the same programs running on them. But his example does atest to the the fact USB2 is much faster.

[r3dline]

I only have USB 1 on my iBook, but I have firewire. Can I get a firewire card reader, to read the CF memory cards from the Rebel? And how fast would the firewire be, in comparison to the usb1?

[Peter_AUS]

yes you can get a firewire card reader, speed is around the same as USB2 generally.

[r3dline]

Sweet! Thanks. And thank God I don't have to deal with slow USB 1 when I finally get my Rebel. haha

[ustein]

I use a La Cie USB 2 card reader and this is way faster than using a USB 1 reader (at least 4x).

For my road lab (notebook) I use the Delkin Pro Cardbus Adapter. Also this is 4x faster than the normal PC card interface.

Uwe

[Sean Dempsey]

WORD OF CAUTION

I have firewire on my laptop, a 4 pin connector... my firewire CF reader is a 6 pin (the 6 pin is the bigger firewire and can power devices, the 4pin is smaller and doesn't "power" devices).

I have a 6 pin to 4 pin adapter, but the CF reader WOULD NOT WORK, it needed power and without a 6 pin connector, my laptop won't accept it.

So I'd make sure this isn't gonna happen to you.

[Peter_AUS]

Good point Sean, I forgot about that one.

[Erik Stiegler]

All Macs have 6 pin Firewire connectors. Well, all Macs that have Firewire, that is.

[r3dline]

Saweeeeet! Thanks everybody.