CF speeds for 4gb of D2X files on various readers

[Rich Gibson]

Surprising results!

Sandisk ultra II 4.0gb

1. Lexar Firewire model RW019. 366 seconds avg. 10929 kb/sec
2. Lexar Firewire model RW011. 682 seconds avg. 4535 kb/sec
(both cards used same slot)

3. No name USB 2.0 Model UCR-61 (China) 4320 seconds avg. 926 kb/sec
4. Microtech Zio USB 2.0 1950 Seconds avg. 2051 kb/sec
(both cards used same slot)

PC Intel P4 2.27ghz, 1 GB RAM

Rich

 

[Rich Gibson]

No comments?

I've seen complaints about how the D2X slows down workflow. With a firewire reader I was able to download 4gb in 5 minutes. I was surprised it beat USB 2.0 so badly.

Rich

 

[gbenic]

I was also seeing poor results with USB 2.0. After I downloaded the latest drivers, it picked right up. Just my experience.

 

[Joe_Lorenzini]

Rob Galbraith has been touting that firewire card reader for a long time now as the fastest on the market. I bought it the minute I read about it on his site and it's been a dream to use.

The only knock I have against it is that when I'm copying multiple cards, sometimes it won't recognize the second card. What I have to do is pull out the firewire cable and reinsert it and it works.

_/oe

 

[PhotoByMark]

Joe,

I am not totally sure on this but, I think this is correct info.

If you are on a pc if you right click on the drive icon for the flash drive there should be option to eject the card. I know this is true for USB CF drives. I always use the eject option before removing my card from the reader. Then when you insert another card it should read and update the CF contents. Also if you happen to pull the card out while read/writes are in progress you will run the risk of corrupting the data on the card.

Let me know if this helps.

 

[TexIndian]

Food for thought. I have been slowed (or at least bothered) considerably in the field by the larger files, but I don't think this reader will help me. I download cards to a portable HD as soon as they come out of the camera. In the D1X days, it took 10 minutes to dump a 512MB card. Unless the shooting was really heavy, it was unusual to have more than 2 or 3 cards in the mill at any one time.

Now it takes 20 minutes to dump the same number of files, and that complicates things. First, I'm getting old and I forget all about a card after 20 minutes. Then there's always a line formed waiting to be dumped. Then there's the battery situation - most of these little HDs are pretty poor in that department. I picked up a second HD so I can run two at a time now, but that's no real answer.

What's going on here - technically, I mean. Is it the read speed of the CF card or of the reader that is the limiting factor in this regard? With this new reader, is it the read speed that has improved, or just the transmission line? Since a portable HD has no transmission issues, why can't it read as fast as the new firewire unit? Anyone know the skinny on this stuff?

 

[dmwphoto]

Lexar Firewire model RW019. 366 seconds avg. 10929 kb/sec
Rich,
this is very fast. where did you get this device?

 

[Rich Gibson]

Food for thought. I have been slowed (or at least bothered) considerably in the field by the larger files, but I don't think this reader will help me.

What's going on here - technically, I mean. Is it the read speed of the CF card or of the reader that is the limiting factor in this regard? With this new reader, is it the read speed that has improved, or just the transmission line? Since a portable HD has no transmission issues, why can't it read as fast as the new firewire unit? Anyone know the skinny on this stuff?

I'm not sure why the reader wouldn't help. Firewire is a very fast transmission technology. USB 2 hasn't met it's theoretical speeds. I'm not technically knowledgeable to explain the bit and bytes, but I've been through 5 different USB2 readers/PCI cards and always been disappointed.

Personally I'd get larger cards rather than buy another external hard drive.

Rich

 

[TexIndian]

Yeah, I still have my first and only dedicated card reader - better than nothing, but slower than Christmas.

At least once my files are downloaded into the little HD, transferring them to the PC is a snap, even at USB 2.

I'm still getting used to the D2X, but my card supply has already grown to 5 1GB and 4 older 512 cards.

 

[Jay Keller]

I ordered a Sandisk Extreme III 4GB from Samy's Camera, as soon as it arrives I'll do some speed testing, it's supposed to be the fastest CF card out there. I've been using a Media Gear USB 2.0 multi-reader (CF, SD, etc., etc.,) lately which, on SD at least, is much faster than the built-in slot in my new Dell Inspiron and is the faster USB reader I've ever used.

But I'll buy the firewire if it's faster, I'm getting slowed down by these big D2X files, that's for sure.