What is the ideal way to transfer photos, through camera/usb cable or card reader?

[Raistlin_01]

I remember someone who claimed to be a photography buff/teacher say that it was better to use a card reader to upload photos and not use the camera with a USB cord. He also said that automatically deleting them after upload by checking that setting is not a good idea. I vaguely remember him saying it had to do with stability of the card, we were talking about compact flash cards since this was years ago.

So what is the ideal way? Is one way better for the memory card than the other?

I like attaching the USB cable to my Sony a580 and having the PMB software auto upload the photo's. I would like to have the software automatically delete uploaded photos's as well.

But I also just received a USB 3.0 card reader (yes I have a USB 3.0 port) and I can transfer the photo's that way as well. If I do it this way then I don't think I will be able to use the Sony PMB software to automatically upload the photo's and create folders for me. I have a point and shoot camera that uses an eyefi card so I don't use the computer to upload those photo's anylonger but if use the card reader I believe that any card that I use to upload photo's will go to the same folder.

[wave01]

Hi heres my take i use a USB cable from my 550d/T2i to my computer I use canons software to down load my pictures, why because i like it. I dont think there is anything wrong by using a card reader. What I do to erase the pictures once they are safe is format the card with the camera. Hope this helps

[TCav]

If you haven't spent the money on fast cards, then the limit on the upload speed will be the card, whatever method you use.

However you get the photos from the card to the computer, you should format the card in the camera when you're done, not just erase the photos. That's not something you can automate, and any other process you employ won't be as good, so don't bother.

If you only use one card, leaving it in the camera and using the USB cable to transfer the photos is fine. The Sony A580 has a USB 2.0 port, so your USB 3.0 port would go to waste. If you're connecting your A580 directly to your computer (as in, not through a USB hub), that's faster than the Eye-Fi card. Your USB 3.0 card reader is likely to be the fastest method, but again, the limiting factor will be the read speed of your cards.

I use multiple cards, so I swap the cards from the camera to a case, and from the case to a card reader when I get back to my computer. If you only use one card, and it's not very fast anyway, then leaving the card in the camera and connecting the camera to the computer via USB is probably just as good as any other method.

The only other consideration is wear. If you wear out the camera's USB port, you can use a card reader. If you wear out the card slot, you're screwed.

[Raistlin_01]

I am trying to determine which method would be best for keeping the quality of the card as well as not ruining the USB/card slot on the camera. I doubt I would ruin the hardware with my use but I could unknowingly cause some damage to the memory card if I did not use it properly.

Thanks for the tip about formating the card after you transfer pictures, so to be clear, don't even bother deleting the photo's from within the camera menu, simply format the card once done? This is something that I never used to do so thanks for that tip TCav.

I orderd the Sony HG-DUO card that claims 50mbs for my A580, if I happen to take a lot of video then I may use the USB 3.0 card reader for those transfers but I doubt I will fill up the 16gb with photos all at once.

[TCav]

Originally Posted by Raistlin_01

Thanks for the tip about formating the card after you transfer pictures, so to be clear, don't even bother deleting the photo's from within the camera menu, simply format the card once done?

That's correct.

One of the things that can go wrong is that the File Allocation Table (FAT) can get corrupted. The more you create and delete images, the more likely the FAT will fail. Formatting the card creates a new FAT, so you're always working with a clean card.

[JimC]

Originally Posted by Raistlin_01

I orderd the Sony HG-DUO card that claims 50mbs for my A580, if I happen to take a lot of video then I may use the USB 3.0 card reader for those transfers but I doubt I will fill up the 16gb with photos all at once.

I noticed that Sony is now showing 50MB/Second for it's latest MS Pro HG Duo Cards (and that's a big B for bytes versus a little b for bits -- big difference as there are 8 bits to a byte, so 50 Megabytes per second is the same thing as 400 Megabits per second). ;-)

I can tell you from testing Sony models with both Sandisk 30MB/Second Extreme SDHC cards and Sandisk 30MB/Second Memory Stick Pro HG Duo cards, that the Memory Stick Pro HG Duo cards are *significantly* faster in Sony A5xx series cameras, giving you a more photos in a row before a slowdown, faster full buffer frame rates, and faster buffer flush times.

You also see the same thing on card reader tests, where the Sandisk 30MB/Second Extreme SDHC cards tend to "max out" at a bit over 20MB/Second. Yet, the Sandisk 30MB/Second Extreme III Memory Stick Pro HG duo cards have write speeds of over 40MB/Second using a fast card reader that supports the 8 bit parallel transfer modes the "HG" series cards allow. IOW, they're faster than the 30MB/Second rating Sandisk gave to them in real world tests, whereas the 30MB/Second Sandisk Extreme SDHC cards are slower than rated from tests I've seen.

Note the write speed from a Sandisk 30MB/Second Memory Stick Pro HG Duo card:

http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/cs_SDMSHX3-008G.html

Note the much slower write speeds to Sandisk 30MB/Second Extreme SDHC cards:

http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/sp...cards-sdc.html

So, hopefully, the new 50MB/Second Sony Memory Stick Pro HG Duo cards will test as fast (or faster) as the Sandisk cards.

Now, Sandisk recently introduced some new Extreme Pro UHS-1 SDHC/SXDC cards capable of up to 90MB/Second Write speeds. But, I do not know if the A580 would take advantage of the faster UHS-1 Transfer modes or not (my guess is not, but I have seen no tests of them in a Sony A580 yet).

http://sandisk.com/products/dslr/san...i-memory-cards

[junipa]

I usually use the cable which came with my camera (Canon 500D) and select ' move selections' to the folder within My Pictures. Is this not a good way to get the photos onto my computer? I've never formatted a card ever.

[TCav]

Originally Posted by junipa

I usually use the cable which came with my camera (Canon 500D) and select ' move selections' to the folder within My Pictures. Is this not a good way to get the photos onto my computer?

It's probably as good as any other way. You have options, but you seem to be doing fine without them.

Originally Posted by junipa

I've never formatted a card ever.

That's not good.

[junipa]

Originally Posted by TCav

That's not good.

OK, I'll start doing it (when I can work out how!) What problems may I have encountered in failing to format the card/s? Should I do it with a new card or just one I've used a lot? How often should it be done?

I've always just put the card into the camera and starting taking photos. I have a lot to learn.

[DonalDuc]

I NEVER transfer videos/photos from camera, I am using $1 card readers. They are faster and better.
Formating cards in camera ... verrrry seldom, once per half year.