I need to shoot all day - so I'll be transferring the video from the SXS cards to a laptop. then later I'll need to get that video onto my desktop for editing.

what's the easiest way to get it from laptop to desktop? i just read that I can't just run a USB cable between them - it would need to be a special USB cable with a "hub"(?) in the middle?

are there any other connections that are quick and inexpensive? I'd like to be able to see the laptop as a resource on my desktop's "my computer" screen...

I'll be using the file transfer program that came with the EX1R.

thank you!

It always helps us to answer these types of questions if you tell us what platform you're running.

The best solution is to get enough cards so you that don't have to make any transfers in the field. Having only a single copy of your footage, sitting on a laptop, is taking a risk that I would not take. Buy more cards.

On the other hand. for about two years I've been using a PXU-MS240 for making immediate backups in the field (even if I don't have to erase the card) and it has proven to be a 100% reliable and excellent machine. I clone every card that comes out of the camera, and then I can ingest to my desktop computer from the MS240.

But many people simply don't want to spend the money. It is my insurance policy. Even a single lost clip could be enough to cost me 10 times what the MS240 cost me. Everything hinges on how much risk you are willing to take.

1) Restart the laptop holding the "t" key down. That starts it up in "Target Firewire Disk" mode. Then hook up your laptop to your desktop via a Firewire cable. The laptop appears like an external drive.

2) If you don't have a Mac laptop, use your external USB drive to copy the files from your Laptop and then to your desktop using the Sony utility.

3) If you don't have a USB drive, mount the laptop on your desktop over the network and use the Sony utility.

You know, if you're using a Mac you don't need to restart anything to transfer at FireWire speed.
Plug you FireWire cable between your Macs, go to network prefs and set it up as a network. You'll only have to do that setup once btw.

You should be able to do the same with Thunderbolt if you have two new Macs - that would be really fast.

I have sometimes had to do this when shooting all day interviews.

I put all cards to be copied in a bag labeled "Transfer". I transfer those to my MBP to 2 FW800 drives and check them. I then move them to a bag labeled "Format and use".

This way it is easy to keep track of what cards are at what stage. And by using 2 drives you guard against someone dropping a drive or other calamity that can destroy the data.

I sometimes FEDEX one of the drives back to the studio as they fill up, keeping one with me on location.

The transfer to MP is simple I just hook the FW800 drive to my MP and rewrap and transcode the files I need to use to my RAIDs on the desktop. I always keep 2 HD copies of the original files and I also burn a BluRay of all the footage. And I have a searchable database program that keeps track of all the video files.

I plan to start using SSD drives in the near future for added ruggedness.

OT:
@Olof - What database program do you use? Does it scan the drive and populate the entry with file information? Is it Mac based?

Sorry I didn't mention they're both win7 64bit computers.
so far for me it looks like the special USB cable will be the easiest.

or maybe I should take an external mirrored hard-drive with me in the field and transfer from the card directly to that. then I can hook it up to my desk computer later and transfer the footage to the desk computer's external drives.

If you have to offload on the location use a software which can put things to multiple locations (e.g.Shot put)
I always transfer things to at least two separate disks
Then just use the external hard drive later with your desktop PC

OT:
@Olof - What database program do you use? Does it scan the drive and populate the entry with file information? Is it Mac based?

Les, I use a program I wrote myself in FMP. You have to populate the fields yourself. Including the thumbnails.

I have a stand alone version of this program I give away. If you write me an email I will send you FTP info.

Here is a screen shot of the DB.

Robert, another great solution are the Nexto Drives. No Laptop necessary. My workflow would work fine on a PC as well. FW800 or ESATA drives are much faster than USB in real life.