CF card reader poll - DPChallenge Forums

01/14/2004 01:43:55 PM · #1

Q: Do you use a compact flash card reader

and if so - do you always eject your cards in the software menu, before inserting a new CF card..

Jason

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

01/14/2004 01:46:01 PM · #2

I have a USB reader and always just yank the card out of it.

I'll be buying a Delkin soon though, supposed to be mucho faster.

Delkin 32bit Card Bus Adapter

jab119

01/14/2004 01:47:39 PM · #3

i dont have a card reader on my main PC, but on my laptop I do use a PCMCIA adapter for my CF card, its VERY fast, and I do use the "unplug or eject hardware" before I remove the card

James

tomlewis1980

Canon EOS-10D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

01/14/2004 01:48:36 PM · #4

Originally posted by Gordon:

Q: Do you use a compact flash card reader

Yep.

Originally posted by Gordon:

and if so - do you always eject your cards in the software menu, before inserting a new CF card..

Nope, never.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/14/2004 01:48:37 PM · #5

Yes, I use a USB 2.0 CF card reader for downloading. It is a lot faster than doing it through the camera (which only supports regular USB).

I use BreezeSys's Downloader Pro, an incredibly useful and slick tool for downloading images. It has an option to automatically "eject"* the disk when you close the program. So I insert my CF card, launch Downloader Pro (could probably configure windows to do that automatically but haven't set that up yet), download my pics, close Downloader Pro, wait a couple seconds to make sure the blinking has stopped, pull out CF card.

Works great; is fast; files are organized and named how I want them (thanks to Downloader Pro); haven't had any problems.

* this is an "Eject" from Windows point of view; obviously the card is not physically ejected. It just ensures that the operating system doesn't have any files open on the card before you pull it out. Note that I do NOT use the little "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the system tray.

Message edited by author 2004-01-14 13:52:19.

brownt

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

01/14/2004 01:49:07 PM · #6

I always eject it from the menu.

Sometimes it says it can't be removed, even when I know that it isn't in use. A quick reboot of the computer shuts down any open connections and then it can be safely ejected when the computer is up and running again.

jonpink

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

01/14/2004 01:50:36 PM · #7

I take them straight from camera, bit slower but just don't like getting that $500 card in and out in and out. ;)

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

01/14/2004 01:54:20 PM · #8

The bonus question for the people who don't use the 'eject' option before removing/ swapping cards (Nb this isn't the same as the 'safely remove hardware option' that's for unplugging the reader, not a card - though it will also do an eject/ buffer flush on the way...)

If you do just yank cards out and swap them around - ever have problems with weird card errors, lost files, that sort of thing.. ?

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

01/14/2004 01:55:55 PM · #9

My card reader doesnt have an eject button so I have to just yank it. Haven't noticed anything wrong so far...

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

01/14/2004 02:11:46 PM · #10

I have already damaged a 128 MB card when I removed the USB cable from the MP3 player before the last song had finished downloading. It got `hung`and the only way to stop it was to remove the batteries. It still works, but there is one section of the card that is no longer rewritable. So I'm stuck with David Bowie's "Sufragette City" for life.

Needless to say I always make sure to "eject" my photo CF cards before yanking them out of the reader.

Jacko

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/14/2004 02:15:24 PM · #11

Could be worse ... Billy Ray Cirus and Achy Breaky Heart. Sorry to whoever reads this because I know you'll hate me for the rest of the day. Don't break my heart, my achy breaky heart ....

Originally posted by Beagleboy:

dwoolridge

01/14/2004 02:29:28 PM · #12

Although I used to use a USB (non-2.0) reader, I finally replaced it with a firewire reader. I don't use eject and I've never encountered a problem with either.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/14/2004 02:42:48 PM · #13

Even if I don't run Downloader Pro, I always right-click on the drive letter that corresponds to my CF card and choose "Eject" to make sure Windows is not in the middle of doing something with the card before yanking it out of the reader. (My reader doesn't have an actual "Eject" button either, BTW.)

Message edited by author 2004-01-14 14:47:42.

RHoldenSr

Canon EOS-5D

01/14/2004 02:43:06 PM · #14

I use one of three readers:

The one one my Canon i900D printer
The lexas 6 in 1 card reader or
The EOS 10D camera (Not for large quantity)

Both USB 2.0

The one built into the printer is really nice I like it better than the 6 in 1.

The Canon file viewer is also nice it lets me view and adjust the RAW (CRW) files before I donwload them.

