Author Topic: anyone have a memory card reader/saver thing? U/D memory card question  (Read 2613 times)

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Offline Coco

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If that makes any sense. It's like a little gizmo that you can put your camera memory card into and it saves the files, then you can transfer it via usb from there.
I want to go on holiday and take loads of piccys but don't want to keep having to find a camera store to transfer my files onto CD. My memory card is small and a card reader/saver is cheaper than a new memory card so I could use it to keep storing the files and wiping the card.

I think that's how they work. Does anyone have one and can tell me if in reality this is a good option?



EDIT: I see now I was totally barking up the wrong tree  ::) so as I've posted below, how important is quality/price when buying a memory card? Are the cheapy ones not worth bothering with and how much do you need to spend. i.e. Little, mid-range, lots?
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Vicky, Wherry and Gizzymo

Offline Jane S

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Re: Does anyone have a seperate camera memory card reader/saver thing?
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2009, 05:21:02 PM »
Card readers don't save pictures as such - you slot your memory card into one and then connect via USB to a PC/laptop where you can look at all the pics on the card and save the ones you want to file on the PC or to CD etc. I guess if you want something portable you can transfer and save pics to when you're travelling, you're going to need a mini laptop/notebook, something like that?
Jane

Offline Tasha

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Re: Does anyone have a seperate camera memory card reader/saver thing?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2009, 05:24:32 PM »
janes right a card reader is really only a tool to transfer your photos to your laptop or pc.  I use them all the time but really if you don't want to have to download your pics all the time you either need to invest in a new card for your camera or be ruthless with the pictures that you keep (never easy to do I might add!!).  They are costly but you can get some good deals around.  Think I paid about £80 - £100 for mine but its a pro digital camera and the costs always add up.

Take a look on ebay they usually have some good deals



Offline WILCO

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Re: Does anyone have a seperate camera memory card reader/saver thing?
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2009, 05:52:18 PM »
Portable storage units are very expensive so unless you want to cart a laptop around on holiday it's much cheaper to buy extra memory cards as they are dirt cheap in comparison. Depending on what size pictures you want to take some of the high capacity memory cards will store hundreds of photos. Try looking at www.7dayshop.com they are usually good value. For example you could get a 4GB Compact Flash card for just £20. I buy most of my photography supplies from there and recommend them highly; good value and good service.

Happy snapping.

Offline Coco

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Re: Does anyone have a seperate camera memory card reader/saver thing?
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2009, 06:23:43 PM »
OH! I got that completly wrong then!!  ph34r  ph34r  :005: Glad I didn't buy one  :lol2:

So, another question, how important is the quality of memory card, like you can get the camera brand ones or a cheapy at 1/4 of the price? Is it prudent to pay a bit more or is there really a diference?
There are no bad dogs, just bad people
Vicky, Wherry and Gizzymo

Offline Nicola

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Re: Does anyone have a seperate camera memory card reader/saver thing?
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2009, 06:31:18 PM »
I took two USB sticks with me when I went travelling last year and did what you said in your first post - I could go into an internet cafe and transfer all the photos off my memory cards onto it. I can't remember how much they cost but they were a great back up as it meant I could keep my memory cards free and I had the photos in case one of them corrupted or something. I did get CDs made regularly as well though, I wanted all the back up I could get!
Nicola, Tilly, Rodaidh and Caoimhe x



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Offline WILCO

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In the case of Compact Flash cards the better the quality usually the faster the transfer of data to it after you've pressed the shutter button and therefore the quicker you're ready to take the next shot. Cheapy ones will probably be fine if you're not too bothered about this speed issue. Saying that good quality ones aren't over expensive anyway. If you still have your camera instruction book it will probably tell you how many pictures a card will store at any given resolution setting, ie Normal, Fine, Extra Fine etc. Then all you need to decide is how many snaps you're likely to want at whatever resolution you use and buy the appropriate card(s).

USB keys are another way of doing it and are even cheaper than memory cards but you do need to have access to the relevant equipment to transfer your photos each day/week, or when the card's full.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Offline Coco

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You pays your money and takes your choice.

So I went off to look at different products and in an effort to stop throwing good money after bad I ..errr...  ph34r ph34r ph34r...GOT A NEW CAMERA  :lol2:  :lol2:

Canon IXUS 90IS from Currys for just shy of £140 which was a decent price, then I got the 4G card from Ebay for £6  ::)  ::)  :embarassed:  :lol:
Will post some piccys soon  :D
There are no bad dogs, just bad people
Vicky, Wherry and Gizzymo

Offline MegandMolly

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You pays your money and takes your choice.

So I went off to look at different products and in an effort to stop throwing good money after bad I ..errr...  ph34r ph34r ph34r...GOT A NEW CAMERA  :lol2:  :lol2:


Not related to Nicola are you?  :005: :005: Cousins or anything?? :005: :005: :luv:
Sam (that's me), Meg (B&W cocker), Ruby (Blue Roan cocker) and Gemma (Black lab)


Offline supergirl

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Bit late coming to this - but I would just buy more memory cards - you can get massive amounts on some of the larger memory cards, as I discovered when I went to get a card for my new phone (now has a larger memory card than my camera!!)  Think the largest card they went up to was about 16GB (about £60)
Misha, Ellie, Roly, Lexi (& Karen)

People who have dogs live longer - it's all the extra love

Offline Nicola

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Re: anyone have a memory card reader/saver thing? U/D memory card question
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2009, 09:50:56 AM »
You pays your money and takes your choice.

So I went off to look at different products and in an effort to stop throwing good money after bad I ..errr...  ph34r ph34r ph34r...GOT A NEW CAMERA  :lol2:  :lol2:


Not related to Nicola are you?  :005: :005: Cousins or anything?? :005: :005: :luv:

Oi! Whaddya mean by that??!  ph34r :005:
Nicola, Tilly, Rodaidh and Caoimhe x



http://www.flickr.com/photos/30049807@N08/

Offline SimonandMandy

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Re: anyone have a memory card reader/saver thing? U/D memory card question
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2009, 10:22:28 AM »
My only warning is take care on memory cards - my parents came over last year for a once in a lifetime trip and my brother had bought them an additional unbranded memory card - they took it to a camera shop near the end of their trip to have the photos transferred and they lost the lot and card was damaged... whilst it may have been the card reader machine and beyond the memory card, I would still recommend buying known brands...

Offline supergirl

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Re: anyone have a memory card reader/saver thing? U/D memory card question
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2009, 10:36:14 AM »
just had a thought- you could always find an internet cafe and upload pictures to something like photobucket/facebook - did this when I went backpacking.
Misha, Ellie, Roly, Lexi (& Karen)

People who have dogs live longer - it's all the extra love