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December 31, 2007
Workflow: Getting Pictures Off The Camera & Into Your Computer
While most cameras allow you to connect directly to your computer to download pictures, save yourself the headache and get a card reader that you can keep connected to your computer.
Card readers of all brands come in two real versions based on how they connect to your computer, USB and Firewire (IEEE 1394). I have been able to pick up USB 2.0 readers at my local computer store for $9.99 and typically can download multiple types of memory cards. You can't beat their price and they work fine if you are not under time restraints for downloading and accessing the pictures.
This year I bit the bullet and purchased a firewire card reader because the consistent throughput of data is faster than a USB reader. The firewire card readers I have seen will only fit one type of card. The one I use is pictured and will only work with Compact Flash cards which are the cards used in most Pro/Semi-Pro DSLRs.
The speed at which it downloads pictures is very important to me when I am on assignment and trying to quickly download the pictures so that they can be posted onto OffWing Opinion and distributed through our syndication service.
In between periods of events you will see the sport photographers running to empty their cards and upload their pictures as quickly as possible. Time is money...because editors on deadlines will run the best photos available at that time.
This part of the workflow is pretty much Straightforward. Let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them.
Have a Happy New Year!
Posted by Allen Clark at December 31, 2007 09:15 AM
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Comments
You're spot on with the USB vs Firewire observation. There are other limitations of USB as well, most notably the dubious marketing that many $9.99 readers will use to convince you that their product will push bits quickly because it is "USB 2.0" (but not "USB 2.0 High Speed"). Even if the product is "USB 2.0 High Speed" rated the actual throughput varies a lot.
I started with a low budget "Superman Returns" USB 2.0 card reader and it worked pretty well when I first got it but it has recently slowed. It's very frustrating to connect it, disconnect it, reconnect it, and disconnect it several times while anxiously trying to get your photos offloaded during half time.
With all the money we spent on lenses and bodies it is surprising how much we tend to skimp on things like card readers or media. The incremental cost between a "USB 2.0 High Speed" reader and an actual Firewire 800 reader is negligible in comparison to all our other equipment.
Congratulations on making the leap to Firewire.
Posted by: Christopher Blunck at December 31, 2007 09:53 AM