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  1. #1
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    best CF card reader

    what is everybody using when come to CF card reader? I have a 20 buck sandisk 5 in 1. consider speed, durable and reliable, thank you for any imput.

  2. #2
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    Re: best CF card reader

    Hey folks, I have to say this is the fastest respond time that I ever get from this forum. I hope someone is online and even care about this darn post...hehe

  3. #3
    has-been... another view's Avatar
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    Re: best CF card reader

    It's summer - time to be outside, not sitting at a computer!

    I've used a couple of different ones but never noticed a difference, as long as it's USB2. I've had a Lexar (the silver/blue one) for a couple of years. I've seen ExpressCard 34 c/f card readers mentioned but not really available. I'd probably pick one up, but the only real advantage to me would be losing the cord since it would plug directly in to my laptop. So, being cheap, I'll keep what I have!

  4. #4
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    Re: best CF card reader

    JT, I use a Lexar also silver and blue. HTH

    Cheers,

    WesternGuy

  5. #5
    Check out our D300 Pro Review! deckcadet's Avatar
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    Re: best CF card reader

    I use the Lexar professional FireWire 800 UDMA CF card reader for my desktop, and for my laptop I use their USB UDMA reader, which also does SD at normal speeds.
    Neither has failed me in any way after extended use.
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  6. #6
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
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    Cheapest

    I bought the HAMA UDMA multi-card reader for 11 Euros ($15) from my local supermarket. Plugged into my three disk quad core desktop I managed to make it read 24MB/sec on a long copy (the theoretical maximum of USB2 is 20MB/sec). When I tried on my laptop it was way behind - the laptop's disk is not up to it.

    I've had the HAMA for 8 months and so far I haven't had any problems with it.
    Charles

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  7. #7
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
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    Re: best CF card reader

    I use to use a Sandisk card reader that i got for around $15 at B&H. Now I use the card reader that is built into my PC.
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  8. #8
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
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    Do some testing

    Quote Originally Posted by mjs1973
    I use to use a Sandisk card reader that i got for around $15 at B&H. Now I use the card reader that is built into my PC.
    I tried the card reader built into my quad-core-master-gamer-tower-of-power PC (bought in February 2008). No way to get even 1MB/sec out of it, with any format card. Same with the SD card reader on my portable - it's far short of what the external reader can manage.

    The worst ever performance was with a Sandisk Compactflash reader than fitted into the PCMCIA card slot on my portable. I never figured out if it was the reader or the PCMCIA interface, I just decided to keep using an external reader.
    Charles

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  9. #9
    Liz
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    Re: best CF card reader

    Quote Originally Posted by JTcooper
    what is everybody using when come to CF card reader? I have a 20 buck sandisk 5 in 1. consider speed, durable and reliable, thank you for any imput.
    I have the same card reader. I "don't think" it ever gave me a problem. I say that because twice I had a couple of corrupted images, but never knew what the cause was. I don't think it was the reader because the corrupted images happened intermittently and didn't effect the rest of the images on the card. I've had this reader for about 3 years - so I doubt it was the problem.

    Liz

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    Re: best CF card reader

    the reason I said this cause from the last week shoot from a wedding, its took me about one hour and a half to just load my 2g card raw file into the extenal drive. And it never did that before I'm assuming this could cause by the fail reader. I was looking into the Lexar firwire 800 that deckcadet mention. thank you for all the imput yall

  11. #11
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
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    Re: Do some testing

    Quote Originally Posted by Franglais
    I tried the card reader built into my quad-core-master-gamer-tower-of-power PC (bought in February 2008). No way to get even 1MB/sec out of it, with any format card. Same with the SD card reader on my portable - it's far short of what the external reader can manage.
    That's interesting. My built in reader seems to work faster than my external reader. (I have not done a side by side comparison, just going off of what I notice.) The only time I have notice that it's slow, is when I'm downloading images from my old, slow RiData cards. My Sandisk Extreme cards download very fast.

    Same with the Sandisk reader.
    Mike

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  12. #12
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    Re: best CF card reader

    yeah I know, I'm going to order me a profesional firewire 800 from B&H later on today. Thanks my friend.

