CF to SD card adapter

Given that CF cards are a bit harder to find and more expensive than SD cards got me to wondering if anyone has tried to use a SD card adapter? I suspect that it won’t work due to the interface differences and I did actually try it a few years back with no success, but was wondering if the technology has moved on in that time? (probably 5 years ago)

Good question. CF cards are the main reason I have avoided an OT to be honest. I have my own rule that I don’t deal with CF cards or smartmedia. I had enough of those with my old MPC1K and Electribe ESX-1 back in the day. When I sold those I told myself I was done with anything but SD cards and I’ve held myself to that. If the OT went to an SD card, I’d probably break down and buy one.

What’s the matter with CF cards ?
They are still not rare, and won’t break easily ?
Actually I have 2 spares and never use them…

What have I overlooked ?

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The cf cards themselves are fine but the pins inside the machines are notoriously fragile.

Mpc1000 users will know this!

Glad Roland use sd cards on the sp404a!

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Yes!

Thats why i keep mine allways inside the OT :wink:

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For my own interest my laptop has a SD reader built in (I also have a USB CF reader) so it is merely a matter of convenience, aside from the aforementioned reasons.

Seems cheap enough to try…

I’ve yet to see a cf adaptor for sd cards that was back loaded. All the ones I’ve seen side load and would require pulling out the cf card to gain access to.

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I seem to remember reading something about CF cards being more stable to read/stream from than SD cards. With the static(?) machines on the OT streaming from the card this is somewhat of an actual benefit. I think…

Please correct me if I’m mistaken

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Yep, that’s the main point to test, if everything else work.

In the meantime somebody succeeded to use a CF to SD adapter?

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NEVER had a problem with my MPC1K !
but i know what you mean :wink:

interested as well,
since i have had lots of problems with my USB CF card readers, haha :wink:

indeed, all i see now are sideloaded adapters.
any better available ?

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I am interested too…it seems that current octa owners are pretty scared to test it: 1st rule of the octaclub…leave the card in the unit, forever, no matter what :grinning:

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Only took mine out once, and that was to put in a larger card.

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Yep, that’s the only exception from the —

… rule. :grin:

But seriously: there is nothing wrong with removing and inserting CF cards. Just be a little bit careful about it and don’t force them in. I’ve done it at least a few thousands times with each of my cameras and nothing went wrong even in harsh environments (outdoors … cold, wet, stormy weather).

The main reason with the cameras was for faster file transfers with a separate reader, because there was either no disk drive mode or just USB 1 available in them. And, of course, cards weren’t that large back then.

With the OT I see no reason. 64 GB is plenty of space and the file transfer is fast enough for me.

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That’s the problem I always ran into looking for CF SD adapters; they’re all side loaded which is zero help.

Yeah it’s easy now. I remember the first time though scared to bust it cause I wasn’t sure how much pressure I needed to put on it and the horror stories. You’d have to mindlessly jam it in wonky to break it. Still never had a reason to change it beyond putting a big card in once. I’d imagine it will always work better with the intended card than any adapter so probably no point

Every time I back up the card I take it out of the OT and put it in a card reader, never had any problems with bent pins FWIW.

Same here.

Since some of the outside pins, and the two middle pins are longer, it isn’t difficult to feel that it is lined up when you first insert the card. Those pins are meant to “grab” the card for alignment.

Make sure you can feel those pins grabbing the card (not allowing it to move left or right) and then you know you are aligned, and you’ll be fine.

I think a lot of users got freaked out by Tarekith’s freak accident with bending the pins.
I could certainly bend the pins if I tried or wasn’t paying any attention at all, and I can see how a distraction could make that happen.
But if I pay attention to feeling those alignment pins, then there’s no reason for me to say a tiny prayer before pushing the card into the slot.

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