... photos from your camera to your computer, do you:-

-  leave the card in place and plug the camera into the computer?

-  take the card out and put it in a card reader?

I've been taking the card out and putting it in a card reader. Transferring direct from the camera is much slower and takes an age. But I'm wondering if all the unplugging/plugging is going to affect the slots in the card or the docking pins in the camera.

Anyone got any knowledge/experience/opinions on this?

I use SanDisk card reader. No complaints.

Quote from: Seren on February 25, 2008, 12:32

I've got loads of CF cards, so I use a cardreader.  CF cards are fairly indestructible, I don't think you've got too much to worry about!

I'm not worried about the card, but have you ever took a look inside your camera's CF port?  Those tiny pins scare me!

So I try to remove my 4Gb card only if it's almost full or I'm in a rush.  Otherwise I leave it there and plug the camera.  I agree with you Bateleur, it'much slooooower that way...

Claude

They're designed to have cards taken in and out several times a day.  I've never met anyone that's ever bent a pin in the reader.  Unless you're mashing the cards in back to front or upside down, they're such a tight fit into the slot I think you'd have a hard job not lining the pins up.

Besides, my card won't fit in any other way to my camera, due to the cut out bit on one side.  You'd have to break part of your camera body before you could break the pins.  There is absolutely no wiggle room in my card slot at all.

I transfer straight from camera.
Would agree you have to be careful with contacts and connections.

I transfer images via a card reader specifically because I don't trust the USB connector.  It seems a little too flimsy for me.

This technique also allows me to check images on my computer if I am taking still life shots and the camera is setup on a tripod.  I can take a few shots, take out the card, insert the card into the reader, check the image, and then make any necessary adjustments - all without moving the camera or tripod.

They're designed to have cards taken in and out several times a day.  I've never met anyone that's ever bent a pin in the reader.  Unless you're mashing the cards in back to front or upside down, they're such a tight fit into the slot I think you'd have a hard job not lining the pins up.

Besides, my card won't fit in any other way to my camera, due to the cut out bit on one side.  You'd have to break part of your camera body before you could break the pins.  There is absolutely no wiggle room in my card slot at all.

I know and I have to admit that the system is is very well designed, much more than the SD card's one... But if a pin can bend, I'm pretty sure it will be in my own camera!

I guess it is my paranoiac side 

Claude

The pins in the slot are the weak point and like all mechanical things, they are only designed for a certain numbers of operations. My very first digicam (Minolta) had it; the eject button broke too, then a pin bended. The repair would cost much more than the residual value of the cam, so I just left it with the shop.

For now, I leave my 4G card just in the cam as much as possible. Better safe than sorry. Transfer might be slow, but waiting for a Nikon to be repaired in the Thailand factory will take longer.

Two of the pins on my D200 disapeared into the camera body. It took Nikon 3 weeks to fix it under warrenty.
When it happened I googled it and found hundreds of people have had problems with bent or missing pins on both Nikon and Cannon.

Well you must live in the US and that's fast. I have a D200 too and I read horror stories on the main Belgian forum about people having to wait 3 months for repair since European support is done in Thailand. I just hate to take the card out the cam. I can live with a 30 min wait for the USB transfer but a 3 month wait for a cam repair would kill me.

Quote from: adesignstock on February 26, 2008, 06:13

Wen I shoot in the studio, I use Nikon Capture which bypasses the card altogether and the image goes streight to the laptop.

How? Does your D200 has wireless?

Nope. I use a 5m usb extension cable. It has to be a cable with a built in signal booster. The other problem is that the battery only lasts about 15mins when tethered so you have to buy the rather expensive mains power unit for the camera.

It is a bit acward but I just tape both leads to the leg of the tripod with a piece of velcro.

No I don�t live in the north. I live in Spain but when I took the camera back to the dealer he said that it would not be covered by the guarantee. Rather than try to argue with Nikon in Spain (Spanish is not my first language) I sent the camera back to Nikon in London. Unfortunately I had to pay for postage and insurance both ways but I suspect that that was a lot less than paying for the repair.

Ann