Card readers & SD cards

[fjmcsu]

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I wonder why there is such a variability in card reader functionality in the OS X environment.On a recent tript to Europe(low countires), I had taken along a portable USB reader that I thought would work for downloading my images to my MacBookPro.Unfortunately the reader did'nt recognize the cards, so I eventually bought a reader from the Apple store in Amsterdam which worked fine.In the interim I ordered an express card reader (smaller form factor etc) from the Apple store on-line, thinking it would support the cards that I used(Ridata & SanDisk) on the USB card reader bought at the Apple store as mentioned. To my surprise, the express card will read the SanDisk images but doe not read the Ridata images(again the USB reader does both).I am wondering how one is supposed to figure the "right comb" for this situation so as not to waste time & money on equipment which in not compatible?

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[wparsonsgisnet]

Francisco, just a thot because you didn't mention the size of the cards.

 

If they are 4GB cards, they are not really within the SD standard.

 

There has been a lot of complaining about cards and it always seems that Mac's are involved when there is a problem (hope I've got that right, or I'm gonna have to duck).

 

It is, however, strange that the different readers behave differently.

 

I just bought a firewire CF reader from Lexar and use it with an SD-to-CF converter. I wanted it to speed up the reading on my G4 Powerbook because the usb connection on that computer is type-1 and therefore slow.

 

Of course, because I upgraded to Leopard, the G4 won't recognize the reader. When I use it on my windoze machine, it is slower than usb-2. I have to clock them because it seems really slow.

 

In any case, batteries suck, cards suck, having to update software and hardware all the time sucks. If I could actually go out and take some pictures, life would be wonderful!!

[fjmcsu]

Bill,

Agree with you regarding all the hardware hassles.I just updated my MacBookPro to Leopard & so far fine except it changed my use privileges to standard from Administrator(got that figured out eventually). Now that I think about it I wonder if the Leopard switch has anything to do with the express card reader, SD card compatability.I can't test it on my G5(Tiger still) since it has no PC express slot like the MacBookPro. Oh well I will go on taking pictures. I hope to show a few of the images I took @ the recent Rockies vs. Red Sox game 4 I took with the M8 & various lenses(including the CV 12).Congratulations, you have a fine team!

[neelin]

In a pinch, try formatting the offending cards in the reader (instead of the camera), you may find that you can now read it in the reader AND write images in the camera.

 

My transend 150x 4gb cards require me to format in my laptop to work in camera AND laptop AND desktop. Formatting anywhere else will allow only two of the above to READ.

 

Robert

[fjmcsu]

Strange though that they work in one reader not the other & they are regular 2GB cards(not HD)