CF Memory in China

We're going to China next week. I was about to pickup some additional memory for my D300 before going but started

wondering if maybe I should wait and get it over there. Anyone had any experiences on availability and orice of

CF memory in China?

Wayne, you are probabaly aware that there are a lot of counterfeit CF memory cards.

Pretty much all Sandisk cards are manufactured in China but apparently so are many of the counterfeit ones.

 

Additionally, I would buy some new cards and also test them a bit before depending on them. Last year, my 8G Lexar UDMA was DOA from B&H, but I managed to get that replaced quickly.

Recently, CF has gotten so cheap that I can't see buying it in a place where there is any risk of getting a counterfeit. After rebate, I just picked up a Sandisk Extreme IV 8GB for something like $40. The rebate is even bigger per card when you buy several at one time. My rebate is in Visa cards, but I plan on using them as gifts come Christmas time, so it works for me. I can also state that my recent experience with the fast (266x) Transcend card is that they are very fast, reliable and dirt cheap.

I've been buying 4gb Sandisk Ultra II cards from Costco, they are less than $30 and work great on my D300. I am also able to record HD video on the Ultra II SD cards. I don't know why anyone would need anything faster.

I have four 4 gig Sandisk cards, one 2 gig and today ordered two 8 gig Sandisk cards. That should give at least 1,500 shots (I shoot raw+jpeg). The one bad thing is the only time there's a need for that much memory is on an extended trip. It's still cheaper, however, than the 20 36-exp rolls of color that I bought and had processed after a Maui trip in 2002..

Almost everything like that you buy in China is counterfeit, except in the high-priced stores geared to tourists. Even then... Memory cards are particularly suspect. Last summer, several in my group purchased CF cards which proved to be either fake or factory rejects. Don't buy Rolex watches on the street corners either :-)

Why would I buy a Rolex on a street corner in China when I get email offers for them almost every day!!!! :)

The prices there are not that special compared to the better prices you can get in the US. Also, CF cards are cheap pretty much everywhere. I do advice you to test your memory a bit before taking it on a trip.

 

I know the feeling of having a lot of memory just for trips, but it's quite cheap these days (and intercontinental travel doesn't come for pennies) and if you worry about space, you could consider some photo hard drive.

Adorama had a recent sale: closed out on 11 Oct., but you could get three SanDisk III CF 8Gb cards for $10.65 or so, after you claim the rebate offered by SanDisk. The shipping was also 'free.' I doubt that the merchants in China will match that deal....

From what I have seen they like to put the label for the fast memory card on the slow memory. If it does not come in a box, then you do not know what your going to get.