My Memory Card Conundrum

[Jason Dunn]

I find myself in a bit of a conundrum and I'm looking for suggestions from the Digital Media Thoughts community. My new XPS M1330 laptop, which should arrive today, lacks a CompactFlash card slot - it can read SD and SDHC cards, MemoryStick, etc. This presents a significant problem for me because my Nikon D200 uses CompactFlash cards, and one of my main uses for the new laptop will be processing photos from the D200. I use 8 GB CompactFlash cards and shoot in RAW + JPEG, so I need a good amount of storage. You see my problem.

Initially I thought my main solution would be to switch from using CompactFlash in the D200 to using SDHC cards - I figured I'd pick up a couple of 8GB SDHC cards and use an SD to CF adaptor in the camera. When I want to off-load the images, I take out the SDHC card and pop it in the laptop. Yet unless I'm mistaken in my searches, such a thing doesn't exist - all of the SD to CF adaptors I've seen do not support SDHC, so they top out at 2 GB (or 4 GB if you can find one of those rare non-SDHC 4GB cards). 2GB just isn't enough storage for me, although 4GB might work if I were to carry a couple of cards on me when shooting. I do wonder about added battery use or image integrity issues when using an adaptor such as that full time, but I don't imagine it to be much of an issue. This is option #1.

Option #2 is for me to use an ExpressCard adaptor, such as this one (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,10716). I'd continue to shoot with my 8 GB CF cards, and when I want to off-load them to the camera, I'd pop in the ExpressCard adaptor. The biggest problem here is that it's another thing for me to have to carry and remember, which I really dislike having to do. I want to be able to grab my laptop, grab my camera, and go - having to remember a little adaptor will be a hassle.

Option #3 is for me to continue to shoot with my 8 GB CF cards, and to simply connect the camera directly to my laptop using a USB cable. The advantage of using the cable method is that I can put them everywhere - my laptop bag, my car, etc. - so there's always one handy. The down-side is that is uses up camera battery while transferring from the camera to the laptop, and it's an external accessory that I need to remember.

Is there a fourth option? Have I made any errors in how I'm thinking about this? If only Dell had included a CompactFlash slot in this laptop...I know I won't be the only DSLR shooter in this awkward position.

[Jeremy Charette]

I'd go the cable route myself.

[ptyork]

I'm sure the problem is shared by many...certainly by me. I use a little CF to USB adapter. They are CHEAP and small. Take for instance:

http://www.amazon.com/PQI-Single-Slot-Travel-Reader/dp/B000EIOPWW/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-1561780-2545668?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1188315390&sr=8-2

I don't use that model specifically, but at < $5 it is probably less than the cost of a USB cable and smaller. There are other option, obviously. Anyway, at that price you can afford multiples (unlike the ExpressCard).

Incidentally I looked for the CF-SD card adapters, as well. I couldn't even find one at the time that would fit in the camera and allow the door to close.

[mrozema]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the ExpressCard stay plugged into your PCMCIA slot on your laptop? Then just plug the CF card in when you need it.

[Felix Torres]

Two thoughts come to mind:
Do you carry a PocketPC thse days?
If you do and its a model that supports both CF and SD, you can just copy the stuff from one to the other.
Or, is there any of the photobank type devices that you like? (Built-in HDD and card reader with automatic batch copy function?)
The cheapest solution is a USB CF reader like this:
http://www.electronics-batteries.com/usb_card_readers_dekcell_cpa_1007.htm

Thumbdrive sized and cheap enough to stick one in with the PC and another with the camera.

[Gordo]

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:00 am Post subject:

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the ExpressCard stay plugged into your PCMCIA slot on your laptop? Then just plug the CF card in when you need it.

I am with you, I just leave the card in the slot.

[Outlaw94]

If the card doesn't stick out, I would do what everone else has said, Leave it in there. If not, I would purchase a small usb compact flah card reader. I have seen them as small as a key drive. In fact buy a few. One in the computer bag, one in the camera bag and they are probably a cheap as a cable so maybe one for the car etc.

