Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: CF Readers - ?USB 2.0/ExpressCard 34?

  1. #1
    Dave Taylor
    Guest

    Default CF Readers - ?USB 2.0/ExpressCard 34?

    Hey everyone, hope the new year is greeting everyone with health and great images!
    Question for ya'll (please, no goat roapin' music...). I've got a 1st gen MacBook Pro - 2.16 Core Duo w/2 gb ram. I need a faster CF card reader, but I'm not sure which direction to go. I'm currently using an older Firewire 400 reader... sloooooooow, and Sandisk Extreme III 4 gig cards. But I just got a 50D and will be getting some UDMA 8 gig cards (not sure which brand yet, but I'm leaning toward Sandisk again).
    Specs wise, my laptop didn't come with a Firewire 800 port, but does have 2 USB 2.0 ports and an ExpressCard/34 slot. Those are my options, I did check out Rob Galbraith's site, but I must admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options.
    Hope someone here would be willing to point me in a good direction from personal experience. Thanks much, and take care.
    dt

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer Rocky Sharwell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    397
    Threads
    64
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    In my more recent MacBook Pro I used a Delkin reader for the Express Card/34 slot with great results but when I damaged a pin on the reader I used an old USB2 Reader. The express card is way faster.

  3. #3
    Axel Hildebrandt
    Guest

    Default

    Rocky,

    I just checked the specs and it says the Delkin card transfers 20MB/s which would be pretty much the same as USB, no?

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer Rocky Sharwell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    397
    Threads
    64
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Axel,

    It seemed to me that the Express Card worked faster for downloading an 8gb Extreme III Sandisk card--but it is just an impression not the result of any serious testing. I have since gone to using a Sandisk FW800 reader which I think is faster. I think Al Forms uses the Express Card reader and found it to be faster

  5. #5
    Alfred Forns
    Guest

    Default

    Axel I think the Express Card Reader is the fastest? My 12 GIG cards download in under twelve minutes.

  6. #6
    Dave Taylor
    Guest

    Default

    Thanks gents -
    I wonder how a UDMA card (not brand specific) would compare if downloaded from an ExpressCard/34 or a USB 2.0 UDMA equipped CF reader.
    ... It looks like Rob Galbraith verified the speed of a 300x UDMA Lexar CF on a Lexar UDMA USB 2.0 reader at 34.8MB/s. I was unable to find the data on the Delkin ExpressCard/34 reader with the same card, but every person I've talked to that has experience with the Delkin (or any EC/34 card reader on a MacBook) has had a problem with bending pins.

  7. #7
    Axel Hildebrandt
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Alfred Forns View Post
    Axel I think the Express Card Reader is the fastest? My 12 GIG cards download in under twelve minutes.
    Hmm, that doesn't sound faster than USB 2.0. Firewire 800 might be an interesting alternative.

  8. #8
    Maurice Allen
    Guest

    Default

    There is a Lexar UDMA dual slot CF/SD that I'm looking at that seems to be the answer to Canon users with both card formats.

  9. #9
    Dave Taylor
    Guest

    Default

    Maurice, that is the same one I'm looking at - looks pretty good. I've seen it around $20 bucks after a mail-in rebate.

  10. #10
    Dave Taylor
    Guest

    Default

    Well, thought I'd check back in with everyone and let you know my findings. I ended up getting (2) Lexar Pro UDMA CF cards - 8GB's. I also purchased the USB 2.0 Lexar CF/SD UDMA card reader. I don't have a FW800 port, so I had to choose between USB 2.0 or a Expresscard - I went with the USB 2.0 because I heard many reports of people damaging the pins in the expresscard slot/reader. Plus, the USB 2.0 was cheaper and still plenty fast for my uses.
    I did a comparison test:
    Old system (Sandisk 4GB Extreme 3 CF card transferred through Firewire 400 Lexar CF reader)
    New system (Lexar Professional UDMA CF 8GB card transferred through Lexar USB 2.0 UDMA CF/SD reader)
    Files = 50 15.4MB RAW files from Canon 50D
    Results = Sandisk CF card through Lexar FW 400 reader = 2 min 43 seconds
    Lexar UDMA card through Lexar FW 400 reader = no change

    Sandisk CF card through Lexar UDMA USB 2.0 reader = 46 seconds
    Lexar UDMA card through Lexar UDMA USB 2.0 reader = 42 seconds

    I took two of those UDMA cards and one UDMA reader and will call in the morning... feeling much better now:)

  11. #11
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Delkin makes a FW 800 UDMA CF card reader that I've been very satisfied with.
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics