5D mk II - Best CF cards and best place to buy now!

AnimalRights

I don't own a CC but my friend is gonna let me use theirs.
So I know there was a thread before but that was not with the 5D mk II in mind.
I'd love to have the Mem cards in place for when the Cam arrives.

PixelTrawler

Think I've read in a few places that you'll need a UDMA card for shooting HD video as it just wont be able to write fast enough otherwise.

Supposedly not the cheapest. One test reviewer mentioned he couldnt test the video as he'd no UDMA card. I know lexar make them.

Just checked here too - MemoryC are memory specialists http://www.memoryc.com/compactflashcardcf.html

Theres such a range there its hard to know where to start. I've used them before - quick to deliver and cheap (Irish too AFAIK).

Edit - think a lot of that list is out of stock but always worth firing an email to them

AnimalRights

Why I posted here, so many diff cards/specs, I too read what you heard but I wouldn't dare dream of ordering til I got proper help from here.

PixelTrawler

Could be an expensive mistake alright!

I have heard Lexars are good but its hard to find a retailer googling there.

As in these very ones http://www.lexar.com/digfilm/cf_udma.html

PaulieC

Solyad wrote: »

Think I've read in a few places that you'll need a UDMA card for shooting HD video as it just wont be able to write fast enough otherwise.

Supposedly not the cheapest. One test reviewer mentioned he couldnt test the video as he'd no UDMA card. I know lexar make them.

Just checked here too - MemoryC are memory specialists http://www.memoryc.com/compactflashcardcf.html

Theres such a range there its hard to know where to start. I've used them before - quick to deliver and cheap (Irish too AFAIK).

Edit - think a lot of that list is out of stock but always worth firing an email to them

memory specialists. Riiiiight! I was at their stand at the Big Boys Toys in the RDS and I asked them about UDMA cards and they hadn't a clue what I was talking about. Between two of them, they worked out that I wanted Lexar cards, not UDMA, because I was confused. Needless to say I got out of there pretty quick!

PixelTrawler

Really... were these the same guys that used to be Shop4Memory - (even though that site still seems to exist...)

Maybe they just had a a pair of dumbasses at the show?

AnimalRights

As far as I know I need the CF UDMA 45 write speed.

dakar

Sandisk Extreme IV or Ducati series or Lexar pro from mymemory.co.uk or 7dayshop.com although there are others out there.

PixelTrawler

Those lexars linked above should do it then

"300x (45MB/sec)" Damn expensive though I think

The 4 gig one is $60 in b&h and I cant find a euro price

minikin

this is what you want

PixelTrawler

Moving up to a 5D mkII is getting pricey!

minikin

animal, if you're on a mac it would be well worth getting the lexar pro firewire cf card reader (they operate at firewire 800 speeds now, much better sustained write speeds than usb)

AnimalRights

Windows.

The 16gb is too large a card and at the moment I'm looking at a choice of
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Compact-Flash-Cards/SanDisk/SanDisk-Extreme-Ducati-Edition-Compact-Flash-Cards
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Compact-Flash-Cards/Lexar/Lexar-300X-Professional-UDMA-Compact-Flash-Cards
Lexar is cheaper.

Ricky91t

AnimalRights wrote: »

As far as I know I need the CF UDMA 45 write speed.

Are you sure you need it?
I can't see you needing a great CF card,like it's only 4fps or something?Write speeds won't be needed that much..

AnimalRights

I already film bands if you check my sig, so obviously I wanna see how the vid is on this.
Having 1 good card will be nice, if I'm not mad about the video the future cards will be the normal ones.

AnimalRights

Fairly sure I'll go with the Lexar as they're 40% off and work out twenty sterling per card cheaper.
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Compact-Flash-Cards/Lexar/Lexar-300X-Professional-UDMA-Compact-Flash-Cards

/balls out of stock, ffs

//edit
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_6&products_id=104154
Looks like this one from here.

/// doesn't say UDMA on them.

//// although from other sites it does indeed support UDMA

minikin

animal,

there are three secret rules to buying memory cards

1. buy as large and as fast a card as you can afford
2. buy as high a quality card as you can afford
3. there is no third rule (that's all part of the secrecy fun)

Get the lexar 16gb... nothing to do with the fps on the camera.
The last thing you want is to buy a card that your camera can't write to quickly enough to clear the cache - particularly important when shooting raw where you have large file sizes.

For instance, last year I invested in sdhc to work alongside my cf cards as adual write setup (instant backups when shooting) First card i got was a lexar 4gb sdhc 133x. Worked perfectly (faster than cf cards I had etc)
I then made the mistake of buying an 8gb sdhc sandisk extreme 3, big mistake, unlike the lexar I can be left waiting for 30 seconds while it writes a series of shots to clear the buffer... reminded me of the old days when you got caught changing film in the middle of a shoot on a 35mm.

Get the lexar, you won't regret it - you can never have too much capacity on a card.

minikin

sorry, forgetting about single card land... but proper formatting and usage (not deleting until you've transferred & backed up on mac/pc) of a top quality card (lexar have a massive reputation going back years) will ensure you don't lose any images. I bought the sandisk because it got great reviews, however, I lost some images on it (thank god I had the other copy on the cf). Was very disappointed with it (it is a genuine card from a reputable dealer, checked with sandisk site), no longer use it in the camera... you can't go wrong with top quality materials... lexar only from now on for me, the minimal price differential is a false economy.

minikin

1Ds Mk2

Biro

minikin wrote: »

sorry, forgetting about single card land... but proper formatting and usage (not deleting until you've transferred & backed up on mac/pc) of a top quality card (lexar have a massive reputation going back years) will ensure you don't lose any images. I bought the sandisk because it got great reviews, however, I lost some images on it (thank god I had the other copy on the cf). Was very disappointed with it (it is a genuine card from a reputable dealer, checked with sandisk site), no longer use it in the camera... you can't go wrong with top quality materials... lexar only from now on for me, the minimal price differential is a false economy.

Funny, I've the exact opposite experience. A few Sandisk cards later and never a problem. One Lexar card and constant image write errors in both the 350d and Ixus 500 (long in the tooth now!!). Lost images from it and after numerous reformats I gave it to someone for use in an MP3 player, where it has been sound. Never bought Lexar since.

minikin

the funny thing is... they're probably all made on the same production line in the same factory by the same robot... it's all a matter of which sticker you have most faith in

AnimalRights

memory place was out of stock so ordered the 8gb from 7day place and the feckers sent an email this morn saying out of stock!
:mad:
Anyone know where else I can get the Ducati or equivalent from?

As for the eggs and basket I agree with that, one of the few jobs I got in the summer was of a christening and the poxy card went corrupt on me.

LeoB

Have you tried ajpurdy.co.uk. I have got some stuff from them and found them quite helpful to deal with. Also calumet in Belfast. Think there prices are in $ U.S on their website

SemperFidelis

Video works fine at full resolution with a sandisk extreme III card. UDMA not required.