Card Reader or connect direct to computer?

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geoffreyc

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Just started using my new EOS 7D and also just bought a Sandisk multi-card reader but just wondering about the wear and tear on the mechanism to eject the card and perhaps better to connect direct

How do other members use their set up
 
Card reader here too. As mentioned, faster, permanantly plugged in, not reliant on batteries. Taken my card out of my 40d hundreds of times without problems, just a little care needed, dont be cack handed!
 
Lexar UDMA reader here too. Speed has my Sandisk 12 in 1 image mate left for dead. Both are USB 2.

Been using card readers ever since I started using digital. Never had a bent pin or other wear damage.
 
Card reader but, always remember to reformat in camera not from PC.
 
I've always used the USB lead which seems to work fine.
It takes a few minutes to download a full 16gb CF card but I will normally be doing something else so saving a few minutes does not worry me.
 
Card Reader here too - same one I bought alongside my EOS10D (on release day) - still going, still as fast as USB2.0 goes (which the 10D didn't - hence the card reader). Cards are bigger these days though... I pushed the boat out to get a 256MB one back then :D (oh and someone gave me an 8MB one... good for 3 pics back then)

Reasoning: It was faster than the camera and doesn't run the battery down. The former is not a concern now. Also means no need to pollute the PC with yet more drivers...
 
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Card reader inbuilt on my laptop and I bought a seperate one for my iPad.
 
what a good question this is..

ive always used a card reader with my point n shoot camera BUT since getting my canon 600d a few weeks ago ive used the cable to connect it to the PC due to being worried about wear and tear...

so in all fairness its not a case of who does what most on here but what is the best way to transfer our photos over to the PC to prolong the life of our camera.?
 
Card reader here... Much quicker with 100 or so 25+MByte RAW images ;)
 
i always use a card reader, as for wear and tear we use a couple of canon ixus compacts at work and have to upload images all day everyday sometimes as often as every 20 mins or so. and we have never had any problems if fact one of the canons is the first ever digital ixus to be released it's so well used that all the printed icons on the metal body have long since worn away but it never gives us any trouble when removing and replacing the card 100's of times a week.
 
#1 Card Reader ~ amazing investment, honest!
 
I added a card reader to my desktop, its in the slot where floppy drives used to go, never had an issue with bent pins etc, you just get used to how it slots in. Most card readers have little transport lines in the mold to keep you right when inserting
 
Defo card reader over connecting the camera but my PC has a small slot in it for flashcards and that is supper fast, comes up as a drive in my computer, if ive used 2 cards in a day i can copy them both at the same time now
 
Lexar USB3 card reader. Love it. Super fast.
 
Deffo card reader... for speed and more importantly it reduces the risk of damaging the ports on both PC/MAC or the camera body itself. My CF reader is plugged into the USB port permananlty...ie , it is never removed.
 
Card reader.... faster and most importantly doesn't cause wear to the camera - the micro USB ports really can take a battering and repair is expensive.

Full sized USB ports on PC's etc are much more robust and if you break a card reader by bending the pins, buy another - much cheaper than a camera repair!
 
How does the cost of repairing the camera USB as against a card slot replacement stack up, that may be the deciding factor as to which method is preferable.
 
Well, you can buy a card reader (albeit a slow one) for under a tenner.

I doubt you'd get away from an official Canon/Nikon/Sony/etc repair centre for anything other than over 100 quid..plus VAT...

And they don't even give you a cuddle after they have f****ed you ;-)
 
A pal of mine is having to get his cam repaired after he dropped it with USB cable plugged in... the 79p cable survived. All the damage is to the USB port (which is on the camera's main board) - looking at £150ish for parts (no labour) to fix.
 
I am using my card reader as it is so much easier to take it out of camera and away you go. Fast too.
 
I've got one permanently in the PC with 3 usb3.0 sockets, and about half a dozen card slots and audio outputs as well. Very fast for uploading photos and also for backing up to an external hard drive. Only cost about £20 as well.
 
card reader + 2 cards, take one out of camera and immediately replace with other one, then my stupid brain won't try to take piccies without the card!
 
artyman said:
How does the cost of repairing the camera USB as against a card slot replacement stack up, that may be the deciding factor as to which method is preferable.
Click to expand...

when you say card slot i assume your talking about the in camera slot and not a card reader. if so then i would think either way it will cost you a arm and a leg but imo the card slot is much more robust than the micro usb port. and i would'nt worry about damaging the in camera card slot.
 
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