Has anyone tried Sandisk Extreme Pro (45Mbyte/s) cards on the K-5

Christine Tham · 03-01-2011, 04:07 PM

LOL - due to falling memory card prices, I paid less for the Extreme Pro than for a class 6 card several years ago.

A fast card makes a huge difference in 7fps mode - the Extreme makes 7fps usable for me - there's nothing more frustrating than being locked out of that perfect shot just because the camera is writing writing writing ...

XMACHINA · 03-01-2011, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by qtopplings

Seems like a waste of money to me. It's more than 5X the price of a class 10 card. I've never had a problem with video or the buffer with a standard card, and can wait a second or two if I really tax the card. I guess if you really need it for your job, then it would be worth it.

Several days ago, I was confronted with the following choice:

Sandisk Extreme III 16GB Class 10 (30MB/s) for $72.79
Amazon.com: SanDisk 16gb Extreme 30MB/s Edition SDHC High Performance Card: Electronics

or

Sandisk Extreme Pro Class 1 16GB (45MB/s) for $70.64 (currently priced at $69.70)
Amazon.com: SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro - SDHC - UHS Speed Class 1 - High Performance memory card (SDSDXP1-016G-X46, Retail Packaging) - NEW 45MB/s version: Electronics

creampuff · 03-01-2011, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

I shoot a lot at 7fps and like the buffer to clear as quickly as possible. The Extreme was a lot better than my previous Class 6 card - I'm hoping to get a bit extra with the Extreme Pro.

I set my camera to 7 fps too but while I can understand the advantage of a quicker card (I use the Sandisk Extreme III) I've never needed to blaze away more than a half dozen frames at a go at a time. The bigger advantage to me with a quicker card is transfer speed of my images to the computer. But if money is no object, then by all means go with this latest premium offering from Sandisk.

Christine Tham · 03-01-2011, 06:52 PM

Originally posted by creampuff

But if money is no object, then by all means go with this latest premium offering from Sandisk.

Given I don't have a regular income, any cost is very much objectionable ...

However, I'm finding the same experience as XMACHINA - I paid slightly less for the Extreme Pro compared to the Extreme which I bought a few weeks ago. And I bought it from a reputable store, not an ebay seller.

As for 7fps, yes it's important to go easy on that shutter button, and allow time for the buffer to empty between bursts. However, there will always be the risk of missing out at the worst possible moment.

Christine Tham · 03-01-2011, 08:26 PM - **1 Like**

Okay, here's my test results

Camera in ISO 100, Daylight WB, manual focus, continuous hi-speed mode (7fps)

Kept holding the shutter down until the buffer filled completely, and the camera no longer was able to maintain 7fps. Start timer. Stop timer when the yellow writing light stops.

PQI Class 6 16GB: 54 secs
Sandisk Extreme 16GB: 22 secs
Sandisk Extreme Pro 16GB: 23 secs

So there you have it - the Extreme Pro has no improvement over the Extreme on the K-5.

A bit disappointed, but at least I paid 10% less for the Extreme Pro than for the Extreme.

Smeggypants · 03-01-2011, 09:21 PM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

Given I don't have a regular income, any cost is very much objectionable ...

However, I'm finding the same experience as XMACHINA - I paid slightly less for the Extreme Pro compared to the Extreme which I bought a few weeks ago. And I bought it from a reputable store, not an ebay seller.

As for 7fps, yes it's important to go easy on that shutter button, and allow time for the buffer to empty between bursts. However, there will always be the risk of missing out at the worst possible moment.

This is the dilemma. I do a lot of Drive By Shooting™ and sometimes it relies upon a fast frame rate. There's nothing worse than shooting off a 7fps burst only to be confronted moments later with the best scene ever and the camera won't take a pic because it's still clearing it's buffer to the card.

I know you have me on ignore but can't help peeking Christine

xx

qtopplings · 03-02-2011, 12:10 AM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

Okay, here's my test results

Camera in ISO 100, Daylight WB, manual focus, continuous hi-speed mode (7fps)

Kept holding the shutter down until the buffer filled completely, and the camera no longer was able to maintain 7fps. Start timer. Stop timer when the yellow writing light.

Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card.

Jimfear · 03-02-2011, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by qtopplings

Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card.

You know, I do actually think that different people have different ways of doing things.

So if you can't see a reason why you'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. Maybe someone else can.

EDIT. Christine, did you also check that the two cards got an equal number of shots in the series before the buffer was full? I can imagine that it one card had just finished writhing a photo to the card when the buffer got full it would take longer for it to empty than the other card if that was actually a little slower, but was just about to finish writing a shot to the card when the buffer hit full. The faster card would then in my hypothesis write one extra shot.

30v iPentax · 03-02-2011, 02:16 AM

En minäkään tällaiseen huuha juttuihin rahoja pistä. 32 SD 10 saa melkein ilmateeksi ja on tällähetkellä markkinoiden paras. Itse käytän tälaista ja varmasti pelaa kaikissa tilanteissa.

