Using a Card Reader to Transfer from Camera to Computer.

[DawnCt1]

I was listening to a talk show on the radio today, (Computer Talk with Tab and TJ) and he was saying that it is never a good idea to transfer pictures from the camera to the computer directly. He said that if the camera battery is low and the camera powers down, it could destroy the mother board of the computer. Has anyone ever heard this? He recommends always using a card reader.

 

[SueInBoston]

I don't know about destroying the motherboard, that sounds arelly extreme.

But if you visit any photography board, the general recommendation is to transfer from card reader to computer. It's alot faster and saves wear on the battery.

 

[OK!]

I've never heard that either, but with my old laptop and old camera, I finally bought a card reader because I was sick of forgetting that the camera was on and draining the battery while I was transferring and editing photos. Not a big deal if the batteries are rechargeable, but mine weren't and were $15 a pop. After 3 such incidents, I finally learned. (Motherboard on that computer is fine, BTW.) One of my favorite features of my new Dell laptop is that it has a built-in card reader, right on the front, so I don't even have to worry about locating the card reader when I need it.

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't know about destroying the motherboard, that sounds arelly extreme.

But if you visit any photography board, the general recommendation is to transfer from card reader to computer. It's alot faster and saves wear on the battery.

That did sound drastic, so I wrote to the person who said it. I misunderstood. He meant the camera's motherboard, which would still be an expensive problem easily avoided, so I think I will get a card reader. Here is his response. I can't believe he took the time to write back on New Years Eve.

"Dawn,

That is correct. If you download form the camera and your batteries go dead or there is a spike in the line you can ruin your card as well as the motherboard in the camera. We always suggest that you buy a card reader. They can be bought almost anywhere and they are pretty cheap. If you use an SD card you can buy a card reader that just does SD memory or you can buy a multicard reader. They are a little more expensive. No matter what you buy you should not spend more then $30.00. That is pretty cheap insurance.

If you must download from the camera please make sure you have fresh batteries and you should be fine. Thanks for listening! It was my pleasure to answer your question."