I had been complaining that such a modern camera as the PMW-300 had only USB2 support when USB3 was clearly the current standard.

Just realised that shunting data over a USB3 connection requires proper CPU support. To that extent, it may be more than what the chip-set driving the camera (aka a computer with sensor block and lens attached) can handle.

Makes sense. Just a bit of a shame, really.

Andrew

What difference does it make? I honestly don't know a single person who uses the camera for ingesting clips. That's a pretty expensive card reader! A better option is to use Sony's USB3.0 reader/writer or Sonnet's Thunderbolt reader.

The viable option of using the camera to transfer from directly. At USB3 speeds, it's not going to be much of a hold-up for the camera before it goes back in to usage.

Andrew

What difference does it make? I honestly don't know a single person who uses the camera for ingesting clips. That's a pretty expensive card reader! A better option is to use Sony's USB3.0 reader/writer or Sonnet's Thunderbolt reader.

Yep! That's what I use (the Thunderbolt PRO version connected to a rMBP, as it's much faster)...still takes a while to download a full 32GB SxS1a card (newest orange ones) with 1080p50 4.2.2...but it would take forever via the PMW-300's USB and I don't want my cam cluttering my edit desk during it either!

Yup. You'd only be shifting via USB2 if you were truly desperate. The cynic in me thinks another reason for only USB2 is that it helps sell their overly expensive USB3 reader.

(The cost for a reader for the more open standard and very usable QXD card is only $37.94 at B&H, compared to $300 for the proprietary Sony SxS card reader. The uber-necessary USB3 SxS card reader might be a high margin profit-maker for them. Just saying.)

Andrew

Answer's simple: That USB port is not quite for exporting information, though it does have that feature as one of the fundamentals but the major use of it is to connect to IFU-WLM3 to let users gain control using iPad. So the real purpose of the USB port is to send signals to the camera to do actions like zooming or focus adjustment etc., which does not need a USB3. If you really want to use it to transmit data back to computer then it's OK as a last resort, but will take forever.

That does make a lot of sense. :-)

Andrew