How Do You Download Your Photos?

[Designer Dale]

Bad title, but the best I could think of.

The weak point on my xsi seems to be the SD card door and the SD card is rather stiff when sliding into my card reader. Connecting the camera may be less wear and tear on the long run. What is your preference? Do you connect the camera to your computer or remove the card after each shoot and use a reader?

While I'm at it, how many SD cards are in your daily bag and what size/class are they? I am shooting RAW+jpg.

Dale

 

[Phrasikleia]

Up until yesterday, I too was using an XSi. I took about 35,000 photos with that camera, always taking the SD card out and inserting it into a card reader. I never had any problems with the card door of the camera, and I never had an SD card fail me. I used four SD cards with the XSi, all Transcend Class 6: 1x 2GB, 2x 4GB, and 1x 8GB. I shot almost every photo in Raw only.

I don't think you need to be worried about the card door. I was flipping that thing open sometimes several times per day, in all sorts of circumstances, and it's still in perfect condition.

Hope that helps.

 

[iBookG4user]

Don't have a camera that uses SD cards, but I always use a FireWire Compact Flash card reader to download my photos into LightRoom. As for the cards that I use, currently that would be 5 of the 4GB SanDisk Extreme III's 30MB/sec. Thinking about upgrading to the 60MB/sec cards when I get my 7D, though.

 

[Designer Dale]

Thanks for the quick replies, folks!

I was just looking at the door the other day and thought it looked a little damage prone, but I guess not. Using my USB 2 card reader is faster than connecting the camera. I have two class 4 SD cards. One is 4GB and the other is 8GB. They will do until I see where I am going with this thing.

Thanks.

Dale

 

[wheezy]

Up until yesterday, I too was using an XSi.

What camera did you pick up?

I download via a Firewire 800 card reader with a Lexar 300x CF Card, pulling down 45MB/s is fantastic. I shoot only in RAW, RAW+JPG just takes up extra space. At any rate, the door isn't gonna break, save your battery and save your time by using your card reader.

PS, always be sure to never shoot until full, leave room for a few pictures. You could potentially corrupt other files by shooting until full. At least that's the advice that I hear every now and again. Simple enough to do, so might as well follow it.

 

[Phrasikleia]

What camera did you pick up?

7D. Amazing camera. I'm absolutely thrilled with it.

PS, always be sure to never shoot until full, leave room for a few pictures. You could potentially corrupt other files by shooting until full. At least that's the advice that I hear every now and again. Simple enough to do, so might as well follow it.

I had never heard this advice before. Thanks for sharing!

 

[seattle]

I always use a card reader and have been doing it for years without any problems. I have had a couple SD cards fail and one Compact microdrive. All my DSLRs use compact flash so I only use SD cards for my point and shoots and my pocket camcorders.

 

[wheezy]

7D. Amazing camera. I'm absolutely thrilled with it.

NICE! I was on the waiting list at a local store to pick it up, but about 2 days before they arrived in I sold my other car, had some extra cash so I jumped on the 5DII instead. I'm still excited to see the long-term reviews of it; I think Canon hit a serious Home-Run in regards to that camera, they packed a LOT of features in there!

 

[Vogue Harper]

I normally plug my camera into my MacBook and download using the Canon DPP software and let it organise the photos into the date folders.

I don't take a huge number of photos - probably maximum of 100 in each session depending on whatever photographic whim has taken my fancy at the time. I just find it takes less effort than taking the SD card out of my camera, putting it into my card reader, plugging card reader into MacBook and then reversing the process when I am finished. I am not too concerned about wear and tear though.

I have two 8GB SDHC Class 6, I normally erase photos as I download so only have the second card in my bag as a backup in case anything should happen to the one in the camera - but I have never had an SD card go wrong on me and I have used SD cards since 2001 - my first was a 32mb one!

 

[Phrasikleia]

...I sold my other car, had some extra cash so I jumped on the 5DII...

Congrats on the new camera! I probably won't get a FF camera until Canon comes out with a 24-70 IS or else some stabilized primes in that range (yeah, I know, I could be waiting for eternity). Stabilization is crucial for my museum work.

Oh, by the way Dale, another SD card tip: I heard that it's a good idea to reformat your card in the camera each time you reinsert it. Takes only an extra couple of seconds, so I've been following that advice. That may be why I've never had any problems. Dunno.