RonHendriks1966 · 03-02-2011, 02:21 AM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

PQI Class 6 16GB: 54 secs
Sandisk Extreme 16GB: 22 secs
Sandisk Extreme Pro 16GB: 23 secs

Wow that is indeed no improvement. Maybe it is just the system (PRIME II, bus and writespeedoptions) that limits you.

Did you look how many MB's the files in total where? Just a differens in 1 extra shot in the burst would make this calculation turning out otherwise.

I'm expecting it to be some 400 MB in total filesize if 18MB/s is the max writespeed.

Edvinas · 03-02-2011, 02:49 AM

Originally posted by qtopplings

Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card.

So why did you buy a camera that can do more than 10 images in a row?

Christine Tham · 03-02-2011, 02:53 AM

Sorry, I didn't count the number of photos and I have reformatted the cards.

I did try the test several times and the results are pretty consistent.

I also tried a different test, where I counted the time from buffer full to when the instant playback display came on - this came out to 16 secs for Extreme Pro, 17 secs for Extreme.

So maybe the Extreme Pro is slightly faster and taking 1 extra photo?

Anyway, the differences are pretty minimal so I would suggest if you already have an Extreme card don't bother upgrading.

I'm also suspicious about the pricing of the Extreme Pros at slightly cheaper than the Extremes. Maybe there's a problem with them and they are not as fast as Sandisk claim?

Unfortunately since they have just been released there aren't any reviews online - I haven't seen any benchmarks that verify the claimed performance.

Edvinas · 03-02-2011, 02:53 AM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

That just means the K-5 does not have the UHS-I 4-bit transfer mode, which allows up to 104MB/s.

Standard 1-bit transfer mode allows up to 25 MB/s - but many cards fall short of this theoretical transfer speed.

Does anyone know if this UHS-I mode requires some hardware modifications or is it implemented purely in firmware?

**merengue** · 03-02-2011, 05:23 AM

Does anyone know the difference between Extreme Pros SanDisk SDSDXP1-008G-A75 and SanDisk SDSDXP1-008G-X46? Both have similiar description and look the same. SanDisk only has the A75 in their web page.

Earl

kenyee · 03-02-2011, 08:51 AM

I'm fairly certain the K-5 is bandwidth limited internally...way back, I remember Pentax saying a Class 6 card was all that was needed for the K-7.
That said, there was a noticeable difference between an Extreme III and a Transcend Class 6 (the best bang for buck a while back), even on a K20D...

03-01-2011, 05:58 PM	#17
XMACHINA Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 75	Actually... Originally posted by qtopplings Seems like a waste of money to me. It's more than 5X the price of a class 10 card. I've never had a problem with video or the buffer with a standard card, and can wait a second or two if I really tax the card. I guess if you really need it for your job, then it would be worth it. Several days ago, I was confronted with the following choice: Sandisk Extreme III 16GB Class 10 (30MB/s) for $72.79 Amazon.com: SanDisk 16gb Extreme 30MB/s Edition SDHC High Performance Card: Electronics or Sandisk Extreme Pro Class 1 16GB (45MB/s) for $70.64 (currently priced at $69.70) Amazon.com: SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro - SDHC - UHS Speed Class 1 - High Performance memory card (SDSDXP1-016G-X46, Retail Packaging) - NEW 45MB/s version: Electronics

03-02-2011, 01:06 AM	#23
Jimfear Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 576	Originally posted by qtopplings Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card. You know, I do actually think that different people have different ways of doing things. So if you can't see a reason why you'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. Maybe someone else can. EDIT. Christine, did you also check that the two cards got an equal number of shots in the series before the buffer was full? I can imagine that it one card had just finished writhing a photo to the card when the buffer got full it would take longer for it to empty than the other card if that was actually a little slower, but was just about to finish writing a shot to the card when the buffer hit full. The faster card would then in my hypothesis write one extra shot. Last edited by Jimfear; 03-02-2011 at 01:14 AM.

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03-01-2011, 04:07 PM	#16
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269 Original Poster	LOL - due to falling memory card prices, I paid less for the Extreme Pro than for a class 6 card several years ago. A fast card makes a huge difference in 7fps mode - the Extreme makes 7fps usable for me - there's nothing more frustrating than being locked out of that perfect shot just because the camera is writing writing writing ...

03-01-2011, 06:07 PM	#18
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	Originally posted by Christine Tham I shoot a lot at 7fps and like the buffer to clear as quickly as possible. The Extreme was a lot better than my previous Class 6 card - I'm hoping to get a bit extra with the Extreme Pro. I set my camera to 7 fps too but while I can understand the advantage of a quicker card (I use the Sandisk Extreme III) I've never needed to blaze away more than a half dozen frames at a go at a time. The bigger advantage to me with a quicker card is transfer speed of my images to the computer. But if money is no object, then by all means go with this latest premium offering from Sandisk.

03-01-2011, 06:52 PM	#19
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269 Original Poster	Originally posted by creampuff But if money is no object, then by all means go with this latest premium offering from Sandisk. Given I don't have a regular income, any cost is very much objectionable ... However, I'm finding the same experience as XMACHINA - I paid slightly less for the Extreme Pro compared to the Extreme which I bought a few weeks ago. And I bought it from a reputable store, not an ebay seller. As for 7fps, yes it's important to go easy on that shutter button, and allow time for the buffer to empty between bursts. However, there will always be the risk of missing out at the worst possible moment.

