j_t3 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Is there a preferred SD card or cards that are recommended for the M8? I recenlty ordered one and would like to pick up a card before it comes in. When Nikon's D200 came out, I remember Nikon had a list of recommended cards. Many thanks in advance for any input. A Happy and Healthy New Year to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Lexar and Sandisk are usually reliable. 80x should be fast enough, though you can go for 133x or even 266x (and a compatible high speed card reader) if you're one of those who can't wait the extra few minutes when downloading to a PC. Any Sandisk or Lexar card up to 2GB is supposed to be OK in the M8, but it's not clear if it supports <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/compact_flash_memory_cards.html#sdhc">SDHC</a> cards. Generally if it doesn't say it does, it doesn't. You can get 4GB SD cards, but the official specs for SD only go up to 2GB. SDHC is different and covers 4GB to 32GB. <p> I'm surprised Leica haven't branded a few with a red dot. I know Canon and HP have their own cards (which nobody buys). I'm sure Leica could charge double the going rate for a "Leica" SD card and still sell them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Better yet would be a leica-branded SD card coded and <I>calibrated</i> for each lens you might have. www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris c umanso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Brad's on the right track, but until Leica releases it's own cards I'd recommend Lexar. I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong but it's my understanding that the Lexars have a slight green cast - the perfect counterbalance to the magenta bias of the M8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Boris, the Lexars also have a glow protector switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris c umanso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Nels, how are you processing your Lexars? Currently, I'm giving them 10 minutes in D76, 1 to 1, at 20 degrees, but others have suggested I'd get better results with Rodinal. This digital thing is way more complex than I realized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Boris, I use a special formula mixed by Druid Getafix available from Magic Potions online. The formula is a secret, but you simply immerse your SD card with M8 images in the potion, and voila, your images acquire that <i>je ne sais qua</i> quality that prevents the Romans (who use Canons) from achieving a similar look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 How about those new Sandisk SD cards with their patented IRBG (IR-Be-Gone) technology? www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris c umanso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Up to now I've only used my M8s for black and white, but what about color? Do I go for E6 or C41 processing? Or do I ship my cards to Duane's for the Kodachrome look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBaker Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Hi. Leica recommends a list of SD cards for use with the M8. I have it as a pdf file which I will e-mail you. I, also, am waiting for my M8 but deliveries in the UK appear to be verrrry slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen_S Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Sorry for the probably OT answer, but I'd just grab something. Local supermarkets and electronics stores recently dumped Toshiba 1GB cards for 15 Euro. I have 2 of them (to be used with a slow as hell cheapo DSLR) and used one when I tested my lenses during a M8 presentation. I assume if I could afford a M8, I'd still need some time to get used to it's firepower and after that "good" cards will be cheaper, so I'll get one or two for the rare occassion I shoot action, but having plenty of not that fast cheapos for a long vacation is a nice thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I have not had a problem with Sandisk (ultra II SD Plus I think) cards for my panasonic LX-1, but I would definately check out the list that leica published for the M8. Sorry my post isn't on par with one of the lame jokes up above, very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris c umanso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 On a slightly more serious level....Sandisk is pretty much the industry standard and their fast (at least in terms of download speed - they probably won't clear the camera buffer any more quickly) Extreme cards are now really affordable. If you're working in RAW buy a bundle of 2 or 4 gb cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I found the list of compatible card on leica's m8 page under the section "Know How" or Downloads. You can download the PDF page from this page: http://www.leica-camera.us/photography/m_system/m8/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy_mancuso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 There are several cards on the list that no one tested that work perfectly fine on the M8 . Transcend 2gb and 4gb 150x cards. The SDHC don't seem too work. I have a Sansdisk ultra II 4gb here collecting dust . There is more info on the LUF board of members with cards that work and don't work. The Transcends do work fine though and that is what i use in both the DMR and M8. good place to get these is www.mydigitaldiscount.com or www.newegg.com I believe carries them also. BTW spend the money and get good cards , remember there your images and cards can fail. The Transcends have not failed me ever on both systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy_mancuso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Another note don't buy off a outfit or e-bay that you don't know . There are MANY fake cards out there so be careful on these purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_m__toronto_ Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 i believe sandisk carries a lifetime warranty on there cards? even without receipt from store, they will take it in and send it back and give you a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy_mancuso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Thanks Matt, i may just hold onto it and hopefully leica will upgrade the firmware for HC version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 As I found with my LX-2, you can only use "vanilla" SD cards upto 2GB capacity. Anything over 2GB and you need the latest SDHC format, or the camera won't recognize it. I use a 4GB SDHC card in LX-2, because my 4GB Transcend 150x SD card won't work in it. Not sure if this is true for M8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 One further note. SD and SDHC are two different formats. An SD card reader won't recognize SDHC cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Sandisk Ultra or Sandisk Extreme III Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy_mancuso Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Nels it would be the opposite for the M8 . it will take the normal 4gb cards like the transcend but not the SDHC. My Sandisk 4gb SD card came with a Mini card reader , which actually is very nice and thin. It will read both cards but the normal SD card readers won't read the SDHC. This is really a pain right now.Hopefully firmware on the M8 will change that and also really the industry at large get's ironed out. One of those transition periods right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris c umanso Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Sandisk cards are very reliable but they have backward compatibility issues with previous generation readers. The Extreme 3 CFs wouldn't download at all with the previous generation CF readers, but, strangely, would with earlier multi-format readers. It doesn't help you with SDs but the new Firewire Extreme CF readers are very fast with Extreme 4 cards, they're also backward compatible with Extreme 3s and even with these noticeably faster than USB readers. Readers don't cost very much and it makes sense to regularly update them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I generally don't use card readers, preferring to download my cards either on the field or at home to my 120GB Vosonic pocket drive and then back them up to one or more of my bigger hard drives when at home, before periodically deleting them from the pocket drive (if I need to have more free space on it). I usually carry about 30GB worth of MP3 on the Vosonic, and delete those files and folders at will in the field if I need more space, knowing that I can restore them once I get back home. All format cards can be downloaded to my pocket drive, except the new *&$#ing SDHC cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_sharratt Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I'd recommend the Lexar cards that now have a huge rebate until January 15. Sandisk's rebate program ended 12/31 (I got one of theirs as well). With rebate total with shipping for a 1 GB SD card will be under $30. I use sandisk and lexar interchangibly on my d200 so I think you'll probably be ok doing the same with a leica (unfortunately my leica only takes film). By the way, when recording at lower ISO I've found that Neofin Blue develops finer pixels than the other chemicals mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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