Yes I always use the eject option. A small surge or etc will wipe the card out or damage files if the reader is still accessing the card.

I had a 1gb IBM CF card that got trashed in less than one month of use, not sure if this is what happened but it scared me enough to say I will use the eject option. Luckily the store replaced it under the 30day option. I can't afford this to happen very often.

With XP and the USB readers usually a device icon shows in the system tray that you can double click and then tell it to stop the device before removing the card. The steps were in the Lexar USB card reader manual.

Message edited by author 2004-01-14 23:58:08.

W.R.Miller

Canon EOS-50D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

01/14/2004 02:45:52 PM · #15

I use a USB card reader which doesn't require any sort of software eject prior to removing the card. My USB reader just shows up as 3 additional drives (Drive I:\, J:\, and K:\) under the My Computer window.

jab119

01/14/2004 02:54:06 PM · #16

Originally posted by brownt:

I had this problem and fixed it by making sure all of my image editing/viewing programs were closed before I removed the CF card....no problems with it since I started doing that.

James

01/14/2004 03:05:56 PM · #17

Originally posted by Konador:

My card reader doesnt have an eject button so I have to just yank it. Haven't noticed anything wrong so far...

It isn't a physical button - its an option on the drive menu (right click the drive in explorer or similar...)

01/14/2004 03:16:07 PM · #18

Originally posted by wackybill:

Which card ? All the ones I looked at state that the eject option is required - though they usually hide it in the manual somewhere...

LindaLee

Canon EOS-40D

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

01/14/2004 08:02:23 PM · #19

Originally posted by Gordon:

Yup. Happened last night. After "finding" what I thought were lost files, I just pulled the CF card out of the reader. Went to look at some of the pics on the card today, and it said "Corrupted Data". First time that's ever happened. (And last, I hope. From now on, plan to use "eject" and format as has been recommended.)

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

01/14/2004 08:20:04 PM · #20

There may be an alternative solution to the requirement of 'eject', even though it would be best to use the eject. Since the problem is related to the cache not being flushed before the card is removed, it is possible in most cases to disable the write caching for the card reader.

1. Right click on the drive letter (in windows explorer) that is associated with the card reader.

2. Choose 'properties' from the menu.

3. From the 'hardware' tab, highlight your card reader device.

4. Press the 'properties' button

5. Select the 'disk properties' tab

6. Uncheck the 'write cache enabled' option.

7. Press OK.

This disables the write cache to the card reader and should remove any latency that could cause data writes to not complete promptly.

* These instructions work for Windows 2000 Professional and may vary in other operating systems.

HRoxas

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/14/2004 09:49:52 PM · #21

Interesting poll and very useful thread but I couldn't participate... my card reader doesn't work. I started a thread on this asking for help.

cvt_

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

01/14/2004 10:12:20 PM · #22

Originally posted by Gordon:

Q: Do you use a compact flash card reader
Yes, USB for the PC and a 16bit PCMCIA adaptor for the notebook

and if so - do you always eject your cards in the software menu, before inserting a new CF card..

Nope, never.

Message edited by author 2004-01-14 22:13:29.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/14/2004 10:36:10 PM · #23

Originally posted by Gordon:

Q: Do you use a compact flash card reader

Yes, I have several of the PCMCIA (PCCARD) variety, and one USB. I use the PCCard mostly, I bought the USB one (LEXAR) because it also had a smartmedia slot, and my old camera uses Smartmedia.

Originally posted by Gordon:

and if so - do you always eject your cards in the software menu, before inserting a new CF card..

When I remember; I never used to, and the need to do it depends on three things:
1) Have you changed any data on the card (e.g., usually erased, but if you open any of the folders and your software writes hidden files, as Breezebrowser does), then you have written.

2) Do you only have one card? I have two CF cards, and putting one in after the other without properly ejecting could end up screwing the directory up on the second.

and finally:
3) Knowing the way MS writes software, DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

One thing that makes it easier is to use the icon in the system tray, and remember to counter-intuitively left click on it to get the menu rather than right click as is the standard. When you left click, you get an immmediate action menu. When you right click, you get the general stop dialog, which takes several clicks to work. Took me a while to figure that out since it is counter- normal GUI standards.

Regards--Neil

tfaust

Canon EOS 80D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/14/2004 10:39:33 PM · #24

I have a card reader

I either just take the card out, or I'll unplug from USB before taking it out. Just depends on if I'm putting it away or not.

Edit: So far no errors...
*knocking on wood*

Message edited by author 2004-01-14 22:40:07.