03-01-2011, 08:26 PM - 1 Like	#20
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269 Original Poster	Okay, here's my test results Camera in ISO 100, Daylight WB, manual focus, continuous hi-speed mode (7fps) Kept holding the shutter down until the buffer filled completely, and the camera no longer was able to maintain 7fps. Start timer. Stop timer when the yellow writing light stops. PQI Class 6 16GB: 54 secs Sandisk Extreme 16GB: 22 secs Sandisk Extreme Pro 16GB: 23 secs So there you have it - the Extreme Pro has no improvement over the Extreme on the K-5. A bit disappointed, but at least I paid 10% less for the Extreme Pro than for the Extreme.

03-01-2011, 09:21 PM	#21
Smeggypants Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,536	Originally posted by Christine Tham Given I don't have a regular income, any cost is very much objectionable ... However, I'm finding the same experience as XMACHINA - I paid slightly less for the Extreme Pro compared to the Extreme which I bought a few weeks ago. And I bought it from a reputable store, not an ebay seller. As for 7fps, yes it's important to go easy on that shutter button, and allow time for the buffer to empty between bursts. However, there will always be the risk of missing out at the worst possible moment. This is the dilemma. I do a lot of Drive By Shooting™ and sometimes it relies upon a fast frame rate. There's nothing worse than shooting off a 7fps burst only to be confronted moments later with the best scene ever and the camera won't take a pic because it's still clearing it's buffer to the card. I know you have me on ignore but can't help peeking Christine xx

03-02-2011, 12:10 AM	#22
qtopplings Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Marin, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 282	Originally posted by Christine Tham Okay, here's my test results Camera in ISO 100, Daylight WB, manual focus, continuous hi-speed mode (7fps) Kept holding the shutter down until the buffer filled completely, and the camera no longer was able to maintain 7fps. Start timer. Stop timer when the yellow writing light. Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card.

03-02-2011, 02:16 AM	#24
30v iPentax Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Suomi , Finland Posts: 368	En minäkään tällaiseen huuha juttuihin rahoja pistä. 32 SD 10 saa melkein ilmateeksi ja on tällähetkellä markkinoiden paras. Itse käytän tälaista ja varmasti pelaa kaikissa tilanteissa.

03-02-2011, 02:21 AM	#25
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Originally posted by Christine Tham PQI Class 6 16GB: 54 secs Sandisk Extreme 16GB: 22 secs Sandisk Extreme Pro 16GB: 23 secs Wow that is indeed no improvement. Maybe it is just the system (PRIME II, bus and writespeedoptions) that limits you. Did you look how many MB's the files in total where? Just a differens in 1 extra shot in the burst would make this calculation turning out otherwise. I'm expecting it to be some 400 MB in total filesize if 18MB/s is the max writespeed.

03-02-2011, 02:49 AM	#26
Edvinas Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kaunas Posts: 1,458	Originally posted by qtopplings Why would you do this in a real world situation? I can't see a reason why I'd want to take more than 10 images in a row. I'm perfectly happy with my under 20 dollar class 6 or 10 card. So why did you buy a camera that can do more than 10 images in a row?

03-02-2011, 02:53 AM	#27
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269 Original Poster	Sorry, I didn't count the number of photos and I have reformatted the cards. I did try the test several times and the results are pretty consistent. I also tried a different test, where I counted the time from buffer full to when the instant playback display came on - this came out to 16 secs for Extreme Pro, 17 secs for Extreme. So maybe the Extreme Pro is slightly faster and taking 1 extra photo? Anyway, the differences are pretty minimal so I would suggest if you already have an Extreme card don't bother upgrading. I'm also suspicious about the pricing of the Extreme Pros at slightly cheaper than the Extremes. Maybe there's a problem with them and they are not as fast as Sandisk claim? Unfortunately since they have just been released there aren't any reviews online - I haven't seen any benchmarks that verify the claimed performance.

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03-02-2011, 02:53 AM	#28
Edvinas Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kaunas Posts: 1,458	Originally posted by Christine Tham That just means the K-5 does not have the UHS-I 4-bit transfer mode, which allows up to 104MB/s. Standard 1-bit transfer mode allows up to 25 MB/s - but many cards fall short of this theoretical transfer speed. Does anyone know if this UHS-I mode requires some hardware modifications or is it implemented purely in firmware?

03-02-2011, 05:23 AM	#29
merengue Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 117	Does anyone know the difference between Extreme Pros SanDisk SDSDXP1-008G-A75 and SanDisk SDSDXP1-008G-X46? Both have similiar description and look the same. SanDisk only has the A75 in their web page. Earl

03-02-2011, 08:51 AM	#30
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	I'm fairly certain the K-5 is bandwidth limited internally...way back, I remember Pentax saying a Class 6 card was all that was needed for the K-7. That said, there was a noticeable difference between an Extreme III and a Transcend Class 6 (the best bang for buck a while back), even on a K20D...