cf card reader?
 

anyone have any suggestions?

is it worth getting a firewire400 over a usb2?

looking at an external one to use with all my pc's.

tia

leslie

btw. does one really need a dedicated 'high=speed' card reader if the unit itself can be connected to the pc? and if connected, does the ru-utility still stitch the files together?

Sandisk FW800
 

If you have Firewire 800 on your computer, better still to get a reader that uses that to transfer files. But to get the most out of it you have to have fast cards. I use the Sandisk FW800 reader and Sandisk Extreme IV cards. The read speed of those cards is pretty much identical to the maximum speed of FW800, around 45 mb/s I believe, so that way you get the fastest transfer speeds possible. The reader was pretty inexpensive.

FW800 is backward compatible. So with the right cable (included, I think) you can use an 800 reader even if your computer only has 400. Then if you get a computer with 800 you'll be able enjoy the faster speeds.

But given a choice, I'd always choose Firewire of any kind over USB 2 to transfer anything.

I've used the Lexar firewire reader and I'm extremely happy with it. I use it both for photography as well as video.

On my laptop, I use an APIOTEK CFIII Express Card 2.5GB/s card reader and by desktop has an internal multi-reader but I can't remember what it is (not at home at the moment). The laptop I use in the field to transfer the data off the card (from the Z5) to an external HDD to work with later - freeing up the CF for further use. (Sandisk Extreme III 30Mb/s - 2 x 32GB & 1 x 16GB).

On the HVR-XR520E, I tend to just leave it on-camera until I get home (as it has such great capacity there is no advantage to off-loading it to disc in the field).

I bought a Lexar FW400 reader & loved it so much that when I saw a FW800 on sale & bought that one too.

I have tried pulling footage off a couple cheap USB card readers (which I have used for SD cards from my point & shoot digital camera) & they were horrible for pulling footage off a CF card.

And the readers are self powered, so you don't have to be draining your batteries & running up hours of use on your gear. Plus I think they're faster than the camera.

Night & day difference. I swear by my Lexar card reader. If you don't have firewire on your computer, get it & the reader. It will be well worth the money.

ok. decided not to argue with the majrity and bought a couple of 16gb sandisk ultra cards,

and this for a reader:

SanDisk Extreme FireWire Reader - CF - Firewire (SDDRX4-CF-904) | Techbuy Australia

boy, is it fast!

thanks for the advice

leslie