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Many people like me- use firewire but there are two sides on each connection format USB is cheaper and more versitile (all computer have at least 2 of them) and Firewire 400 or 800 which is more expensive (other peoples' opinon) and less versitle since most Macs and the latest Pcs have them, which one? well I'm right in the middle. Some of my friends use USB some firewire which one?

P.S. I'm talking about card-readers and camera connections

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Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
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I generally use a USB 2 card reader... what Firewire model are you using?

Hey Gordan,

Since I keep my photos in two places my computer and my external Hard drive, my computer accepts only Firewire 400 but my Lacie drive accepts 400 and 800 so I use both cables. Not only for back ups, but also sycing to my other devices such as my camcorder, and my old ipod. By the way I use a firewire 400 card reader

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Assistant News Photojournalist
Nikon and Canon Systems
A variety of f/2.8 lenses from 10.5 to 400mm
Support Cameralabs!

Have you compared your firewire card reader to a USB 2 model? I'd be interested to hear if it weas any quicker... I know there's differences between the bit rates of each interface, but in practice there's so much more involved, so it'd be cool if you could time some file transfers!

Between USB and Firewire, Firewire has a much better sustained throughput than USB and is always my preferred method when dealing with large amounts of data transfer.

http://www.usb-ware.com/firewire-vs-usb.htm

I haven't had many experience with card readers and I most definitely wouldn't use Wi-Fi for large amounts of sustained data transfer. Personally, I think it's a shame that USB took off over Firewire because the latter is definitely the better technology; for peripherals and for data.

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I've been using a direct connection via USB2 since day one but I'd like to get a card reader as I have my doubts as to the longevity of the rubber "door" on the D80. Not exactly on topic but if anyone could recommend a good, not too expensive card reader that would be good.

Zorro

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Various lenses, SB800 & Manfrotto 190 with 460MG head

This really is the most high-tech part on the D80
Still I use it (again) after the reliability of my card-reader (a 15EUR cheapo multi-tralala from Transcend) is only so-so. Don't know what it is, perhaps a contacting-prob?!
Next time I buy the new 16Gig SDHC from Sandisk, I'll buy it with their single slot SDHC-reader. Perhaps that one is better.

Anybody has experience with SDHC card-readers?

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

You can get a good Belkin All-in-1 cardreader for about £25, thats what I use as I find it too fiddly trying to get the little rubber door open on the camera.
P.S. the model I have is a Belkin FSU 249

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Roy
EOS 350D, 40D + BG-E2N, EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, 430 EX Speedlite




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Hmmm, no SDHC on the Belkin FSU 249?!
That's not future-proof

The Lian Li CR-35A for 30 EUR might do the trick. Hopefully it is more reliable than my Transcend-reader

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

I timed the card reader i have and found the D80's usb port to actually be much faster.

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I've upped my Iso, now up yours.
Nikon D700, Nikon D80, Micro Nikkor 105 f2.8 AI-S,Nikon 85mm 1.8D, Nikon 50mm 1.8D, Nikon 35mm F2D, Nikon 16-35 f4 VR, Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 AF-S, Nikon 70-200VRII, Nikon 70-300mm VR, 300mm f2.8 AI IF ED, SB-800, SB-900. Noiseware pro,NIK Dfine, Nik Colour Effex, Nik Sharpener Pro

Hi Gregory, just wanted to welcome you on-board!

Be interesting to hear what times you measured for your direct connection vs card reader...

I'd completely forgotten to report back on this one, so here are my findings. The card reader I have is a Trust branded 16-1 card reader, and it can support SD cards up to 2gb. The speed of it however is crap compared to connecting directly to my D80. With the Card reader, it took 4 minutes 24 seconds to transfer 1.19gb/326 files (all jpeg) while directly connecting to the camera only took 2 minutes ten seconds. Either I need a new card reader, or it really is faster to connect straight to the camera.

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I've upped my Iso, now up yours.
Nikon D700, Nikon D80, Micro Nikkor 105 f2.8 AI-S,Nikon 85mm 1.8D, Nikon 50mm 1.8D, Nikon 35mm F2D, Nikon 16-35 f4 VR, Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 AF-S, Nikon 70-200VRII, Nikon 70-300mm VR, 300mm f2.8 AI IF ED, SB-800, SB-900. Noiseware pro,NIK Dfine, Nik Colour Effex, Nik Sharpener Pro

I recently got a Sandisk micro mate SDHC card reader, and offers about the same transfer rate as direct connecting to my D80. Guess the trust one was a piece of crap in the end.

I had a firewire 800 card that I had bought to use my with my Lacie D2 Triple interface extreme, and the enclosure failed after about two years. Too bad they don't make SD card readers with a fire 800 interface.

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I've upped my Iso, now up yours.
Nikon D700, Nikon D80, Micro Nikkor 105 f2.8 AI-S,Nikon 85mm 1.8D, Nikon 50mm 1.8D, Nikon 35mm F2D, Nikon 16-35 f4 VR, Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 AF-S, Nikon 70-200VRII, Nikon 70-300mm VR, 300mm f2.8 AI IF ED, SB-800, SB-900. Noiseware pro,NIK Dfine, Nik Colour Effex, Nik Sharpener Pro

I just use the USB cable that came with my camera and plug it into my laptop

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My stationary PC has a built in reader so i use that at some times and other times i use the USB port cable thing. I never really have MASSIVE amounts of data to transfer to the camera, because every time i take a picture i will transfer it directly afterwards...

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