Data Transfer Rates - Need Boost!

[gberkey]

Looking for recommendations on the fastest method of transferring JPEG Fine and RAW images from CompactFlash cards to PC.

A full 2Gig card (230 JPEG Fine images) requires nearly 25 minutes to transfer, and RAW times are unbearable.

CF card is ProMaster Professional 2Gig 133x. Transfer methods are USB 2 from camera to PC, and inserting CF card into media reader built in to the PC.

Advice?

Thanks,
Gavin B.
Madison, WI USA

[bwolford]

Is the media reader attached via USB 2? Some readers may be USB2, but is it attached to a USB2 port on the computer? A USB 2 reader attached to a USB2 port on the computer should ALWAYS beat a camera to PC transfer.

I know it's a silly question about the PC port, but it is often overlooked.

Brice

[PaulH]

Looking for recommendations on the fastest method of transferring JPEG Fine and RAW images from CompactFlash cards to PC.

A full 2Gig card (230 JPEG Fine images) requires nearly 25 minutes to transfer, and RAW times are unbearable.

CF card is ProMaster Professional 2Gig 133x. Transfer methods are USB 2 from camera to PC, and inserting CF card into media reader built in to the PC.

Advice?

Thanks,
Gavin B.
Madison, WI USA

Something sounds wrong - I use a USB2 card reader and I know the yr=are USB2 ports on my PC. I use some software from Nikon that is renaming them as they load. Even with that overhead a full 1 gb card takes 3-4 min. It's fast enough I never timed it.

I've transferred 20 Gig from Hard to External hard drive in 17 mins.

No suggestions on what to check - unless you can try another card reader and card.

[GaryK]

Gavin

I'm with Brice on this one. It sounds like you are somehow getting USB1 transfer speeds. I have never done camera to PC transfers so I'm not sure if there is some overhead involved with that.
Any way to get your hands on an external card reader..just to borrow for a few minutes? Plug that into a USB2 plug and see if it is faster.


If you are running windows, check in device manager and see if you have the USB2 (I think it is called enhanced USB controller or something like that) controller set up.
Also, could you possibly be scanning these incoming files for viruses automatically?

[Antonio]

This assumes that your computer IS providing USB2 ports.

I've heard that for the fastest transfer times you should only use the USB ports on the back of the computer. Supposedly the front ports act as if they are a Hub, and you don't get get the full benefit of USB2.

I haven't personally tested the validity of this. I just plug in my card and do something else during the download.

[PaulH]

What type of camera? Some are not USB 2.0.

[bwolford]

Paul, exactly! even if they say they attach to a USB2 port...

Brice

[GaryK]

I know the last motherboard my son got, had a USB 1.1 header, as well as a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard.. easy to mix the two up. :rolleyes: