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Lexar Professional 133x Family
By Moose Peterson
I know what you’re saying, faster cards, why? True, they really don’t speed up the actual process of the camera writing
files to the card (technically there is an increase but it’s negligible at best). The REAL benefit of Lexar Professional 133x cards is
when you upload images to your computer. You can see the basic time saving here:
133x 4GB CF
Pro Reader 11.64mps
32 card bus reader 9.46mps
80x 4GB CF
Pro Reader 8.17mps
32 card bus reader 8.78mps
But that’s not really the big difference for me. Normally when I come in from a shoot, I have a minimum of two cards to upload
and quite often four. The ability to slam four 133x CF cards into the a>Pro Card Reader, have DigitalPro automatically launch,
Card Load dialog appear, a couple of clicks and then being able to walk away while the computer sucks up ALL the images from
the FOUR cards saves me as much as THIRTY minutes of time. To me, that’s HUGE!
Where does the big time saving come from? First, the actual speed of the 133x card and the controller in the Pro Card Reader.
That in itself when uploading just one card you can see readily. The big time savings comes from not having to watch the
computer for when one card is done and it’s time to feed it another. Since DigitalPro uploads cards in the background, I can
do other tasks with the computer or other chores so once the images are all uploaded, I’m ready to sit down and go through them.
I feel that any tool, technique or product that can minimize a photographers time doing menial tasks so they can get back out
behind the camera, where time counts, is a must have. Yes, I have “old” cards that just sit in a drawer in the process of buying the latest and greatest. I now have more in that drawer because the investment I’ve made in the 133x cards puts time back in the day to be behind the camera! That makes these great cards!
Lexar Professional Compact Flash Reader
I know, another CF reader, why do we need another CF reader? I mean, won’t our 32bus PCMCIA card reader do just fine? Yeah,
it will but it won’t save you time. Time is a precious thing that you can’t go out and buy when you need more. You can purchase
the tools that permit you to maximize your time. The new Lexar Professional Compact Flash Reader (LPCFR) is just such a tool!
The LPCFR plugs into either USB2 or Firewire depending on your system. It comes complete so you can just plug in and upload
images. Quoting the Lexar website, this is how they sum up the benefits of the LPCFR:
Features
- Incredibly fast data transfer
- Rugged black housing with textured rubber accents
- Stackable design
- LED indicator that lights up
- Available for Firewire or USB 2.0
Benefits
- Takes full advantage of the read/write capabilities of your CF card, speeding your workflow and saving you time and money
- Resists scratching and is more stable when inserting your CF card
- Easily stack and connect up to four readers for simultaneous downloads of large photo sessions
- Makes it easy to tell when your data transfer session is finished and when your reader is recognized by the host computer
- Ensures high-speed compatibility with your computer system whether you prefer USB 2.0 or Firewire devices
- Makes sure you'll be up and running quickly with Lexar's new advanced technologies
While this list is complete, it really doesn’t explain what makes the LPCFR system killer.
The LPCFR can be stacked, a maximum of four and linked together with the included cables (if you work USB, you need to use
Pro 4-Port USB Hub when you stack the LPCFR). Whether you stack two, three or four units, when you use Photo Mechanic or
DigitalPro 4, with one click you can upload all the cards you have loaded into the stack with just that one click. That’s cool!
One by one, the cards are uploaded without you having to feed the reader. Without those programs, the stacked LPCFR is simply
four readers, what the computer sees as four separate drives. But with those programs, you can click once, upload your images
and while that’s going on, you can do other things more important things with your time.
Is the LPCFR as fast as a 32card bus PCMCIA reader? Na, not quite as fast and I’m sure some tech nerd will publish the speeds on
the web at some point. If you were to factor in the time to change cards in a reader, or the time lost when you forget to load
the next card when uploading multiple cards, it’s hugely faster! For my own work when I have multiple cards, the luxury of
loading all the cards, clicking and then working or relaxing until it’s all done is more then worth the entrance price.
That’s why I make room in my luggage and take the LPCFR with me everywhere.
Moose Peterson Bio
www.moose395.net
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