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13 Jan 2009, 15:24 (Ref:2370664) | #1 | ||
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Memory Card Sizes
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?
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13 Jan 2009, 15:28 (Ref:2370669) | #2 | ||
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Is there any credence to the argument that bigger cards are more unstable?
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13 Jan 2009, 15:30 (Ref:2370675) | #3 | ||
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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).
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13 Jan 2009, 16:12 (Ref:2370701) | #4 | ||
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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.
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13 Jan 2009, 16:43 (Ref:2370720) | #5 | |
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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!
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13 Jan 2009, 16:50 (Ref:2370726) | #6 | ||
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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. |
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13 Jan 2009, 16:57 (Ref:2370729) | #7 | ||
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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... |
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13 Jan 2009, 17:06 (Ref:2370736) | #8 | ||
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Smaller ones are at least quicker to download onto an ancient PC !
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13 Jan 2009, 18:03 (Ref:2370775) | #9 | ||
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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. |
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13 Jan 2009, 22:28 (Ref:2370956) | #10 | ||
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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? |
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13 Jan 2009, 23:48 (Ref:2371012) | #11 | ||
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Everytime I put it in the camera. Well I check what's on it, then format it.
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14 Jan 2009, 08:55 (Ref:2371176) | #12 | ||
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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. |
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15 Jan 2009, 16:01 (Ref:2372061) | #13 | ||
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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. Last edited by andrewc; 15 Jan 2009 at 16:04. |
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15 Jan 2009, 16:34 (Ref:2372084) | #14 | |||
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Quote:
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. |
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15 Jan 2009, 23:49 (Ref:2372389) | #15 | |||
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Quote:
I have been surprised how many snappers don't re-format their cards. Many delete images only, not re-format? |
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17 Jan 2009, 05:32 (Ref:2373190) | #16 | |||
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Quote:
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 |
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22 Jan 2009, 22:44 (Ref:2377168) | #17 | ||
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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. |
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23 Apr 2009, 11:49 (Ref:2447752) | #18 | ||
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Yours are bigger than mine ....I must upgrade!
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23 Apr 2009, 17:22 (Ref:2448001) | #19 | ||
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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. |
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24 Apr 2009, 15:53 (Ref:2448711) | #20 | ||
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It's 'good practice'. Formatting cleans up any rubbish hanging around.
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24 Apr 2009, 21:00 (Ref:2448859) | #21 | ||
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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 |
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24 Apr 2009, 22:01 (Ref:2448903) | #22 | ||
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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...
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