Downloading Multiple Cards

[melandkeifspics]

<p>What solution do you use to download multiple cards after a long wedding day shoot? I'd love to be able to plug all my cards into one device and have them download overnight instead of having to use my single card reader and wait for each card individually. I suppose I could buy multiple card readers and just connect them to my computer. What do you guys do?</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Use larger capacity cards so I don't have as many to download from.

[peter_cohen]

<p>Here you go -- exactly what you want. Buy the hub then as many reader modules as you have cards to offload simultaneously. Perhaps <strong>Ellis</strong> has seen this in use?</p>

<p>http://www.lexar.com/workflow?category=203</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>I used multiple readers ages ago and noticed they hogged the machine up. Especially the one connecting to LPT kept the old PC too busy, according to task manager.<br>

I think 3 readers per machine are no bad idea. figure out how many different USB-busses your mainboard offers. Here front & backside USB ports appear independant from each other. - Maybe a USB card in your mainboard adds a 3rd bus?<br>

I don't feel entirely comfy with a hogged up machine taking the entire night to shovel data around so I would surely try to spread the load i.e. have 2 old laptops try to write cards to external drives and keep the powerful desktop responsive enough for distractions. Whatever you do: don't stare at the hour glas on your screen.</p>

[Marcus Ian]

<p>That Lexar device is pretty darn neat. Of course it'll run you several $$$ fully equipped. </p>

<p>Frankly, a single USB 3.0 port with a 3.0 hub, and USB3.0 readers plugged in ought to allow you to empty your cards relatively quickly. I usually fill 2 to 3 cards and DL them simultaneously. If you try this over a USB 2.0 port it will take forever, using a 3.0 port and hub will alleviate that problem (even if you only have USB 2.0 readers plugged into 3.0 ports), while each reader will be much slower, the bus itself won't slow the transfer process down.</p>

<p>I also use 32gb and 64gb cards. Even on the longest of days I don't fill 2 64gb cards (though often I fill 2 32gb cards). </p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>What do you guys do?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I shot my last Wedding a couple of years ago: I used big capacity cards in each of the three cameras that I used; I shoot selectively; I connected two card readers to my computer to down load the main two cards and then I went to bed to sleep. Woke up the next morning and downloaded the last card at breakfast time, whilst I made coffee.</p>

<p>Frankly I don’t see this is a big deal – just buy and use big capacity cards.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>Whatever you do: don't stare at the hour glas on your screen.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree, that will send one nuts.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[melandkeifspics]

<p>Thanks guys... You have helped... I do have a laptop that I can use instead of my desktop, so I will buy more readers to connect to my laptop that will be connected to an external drive and perform the transfer without bogging down my desktop.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I use 16GB cards and I upload them to the computer one at a time. Doesn't really take that long. I don't sit right there but I keep an eye on things to make sure it seems to be running OK. I think I feel more comfortable that way rather than having mutliple cards running and increasing the chances of something going wrong. Maybe I'm just paranoid.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>It is worthwhile mentioning that for any job I also send a second download (direct from the Camera Card) to a standalone hard drive, immediately after I have downloaded the Camera Card to my Editing Computer. I call this my “Holding Bay Drive” (4Tb) and the original files (direct out of the camera) stay there until the job is completed and then those files are deleted from my "Holding Bay Drive". </p>

<p>WW</p>