Recommended memory card for a 10D

[john clark]

Hi folks.

 

I plan to buy a 10D soon. Can anyone let me know whether a 1Gb IBM

MIcrodrive is the best thing in terms of performance and price as

compared to other compatible 1Gb storage options for the 10D. I'm

completely new to digital cameras, so haven't had any experiences

with either (though I'm a long-time EOS user).

 

I'm especially interested in a card which has relative longevity and

resistance to airport scanners, and high reliability.

 

The first assignment of the 10D will be a wedding in Seattle - many

thousands of miles from home, and though I'll also bring my Contax G2

plus lenses, I'd like to be able to produce at least some good shots

with the new camera, using the G2 as a backup and/or for the higher

quality formal stuff. So basically I won't be able to 'offload' the

images onto PC until I return to Scotland, so they'll have to be safe

in the storage card until I return.

 

Lastly, I take it 1Gb is plenty to be starting with? From what I've

read the 1Gb cards can hold a few hundred fine quality images - but

that's what I've read - can anyone confirm using *actual* in-the-

field experiences?

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

John

[todd_macdonald]

I'm more a fan of solid state...CF in this case. No issues with scanners (unless someone has seen something different)

 

Lexar 512MB 40Xx Professional (WA) Compact Flash is what I have and probaby one of the most popular. As for size, my pref is a couple 512s vs a 1 gig. I'd prefer to have a fall back.

 

You can also go down a pretty deep rat hole in terms of actual read/write times so be careful there. It has been my experiences that RLT (real life testing) makes most of those differernces hard to detect. You should also search the site as this is/was a hot topic. ie. www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=004flR

 

One last thing, this stuff changes almost monthly (price/capacity) be aware. fwiw - 512 card on my 10D (estimated by camera)

Large Fine JPEG - 177

Med Fine JPEG - 336

Raw 70

 

Happy Hunting

[tim_morshead]

My advice would be to buy a fast solid state card. My 1Gb 32x speed lexar card cost £250. This is a faster and intrinsically more robust solution than a microdrive (assuming you don't get a dud card), yet it costs only about £70-80 more.

 

I can confirm that my 1Gb card holds roughly 409 Large/Fine JPEG images at ISO100. But the capacity depends heavily on ISO speed, dropping to about 230-240 images at ISO3200.

[stefanovandelli]

I wouldn't shoot anything as critical as a wedding in any other way than RAW. This won't leave you with many images on 1gb.

[rob de la selva]

I use a 1 gig microdrive with my 10D, = about 130 shots in RAW, which I would always shoot with when possible.

It's not nearly as much storage space as I thought it would be - i shoot a LOT more with digital than I did with film.

 

I carry two smaller solid state cards with me as well for backup and extra storage space.

 

I'm finding it easy to shoot 2 Gig+ in a day. Access speeds have not been a big issue.

 

You can fit around 300 JPEGS on the 1 gig microdrive - switching to JPEG is a useful option if you are running low on 'film' and can't download to a laptop - I imagine this would be hard during the middle of a wedding ceremony!

[john clark]

Thanks everyone.

 

As I've mentioned above, I'll be shooting a wedding in Seattle and I'll have my trusty G2 (probably loaded with Tri-X) as well.

 

If I spring for a 1Gb device - probably a fast card as many have advised - that still does't buy me too many RAW shots (again, as advised). However, there's absolutely no possibility of me bringing a laptop to the states - I have one, but it's far too heavy and valuable (not materially but in terms of my work) to bring.

 

So, that said, can someone recommend anywhere in Seattle which will happily copy the contents of a memory card onto CDR for a sensible price? Also if they can do very high quality prints that would be good too.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[jim_larson1]

Are you shooting professionally or personally? If I was shooting professionally, I would not bet the farm on a *single* CF card, or even a single camera.

 

You should be able to find a Pro shop that will be able to print JPEGS direct from the card: Be surprised if they can handle RAW.

 

Another issue will be photoshop: Most photos need *something* post processing to look their best. Are you SURE you can't bring your laptop? Personally, I find my work laptop is an essential part of my travelling camera kit.

 

Just a semi-off topic thought: How much are cheap laptops these days? Given that a CF card is on order of $100 for 512MB, a $1000 laptop may not be out of the question. . . (remember: You are spending a $1200 premium for a digital Elan-7. . . .)

[john clark]

Hi Jim,

 

Well, my wife is professional and will be doing the majority of the photography, with me helping. Saying that, it's not a professional gig - it's some friends' wedding and we're obviously doing it as a sort of gift. I know, I know, that's a hidden minefield in itself, but that's the deal.

 

Anyway, as we're making the trip into a holiday we have to worry about baggage allowances, etc., for our flights and my laptop (a rather heavy Dell Inspiron with a big 1600x1200 screen plus a heavy leather case) is both too bulky and too heavy to be worth bringing. If it boils down to it, we'd rather shoot film than have to compromise our holiday. However, I've kinda justified the purchase of my first digital camera on the premise of (a) cheaper prices, (b) opportunity, and © on-the-job feedback just in case.

