Memory Cards

[rogernoel]

<p>I have a 7D and shoot mostly landscapes and people. I generally use the Canon 17-55 lens or the 70-200 IS lens. I shoot in RAW and JPEG concurrently. Going to Europe for five weeks and will not take my laptop, so I want to be comfortable with Memory cards. I have a bunch of 2 GB and 4 GB cards plus one 8 GB and one 16 GB card. My question is should I add several 8 GB cards or more and should I go with the Ultra or Extreme San Disk cards? Time is not of the essence when I download shots to my computer and I will probably be doing some movie shots as well. </p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Your 16GB card will hold about 500 shots in RAW+JPG. Not sure how prolific of a shooter you are, but it sounds like you'd be fine with what you have. That said, better to have more than you need than not enough.</p>

[wayne_woodruff]

<p>San Disk 'Ultra' are fast enough for video in the 7D. </p>

[tudor_apmadoc]

<p>If you want to save space - shoot raw only. The issue I see is that you won't have any backup.</p>

<p>I would recommend looking into the Epson P7000 or equivalent as a backup device.</p>

[jack_rosenberg]

<p>I prefer the extreme III 8 GB or 16 GB memory cards. I have not tried the new extreme pro cards.<br>

If you don't lose your cards and if you review your images as you travel )deleting those that you know you will not use), you will be fine. I shot more than 2500 images in a month long journey through Spain. I did not take videos which take up more room, so I cannot comment on the capacity of any of these cards. Decide on how your images are going to be organized and taken and then decide on your memory needs. Have a great trip and watch your things carefully. Pickpockets are very skillful and unfortunately plentiful in crowded areas.</p>

[mwtphoto]

<p>if I recall correctly you get 12 minutes of hd video on the 7D per 4gb. so if you want to shot video you should take that into account.</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>hmmm, 5 weeks = 35 days, taking 500 pictures a day + video clips = 35 to 70 16 GB memory cards, I'd say buy lots of memory cards.</p>

[markonestudios]

<p>As a longer term investment, you may well want to consider a portable storage device to transfer images and video clips to, without the need for a computer interface (I forget the name of the device though). Adorama and B&H have them in stock. You can likely pick up one for the price of two 16GB CFs. A lot better value for money IMO.</p>

[robin_sibson1]

<p>500 shots a day for five weeks at landscapes and people sounds to me to work on the same principle as the monkeys writing the Works of Shakespeare. That said, you'll probably need more storage than it is economic to buy as cards.</p>

<p>Photo-specific storage devices have had their day. That's because camera screens have got much better, good enough in size amd quality and with sufficient magnification capabilities for checking and casual viewing of shots, and portable disk drives running entirely off a USB port now offer very large capacity at modest cost and negligible weight and bulk. The gap is that as yet cameras do not offer USB host (repeat, HOST) capability allwing such a drive to be plugged in directly. For the more up-market Canon bodies like the 7D, you can do it via a Wireless File Transmitter, but that's not VFM as a way of solving the problem unless you need the wireless capabilities anyhow.</p>

<p>So, you buy a small tablet, which will probably be powered by Android rather than Windows (the next or next-but-one generation of smartphone might do the job, but we're not quite thre yet). Make sure it has enough free solid state memory for at least one card's worth of images, and has host USB that can deliver enough power to support a drive like the excellent Seagate Go-Flex 500GB drive that I use (in a disceeet shade of brilliant red), buy one of those, two if you want to back up twice over, several if you plan on significant video, and a fast USB card reader, and you are set up. You will almost certainly not be able to view RAW files as such on the tablet. You might find software that allows you to view the embedded JPEG, which these days is of high quality, and is what you view on the camera. You say you like to shoot RAW+JPEG, and you should be able to find software that will allow you to view the JPEG, although you may need to do some tests to check how large and high-quality a JPEG it can handle.</p>

[steven_crist]

<p>I use the Lexar Professional 400x 8 gig cards. Plenty of reliable speed and capacity. I used to always use Sandisk but the Lexar is a better deal and have never failed me under many difficult climate conditions. I got mine from Adorama for a great price. I always warn against using lesser known brands of cards as their reliability is suspect.</p>

[steve_dunn2]

