The 'proper' number of card slots...

[Peeb]

I recently passed on the new Nikon Z6 and Z7 based on (0nly) one card slot. I did the same on the Nikon D7500 last year for the same reason: CDS ("Card Deficiency Syndrome"). HOWEVER, merely one card was just fine for me when I pulled the trigger on a Fuji X-T20, as my intended use for that camera was totally different.

So, it really kinda depends, but what I'm interested in is this: in an ideal world, what is the 'proper' number of card slots in a camera, to have a camera configured to your liking?

Please comment! Thanks

 

[Derrel]

Four card slots. Because, you know, it's four. This gives me a primary card, and a backup, then a backup of the backup, and then a backup of the backup of the backup. Because, you know, some guy's $9, 32-gigabyte,counterfeit, Chinese knock-off card failed once.

I keep hearing about cards failing.

But then, I buy genuine SanDisk cards, from an actual brick and mortar store, not on-line,incredibly-low-priced-counterfeits-which-are-priced at 1/3 of the genuine article from Alibaba Express.

I payed $5,000 for a brand-new Nikon D2x on May 3 of 2005. It has _never_ had a card failure. But then, it's only been 13 years. The D2x was a flagship-level camera body, and it has ONE,single, CF card slot.

 

[Peeb]

Four card slots. Because, you know, it's four. This gives me a primary card, and a backup, then a backup of the backup, and then a backup of the backup of the backup. Because, you know, some guy's $9, 32-gigabyte,counterfeit, Chinese knock-off card failed once.

I keep hearing about cards failing.

But then, I buy genuine SanDisk cards, from an actual brick and mortar store, not on-line,incredibly-low-priced-counterfeits-which-are-priced at 1/3 of the genuine article from Alibaba Express.

I payed $5,000 for a brand-new Nikon D2x on May 3 of 2005. It has _never_ had a card failure. But then, it's only been 13 years. The D2x was a flagship-level camera body, and it has ONE,single, CF card slot.

Sorry, Derrel, if it's more than '2', you gotta go with a million (think Dr. Evil- one MILLION dollars...).

 

[Derrel]

Here's a funny blog post that related to the curd slot issue. The blog post is entitled Nikon Thing.

Photos and Stuff: Nikon Thing!

Okay, I vote for One Million Card Slots.

 

[Derrel]

Read Thom Hogan's take on the one card issue...

The Card Failure Issue | Sans Mirror | Thom Hogan

 

[Gary A.]

I checked 1,000,000 based on Derrel Card Syndrome (DCS). I like two, as often I shoot plays and parades lasting hours ... and with two, I know the cards won't ever get filled up. But I'm okay with one, but not less than one.

 

[480sparky]

Seven. Because I like seven.

 

[Peeb]

I voted zero, based on Sean O'Connell's advice in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He was asked if he was going to take the shot when a rare snow leopard appeared:

"Sometimes I don't. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it."​

 

[BrentC]

I am going to say 2 but not specifically for card failure. It is nice to have the failover in that rare occurrence but I like for the following features:

- use as extended storage if the other card fills up. - can choose which format goes to which card. I used to have Raw to one card and jpeg to another and still be able to shoot 60fps. Now that I don't shoot jpeg I use it as an extension and for video recording.

But here is where the failover worked for me. Went out one morning shooting birds and took a lot of shots. When I got home I took the card from slot 1 as usual and brought it up on the laptop. None of my shots where there. I found them on the second card. What happened was that the lock was on the first card. It couldn't write to the card so it switched to the second card. I never lost a shot.

 

[Derrel]

I am going to say 2 but not specifically for card failure. It is nice to have the failover in that rare occurrence but I like for the following features:

- use as extended storage if the other card fills up. - can choose which format goes to which card. I used to have Raw to one card and jpeg to another and still be able to shoot 60fps. Now that I don't shoot jpeg I use it as an extension and for video recording.

