Well, I got proof earlier that file transfer speeds are not what I thought they were; I moved a single 3.5GB ISO from a HDD to an eSATA disk. And promptly got nearly 100MB/sec. Took under a minute to move.

The exact same disk does MAX 30MB/sec in USB2 mode (it's a switchable box).

Moral? The bottleneck may not be where you think it is....I'll try and test some CF, Extreme IIIs and a couple of different readers when I have some time, but right now I'm seriously impressed with eSATA.

Bret

but that's the point with RAW+. Sunday I didn't need to view *anything* in RAW I didn't already know I wanted to process..... that was very, very cool and speeded up the process significantly. Copy those I want to edit to a fast disk, edit 10 at a time and the process is done in half an hour.

Ok, I guess I should explain my workflow:
until now, I've always copied everything over from the SD card and then batch-processed it all, before viewing and selecting the keepers. Then they get re-processed with curve adjustments.

Now all I have to do is copy and then view the JPGs and decide from there what are keepers. The curve adjustments and sharpening stay as before.

It also makes a hell of a difference to be using a quick disk (I run only laptops here and whether I'm running at 10MB/s or 50 makes an enormous difference in the save time). My SD reader in the Laptop is now the limitation; I will have to test the real reader and a CF or two to see just how fast I can get.

Bret

I'm also in the process of writing and uploading some tutorials for another website, including editing / processing, so when they're done, I can link to them. Unless, of course, there's something you want / need to know now?

Bret

Snow came in November and it's still here and will be beyond the end of the month. The pavements are ice and grit. Where the sun has shone, there may be asphalt visible.

So, we have another 4-6 weeks before the buds appear on the trees, maybe two months. Above zero during the day (+1), -15 at night...and that's just northern Europe, where we get a better deal than continental Canada.

For that, though, we essentially see rain on maybe 10 days a year. For six months of the year I see no rain, only snow. For at least two months it's grey on grey, with no sunshine and just a vague semblance of daylight as the sun gets off its lazy butt and rises above the horizon at 9, only to set again six hours later.. at least now it's light again at 6.45 and not dark until nearly 7. The solstice is nearly upon us, where we started from 5 hours of daylight. Another 8 to be added inside six weeks - 18-22.5 hours for three months. SAD? You betcha.

Bret

doesn't make much difference in the end, if you like the software, then fair enough.

I personally use UFRaw and GIMP, but that's me, and I don't like paying for software. I'm prepared to put up with some other issues as a result. Not many, mind, and I can do an awful lot with that pair when I want and need to.

Problem comes when it's about potential workplaces - they tend to use Photoshop, so I really ought to learn that instead. Right now, though, GIMP and UFRaw really work well together.

Tip: use RAW+ on the camera. That way, you can see what's good and what's not without having to process anything.

Bret

yep, no salt in use here for half the winter, just grit.

it's rather good at this time of year as the stones attract and keep more IR and therefore heat up and sink into the ice

Bret

FAT. 4GB limitation on full HD videos is at 5min or so, 10min.30sec with 720p.

Bret

no. The audio's crap, too, which is why I have a H2.

Bret

no, you can't, because at least some cars will cut the fuel supply when the brake pedal is pressed (left foot braking is not possible) - that's ALL VAG group cars)....

In a slide, the right foot guides the attitude, yes, and sometimes power is the correct answer. However, sometimes, just easing off the power might be enough to bring the nose back towards where it should be. I can't say that it will always work, but I do know that slides and their angle can be nicely controlled in my car with the right foot. We didn't manage to get the back out, though, and that's not for want of trying. ESP does nothing with the slides, too...

Bret

the SD reader is normally the limitation here, followed by the disk. I think I can get around 30MB/sec with whatever card I choose - extreme III SDs or CFs - and the limit is the reader.

Video only needs 10MB/sec, which is why I have two 32GB Ultra IIs for that and Extreme IIIs for stills.


USB: 30MB/sec
eSATA: 50-100MB/sec

consistent transfer rates over several Terabytes...

Bret