mas24 Loc: Southern CA

I blew it. I didn't read carefully.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Again,you may benefit with a new thread being more concise with your issue,unless you still are totally fixated on the card speed. A new thread should attract more folks,perhaps with computer slow down experiences when transferring photos. No offense meant,but it does appear to be a stumbling block.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Thank you.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Best of luck,Mike,and hopefully you will share your resolution with us. Sorry that I couldn't help!

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Understood. So to directly address your initial question. The 560MB cards you referenced are CFast 2.0 cards and you cannot use them in your 5D4 (different pins/socket), so with regards to your CF cards, just pick the fastest standard CF card you can buy like the Lexar Pro 1066x or look up the fastest card from the speed test link provided - it will provide read speeds in the 100-140 MB/sec range if used in a properly configured USB3 reader. If you transfer directly from the camera, (USB3 to USB3 port), expect around 65 MB/sec, ( http://www.cameramemoryspeed.com/canon-5d-mark-iv/sd-cf-card-speed-test/ ).

Same is true with the SD card. The new XQD cards also have a different pin/socket configuration and are not usable in your 5D4. So picking the fastest SD card available, you can expect download speeds in the 80-100 MB/sec range with an external USB 3.0 reader, and about 35 MB/sec directly from camera to computer using USB3. If you're not seeing those speeds from camera to computer, then I'd be looking at my computer's USB port configuration and driver. If you're not seeing those speeds with an external reader, then in addition to checking the computer's USB port, then perhaps trying a new reader might be in order if you use an external - here's a link to popular ones: http://www.cameramemoryspeed.com/reviews/card-readers/

But the short answer to your original question is no, the new Cfast and XQD cards are not usable in your camera and won't improve the problem. BTW, I may have missed it, but I see where your reader is USB3, but I don't see where you say that your computer port is USB3. It couldn't by chance be a USB2 port, could it?

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

I agree.
Mark

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I know you are specifically asking about read speeds and downloading... but read/write speeds are related. And most people shop based upon the performance in-camera.... with download speed as a distant, secondary concern. So most of the data you find will discuss and compare write speeds.

Your camera cannot use either the new CFast or XQD memory cards, which are even faster than any of the above. So forget about those. They can't help.

CompactFlash have typically been faster at both read and write than SD memory cards. SD have improved a lot in recent years, but many still aren't quite as fast writing or reading.

"1066X" and "160MB/sec" are the same thing and are just about the fastest available CompactFlash cards currently available right now. Those are "read" speeds, too. "Write" speeds in the camera are slightly slower in most cases. Still, they are plenty fast for 5DIV in most cases. (Typical write speed for the fastest is 1000X and 150MB/sec... but in some cases the write speeds are a whole lot slower. It's something to watch out for with cheaper cards from other than the top few manufacturers such as Lexar and Sandisk.)

SD "UHS II" memory cards are now available that rival and beat the read/write speeds of CompactFlash. Some UHS II is rated to read/write at 300MB/sec or 2000X. These cards will work in 5D Mark IV, but since the camera is only UHS I enabled, backward compatible UHS II will only write in-camera at slower UHS I speeds. However, depending upon your card reader setup and computer a UHS II SD card might give you the faster downloads you want.... potentially very close to 300MB/sec with the fastest types.

To be able to download at UHS II speeds you will need a UHS II-capable reader that's either built into the computer or an external one with USB 3.0 connectivity.

Direct connection of the 5D IV is via USB 3.0 too. But, because the camera is only UHS I capable, downloading directly from the camera will only be at UHS I speeds even when using UHS II memory. So, again, in order to get the faster UHS II downloads you will need to remove the memory from the camera and use a reader to download it.

How fast might you expect? Well, image file sizes vary by type and even by subject matter and detail in images. But a CR2 (RAW) file from 5DIV is typically about 40MB. So with the fastest CompactFlash and the correct card reader, you might see downloads running 4 images per second. At best UHS I SD memory cards will download a little slower... about 3 images per second. With UHS II SD memory cards and a compatible card reader, you might expect downloads to run around 7 images per second.

All this assumes that there aren't any "bottlenecks" downstream in your computer, such as a slower hard drive or other slow components.

One of the best resources about memory card speed is:

http://www.cameramemoryspeed.com/canon-5d-mark-iv/sd-cf-card-speed-test/

But, again, that site tests and rates cards by their in-camera write performance. So you'll have to do a little digging to see if the fastest cards hold up as well for reads and downloads. There's also comparison and info about card readers linked there.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Just curious,have you followed the thread at all?

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

A TRULY HELPFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE REPLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Sure. There are several of my responses above.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Noted, and thanks to you again!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Deleted/

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Sorry. I misunderstood.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Some threads are difficult to follow than others,no big deal!