 

[Macky-Mac]

I connect the camera and download using Image Capture......been doing it that way for years with several different cameras and have never had a problem

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I connect the camera to the computer and use any of these to download the photos:

-Canon EOS Utility (it's very fast)
-PSE6 (Bridge is fast)
-Graphic Converter (very fast, too)

iPhoto is too slow compared to those above, so i never use it. I rarely use a card reader.

 

[John.B]

My goal is always to get the pictures off the cards and on to redundant hard drives as quickly as possible. At home, the files go right to an external FW drive with two disks in a RAID-1 configuration (so the images are simultaneously on both drives). When traveling, I copy to the laptop's drive and upload via the internet; if I don't bring a laptop then I store each card away from the camera bag and bring enough cards for the trip. My fear there is having camera gear stolen and losing the images that may not be replaceable.

I *never* use the USB cable from the cameras to transfer pics, it's just too slow and it relies on a camera battery that's probably already in the charger.

For SD/SDHC cards, I used to use a Transcend USB reader that I got bundled with one of their Class 6 SDHC cards. It looks like a typical USB thumb drive.

I have the smokin' fast SanDisk FW800 card reader for the CF cards for my 50D (and now 7D), its pretty much mandatory for my 16GB UDMA CF cards.

7D. Amazing camera. I'm absolutely thrilled with it.

I've had my 7D for almost a week but haven't had a chance to really give it a work out until today, though I've been studying up on the new AF features (which are frickin' a-MAZ-ing, btw). Its still a new rig to me, but there is literally nothing I don't love about this camera. Even the ergonomics are perfect, from the new M.Fn button for changing AF modes and points right down to the shape of the camera body in my right hand.

After today I've decided that I'm holding off on buying a FF until Canon makes one with the same AF that the 7D has (maybe a 5DMk3?).

In other news, the 50D that has served me so well is now up for sale.

Oh, by the way Dale, another SD card tip: I heard that it's a good idea to reformat your card in the camera each time you reinsert it. Takes only an extra couple of seconds, so I've been following that advice. That may be why I've never had any problems. Dunno.

This is great advice. Most cards are >2GB now and that's larger than the old generic FAT file system can deal with. Any card greater than 2GB may not be formatted in way that's compatible with another device. Best to always format larger cards in whatever device you are going to be using them in.

 

[Chappers]

I use Sandisk Ultra (see photo) I don't need a card reader (although I have one somewhere) and the card just folds and slots into a USB port. Love it.

Nice and easy and no worries about cables, card readers etc although it is a bit wide so I guess other peripherals would get in the way - but not a problem for me.

 

[Designer Dale]

Thanks for all the inside tips. It seems that using the reader or camera is more a choice than a necessity.

Dale

 

[SayCheese]

I have an express card reader for my CF cards that plugs straight into the side of my MBP. I import into Aperture. Never had a problem and fast import speed.

 

[Clix Pix]

For years I have always followed the practice of using a card reader rather than connecting the camera directly to the computer. After shooting, I come home and remove the CF card(s) from the camera(s), then plug them into the Lexar Pro UDMA card reader that I keep plugged into the computer. I don't download directly into any photo editing software, but instead into a folder on the desktop. Once that's done then I'm free to use whatever software suits the need at the time. Most of the time I use Aperture but occasionally will want to go directly into CS3 instead.

I've been shooting for a long time so have rather an extensive collection of CF cards now.....8 GB is the largest size I put into any of my cameras, though, as I would rather shoot with several cards than with just one and then have something happen which causes a glitch and as a result there is a serious loss of images. Personally, I don't like SD cards: they don't seem as sturdy as CF cards and they're a heck of a lot easier to lose!

When reinserting the CF card into the camera first thing I do is to reformat it. I never reformat in the computer.

 

[luminosity]

I use a card reader of a brand that I can't remember. It has become invaluable, even though it was almost an afterthought when I bought it. Its been a long time since I downloaded directly from a camera.

 

[dmmcintyre3]

I have always found that the in camera format is faster than the erase all or deleting them with a computer

 

[osin]

I think that with new cameras, that produce files larger than 20 MB, a fast reader is a must...