SD vs CF CARDS

[nachi_abrams]

I am thinking of upgrading from my Canon Rebel XT to the Nikon D90. Are there any differences in image quality

going from a compac flash card to an SD card? Should this even be a consideration in the switch? Thanks.

[ShunCheung]

Given how cheap memory cards are in these days and SDHC cards also have very high capacity (which is not necessarily a good thing to some people), this should not even be a consideration at all.

[Spearhead]

You can generally find SD cards at lower prices than CF cards, which may be due to volume with virtually all compacts now using SD and some dSLRs. If you are not speed-sensitive, the SD cards can be incredibly inexpensive. The lowest price 16gb CF card at Amazon is around $30, for SD it's down to $18.

[eric_bowles]

Compared to the price of the camera, memory cards are not a significant issue. The biggest problem with both is user error - lost cards, damaged cards, user caused data corruption, etc.

 

One interesting issue with CF - the pins seem to be bent or broken from time to time. Whether this is user error or quality control on black market cards is unknown.

[eric_arnold]

i'd just make sure you get an OEM card and not a counterfeit one. the prices have dropped so much, there's really

no excuse not to go with a reputable manufactuer from a reputable retail outlet.

[don_cooper]

Nachi, there is absolutely no difference in quality in writing to a CF or SD card or any other type of card.

[nachi_abrams]

Thanks everyone. What I needed to know, bottom line is if there was any difference in image quality. Thanks Don. I was waiting for that answer.

[CharlesBecker-Toronto]

Nachi-I just upgraded from the Nikon D70 (compact flash cards) to the D90 (secure digital cards) and there is no difference

in quality. I use SanDisk 8GB Extreme 3 SDHC and 8GB Ultra 2 SDHC cards. Enjoy the D90 if you get it-I love mine!

Happy Shooting. cb :-)

[jim_momary]

Reliability issues aside, folks this is the digital storage nature. It's all 1's or 0's. It matters not if you write 10011101 on CF, SD, or TP (bathroom tissue to the unaware), it's still 10011101. If the media is poorly made, injured or otherwise compromised, all bets are off. But a digital number is always 'that' number, not like analog where 4.575 could be 4.5761 or 4.57458 +/-. That's the beauty of digital, it can be copied a cajillion times and never lose an iota of 'quality'. Jim M.

[tri-x1]

Digital is numbers--basically 1s and 0s.So picture quality won't be different unless one card has a read or write problem and in that case the image won't be readable. Actually in tests that have been run CF cards were able to take more punishment and were more durable than SD cards.

[seismiccwave]

No image quality issue but some mechanical and electrical issue. CF cards push into a bunch of tinny pins which may

misalign and bend. SD card is thin and subject to damage when bent. I found SD cards to have a little slower write speed

than an equivalent CF card. I have not done a scientific write speed test so this is only a gut opinion. Bottom line is I don't

think there is really too much difference between the two except for the price.

[mohammed_ezuddin]

Hansen,

 

I believe the write speed is a function of the cards manufacturer. Non reputable company = slower write speed. At least that is what i heard.

[edwin_walke]

CF and SD cards are storage media and have absolutely nothing to do with image quality. They store you digital images and that is it. They don't change what is stored. You can move you images for one media to another without any affect on Image quality as is the case when you move them from your camera's card to your PC or to a CD/DVD. The quality of the storage media (SD or CF card has a lot to do with the write speed (how long it takes to record the image on the card after you take the picture) and how long it takes to download images from you camera to a PC for example.

 

Make sense?

[errol young]

I work with D70s so I use CF cards but I think that they are badly designed. The day after I

bought my first body i bent a pin. Nikon said $350-500. Got an old camera repair guy to bend it

back and it works, most of the time. So when I got my second body, I put a 2 gig in and have

never taken it out.

 

This is not a problem with SD cards. No pins. However I am looking at the D300. I will buy an 8

or 16 G card and leave it in.

[b_c12]

Yep, data is data....save your digital file on a floppy disk if you like (or several), no difference. As others have said, the decision to be made is one of the physical quality and reliability of the media. I'd shy away from the generic bargain brands ....they really don't even represent savings of any substance anymore. Just picked up a 4GB Sandisk Extreme III SDHC, arguably one of the top cards, for pocket change after rebate.