Card readers and the dreaded Bent Pin Syndrome

[RBSinTo]

I am a new-comer to Digital, having just gotten a couple of D3 bodies in the last month, and already I've got a card reader with bent pins that won't accept a card, despite my best efforts to straighten out the little buggers.
Research has shown that this appears to be a problem known throughout the Universe, and that many photographers go through card readers like disposable diapers.
I read about a card reader called Pixelflash USB 3.0 that apparently does not suffer from the Bent Pin Syndrome, and I am wondering if anyone here has experience with this product, or alternately any advice on how this problem may be either avoided or mitigated using any other reader.
Please and thanks.
Robert

[proseak]

This is the one problem I've found with CF cards - found out the hard way when I bent a pin in the camera

I've learned to take a lot of care with this, and use a card reader with a deep socket. An alternative is to leave the card in the camera, and transfer from there.

[Manfred M]

I have never heard of this product.

I have a Lexar USB 3.0 Dual Slot Reader (SD and CF) that I have used for years. Built like a tank and I have never experienced a bent pin issue with it. That being said, it wasn't cheap. Like anything else in photography, you get what you pay for. I have had a cheap card reader (given to me by my daughter for Christmas one year) that actually ended up corrupting the data on my card. It got thrown out after one or two uses.

By the way, don't use the built in card readers that come with laptops. They do not seem to have been built for frequent use and seem to fail quite regularly and can wreck an SD card in one go. A quality external USB reader from a reputable source is the only way to go, in my experience.

[rpcrowe]

I also use the Lexar 3.0 card reader that Manfred mentioned above and have never had problems with it. I also don't use the built-in computer card readers.

I strongly suspect that one of the problems resulting in bent pins is that many card readers have slots that are too wide and allow cards to be shoved in at a sloppy angle. The Lexar readers (I have two - one is a USB 2.0 and I replaced that with a Lexar USB 3.0) have tight slots that force the card in at the correct angle.

I have kept the USB 2.0 model as a back-up.

I have never had a CF card that worked from the start, fail me. I have had two Kingston cards fair me right out of the original wrapper. However, once the CF cards start working well, mine have been pretty indestructible. Except for one card that was chewed up my a puppy. I was able to get the images off that card but, then retired it. I have had a CF card go through a washing machine and it kept on working.

[DanK]

Like Manfred and Richard, I have used Lexar card readers for years and have never had a problem. Like Richard, I upgraded to a USB 3.0 model and currently use this one..

The bigger risk is bending a pin in the camera since that can be a substantial repair. I have had 4 Canon bodies that use CF cards and haven't had a bent pin yet (knock on wood).

I think the key is to get a well-designed reader with a deep socket and be careful inserting the card.

[RBSinTo]

Thanks all for the replies.
I plan to get a new, better-quality Card Reader tomorrow when I venture into the world of Post-Christmas shopping.
Robert

[xpatUSA]

I read about a card reader called Pixelflash USB 3.0 that apparently does not suffer from the Bent Pin Syndrome, and I am wondering if anyone here has experience with this product, or alternately any advice on how this problem may be either avoided or mitigated using any other reader.

I've been using a Kingston FCR-HS219/1 for many years and have never bent any pins. As a retired engineer, perhaps I'm a little more careful than most but the Kingston has a very deep entry such that only about a 1/4" of the card sticks out when fully inserted.

It also accepts four other card formats including, of course, mini SD . . .

[pnodrog]

I transfer from camera. Never had a bent pin.

[george013]

I am a new-comer to Digital, having just gotten a couple of D3 bodies in the last month, and already I've got a card reader with bent pins that won't accept a card, despite my best efforts to straighten out the little buggers.
Research has shown that this appears to be a problem known throughout the Universe, and that many photographers go through card readers like disposable diapers.
I read about a card reader called Pixelflash USB 3.0 that apparently does not suffer from the Bent Pin Syndrome, and I am wondering if anyone here has experience with this product, or alternately any advice on how this problem may be either avoided or mitigated using any other reader.
Please and thanks.
Robert

A new-comer that starts with a couple of D3 bodies? Well, everybody has to start somewhere.

I'm not sure if I understand you well. Probably you mean CF-cards. But what card reader do you mean?. The internal of the camera or an external?
If a pin of a CF-card reader is bent, than that can be due to a bad CF-card, durt in a hole. Check that. I damaged my internal card reader in the camera. Did cost me about 160.00 euro.
SD-cards don't have pin and holes.

George

[shreds]

Also note that incorrect insertion can crack the plastic on a CF card giving read errors even though the pins are not bent and will work ok with other cards.

A whole dark art which in my experience even some good camera repairers don't seem to fully grasp. Its an area that bridges photographic and computer technology. Or perhaps they do and just want to charge for a replacement pin section in the camera because it makes them more money?