[RichL]

I'd go with the ExpressCard option too.

4 GB if you can find one of those rare non-SDHC 4GB cards

Be very wary about these cards. The SD spec does not support 4GB cards in any way, shape or form. Any SD card that advertises a 4GB capacity does not adhere to the spec and may not work with your gadgets.

[Jason Dunn]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the ExpressCard stay plugged into your PCMCIA slot on your laptop? Then just plug the CF card in when you need it.

Nope, it sticks out. Here's an image from the review I linked to (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,10716):

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/hagiwara-expresscard2.jpg

If it were that simple, I would already have my answer. ;-)

[Gordo]

Take a look at this one,
http://www.expansys.ca/p.aspx?i=100093

Even a CDN site.

This one will not stick out.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Buy the Wifi transmitter and transmit your photos via wifi. BWAHAHAHA!

Honestly, I'd go with the Expresscard option and leave the darn thing in there.

[dgage]

Gordo,

The adapter you linked to is for the older PC Card spec. Newer laptops come with an ExpressCard slot, which replaces PC Card slots. The two are not compatible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expresscard

I would personally go with the Expresscard adapter(s) with a second choice going to the cables.

David

[Jason Dunn]

Do you carry a PocketPC thse days? If you do and its a model that supports both CF and SD, you can just copy the stuff from one to the other.

Nah - no modern Pocket PC supports both CF as SD. Those are the models of yesteryear...

Or, is there any of the photobank type devices that you like? (Built-in HDD and card reader with automatic batch copy function?)

Yup, I have one of those devices, but it's a fairly large accessory for me to carry. I take it with me on vacation.

The cheapest solution is a USB CF reader like this:
http://www.electronics-batteries.com/usb_card_readers_dekcell_cpa_1007.htm

Hrm. That's not a bad option - nice and cheap, much less expensive than that ExpressCard reader.

[Jason Dunn]

Take a look at this one,
http://www.expansys.ca/p.aspx?i=100093

Nope, won't work. The new Dell, and most new ultra-portable laptops, lack the PCMCIA/Cardbus slot for cards like that. I *really* with this XPS M1330 had a PCMCIA slot because those cards are flush and it would be a great solution...

[Jason Dunn]

Buy the Wifi transmitter and transmit your photos via wifi. BWAHAHAHA!

Geek Factor: 10. Reality Factor: 1. :lol:

Honestly, I'd go with the Expresscard option and leave the darn thing in there.

It will break off or damage the laptop - it doesn't sit flush, and I can't find an ExpressCard adaptor that does sit flush. :cry:

[mrozema]

Looks like the USB CF reader is the cheapest and easiest method so far.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Geek Factor: 10. Reality Factor: 1. :lol:

Hey hey, you didn't mention your budget.

It will break off or damage the laptop - it doesn't sit flush, and I can't find an ExpressCard adaptor that does sit flush. :cry:

Uh, ok. Two options. One is you file down the rails that stick out. Two is that you get two of them and leave one in the notebook bag and the other one in the camera/notebook bag. You do have one of those, right, right?

[Jason Dunn]

Hey hey, you didn't mention your budget.

Having another battery to keep charged every time I want to transfer images? Not realistic at all IMO.

Uh, ok. Two options. One is you file down the rails that stick out.

Hmm. I appreciate your spirit of adventure, but considering that the ExpressCards have no eject button and instead rely on you pushing the card inward for the eject function, this would be really tricky - take off too much, you'll never get the card out without jamming a pen in there. Take off too little and you have it sticking out too much. Also, at $80 a pop or so, wrecking one is a bit expensive.

Two is that you get two of them and leave one in the notebook bag and the other one in the camera/notebook bag. You do have one of those, right, right?