  13. #13
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
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    Intriguing

    Quote Originally Posted by JTcooper
    the reason I said this cause from the last week shoot from a wedding, its took me about one hour and a half to just load my 2g card raw file into the extenal drive. And it never did that before I'm assuming this could cause by the fail reader. I was looking into the Lexar firwire 800 that deckcadet mention. thank you for all the imput yall
    90 minutes to download 2GB is less than 0.4MB/sec. That's really slow. Is this on a PC? Check out what the system log says (execute eventvwr). Windows systems are pretty clear when they're unhappy about something. It may also be your external hard drive or your USB hub. The speed you get is dependent on the slowest item in the chain.

    Checking up on my records I see that I never got more than 6MB/sec out of my 80x 2GB card, or out of my portable PC. If you want to get the full speed out of your Firewire reader you would have to invest in a UDMA Compactflash card and connect it to a really hot PC.

    BTW - silly question I know - have you checked that your PC has a Firewire connector?
    Charles

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  14. #14
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    Re: best CF card reader

    I use a Sandisk Firewire for my CF cards. I carry a USB II CF and SD card reader in my bag.
    Rule books are paper they will not cushion a sudden meeting of stone and metal. --Ernie Gann--
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    Re: best CF card reader

    wait a minuted here guy, what do you mean when yall ask me do I have firewire connector Franglais? I'm alot dum when ask about computer please show some photo example about firewire connection before I'm jump into B&H and go nut ehh.

  16. #16
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
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    Here you go

    Quote Originally Posted by JTcooper
    wait a minuted here guy, what do you mean when yall ask me do I have firewire connector Franglais? I'm alot dum when ask about computer please show some photo example about firewire connection before I'm jump into B&H and go nut ehh.
    I've done a picture of the side of the Tower-of-Power with:

    Top = Firewire (empty)
    Middle = USB (empty)
    Lower = USB connector with lead
    Lowest (pink) = Microphone input

    Most systems don't have a Firewire connector. I thought it was just as well to check..
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails best CF card reader-dscf0351.jpg  
    Charles

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    Re: best CF card reader

    you rock my friends, I took a look at my laptop and it don't have what I need and the laptop is the only work horse I got for now. I'm looking into another work station soon and thank you so much for your time to post especially the photo that tell exactly what I need to look for for the next computer.

    and BTW, what you mean by UDMA another dumm question for me ehh.

  18. #18
    Check out our D300 Pro Review! deckcadet's Avatar
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    Re: best CF card reader

    Then the Lexar UDMA USB CF+SD reader might be a better bet for you. It's USB, and can read just about any card CF or SD at its highest speed.

    Firewire pictured above is FireWire 400. FireWire 800 is another variant that has a different connector but there are cables that adapt one to the other with no issues.

    UDMA is a high speed read/write protocol that allows cameras and card readers to read and write to the memory card at a much higher speed than other protocols.
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  19. #19
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    Re: best CF card reader

    wow, that is a ton more imfor are going through my head right now. By any chance you got a links that I may look into? do B&H have those

  20. #20
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
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    Re: best CF card reader

    Quote Originally Posted by JTcooper
    you rock my friends, I took a look at my laptop and it don't have what I need and the laptop is the only work horse I got for now. I'm looking into another work station soon and thank you so much for your time to post especially the photo that tell exactly what I need to look for for the next computer.

    and BTW, what you mean by UDMA another dumm question for me ehh.
    On my laptop I've never got beyond 6MB/sec, even doing a copy internal disk to USB2 external disk (and my laptop is no slouch). I think that even if I put a Firewire reader on it, I would never get beyond 6MB/sec instead of the 40MB/sec theoretical. You might just as well buy a fast USB2 reader, the result will be the same.

    UDMA is the latest evolution of the Compactflash format. There are only a few cards available (Transcend, Sony, Lexar, Sandisk..) usually marked 300x. There are only a few cameras that can write to the cards at full speed (Nikon D3, D300, D700, Sony A700, Olympus E3..). However, if you have a UDMA compatible reader and a computer that can keep up, downloading from the card will be faster.
    Charles

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  21. #21
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    Re: best CF card reader

    ok, found this item on B&H will order it tomorow and thank you for all the reply folks.

  22. #22
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    Re: best CF card reader

    thank you Franglais for your help too my friends

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