<p><b>Space</b>: If space is an issue, then do as someone above suggested: ditch the JPEG. You can always do a batch conversion to create the JPEGs when you get home. I shoot RAW only so I'm not sure what size the JPEGs would be, but if you're using large fine JPEGs, I'd guess you'll get something in the ballpark of 20% more shots per card by not keeping the JPEGs.</p>

 

<p><b>Speed</b>: Nothing you've said indicates that you need to spend extra for higher-speed cards. You say you don't particularly care about download times. If you don't shoot bursts larger than the camera's buffer, you don't need a fast card for shooting stills. And for video, it's binary: either the card isn't fast enough (8 MB/s, or approximately 55x, according to the manual) and won't work for video, or it is fast enough and it will; an 80x card and an 800x card will perform exactly the same for video. So, for you, as long as your cards are fast enough for video, they're fast enough, and even entry-level products from name-brand manufacturers tend to be at least that fast these days.</p>

 

<p><b>Capacity</b>: Trying to guess how much capacity you need is always tricky, and video makes it trickier, since it's a space hog and it's hard to know how much video you'll be shooting. Doing some editing in camera (i.e. reviewing your pictures and deleting ones that are obviously not good) can save at least a bit of space (quite a bit if you're like me and manage to take a lot of bad shots). One option I've seen others recommend before for situations like yours is to consider dropping by an Internet cafe from time to time and using their equipment to burn files from your memory cards to CDs or DVDs. I haven't needed to do this so I can't make any more concrete suggestions about it, but it might be worth considering.</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>You could reconsider your decision not to take your laptop. Copying pictures to the laptop drive and even getting a 1 TB USB backup drive to go with the laptop (maybe $100.00) will be much less expensive than purchasing a bunch of memory cards.</p>

[phule]

<p>[[ One option I've seen others recommend before for situations like yours is to consider dropping by an Internet cafe from time to time and using their equipment to burn files from your memory cards to CDs or DVDs.]]</p>

<p>Or copying to a small USB-powered hard drive, which would be quicker. </p>

[rogernoel]

<p>Thank you all for your excellent input to my mundane question. Virtually every response brought me information. I have been doing this travel for a long time. At least 20 trips to Europe in the last 30 years. With our luggage, my Lowepro backpack, new Manfrotto tripod etc, I am reluctant to take a laptop or even small devices like the EPSON storage box. I do frequent the Internet Cafes and generally carry a couple blank CDs to accommodate some of my pictures. We will be in Germany and Austria most of the trip and I am hoping to take some movies of the Schuhplattlers, folk dancers. We will be going to many of the places we have gone to before, but you know when you get to Munich or Salzburg and see the same old views, you still want to try and improve on what you have shot before. <br>

So having said all of the above, I will tell you that I am gioing to buy two more 8 GB Sandisk Ultra CF cards. I will check out the Internet Cafes in Linz, Austria and likely copy some photos to CDs. The small villages are devoid of the Cafes, so one has to plan on doing that in a larger city. BTW, went on an 18 day cruise in March and took approximate 1800 pics plus one short movie shot. I had the same cards I have now except for the 16 GB card which is an off brand, and I am wary of it. It is a Transcend with UDMA. I just upgraded my Firmware to 1.25 because of that. I will continue to shoot in both RAW and JPEG. We took a cruise several years ago and I shot only in RAW. Took me a year to edit them. aaagh Thanks Again</p>

[phule]

<p>[[i will check out the Internet Cafes in Linz, Austria and likely copy some photos to CDs]]</p>

<p>CD's only hold 700MB of data. It will require 11 CD's for a single 8GB card. Are you really going to carry around all those CD's but balk at a laptop?<br>

If you're going to internet cafe's, and you really want to off-load the cards, you really would be better served by a simple USB hard drive: <br>

<a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148407">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148407</a></p>

<p> </p>

[rogernoel]

<p>Rob, I am sure glad I came back to this forum. Dummy me. I have a Western Digital, "My Passport" hooked up to my desk top. 835 GB free. It is about the size of a passport, albeit a bit thicker. That is my answer, your post. Wish I hadn't already ordered two more 8 GB cards, but I will tuck that little passport in my carry on bag, and I am all ready to go. Thank You very much. The last time I copied to CDs, my Canon Powershot 2 was my camera and there was no RAW there, Again TY. </p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Get inexpensive generic cards that just meet the specifications required for your camera. There is no advantage in getting a card that supports faster transfer speeds than your camera requires - they won't make your camera perform any differently. There is little or no evidence that "brand name" cards perform any differently than generic cards from reputable vendors.</p>

