Memory Cards, 4 GB v 2GB x2

TheCaveman

Hi all,

Looking for a memory card for the Canon 40D

I decided to go with the

Sandisk 4GB Compact Flash Extreme III

but I heard someware it is better to get 2 Sandisk 2GB Compact Flash Extreme III

1 4GB is €17 cheaper than 2 2Gb cards, but money does not matter here.

Any Ideas?

Is this a good card?

Thank you.

oshead

If money is no object. The general rule of thumb here is faster and bigger. I bought the Sandisk 4GB Compact Flash Extreme IV in Manchester a while back. Cost a fair bit. But the price should've come down a bit in 6 months.

City-Exile

Don't mind the people who tell you that.
It's all the anti eggs in one basket brigade.
I've got a few 4GB cards (Sandisk Extreme IV/Transcend x266)
For 40D, with 6.5 fps and high burst rate, you'd want minimum of 4GB.

Get two. They're cheap as chips!

rymus

same here.. have a couple of 4gb extreme 3's and a 4gb ultra 2 and theyve never caused any problems.. also have a few 1gbs and 2gb's but they dont get as much use anymore

get the 4gb!

TheCaveman

OK, so, how about this, is speed a big issue,

What would you buy?

Sandisk EXTREME IV CF 2GB

or

Sandisk 4GB Compact Flash Extreme III

oshead

Depends on the style of you're photography and to some extent the size of the cameras internal memory buffer. Personally I'd go 2gb faster. I have a fast moving child and she's nearly impossible to shoot. So I need a high burst rate from the camera.

countryjimbo

Its funny there's a similar thread every year and the size always doubles.

Last year the choice was 2gb v 1gb x2, bet you it'll be at least 8gb v 4gb x2 next year!

As for all your eggs in one basket, no matter how many cards you have a particular picture will only be one of them! Go for a card that is big enough for right now, you'll probably buy one twice the size next year for the same price or lower!

7Day Shop have some great deals at the moment. I got my last card of them 6 months ago and its even cheaper now!

Paulw

All my current cards are Sandisk Extreme IV cards. I have 2gb and 4gb cards. My camera is the 40D.

I find that many other make cards are slower to write to (unless they are very high speed cards). If you need a very very high rate of fire from the 40D then you will need a high speed card.

There are a few different arguments for using 2gb over 4gb. One is that if you have 2x2gb then you have half the chance of a card failing. The other is that in most cases, the write time to a 2gb is slightly quicker than the write time to a 4gb. Will you notice the difference?? Probably not is the honest answer.

Go back and look at your budget. If you can afford it, and really need the extra speed buy the extreme IV cards. If you don't need that high speed but think you'll be taking a lot of shots, then buy the 4gb card rather than 2x2gb.

Best of luck, whatever you buy.

City-Exile

You can't beat Transcend x266

Bryan1

Another factor to think about is what formatt you shoot in. If you shoot strictly RAW then the 4GB card hands down.

If your shooting jpg then you maybe be able to get away with 2gb and go with a faster write speed.

Just a thought.

Roen

Check out Rob Galbraith's site, he does a pretty mean and exhaustive review of loads of cards in loads of cameras.

No point in shelling for a card that will take info faster than your camera can write to it.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007
Unfortunately he doesn't have a test done on the 40D yet but bookmark it and check back.

I'd be inclined to go for two 4Gb cards though, or 8Gb ones if you can afford.
Try Picstop.co.uk, good prices on CF, although they can probably be got cheaper elsewhere.

Borderfox

all 2gb for me

Masada

I have a few 2GB and 1GB cards and im happy with that, I have left cards in my laptop a few times and forgot to put them back in the camera but luckily having a few means theres always one available instead of going out somewhere and being stuck with no memory.,

Shiny

I have 1,2,4 gig Compact Flash cards.

The 4 gig is a Extreme 4 card. The card is faster than the
camera can actually write to the card but I didn't get it
for camera speed but the speed of getting the photos from
the card onto my PC.

If anything happens with the card I can just use the supplied
recovery software.

I never use the smaller cards now unless the 4 gig fills up.:rolleyes:

Thirdfox

Poor me stuck with 1gb cards I've never managed to fill up the card in one day of shooting (around 400 photos). If I do - I just get the card from my phone (SD) and stick it into the camera... The card is faster than my D40 so nothing to worry about on the speed front

feileacan

kinda agree with everyone else, i have 1x4gb and 2x2gb, always use the 4gb one and use the other two as back ups. the price of 8gb is coming down as well (1x8gb or 2x4gb???)

caveman, buy online if you can, the shops here rip you off silly.

i recommend mymemory.co.uk but i suppose theres lots of online retailers now - wouldnt recommend cards from ebay though.

templeathea

I've taken to shooting RAW + jpeg so I use an 8Gb which is great. I don't shoot sports regularly but have yet to find that the card can't cope with the camera (d80) or indeed that the camera can't cope with the operator