memory cards

[kev_rayner]

<p>hi....i currently use 5 - 4 gb cards and 10 - 2gb cards(sandisk)</p>

<p>i do not wish to have all my images on one card ! if anything happened to them i would be very stressed....on speaking to a few fellow wedding photographers they told me that they use 1 - 8gb card and have everything on that.</p>

<p>they told me that putting cards in and out the camera will damage the pins....what do you guys think ?</p>

<p>kev</p>

[phule]

<p>Some people lose cards.</p>

<p>Some people are careless about how they insert cards into their camera.</p>

<p>There's no right answer here . If you feel uncomfortable with 1 card then use multiple. If you feel more uncomfortable with the potential for damaged pins, then use fewer cards.</p>

<p>I think having a backup camera should prevent any worry over damaged pins.</p>

 

[liz_cook]

<p>I agree with Rob. I have a few 8GB and 4GB cards but I try to use as little as possible during a wedding. I make sure they are clearly labeled and I have specific pockets they go into whether they are clear or full. Whatever you decide is most comfortable for you - go with that - just make sure they are always clearly labeled and you know WHERE they are and WHAT they have on them!</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>I agree with the large card arguments. It's a case of not putting all your egges in one basket, the basket being the camera, not the catd. The memory card and the camera itself are most vulnerable to mechanical damage (bent pins, sockets clogged with dirt, dropped, or lost) during changes in the field. I load a pair of 16 gig cards into a Nikon D3, set the camera to automatically backup each shot to both cards, and I'm good to go.</p>

[kev_rayner]

<p>yeah i have 2 bodies in use at all times...one with a 17-55 on and one with a 70-200 on</p>

<p>kev</p>

[kev_rayner]

<p>now if i had a d3 !?!?! yeah thats a great idea.</p>

<p>have a d300 and d200 at the mo though.</p>

<p>was thinking about the d700.</p>

<p>i know this doesnt have the dual card slots though.</p>

<p>kev</p>

[diane_stredicke]

<p>I use 4gb cards (Canon 40D). If everything was on one card, and god forbid, something happens to the card.... I wouldn't want them all on one card. </p>

[mike_bisom]

<p>We have several shooters and for the most part it's all personal preference. Most, including myself, prefer larger cards. A 16GB card in a D300 shooting Raw + JPEG (which I require) holds about 400 images; so an 8 GB only holds 200 images. I try to get the biggest I can afford! But I only use Sandisk, Lexar, or Kingston (cheaper). I do have some memory card rules I have developed over the years...</p>

<p>1- carry at least twice as much as you think you might need. Preferably 3x. And since I am the one giving the cards to our shooters, that falls on me!<br>

2- insert card, hit play, if there is an image verify (and I should have formatted the card prior to this point) it's no longer needed. Only then do you format the card.<br>

3- Format all the cards in the cameras that will be using them. This should be done prior to the event. NEVER format a card in the computer.<br>

4- NEVER-EVER-EVER-NEVER- format a card in the field. Refer to rule number 1- you should have plenty anyway.<br>

5- When putting a card in the camera, hit play. If there is something on it and you are in the field, remove the card and use a different card.<br>

6- Put used cards back in the case (we use cases that hold 4-CF cards) upside down. This allows you to visibly see what cards have been used and to keep the cards on you at all times.<br>

7- If you receive any type of camera error (error 99 for you Canon users!), change memory cards immediately. OK- I am a bit conservative- but humor me.<br>

8- Please try not to fill a memory card. Just like any other type of storage device, it works better when there is a least 10% free.<br>

9- Never swap memory cards between cameras. Again, rule number one will cover this.<br>

I teach a class and I can tell you that at one point or another, each of those bullets has been an issue for someone, somewhere.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Pick one method and stick with it, but be extremely careful in any card handling. You also have to evaluate yourself--whether you are the organized, careful type or not...</p>

<p>Or get a camera with dual memory card slots. It doesn't mean you can be sloppier, but it does help prevent mishap, when and if they occur.</p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>I personally subscribe to the philosophy of less is more. So I use 16 and 32gb cards with a bunch of 8gb as backups. I <strong>THOROUGHLY TEST</strong> all cards before putting them into service. I have not had a larger card fail me using this method, but its entirely possible. I don't switch cards for the whole day and don't have any risk of mishandling or other things due to multi card use.</p>

<p>Its a guess as to which will be the most secure, but the more you pull and push those cards, the worse they get and the closer to failing. So while smaller cards offer the "less eggs" theory, they are more quickly approaching failure relative to larger cards. That and the fact you never have to worry about formatting accidentally, dropping them, loosing them, having them stolen (unless you get your cam's stolen with them in there) and bent pins etc.</p>

<p>I have been a safety freak (related to digital images) since going digital in 03 and to be honest, still fight with myself about how best to accomplish the task of safety. When I think about the number of rolls of film that were accidentally pulled before the rewinding finished (a few over the years) I cringe. That has largely been mitigated by the advent of digital (at least for me) and with a good reliable, repeatable system, you will probably fair better what ever you choose.</p>

<p>I am in the big boy club. ;-)</p>

<p>If you shoot with two bodies and cover all aspects with both cameras, you will have some decent insurance.</p>

[savagesax]

<p>I use dual cards in my cameras. The CF cards are generally 1 gb cards and the SD card is 16gb's.</p>

[er1]

<p>I use 8gig cards now because prices are so reasonable. Dual memory slots has been my solution to this very question. Talk about piece of mind, and if dual card shooting is not possible, keep Mike Bisoms reminder list taped to your card holder.</p>