Should I transfer photos using the camera’s USB cable or a card reader?
Asked 8/7/2011
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2 answers
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I can import photos either by connecting my camera directly with a USB/data cable or by removing the memory card and using a card reader. In my experience, both seem similar in speed and reliability. Is one method generally better in terms of speed, convenience, battery use, or wear on the camera/card?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
15
Reasons to use the memory card:
A good card reader will be faster than your camera's data cable (a cheap card reader - not so much)
When you use the camera data cable you also use the batteries, I had an old camera that really drained the batteries when using the data connection (a set of batteries lasted a few days of shooting or about 30 minutes of data connection) - I expect most cameras are better but I haven't used the data cable since.
For SD cards - most laptops have a built in card readers, lots of printers also have card readers, the USB reader that's always connected to my desktop computer right now cost me about $5 - why bother connecting the data cable when I already have a card reader connected.
For CF cards - I've heard (my camera only has an SD card) a good card reader will be so much faster than the camera you'll never ask this question again (a new generation reader from one of the leading memory card brands - not my $5 one).
Reasons to use the camera data cable:
If you don't already have a built in card reader it's one less thing to carry
You could potentially damage the camera's card slot (but I've used my old high end point and shoot so much the lens fell off and the card slot didn't show any damage - so I don't think this is real).
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
15y ago
0
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A card reader is usually the better default. A good reader is often faster than transferring through the camera’s USB connection, and it doesn’t drain the camera battery during import. It can also be more convenient if your computer already has a built-in reader or you keep a USB reader connected.
That said, either method can work fine. If your camera transfer speed is acceptable and you prefer not to remove the card, using the cable is perfectly reasonable.
The main trade-off is wear and handling: frequently removing and reinserting cards can eventually wear card or slot contacts on some cameras, and there’s also the simple risk of misplacing or forgetting the card. On the other hand, low-quality card readers can be unreliable.
Practical rule: use a good-quality card reader if you want the fastest, most convenient transfers and to avoid battery drain; use the camera cable if you want to minimize card/slot wear or don’t have a reliable reader.
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