But here is where the failover worked for me. Went out one morning shooting birds and took a lot of shots. When I got home I took the card from slot 1 as usual and brought it up on the laptop. None of my shots where there. I found them on the second card. What happened was that the lock was on the first card. It couldn't write to the card so it switched to the second card. I never lost a shot.

Step 1: set the camera up so that it WILL NOT SHOOT unless it has a card in it. Wait...maybe you already did that...because you did have a card (two in fact) in the camera.

It's interesting that Thom Hogan mentions that XQD cards seem almost failure-proof so far.

I have no experience in using the XQD card type, but apparently, they are extremely robust compared against CF and SD types.

 

[BrentC]

I am going to say 2 but not specifically for card failure. It is nice to have the failover in that rare occurrence but I like for the following features:

- use as extended storage if the other card fills up. - can choose which format goes to which card. I used to have Raw to one card and jpeg to another and still be able to shoot 60fps. Now that I don't shoot jpeg I use it as an extension and for video recording.

But here is where the failover worked for me. Went out one morning shooting birds and took a lot of shots. When I got home I took the card from slot 1 as usual and brought it up on the laptop. None of my shots where there. I found them on the second card. What happened was that the lock was on the first card. It couldn't write to the card so it switched to the second card. I never lost a shot.[it...maybe you already did that...because you did have a card (two in fact) in the camera.

It's interesting that Thom Hogan mentions that XQD cards seem almost failure-proof so far.

I have no experience in using the XQD card type, but apparently, they are extremely robust compared against CF and SD types.

The thing is the error was mine for somehow moving the lock slider to on. Not a fault of the card.

"Step 1: set the camera up so that it WILL NOT SHOOT unless it has a card in it."

And you have just given another good reason for having the 2 slots. If I went out one day and my first shot was a bird flying by I would have missed it.

 

[ClickAddict]

I think what's most intriguing about the new Nikon's without a second card slot, is that dual s lots have been around for a long time and taken for granted to be in the top line cameras. Nobody is complaining about a backup lens mount spot in case the threads jam, or a second shutter release button.... because we've never had those and they are not expected. The missing dual slot though seems like a step backwards. A second slot is like insurance. You may very well never need it, but's it's comforting to know it's there in case you ever do.

 

[Peeb]

I think what's most intriguing about the new Nikon's without a second card slot, is that dual s lots have been around for a long time and taken for granted to be in the top line cameras. Nobody is complaining about a backup lens mount spot in case the threads jam, or a second shutter release button.... because we've never had those and they are not expected. The missing dual slot though seems like a step backwards. A second slot is like insurance. You may very well never need it, but's it's comforting to know it's there in case you ever do.

I am a very attentive driver and I've never been in an accident. Why do I care if my car has seat belts and air bags? Never needed 'em. Anybody that complains that a new model lacks these safeguards is just a crybaby. Cars lacked these for decades and we all seemed to get along just fine!

 

[Designer]

I don't know who, exactly, is claiming that the new Z system is "pro" grade, because it's clearly not pro grade, but as with most technology, we get used to a certain level of technology, and will expect the technology to advance, not to regress.

So for the Nikon Z system, one card slot seems right, and they have priced them accordingly. (Oh, wait...)

Some pros expect certain things, dual card slots being one of them. To ask a pro to be satisfied with one card, however, when he/she has been using dual cards for years seems like going backward.

We will continue to see real pros who shoot events carry a minimum of two camera bodies, several lenses, more than one light, spare batteries for everything, and spare memory cards. Some even come equipped with a second shooter, who carries at least one additional camera. (naturally with spare batteries, etc.)

The biggest misconception with the two new Z cameras, and their kit lenses, is that somehow they were expected to be a "pro" system, which they are not.

 

[SnappingShark]

1 is fine for me.
We never had cameras that held 2 rolls of film and backed the first one up.

If I lose stuff, I lose stuff.
I'm not a professional, so I don't care about that stuff.