SD Cards

[Bellakelpie]

(I hope this is the right Forum for this topic.)

Are there any differences (besides capacity) between the plethora of SD card brands on the market? (Is "Brand X" better than "Brand Y"?)

Are there any duds that should be avoided?

[kerrowdown]

Another big difference is the physical speed of the card, i.e. how fast it can write (record) the image.

If your images are important to you, like mine are to me, buy the best you can afford.

Professional quality cards like Sandisk Extreme III are relatively cheap now, I would suggest using the 4gb size, so not all your "eggs are in one basket", should things ever go pearshaped.

[Bellakelpie]

Wise words from the land of my ancestors. Thank you kerrodown, your advice makes sense.

I can get a good deal on a Kodak 4 gb SDHC card. Just got to locate a reliable card reader.

While searching around the net, I also found advice that Sandisk are making cards for Fuji, marketed under the "Fujifilm" banner. Wouldn't suprise me if they also make the aforementioned Kodak card.

[reeftool]

I have never had a bad card. I only buy the bigger "name brands" and get them from retail stores. San Disk, Lexar, and PNY are all good. I have used all three with good results. Most of the complaints I have read about in the forum are bargain cards from online sellers. I know everybody wants to save a buck but SD cards are cheap enough retail. I just bought a 2 pack of high speed PNY Ultra 4GB for 19.95 and the store I bought them from will exchange them if they are defective.

[SpecialK]

I have used SanDisk Ultra II's, Lexar Platinum (60X), Kingston and Transcend Class 6 all without incident.

[Bellakelpie]

The SanDisk range is very plentiful and very reasonably priced as you say. Thank you to all.

Bought a card reader today and used it to clear the 830 or so unwanted images out of my wife's Pentax M30 Optio.

[keith.s]

Transcend SDHC Class6 8GB cards are cheaper than chips on Amazon. I'm not sure if I'm missing something by not getting the Sandisk Ultra/Extreme. No complaints yet with the 2 x 8GB Transcends. Personally I dont't think our Pentaxes can really take advantage of the high speed cards

[Bellakelpie]

You are probably right keith. Since they can take both SD and SDHC cards, logically it would appear that they write down at SD speed, as there is no option selection in the camera software menus.

And for those interested. LEXAR make Kodak branded SD cards.

[Tom S.]

Right now, there are a bunch of fake cards being peddled, especially on ebay. Stick with the brands listed above, and buy only from a trusted vendor. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is!

I have bought several Transcend 16GB class 6 cards from Newegg and have been very happy with them.

Be forewarned: if your computer card reader is more than a year old, you will most likely need a new card reader to read any SDHC card. Some cards come with the readers.

[Ratmagiclady]

Originally Posted by Tom S.

Right now, there are a bunch of fake cards being peddled, especially on ebay. Stick with the brands listed above, and buy only from a trusted vendor. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is!

I have bought several Transcend 16GB class 6 cards from Newegg and have been very happy with them.

Be forewarned: if your computer card reader is more than a year old, you will most likely need a new card reader to read any SDHC card. Some cards come with the readers.

Tom's got it there, it's the fake cards of major brands that are the real worry. (And the bigger the brand, more likely someone fakes it, say, Sandisk. Careful where you buy those. There's safety in numbers there.

And, Tom, I was a little suspicious about if my little card reader can handle SDHC. I presume there's no harm in trying?

[Ratmagiclady]

Originally Posted by keith.s

Transcend SDHC Class6 8GB cards are cheaper than chips on Amazon. I'm not sure if I'm missing something by not getting the Sandisk Ultra/Extreme. No complaints yet with the 2 x 8GB Transcends. Personally I dont't think our Pentaxes can really take advantage of the high speed cards

While keeping an eye on the market in recent years, I'd gotten the impression that what write speed a card could accept has come to matter rather less as in-camera buffers get bigger. It's getting so one'd have to do the equivalent of leaning on a 5fps winder for near half a roll before it even slows down... expecting decent photos like that isn't in my universe in the first place.

[Bellakelpie]

Another good point Tom, re the age of the reader.
But I am lucky in sone ways in that my computer is "steam powered" and doesn't even have a DVD burner, let alone a card reader.
(However it is not as old as my Spotmatics, ha ha)

So I have had to buy a modern external SD/SDHC reader.

[Tom S.]

Originally Posted by Ratmagiclady

And, Tom, I was a little suspicious about if my little card reader can handle SDHC. I presume there's no harm in trying?

No, it won't hurt a thing - it just won't read it and you'll then know for sure you need an updated reader. Card readers are cheap, in fact Transcend was giving them away free with their cards (I don't know if they still do). I bought one that plugs into a USB port, while traveling for around $12 that reads multiple different types of cards including the HC.

[Tom S.]

Originally Posted by Bellakelpie

Another good point Tom, re the age of the reader.
But I am lucky in sone ways in that my computer is "steam powered" and doesn't even have a DVD burner, let alone a card reader.
(However it is not as old as my Spotmatics, ha ha)

So I have had to buy a modern external SD/SDHC reader.

Holy cow! Your monitor doesn't say "Etch-A-Sketch" on it does it?

[Bellakelpie]

Originally Posted by Tom S.

Holy cow! Your monitor doesn't say "Etch-A-Sketch" on it does it?

Not quite. It is an upgraded model of the model used by a guy called Noah, to navigate a big wooden boat around eons ago. (lol)

Just bought a USB port card reader from a local electronics store. It works just fine on my ancient, wheezing P.C.