iPod + Digital Camera Link tested

I've been wrestling with the issue of trip storage. I don't have a problem with lugging a laptop on vacation but my HP Omnibook is just about maxed out on HD space and the next computer upgrade is going to have to go to my better half. After many online searches and considering the various options: Flashtrax, Archos AV420, Archos Gmini 220, PD7X, etc, etc. I decided to go the cheap route, at least initially.

My daughter has a iPod that she rare uses so I purchased the Belkin Digital Camera Link to mate with it. Download times seem reasonable. I used a full 1G Sandisk Ultra CF for my test. I tried it configured two ways:

1 iPod > DCL > Fuji S2, download time 40 min

2 iPod > DCL > Sandisk USB 2.0 CF card reader, download time 25 min

Not real fast but certainly doable, especially with the card reader. I did both tests wthout recharging the iPod and right now I'm listening to the new Joss Stone CD on the same charge. Looks like this will work.

A word about Belkin. I ordered directly from their website yesterday afternoon. This morning the package was siting at my door when I went check the mail. That's fast service!

Larry

hi larry,

not sure i've read ya post right but should it read 40 seconds and 25 seconds and not minutes?

surely its not that slow to transfer 1GB?

regards, paul.

Larry, can you put a link to the Belkin Digital Camera Link ?

Thank's

No. I believe Larry is right. And thanks for the info.

Most card readers take 2-5 minutes to do a full 1 GB card. The card being the slow link.

With the iPod it is the MP3 player that is the slow link. The write speed of the little disk in my (discontinued 10GB model) is very slow. I usually back up about 3-4 GB of favourites onto it from my laptop (via Firewire connector) in about 15 minutes.

Actually I'll just test it.

Trying now on my desktop - 1GB transfer will take "about 4 minutes" ontop iPod.

Same folder copying onto another Firewire drive takes "less than a minute"

Sorry that I didn't get the stop watch out for more accurate numbers. So it seems that when attached to my computer the iPod has a slightly slower write time than a typical card reader - read time.

So maybe the Belkin iPod combo is not as efficient as it could be? Maybe there is a difference between PC and Mac iPods?

The mystery deepens!

Yes, thats minutes, not seconds. Believe it or not that's better than some of the alternatives.

Here's the link:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage...oduct_Id=173207

Apple kept many important iPod details, particularly with respect to the interface and operating system calls used to transfer across the firewire port, deep dark secrets up until the release of the products. Belkin was unable to get a prerelease model to optimise the interface, so they ended up with a poorly optimized interface for the transfer thingy.

There will probably be a better version eventually. For many users with small p&s cameras, the sort of user that thinks a 128M memory stick is HUGE, the transfers are fast enough to be usable.

I originally purchased and them returned the Belkin Media Reader for iPod

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage...oduct_Id=158350

I don't know how long it took to download a 1GB card because I was never able to do it. The iPod battery would die before it was finished.

The Digital Camera Link is not fast by any stretch of the imagination but it is an acceptable solution, for downloading in the field, if you already have an iPod. If I didn't already have access to an iPod I probably would have gone with the Gmini 220.

Larry

The iPod battery would die before it was finished.

Hey, just like mine. I'm convinced the G1 iPods were the best and hope the G4's have fixed the terrible battery performance.

For those without the Apple brand loyalty, the new Rio Carbon is fantastic. Beats the Mini soundly.

The Delkin DCL is USB 1

Cheers

James

Just as a follow-up to this thread, I used the Sandisk Card Reader>Belkin Digital Camera Link>iPod on a four day liveaboard trip and found it to be a perfectly acceptable solution. Download times were around 10 - 20 minutes depending on the number of raw images I shot but there was plenty of time between dives to do it. Out of 11 download sessions it stopped downloading once for no apparent reason (i left it sitting on the salon table and someone could have jostled it or fingerpoken) and I just restarted it and everything came over fine.

There are probably better and faster solutions but if you already own an iPod this could be a way to go.

Larry

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the transfer performance and features of the Belkin Digital Camera Link with the Belkin Media Reader?

Seems like two very similar products for the ipod??

Cheers

Sieg

I had the Belkin Media Reader and returned it. The DCL is "faster." I don't really understand why that would be but my results have been confirmed by several other users who have posted over at DPR.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp...message=9950916

Thanks Larry,

It's interesting that the DCL is actually $20 cheaper than the media reader. I have e-mailed Belkin to ask them to "differentiate" the features & performance of both products and will post their response when received.

Cheers, Sieg

Thanks Larry,

It's interesting that the DCL is actually $20 cheaper than the media reader. I have e-mailed Belkin to ask them to "differentiate" the features & performance of both products and will post their response when received.

 

Cheers, Sieg

The Transfer speed is better with the Digital Camera link and has a wider compatibility. As long as the camera supports PTP or mass storage, then it should work. Plus you don’t have to remove the media from the camera with the DCL.

Cheers, Sieg

Thanks Larry,

It's interesting that the DCL is actually $20 cheaper than the media reader. I have e-mailed Belkin to ask them to "differentiate" the features & performance of both products and will post their response when received.

 

Cheers, Sieg

The Transfer speed is better with the Digital Camera link and has a wider compatibility. As long as the camera supports PTP or mass storage, then it should work. Plus you don’t have to remove the media from the camera with the DCL.

Cheers, Sieg