xd card download problems, feedback

I am having problems with the ^%$#$ xd card. It's been years since i've used the Oly xD card. The E-3 uses it as well as the compact flash.

I am using an old 12 in 1 reader....I have to hold it down during the entire download.

The newly purchased Macally 5 in 1 ExpressCard reader doesn't work, it was the only reader I found on the web that would take xD card, will have to return, unless someone out there has a "fix."

Downloading directly from the camera sucks up the battery, not good out in the field.

Is the xD card a thing of the past? It is so easy to lose.

Note: The eFilm ExpressCard34 CompactFlash Adapter http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JZF2WW is an excellent product and downloads images from the CompactFlash incredibly fast.

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Kleeks

Kleeks13 said:

I am having problems with the ^%$#$ xd card. It's been years since
i've used the Oly xD card. The E-3 uses it as well as the compact
flash.

Click to expand...

As an outright answer, I'd say ditch the xD and only use CF - there's really no reason to use xD in the E-3 unless you fill the CF and need those "extra few shots" before you have time to switch cards.

Kleeks13 said:

I am using an old 12 in 1 reader....I have to hold it down during the
entire download.

The newly purchased Macally 5 in 1 ExpressCard reader doesn't work,
it was the only reader I found on the web that would take xD card,
will have to return, unless someone out there has a "fix."

Click to expand...

I bought a "cheap" card reader over two years ago and it writes at a maximum of 17MB/sec. Cost me $9.99 with free shipping, here:

http://www.svc.com/mit-fa405mblk.html

Unfortunately they are out of stock as this was an older item. I'd say you can't really beat that price for those download speeds. It accepts xD (type M and H), CF, SD, microSD with adapter, etc. etc. etc. Not sure about SDHC.

Kleeks13 said:

Downloading directly from the camera sucks up the battery, not good
out in the field.

Is the xD card a thing of the past? It is so easy to lose.

Click to expand...

Yes, definitely a thing of the past. Just use CF, it's much, much faster, and much, much cheaper (cost per GB).

Kleeks13 said:

Note: The eFilm ExpressCard34 CompactFlash Adapter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JZF2WW is an excellent product
and downloads images from the CompactFlash incredibly fast.

--
Kleeks

Click to expand...

--
Tim
'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' -Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timskis6/

You don't mention the size of your xD-card.

I have experienced problems with 1GB xD-cards and several not completely new cardreaders - they claimed the 1GB card not was formated, but worked perfect with a 512MB xD-card.

But I do have a cardreader that accepts 1GB cards, I have not tried with the newer 2GB xD-cards.

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E-3, 14-54, 50-200 SWD, 35, 18-180, Sigma 55-200, FL-36

My computer reads most cards except XD.

I also have a USB Multi Card reader that will read XD cards, but I found it will only read them up to 512mb. It won't read 1gig cards.

I bought a USB XD 1gb reader/writer off of eBay. Here is an example of one for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/xD-Picture-Card-USB-2-0-Memory-Card-Reader-Writer-1GB_W0QQitemZ150216367550QQihZ005QQcategoryZ48546QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
My PC reads my 2gig CF cards so I will probably limit the XD cards to 1gig.
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Joe

Thanks, at 2.99 it's worth purchasing for the occasional times that I'll use xD for backup. Hope I can get a refund for my other reader. Yes, they were 1 gig, I got a couple, they were on sale at Office Depot....makes sense now
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Kleeks