Yup, that's one option. Although if I'm going to have to carry an external accessory, I think I'd lean more toward the CF to USB reader referenced above - much less expensive if I were to lose it, and I can buy more of them and scatter them around. We'll see if speed is an issue with those though.

And no, I don't have a camera/notebook combo bag. I have my Lowepro Sling bag, and a laptop bag, but not a combo unit.

[Mike Temporale]

Take a look at this one,
http://www.expansys.ca/p.aspx?i=100093

Yup, that's the exact same one I have and it works great. I just leave it in my laptop all the time. If I need it, I pop it out slide in the CF card and then get busy. 8)

[Tim Williamson]

Buy the Wifi transmitter and transmit your photos via wifi. BWAHAHAHA!

Sounds more like a W?BIC! solution! :lol:

I use a PC Card to CF adapter myself...and jeez I just realized I'm behind the times, I didn't even realize there was a new PCMCIA standard for laptops. :oops:

[mrsheep]

Hi Jason,

One thing you might want to test out as you look at the different options is transfer time.

I have used a PCMCIA - CF adapter a few times to transfer the 4Gig of picts from the Sandisk card that I use in my D200 and I noticed a h-u-g-e difference in the time that it took to transfer over the files as compared to jacking in via a plain old USB cable. Obviously the storage card was the same in both situations, but it seems like the PCMCIA bus (or something) had a serious impact on throughput.

I immediately quit using the card transfer approach and have since almost exclussively used the USB cable approach. Personally I don't find that it makes a big impact on my battery power, but I guess it is a matter of how "on the road" you are. I am usually transfering my picts over when I am in a location where doing a quick recharge on the batteries is also an option if need be. I also don't typically travel without my Nikon battery charger, except when on day outings.

So, it could have been the PCMCIA adapter I was using, the PCMCIA bus.. not sure, however I recommend you do some transfer time tests and see if there is a noticable difference in the time it takes to transfer by cable versus by card. Depending on how the Card adapter is wired you might find a significant difference in transfer speeds compared to USB2.

[Deemo]

Scrolling through this pretty fast but is there something wrong with using a mini usb to usb cable rom the camera to the laptop.
Light, ubiquitous, and can be used with other toys.
Don't need to open the camera and keep taking the card out risking the pin damage and door repetitive stress on the camera.

[Crocuta]

The cheapest solution is a USB CF reader like this:
http://www.electronics-batteries.com/usb_card_readers_dekcell_cpa_1007.htm

Thumbdrive sized and cheap enough to stick one in with the PC and another with the camera.

I used something like this on my recent trips to Africa and China. Mine is a little different in being a tiny little box that connects via a standard mini-USB to USB cable. In each case, I was filling my 4GB CF cards with RAW + JPEG images and wanted to get them onto my laptop each night. (Then I also backed them up onto a tiny 60GB external USB drive, but that's a different story.) Anyway, the USB card reader worked brilliantly. It was tiny, reliable and fast. Mine also reads other card formats, which worked nicely for me because the P&S camera that I used for casual snapshots uses SD so I could clear that one too.

While the ExpressCard option feels more integrated, my card reader wasn't much larger, was 1/6 the price and was just as fast. If I were in your position (which I am, really) I'd do it the same way again.

P.S. My wildlife photos from those trips are at http://wildearth.smugmug.com/ if anyone else is interested in that type of photography.

[Jason Dunn]

Scrolling through this pretty fast but is there something wrong with using a mini usb to usb cable rom the camera to the laptop.
Light, ubiquitous, and can be used with other toys.

In my initial post I pointed out that I didn't want to have to remember to carry an accessory with me - it's just one more thing to forget. Something I can leave in the laptop is my #1 preferred option...

[Deemo]

Well it's just a cable and can be used with pretty much any camera you haul with you these days.
I also use it to charge my P4000 and bluetooth headsets (phone and stereo).
One comes with my laptop speakers so I could always use that one as well.

This seems like the most logical option as opposed to buying an adaptor that can only be used for one thing and you may still leave behind.