[BigMark]

Does anyone have any bad experiences to report on defective SmartMedia card readers?
I've been having a nightmare recently trying to figure out why my reader is being so tempermental. On occasion it accepts the card, most times it doesn't, and often when it doesn't, it wipes the card clean of any data.

From my experience it makes more sense to use CompactFlash data cards as they provide a proper 'connection' to any device into which they are inserted, i.e. a snug fit which cannot be compromised. This is opposed to SmartMedia which relies on making a connection between two metal connection prongs and the gold surface on the card. From my experience, the speed with which a SmartMedia card is inserted often has a definite effect on success rate of card recognition. A bad connection might also lead to data loss or corruption.

Can anyone 'in the know' confirm this to be true?

[drfrank]

I have been using SM for two years with my Olympus cameras and have never had a problem. I have been using a USB Cameramate card reader for 3-months and have yet to experience the problem you discuss.

I know pro photographers who have been using SM and readers for years and have never had any problems with a card being read.

Are you sure you have the correct driver installed with the reader? You did not say what make reader, OS, or computer the reader is being used on.

Frank

[BigMark]

It's a DataFab USB Dual slot reader. Check it out at http://www.datafab.com/products/date/mdcfsm-b-usb.htm

I am using the latest driver for it on an iMac DVSE with OS 9.0.4

The local Datafab dealers here suggested maybe it was because the 4MB card being used with the reader was older than the reader and therefore not compatible. It says the exact opposite on the webpage.