Memory cards

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Terri

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Right, I'm confused (doesn't take a lot!).

What is the difference between £80+ memory cards and the cheaper ones ... apart from the obvious size issue (I do understand that!). Is it just the name, is there a quality issue, am I a fool if I buy a cheapy one? I know there is something to do with speed, but for someone just starting out is this really an issue? :shrug:

sorry if this has been answered before - I did do a quick search of the forum but couldn't find anything :)
 
You're basically right. Speed and quality are the name of the game.

I must admit I don't trust the cheaper cards - I would rather pay more for a well known brand and not have to worry about file corruption or data loss.

I tend to use Lexar 80x and Sandisk Extreme 133x cards and both brands have been excellent. Speed may not be an issue for you unless you are taking sports type photos where write speeds to the cards in burst mode becomes more critical.
 
The difference is speed. The cheap, basic cards have a slow read-write speed, which means that the camera takes longer to write the file to the card, and the files take longer to download to your computer. Whether it's really necessary to have a fast card depends on your camera, but some of the latest ones with a high burst rate (lots of frames per second) really need a fast card to avoid slowing down them down.

Generally the faster cards cost a lot more, especially the famous names like Sandisk, but these days there are cheaper, high-speed cards which may be OK. I tend to stick to Sandisk Ultra II and Extreme III because they've never let me down, but I could probably save some money if I was more adventurous. :)
 
Hmm, but what exactly does the speed mean? Will it slow down the speed at which I can take photos if I use a slower one?

[edit] oops too slow! Thanks silkstone, that answers my speed question.
 
write speed, which either is or isnt a problem for you... (clearing the cameras buffer quicker to allow shooting to continue- useful if you take alot of action/sports shots, not so much of a bother if you shoot landscapes)

theres also no point in buying a card that can handle more writespeed than your camera can provide, as yu'd never use it


im sure theres a quality/date longevity issue with some of the faster, pricier cards as well.
 
It depends on the camera. Most cameras have an internal buffer, so when you take a pic the image data is written to the buffer, and the buffer then writes to the card. Once the buffer is full, the burst rate is governed by how quickly the data can be written to the card.

Using a slow card will cause the buffer to fill up more quickly, and then will really slow down the rate at which you can take more shots. It matters most if you're using continuous drive mode.
 
Ok, so I'm thinking maybe I don't need a super fast speedy thing right now :) Thank you all! You're all so knowledgeable (y)
 
Terri, what format of card are you looking at (Compact Flash, SD, XD etc)?
 
Hi Sammy
It's an SD card I'm looking for. I think I'll go for a mid-range one.
 
I think the SD are quicker than CFs anyway so that should be fine.
 
Terri - I have been using these Peak SD cards & have had no problems - the 60x speed I have is sold out but the "Extreme" 150x :eek: is £18.43p (p&p is 99p)
If you are wary of an unknown brand the Peak comes up on my PC as "Toshiba" & that's good enough for me ;)
HTH - Paul
 
or look at scan.co.uk for corsair ones, i think 2gb is quite cheap for 133x
 
Hi ya, the best place I have found online is www.emartbuy.co.uk

Their prices are cheap and I have had impeccable service from them!

It also shows what read and write speeds the cards have and how much warranty. They do all makes of cards also so loads to choose from.

Hope you find what you are looking for (y)
 
PaulBoy said:
Terri - I have been using Peak SD cards & have had no problems -
Click to expand...

I've got a 1GB Peak CF card, no probs here either
 
I use the MyMemory hi-speed CF cards for speedway stuff in the 30D, and have just received one of their hi-speed SD cards for my new compact. I've been extremely impressed with them so far.
 
What a scam.

I only have integral I-pro cards.
They're (integral) a British company, so for me it was one more reason to buy them.
All purchased from warehouse express.
 
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