High Speed SD cards

[Viera]

Hi all, I need some info on what is considered the fastest SD cards to use? I found my Current batch (Group 10 too slow for multiple action shots in low light, Photographing Owls in flight and hunting, at twilight) I can rattle off about 5-6 images, which are buffered, then the camera will start to write to the card, I really don't want to push the ISO too high, thank you.
Regards
BV

 

[Braineack]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[AKUK]

Hi Viera.

What camera and cards are you currently using? Current nomenclature on SD cards is ambiguous at best.

For example, if you look at the Sandisk line of cards, you have basic (C4), Ultra (C10), Extreme (C10) and Extreme Pro (C10). To the layperson who had done some preliminary research, there would be no discernible differences between these cards other than their name - which again don't really give much away about performance. Is the Ultra above the Extreme or the other way around?

The Ultra is rated at 30 MB/s. Extreme clocks in at 45 MB/s and the Extreme Pro 95 MB/s. There is also the Extreme Plus now, which does a respectable 80 MB/s for not too much money. So while your cards may be Class 10, their capabilities can vary wildly.

 

[pixmedic]

I use sandisk extreme 16 gig 45 mb/s cards, which you can get really cheap now on ebay or amazon. (around 12-15 bucks each)
I havent personally found much need for anything faster than that, but sandisk makes up to a 95 mb/s read/write card in SD. the 8 and 16 gig cards, even in the ultra fast speeds, are fairly inexpensive now with the 64, 128, and higher capacity cards being in circulation for a while now.

depending on what the read/write speed is on your cards (and be careful there, some card manufacturers like to put the faster "read" speed on the card and downplay the slower "write" speed, so make sure you know what both numbers are for the card you are looking at) you might try picking up a cheap sandisk 30 mb/s or 45 mb/s card and seeing if that fixes your problem before trying a more expensive 80mb/s or 95 mb/s card.

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thanks for posting this question and thanks for responses. I am need of updating my cards.
N

 

[Overread18 6]

A few thoughts:

1) As said above you need to know the writing speed of your camera, it will typically say in the manual. Then you just need to find cards with a write speed at least as fast as that. You can get cards that will write faster, you won't lose anything; but at the same time you won't gain anything either (since the camera has a maximum writing speed of its own).

2) The more noise in a photo the more "detailed" it is and thus the longer it takes to write (its a bigger file size). As such you might want to raise your ISO - yes raise it. This is because a low ISO that underexposes a photo will generate more noise than a higher ISO that exposes the photo more correctly (expose to the right theory - look that up along with histograms if you've not done either topic yet).

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Back Back I say - Back to beginner with you. You're not ready to be let out of there if this is scary

 

[Viera]

Hi Viera.

What camera and cards are you currently using? Current nomenclature on SD cards is ambiguous at best.

For example, if you look at the Sandisk line of cards, you have basic (C4), Ultra (C10), Extreme (C10) and Extreme Pro (C10). To the layperson who had done some preliminary research, there would be no discernible differences between these cards other than their name - which again don't really give much away about performance. Is the Ultra above the Extreme or the other way around?

The Ultra is rated at 30 MB/s. Extreme clocks in at 45 MB/s and the Extreme Pro 95 MB/s. There is also the Extreme Plus now, which does a respectable 80 MB/s for not too much money. So while your cards may be Class 10, their capabilities can vary wildly.

Hi, thanks for the reply, cameras are Nikons, cards are Ultra's. So it looks like I need to buy something more suitable for the task. I can give the others to the "Minister of Finance" (wife) to use in her compact, so she can blast away even more around her plants, thanks again
Regards
BV

 

[Viera]

I use sandisk extreme 16 gig 45 mb/s cards, which you can get really cheap now on ebay or amazon. (around 12-15 bucks each)
I havent personally found much need for anything faster than that, but sandisk makes up to a 95 mb/s read/write card in SD. the 8 and 16 gig cards, even in the ultra fast speeds, are fairly inexpensive now with the 64, 128, and higher capacity cards being in circulation for a while now.

depending on what the read/write speed is on your cards (and be careful there, some card manufacturers like to put the faster "read" speed on the card and downplay the slower "write" speed, so make sure you know what both numbers are for the card you are looking at) you might try picking up a cheap sandisk 30 mb/s or 45 mb/s card and seeing if that fixes your problem before trying a more expensive 80mb/s or 95 mb/s card.

Thanks for the reply and info, help appreciated
Regards
BV

 

[BillM]

Drastic difference in buffer depending on model of Nikon. You are probably just running up against the cameras buffer.

 

[Viera]

A few thoughts:

1) As said above you need to know the writing speed of your camera, it will typically say in the manual. Then you just need to find cards with a write speed at least as fast as that. You can get cards that will write faster, you won't lose anything; but at the same time you won't gain anything either (since the camera has a maximum writing speed of its own).

2) The more noise in a photo the more "detailed" it is and thus the longer it takes to write (its a bigger file size). As such you might want to raise your ISO - yes raise it. This is because a low ISO that underexposes a photo will generate more noise than a higher ISO that exposes the photo more correctly (expose to the right theory - look that up along with histograms if you've not done either topic yet).

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Back Back I say - Back to beginner with you. You're not ready to be let out of there if this is scary

Thank you,
Regards
BV

 

[Viera]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Is this some sort of brain attack?
BV

 

[Viera]

Thanks to all for the info, just ordered some new cards, I wrongly assumed that the cards I purchased for this camera were correct, and they are according to what it says in the manual, but, have since found out that One camera can run 98mbs and the other can run 48mbs. I did try a search before posting, but, never got the info, Thanks again, all the help appreciated.
Regards
BV