 

The backup camera will be a film camera, and the M7 stays at home as 10 shots per 120 film is a nuisance in wedding situations...

 

A grey market camera would be ideal - but would either of the big Seattle stores carry such a camera?

 

John

[derek_linney]

John,

 

My standard kit is 2 x 512MB CF cards + 2 x 256MB Cards. As said in earlier posts you will get about 70 Raw+SmallJPEG images on a 512MB card. I use slower (cheaper) cards - the Lexar 12X - and they are fine.

<p>

One option to the laptop issue is to buy a portable disk unit like the Image Tank that will read CF cards and give 20/30GB storage.

(e.g. http://www.digitalfirst.co.uk/ProductS.asp?cat=Media%20Products&Manuf=Storage)

[jay_.]

I picked up a reconditioned 30GB Digital Wallet from www.mindsatwork.net for $175 a while ago. I have a 1GB Microdrive but it lives in my Coolpix 5000 which sh*ts out 16MB TIFF files at maximum resolution. In my D60 I use a couple of used 512 CF cards (one Lexar, one Sandisk)and a couple of 128's I've had for a while. When they're full I can just offload them to the Digital Wallet and get back to shooting.

[doug_lee__cinnaminson__nj]

Another vote for CF cards. I use 512mb 16x cards. 16x is more than adequate. I wouldn't spend a premium for faster cards.

 

Regardless of what you decide, I'd have more than one card.

[patricks]

Get 1 Lexar Pro 32x 1 gig card for $299 at B&H, get a second one and you get $50 in mail-in rebate. Otherwise get a 512mb card as a back up.

 

Cheers,

[dloose]

I started with a basic Sandisk 1 GB card, but upgraded to Lexar 1GB 32x Pro once I figured out they had a 'speed' that might matter. Unfortunately, I can't really tell any difference... 1 GB card reports 409 shots available when empty.

 

Good luck with your shoot, pay attention to the settings that they don't get bumped accidentally! I shot a bunch at the wrong WB and wrong Exposure mode....

[citizensmith1664875108]

"there's absolutely no possibility of me bringing a laptop to the states - I have one, but it's far too heavy and valuable (not materially but in terms of my work) to bring."

 

That's a scary statement, I've seen too many computers go toes up. You need to back stuff up well enough that there would be no loss were you to accidentally back your F150 truck over your laptop as a colleague managed to do.

 

But your probably already backing up regularly and I'm just misinterpreting your statement.

[hans_eckelman]

OK, I realize I am going against the grain here, but I've had better luck with the microdrives than I have with solid state cards. I've tried several brands and speeds of CF cards and they've all pretty much worked the same. The trouble is I've had three CF cards go bad on me and I've also experienced some issues with the CF cards that I have yet to experience with the Microdrive.

 

I've used only name brand CF cards and have noticed that my shooting gets interrupted once in a while when the camera is writing to the card. At first I thought this was just a fluke and that I just never noticed the delay when using the microdrive. After some further testing I discovered that it wasn't a fluke and that the camera would have to pause once in a while to finish writing on a CF card, but never with a microdrive.

 

I have since gotten rid of all my CF cards except one 512mb card as a backup. Otherwise I have three 1GB microdrives that have never given me a lick of trouble.

[chip l.]

According to this site:

 

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-6111

 

There isn't too much of a speed difference right now for the later memory cards on the 10D. That being said, it probably is a better choice to get a faster card for the long term.

 

If you go with 512mb cards, there are a couple CD-R writers that have come to market to be able to write CD's on the run. See:

 

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/disc_steno.html

[chip l.]

Another thought would be to get a Canon SLR film body as your backup. This way you have less gear to lug around.

[fotografz]

John, have you shot a wedding with digital before? With digital

you have to make a committment, or it's better to stick with film.

 

With film you are committing to 36 images per roll. One roll gets

screwed up and you're still in decent shape. Drop a Microdrive

just once, and kiss 80+ RAW images goodby. CF Cards also

can act up as pointed out by a poster above. My buddy shoots for

the Gov. of Michigan. He has had 2 Lexar CF cards fail on him in

2 months. Neither were recoverable.

 

The only solution is to PAY ATTENTION to how the cards are

performing. The second I notice anything wierd, I change the

card IMMEDIATELY!

 

I'd suggest at least four 512meg cards, which need not be high

write speeds for your purpose. (less expensive). And the Digital

Wallet is a good idea, IF you can teach your wife to load a full

card while you continue shooting with the other ones. Trust me,

there just isn't time to do all that at a wedding.

[richard thompson www.fotoz]

1GB Microdrive will hold around 450 shots of largest and finest Jpg at 100 ISO. Microdrive works out to be the cheapest for mb/£ (Cheapest place I've found is here : http://www.jetmedia.co.uk/microdrive.htm - about £140.)

 

However I agree - they are not going to be as reliable as CF due to moving parts... mine rattles when I shake it lightly !

[william_le]

If you�re shooting a wedding, have three or four 512MB High speed Flash cards. The Microdrve is an actual harddrive and the FC's are memory. Microdrives can fail. At least with 3-4 FC's you have others to rely on if one fails. FC's have known to write faster as well.