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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Fastest USB Flash Card Reader?
Lisa Hall, Photographer
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Oklahoma City | OK | USA | Posted: 4:10 PM on 01.22.09 |
->> Can anyone recommend the fastest compact flash card reader? I'm using an Addonics at the present time.
Thanks |
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Max Simbron, Photographer, Assistant
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Phoenix | AZ | USA | Posted: 4:44 PM on 01.22.09 |
->> Lisa,
check out Rob Galbraith's CF/SD database for card readers. It has speed tests for various cards with various readers, so maybe you'll find the best reader for your cards. You'll also find that there are a few USB and a few FW versions too.
Good luck
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007
Max |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 9:53 PM on 01.22.09 |
->> There's not a dramatic difference between transfer rates with USB CF readers, as long as you are using a UDMA-enabled reader. And most of these readers can be found for $20 or less.
http://sportsphotoguy.com/form-over-function/
The fastest one I have found is the Lexar, though the rebate is over so it is overpriced. I've not tried the Addonics - which specific model do you have? |
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Allen Hubbard, Photographer
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Spokane | WA | USA | Posted: 10:10 PM on 01.22.09 |
->> "There's not a dramatic difference between transfer rates with USB CF readers, as long as you are using a UDMA-enabled reader. And most of these readers can be found for $20 or less"
How do you determine if a reader is UDMA-enabled? I am talking about one I have already setup so I don't have packaging to read the specs.
I have a Lexar Media 2.0 Multi-Card Reader but it says nothing about UDMA on it.
Is there a way to tell? |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 12:14 AM on 01.23.09 |
->> Lisa, they are all going to be roughly the same and I've found that my system load influences the speed far great than any differences between say a SanDisk or a Lexar.
All of the current ones I've owned or used at work etc, being UDMA, and using fast cards such as the Extreme III or IV, Lexar 133x etc, transfer about 14-16mb/sec in normal use. One day a Lexar might be a few seconds faster dumping a 2gig card than a Sandisk, but then another time you compare them your going to find the opposite is true.
I'd suggest you go for whatever is on sale or has rebate as its not really going to make a difference what brand it is, assuming of course your talking current UDMA name brand offerings.
Only by going up to Firewire 800 can you really make full use of cards like the ExtremeIV, and I think those are rated to top out at 40mb/sec, though it seems in reality closer to 30mb/sec.
Certainly faster, but you need a $80 firewire card reader, and second you need a device with a firewire 800 port, which I belive only the MacBook Pro's currently offer. I think the lower end Mac's are only Firewire400.
So basically I'd say stick with what you've got for now because your not going to see any real advantages as far as USB readers go.
If your reader is a few years old and thusly not UDMA, I would suggest buying a new one those as most any CF cards from the past year or so are going to at least be able to take advantage of that. |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 7:38 AM on 01.23.09 |
->> Allen,
UDMA capability is usually clearly touted in the specs. Lexar has only one USB reader that is UDMA-enabled (as do most other manufacturers), and that's the dual slot reader (not the one you have).
Note that unless you're using UDMA cards (233x-300x+) you won't see much of a difference, but most manufacturers now offer UDMA readers for a song so anyone looking for a new reader might as well go that route.
Chuck |
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Lisa Hall, Photographer
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Oklahoma City | OK | USA | Posted: 3:32 PM on 01.23.09 |
->> Chuck,
The Addonics I have is Model AESDMD4U2
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
I use Lexar cards.
Lisa |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 8:41 PM on 01.23.09 |
->> Lisa,
Looks like that's a discontinued model that is pre-UDMA. I browsed their site and didn't see a simple USB reader that appeared to be UDMA based, though they a few more exotic gizmos (and according to Galbraith's site, problematic) that do.
The ubiquitously quoted "480 mbps" transfer rate of USB 2.0 is one of the Big Fat Lies of modern marketing. Nothing, and I mean nothing, transfers at 480 mbps; and in fact, in the mass storage mode that card readers use, the practical maximum transfer speed of USB 2.0 is barely half of that.
Unless you're using Lexar 233x or 300x cards, though, you probably won't see much improvement. 133x and slower cards will be the bottleneck rather than the reader.
Chuck |
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Lisa Hall, Photographer
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Oklahoma City | OK | USA | Posted: 4:04 PM on 01.24.09 |
->> Thanks everyone!
Lisa |
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Allen Hubbard, Photographer
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Spokane | WA | USA | Posted: 3:51 AM on 01.27.09 |
->> Thanks Chuck,
I will look into a new reader soon as I am buying new high speed cards too.
Allen |
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Scott Serio, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Colora | MD | USA | Posted: 6:23 PM on 05.08.09 |
| ->> I would like to follow up. As far as I can tell, the Firewire 800 seems the fastest at 40mb/s. What about PCI Express cards? I found this one and, really, I just don't believe it. I was about to go to the Lexar Firewire 800 when I found this. The rate just seems ridiculous. Comments? http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apiotek/ECCF3Q/ |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 8:50 PM on 05.08.09 |
->> Scott,
Yes, it's too good to be true. Actually, they're guilty of what most marketers do: quote the bus speed's specifications (usually in megaBITs-not megaBYTES-per second to begin with, and always an impossibly high number that is never attainable in reality) instead of the transfer rate.
This card purports to do the same thing as the Verbatim and Express Card 34 and the latest Delkin ExpressCard 54 UDMA readers. It uses UDMA protocol paired with the PCI-e bus to achieve a rate comparable to the FireWire 800 readers (i.e., ~40 MB/sec). See my test results here:
http://sportsphotoguy.com/card-trek-the-next-generation/
Chuck |
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