[PhilT]

Happy to see this thread! I got three USB SD card readers (I felt it was easier than to download from the camera) and after a more or less short time they stopped to work, the computer did not even "see" them and I wondered why. They were all relatively cheap. Now it seems the problem is very well known
Thanks for all the useful informations, including references for good steady card readers . Do you know about good review for the best price/quality ratio?

[DanK]

There are two issues here. the bent-pin issue only applies to CF cards, which is what the OP was writing about. The other is the low quality of some card readers.

Good card readers are cheap enough that there isn't much reason to do a careful price/quality comparison. Just as an example, the Lexar that I use costs only $25. I used the USB 2.0 version for years without problems and only replaced it in order to get the faster transfer rates of USB 3.0. The old one still works like new.

[Tronhard]

I must comment that many people lose their SD, CF cards and USB drives because they pull them out of the card reader on their computer without going through an eject process.

The reason for this is that the O/S may still have files that are open in the card, and if that is so the card may be rendered unreadable because the computer does not finish writing to the FAT table, which is then scrambled upon removal.

[Cantab]

I must comment that many people lose their SD, CF cards and USB drives because they pull them out of the card reader on their computer without going through an eject process.

The reason for this is that the O/S may still have files that are open in the card, and if that is so the card may be rendered unreadable because the FAT table is no completed and scrambled upon removal.

Trevor, you raise an interesting point that I need to remember. I've been using an inexpensive multi-card reader for many years and fortunately have never had any problems with it.
But I must remember not to change my practice and rush to remove the card from the reader.

[RBSinTo]

A new-comer that starts with a couple of D3 bodies? Well, everybody has to start somewhere.

I'm not sure if I understand you well. Probably you mean CF-cards. But what card reader do you mean?. The internal of the camera or an external?
If a pin of a CF-card reader is bent, than that can be due to a bad CF-card, durt in a hole. Check that. I damaged my internal card reader in the camera. Did cost me about 160.00 euro.
SD-cards don't have pin and holes.

George

George,
I've been photographing since 1977, but only just partially switched to Digital.
As for choosing the D3 bodies? They're very rugged, full-frame, have more than enough mega-pixels for the type of photography I do (candid street), and for what they cost today, are a true bargain. And since I really don't want or need many of the Space-aged features that many of the newer models seem to over-loaded with, the D3 gives me all I need.
I've always liked the Nikon Pro bodies, and even now I'm keeping an F and an F2 for use with my Nikon rangefinders when I need a lens that's longer than the rangefinder 135.
The problem I had was that the external card reader I purchased to read the digital CF cards had such a shallow entrance for the cards, that I must have bent a few pins inside when inserting a card and despite my best efforts was unable to straighten them.
Based on multiple recommendations I got a Lexar USB 3.0 card reader yesterday, and the problem is solved.
Robert

[george013]

George,
I've been photographing since 1977, but only just partially switched to Digital.
As for choosing the D3 bodies? They're very rugged, full-frame, have more than enough mega-pixels for the type of photography I do (candid street), and for what they cost today, are a true bargain. And since I really don't want or need many of the Space-aged features that many of the newer models seem to over-loaded with, the D3 gives me all I need.
I've always liked the Nikon Pro bodies, and even now I'm keeping an F and an F2 for use with my Nikon rangefinders when I need a lens that's longer than the rangefinder 135.
The problem I had was that the external card reader I purchased to read the digital CF cards had such a shallow entrance for the cards, that I must have bent a few pins inside when inserting a card and despite my best efforts was unable to straighten them.
Based on multiple recommendations I got a Lexar USB 3.0 card reader yesterday, and the problem is solved.
Robert

I see.
But take care of the cards too. Dirt in the holes can damage the reader which can damage another card again.
That happened with me. And once more with a network tester.
I myself shoot with the D700, the smaller example of the D3. When it was stolen I bought another one. It's enough for me and I like the short focal lengths.

George

[PhilT]

Hi,
I would like to revive this thread, hoping for help.
According to some of the answers, I wanted to buy a Lexar card reader (Lexar Multi-Card 24-In-1 micro SD SDHC SDXC CF MSPD XD Card Reader), but looking at the user's review on Amazon I found more than one perplexing reviews about the card reader corrupting the files. What experience have you about it? Is it enough exceptional to allow buying it anyway?
Thanks a lot for help to resolve the dilemma.
PhilT

[Manfred M]

Normally it makes more sense to create a new thread rather than adding to one that is almost a year old.

A number of us recommend the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual Card reader. It has a very good track record. In general, Lexar has a very good reputation when it comes to memory devices and they do work hard to maintain that reputation, so I would not have any concerns with their products.

I would however have an issue with the product you are looking at as Lexar does not make 24 in 1 reader. If this is what is being sold, it could be counterfeit and that could be the reason for the bad review. The Lexar product is a 25 in 1 reader.

http://www.lexar.com/products/