Is a card reader faster than connecting a camera by USB?
Asked 9/17/2010
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I’ve heard that using a memory card reader can transfer photos to a computer faster than connecting the camera directly by USB. Is that generally true for CompactFlash, and does the same apply to SD cards?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
15
It depends.
My last camera only connected at USB1.1 speeds, so was slower than using a USB2.0 card reader.
However, if your camera can do USB2.0 or you have a USB1.1 or USB1.0 card reader, you wont see that benefit.
You can get Firewire or ExpressCard card readers for CF cards, which are faster than USB2.0, (and I think generally limited by the speed of the CF card). Sandisk do the fastest of these - see Extreme Firewire Reader and Extreme Pro ExpressCard Adapter.
Of course with USB3.0 devices beginning to appear, these are (theoretically) faster still than Firewire - but you need a machine that supports them (rather than running in USB2.0 backwards compatibility mode) to benefit from this speed.
Originally by user137. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user137
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, yes—but it depends on the slowest link in the chain: the camera’s interface, the card reader, the card itself, and your computer connection.
If a camera only connects at older USB 1.x speeds, a USB 2.0 card reader can be much faster. If the camera already supports USB 2.0 and the reader is also USB 2.0, the difference may be small. Faster readers using interfaces like FireWire, ExpressCard, or newer USB standards can outperform direct camera connection, provided your computer supports them.
This applies to SD as well as CompactFlash in principle: transfer speed depends more on the card, reader, and interface than on the card format alone.
A card reader also has a practical advantage: it doesn’t use the camera’s battery during file transfer. Even when speed gains are modest, many people prefer a reader for that reason alone.
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