Memory Card Sizes

[BertMk2]

Following on from some of the posts in the memory cards thread I wondered what peoples views were on using one large capacity memory card vs two or more smaller cards? I have heard some people advising against using one large card as a card failure can result in a large number of lost images - the counter argument of course is that by using more cards you're increasing the change of having a failure (although a failure would result in less lost images). So what are your presonal preferences on this?

[Adam43]

Is there any credence to the argument that bigger cards are more unstable?

[BertMk2]

That's not what I'm suggesting - it's just that if you do have a failure you stand to lose 8Gb instead of say 4Gb (and having one 4Gb card still working).

[MikeHoyer]

Never, ever, had a CF card fail. However I prefer smaller ones, as the bigger ones tend to slow down their write speeds the more you put on.

[bella]

i had my only cf card develop an unfortunate glitch midway through a race day which was frustrating, so i always carry a spare smaller one now just in case. i'd say it's always good to have a spare rather than needing to divide the total memory you want in half!

[Tim Falce]

I'd say your more likely to have a fault develop by constantly changing cards than just keeping one in the camera all the time. There used to be a problem with the CF card I use because the biggest you could get was about 512MB, any bigger and you needed one that had a mini HD in it (can't remember what they're called) and they had moving parts that didn't last long AFAIK.
I now use a 1GB CF which seems to do my D100 OK although I'm not sure it'd be big enough for the newer cameras that produce very large files.

[MikeHoyer]

Microdrive.

I had one (still got it somewhere, might donate it to a museum in a few years), and I dropped it from a height of about a metre once. It got very hot, and wouldn't read. Managed to get most of the pictures of it, and that was the end of that. They are fairly unstable, whereas you can apparently drop a CF card off a tall building and it won't mind. I haven't tested this theory though...

[GORDON STREETER]

Smaller ones are at least quicker to download onto an ancient PC !

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Microdrive.

I had one (still got it somewhere, might donate it to a museum in a few years), and I dropped it from a height of about a metre once. It got very hot, and wouldn't read. Managed to get most of the pictures of it, and that was the end of that. They are fairly unstable, whereas you can apparently drop a CF card off a tall building and it won't mind. I haven't tested this theory though...

A Microdrive is literally a mini hard-disk complete with moving parts. Dropping it from any distance will have much the same effect as dropping your laptop out of a first floor window [disclaimer: do this at your own risk].

CF or any other type of flash cards have no moving parts so unless you damage the contacts or snap one in half there's not much you can do to break it. I did read a website article some time ago where they did various test such as dropping a card in water. After leaving it to dry out it works fine, although the one left overnight in salt water didn't fare as well. The most extreme test involved throwing a camera out of a moving car - the camera was smashed beyond recognition but the card was still usable.

I have had a CF card fail once but only because it wasn't seated in the camera properly, and once I got home I was able to recover everything on it.

You're probably more likely to lose a card than have it fail, in which case maybe it's best to have one big card that you never fill and never take out of the camera than to swap between several smaller cards.

[PDS]

I normally use a small card when trackside. 1 or 2mb. Plenty of pictures, then download after the race.

If I don’t take my laptop, I will use a 4mb card.

I always have a selection of cards with me, 1, 2 and 4mb, 2 off each. I very rarely fill a 4mb card!

I am not convinced that bigger cards take longer to download individual images. But I have found that downloading from a card reader as apposed to the pc slot in the laptop is light-years quicker to download!

I have only ever had 1 Card fail me! I recovered all my images using the Sandisk RescuePro. (Comes with every new disc) Brilliant software!

Even recovers images from an empty (used) disc!

Question for you all: When do you re-format your cards?

[MikeHoyer]

Everytime I put it in the camera. Well I check what's on it, then format it.

[LewisCraik]

I prefer to have plenty of smaller cards, as although I've never had a card fail on me I have had times when I've left cards at home etc so have been glad to have a spare.

With regards to formatting cards they only go back into my camera bag once the images have been uploaded to my computer (and backed up) and they get formatted just before I use them, that way the images are still on the card for as long as possible incase there was a problem downloading them to the computer. Like Mike, I usually have a quick sanity check to ensure the card hasn't slipped through the loop and that the images have been downloaded.

[andrewc]

I've had a CF fail but it was an el-cheapo one (fake Sandisk) and it was fitted in a datalogger system in a F3 car. Worked fine for a year, but was slow. I think it was a substandard card and vibration killed it...

Since then I've only bought genuine Sandisk, Lexar or Kingston and not had a problem. I favour 4Gb cards and carry a lot of surplus capacity.

Touches nearest wooden object...

I format them in camera. Each card is numbered so I know if I'm missing one and can go through each in a set sequence, so I know which ones are used and which aren't.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's not what I'm suggesting - it's just that if you do have a failure you stand to lose 8Gb instead of say 4Gb (and having one 4Gb card still working).

I realised that, but if you are weighing* up one memory size up against another considering the chance of failure then it is relevant. As is falcemobs point, maybe you'd practically get more failures with changing?

A friend of mine has a handy viewer with a massive memory. He backs up during the day - perhaps instead of more cards you could invest in one of those. They are quite a bit more expensive, but you get other advantages?

*pun intended.

[PDS]

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Everytime I put it in the camera. Well I check what's on it, then format it.

Would only expect you to do this Mike.

I have been surprised how many snappers don't re-format their cards. Many delete images only, not re-format?

[djb]

Originally Posted by PDS

I have been surprised how many snappers don't re-format their cards. Many delete images only, not re-format?

have always reformatted in camera. One factor before was that Canons were not set up as well as Nikons for formating. Nikons have the two button system on top of cameras that is very handy to do this, whereas older canons youhad to go into a menu...

plus I've had the habit of formatting in camera to avoid any probs if you go from one body to another, both nikons but diff models. so i always have kept my old method...

I had a prob with one card with a D100 once, it was a firmware issue with a Lexar card, got a new one sent for free, but since then (touch wood also) have never since...and the idea of having more probs with changing more cards---poppycock...not in my experience, I use about 7 cards regularly and that is not an issue

[Alasdair]

I used to have an all-4GB ExtremeIII approach, but the card that lives in my D300 these days is a 16GB MyMemory card. I've got 40GB of cards now (6x4GB, and the 16GB), and the closest I came to using them all was a day at the Kingdom Stages last year - I managed to fill 4x4GB cards. You can never have enough spare memory, especially as it's so cheap these days...

Format the cards in-camera after they've been put on the PC (and backed up), and never had so much as a glitch.

[twisted]

Yours are bigger than mine ....I must upgrade!

[Mr.Jingles]

Why are you guys re-formatting the cards? Are you getting problems if you don't?

Speaking from a "Techie" viewpoint here, not as a snapper.

[Tim the Grey]

It's 'good practice'. Formatting cleans up any rubbish hanging around.

[Richard B]

I always reformat in camera.
Card size several 2gb cards, I could buy 1 or 2 bigger cards but why bother? The size of your card doesn't influence the quality of the photo but possbly one's ego

[Tim the Grey]

Well, I run a 5MP E-1. I guess if I updated to the later 10/12MP bodies I may find I actually NEED more space? As it is, I can manage on 8GB without sweating...