Question on memory cards

[Mugen80]

I apologize upfront if this has already been asked (I used the search option but didnt find an answer). I just picked up a new rebel t1i an I need a recommendation on a good SD card. Ive been looking online but cant make heads or tails on these cards. I think I need a SDHC card possibly a 16 gig or maybe 32? Some boast about super lightning fast transfer speeds... Im confused... thanks in advance guys!

p.s. I will be shooting in RAW. :thumbup:

 

[PhotoXopher]

I use SanDisk Extreme III cards in 4 and 8 GB sizes (the 30mps version).

 

[Opher]

I dont see anyone needing 32 on one card. i would suggest a high end 16gig. The high transfer speed they boast about is reasonably important.

Mostly if you are not doing bursts the speed is not critical. I do not have a high speed card and can only get about 7 bursts before save lag kicks in.

Hope this was at least remotely helpful.

 

[PhotoXopher]

I've found the speed is more noticeable when transferring files from the card to the computer, and not as evident when shooting.

 

[Opher]

I've found the speed is more noticeable when transferring files from the card to the computer, and not as evident when shooting.

Wow i feel like an idiot. I spent an hour trying to figure out why my editor was going so slow. Now i relies i was working from the SD card. (slightly off topic but had to post my stupidity)

 

[inTempus]

They rate SD cards as class 2, 4 or 6. Class 6 is the fastest of the three. I would find a card from any major manufacturer (Sandisk, Kingston, etc.) and purchase one with a class 6 rating.

Write speed makes a difference because as your buffer fills up your camera will stop shooting until I can dump some of that image data to your card. A slow card means the longer you're waiting.

 

[shmne]

In my opinion many 4g cards are better then fewer 8gs which is better then even less 16gs.

Cards have this funny thing of crashing and locking on you a the worst time possible, so having a back up formatted card will always be preferred.

Not to mention that a 4g card will hold about 175 pictures per, allowing you to categorize each card. Especially good for event photography so that your outside photos are on one card, inside on another, portraits of hosts on another, basically giving you a more lean and organized uploading process.

Granted this isn't needed, but it is one more step towards a cleaner workflow.

As far as the type of card, I use Sandisk almost exclusively and PNY MicroSdHc cards (only two micro sds with converters, so that I can preview jpegs on site with my nintendo ds. I've tried it twice now, but it isn't that helpful really)

 

[inTempus]

How many cards have you had fail on you? I've never had a CF card fail on me in my cameras. I've never had an SD card fail on me in I don't know how many years of using them for things other than photography.

I've seen cards lost and damaged... but I've never had one just stop working and lose data.

 

[Mugen80]

Thanks for the info guys! I am going to pick up a SanDisk Extreme III 8gig, which is a class 6 card. Unfortunately I didnt budget for the memory card so I gotta wait a little while to get it. I found an old 2 gig (non high transfer spec) that I will have to use in the mean time. I cant wait to start shooting.

 

[table1349]

How many cards have you had fail on you? I've never had a CF card fail on me in my cameras. I've never had an SD card fail on me in I don't know how many years of using them for things other than photography.

I've seen cards lost and damaged... but I've never had one just stop working and lose data.

I have, doesn't happen often compared to hard drives but it does happen. Everything will fail at some point in time. The question is, do you want to take the risk that if a failure happens you want to have a catastrophic loss or a controlled one.

 

[mrodgers]

I've found the speed is more noticeable when transferring files from the card to the computer, and not as evident when shooting.

It also has a lot to do with the computer (or possibly the drive). I recently used an SD card to transfer files from my old desktop to my newer work laptop for backup (to format the hard drive of the desktop) and it took 20 minutes to write from the desktop to the card. It only took maybe a minute to write from the card to the newer laptop. It went the same way in the opposite direction, a minute to write from laptop to card and 20 minutes to write from card to desktop.

 

[flyin-lowe]

If you work from a card reader many won't work with the high capacity cards. Just one more thing to think about. If you don't have a card reader yet make sure the one you get is compatible with high capacity cards.

 

[KmH]

I apologize upfront if this has already been asked (I used the search option but didnt find an answer). I just picked up a new rebel t1i an I need a recommendation on a good SD card. Ive been looking online but cant make heads or tails on these cards. I think I need a SDHC card possibly a 16 gig or maybe 32? Some boast about super lightning fast transfer speeds... Im confused... thanks in advance guys!

p.s. I will be shooting in RAW. :thumbup:

Doesn't Canon make recommendations based on testing in their owners manuals? Nikon does.

I too subscribe to the no bigger than 4 gig card school, regardless the card type, SD or CF.

 

[itznfb]

They rate SD cards as class 2, 4 or 6. Class 6 is the fastest of the three. I would find a card from any major manufacturer (Sandisk, Kingston, etc.) and purchase one with a class 6 rating.

Write speed makes a difference because as your buffer fills up your camera will stop shooting until I can dump some of that image data to your card. A slow card means the longer you're waiting.

Yes class 6 is the fastest. But if speed is important to you, there are 8 different speed ratings within class 6. Only one "True" class 6 which is 40x or 6MB/s. However, 66x, 100x, 133x, 150x, 200x, 266x and 300x are all considered class 6 as well.

I use Lexar 8GB SDHC 133x cards.

 

[robertwsimpson]

I just got a 32GB card and I lurve it. To each his own I guess.