<p>If you plan to shoot onto many cards and not take a laptop, you are taking a certain risk with your photographs. You will have only the copies on the memory cards, and these are relatively easily lost or stolen. If I were in your shoes I'd probably bring something to transfer files to. There are quite a few options: you could bring that laptop, you could get the smallest and cheapest laptop you could find just for this purpose, you could get one of the small backup drive units that allow you to plug the card in and make backups to the hard drive.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[Stock-Photos]

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-CompactFlash-Memory-CF-16GB-S2/dp/B000Y16TY6">http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-CompactFlash-Memory-CF-16GB-S2/dp/B000Y16TY6</a></p>

[tom_boston1]

<p>J - Did you see the user reviews for that item? As many negative reviews complaining about failures as positive reviews. </p>

[robin_sibson1]

<p>Roger, please re-read my earlier post. So you have an entirely suitable USB drive. Just for once, I must shout:</p>

<p>HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TRANSFER INAGE FILES TO IT?</p>

<p>You cannot connect it to your camera because your camera does not have host USB. You cannot connect a card reader to it; these are both USB client devices, and neither has file system management capabilities anyhow. You need some sort of intermediate device with file management capabilities, and either one powered host USB port and enough spare memory for a card's worth of images, or two powered host USB ports. The PCs in an internet café might meet this requirement, unless for some reason USB has been disabled. Are you always going to be able to find an internet café when you need one? This is probably not what you are travelling to Europe for! Your laptop, which you understandably do not want to take, certainly would. As I suggested, a tablet would (subject to checking).</p>

<p>Incidentally, as others have said, copying to CDs at an internet café (assuming you can have access to an optical drive and burning software as well) is a seriously bad idea. Even DVDs hold only a bit more than 4GB, so you would need lots, and the whole process would be very slow. You might do a small experiment by weighing a pack of DVDs. In quantity, they are quite heavy and bulky, easily adding up to a small laptop.</p>

[markonestudios]

<p>To follow on Robin's excellent question, I propose you carry a card reader. I picked up a cheap Targus one at Walmart for under 10 bucks last time I was Stateside. It's about the size of a matchbox; very reliable and infinitely handy. That way you can transfer your images/videos at USB 2.0 speed directly to your portable HD while at the Internet cafe(s) without the need for special software.</p>

[rogernoel]

<p>Robin, I carry a Dazzle Card Reader wherever I go. I used it frequently with a computer on my last 18 day cruise. Believe me I know my camera doesn't have a USB port. As I said previously most Internet Cafes are found in larger ciites. My first six days of the trip will be at hotel in Garmisch, Germany which has a computer facility. The other 29 days I will probably have enough memory as I just ordered two more San Disk Ultra 8 GB cards. I believe I indicated that my last experience using CDs in Euorpe was right after the Canon Powershot 2 came out and the size of the shots were not large and there was no RAW. You sound like a very intense person, but I appreciate your concern and welcome any of your observations. </p>

[robert_young9]

<p>Probably too late but...<br>

Just for giggles I tried uploading a RAW file to Flickr (I have a pro account). Turns out you can't But you can upload JPGs upto 20MB in size. <br /><br />So, depending on your situation in the I-cafe, you could upload at least the JPGs to Flickr, tag them as private and then get them back at home. <br>

Another option, again depending on how the I-cafe works, is to use one of the online file storage companies to make copies of your RAW files and again, pull them down when you get home. At the very least you have backup copies of your SD cards.<br>

And a 3rd option is to set up your own fileserver that you can FTP into from anywhere. However this is probably beyond what you want to fool with. I'm lucky in that I have permission to use our fileserver at work for such purposes so long as I promise to clean up after myself ASAP once I return from a vacation. My boss did this from New Zealand, China and India and it worked great.<br>

If the I-cafe has a relatively slow connection or is going to charge you per byte instead of per minute then this isn't really a good option. Transfering to DVDs and mailing them to yourself or a trusted party back in the states would mean you don't need to drag them around with you.</p>