[kyuuan]

Hi guys,

I've just been back from the Bangkok trip, took quite some good pictures with the Q but due to my wife not feeling well we couldn't explore the whole Bangkok.

I want to ask which SD card class is best for the Q, i.e. would a class 10 write speed far exceed the limit write speed of the camera so class 6 is sufficient? or class 10 is a must to maximize RAW shooting capabilities?
- Is this better to buy 2 x 16GB card to avoid memory failure -> losing data or stick with 1 x 32GB card for convenience?
- Which brand do u guys suggest/ using for your Q? I heard Sandisk, Transcend are good, but a lot of fake SD card are being manufactured and sold in my country

Thanks for reading!

[Fontan]

I say Eye-fi wireless SD card so that you don't have to take the darn thing out of the card often or fumble with the camera to stick a cable in the side port.

[Docrwm]

The Class 10 cards from SanDisk seem to maximize the performance while not breaking the bank. I prefer 2x smaller to 1x larger for the very reason you mention. Also if it gets lost or, G*d forbid, the camera is lost/stolen you are out fewer pics. eBay has a nice guide to checking a card to see if its genuine, and there are several others around the internet.

[mamethot]

There are some informations in this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-q/200994-interval-shooting.html

Basically, saving a raw file will take 5-6 seconds (that's with options like Lens distortion and Highlight/Shadow correction turned OFF).

I've been to my Pentax dealer and tried other cards and we even tried on their demo Q and it's always the same: 5-6 seconds.

Conclusion? Don't put too much in a card because the camera can't make the most of it.

Edit: Oh by the way, UHS-1 is not supported. The card will work but it will not transfer any faster because it's rated UHS-1 over one that is not.

[Sagitta]

FWIW, the only SD card I've ever had fail was a PNY class 10 8GB..

[Anvh]

- Is this better to buy 2 x 16GB card to avoid memory failure -> losing data or stick with 1 x 32GB card for convenience?

But if you've 2 cards you also have 2 times as much change that 1 will brake right, so the change that you lose some photos (half of them) is higher.
Anyway, never has a SD card failed on me but i do have lost some, so i would stick with 1.

[elliott]

But if you've 2 cards you also have 2 times as much change that 1 will brake right, so the change that you lose some photos (half of them) is higher.

The chance that an SD card will fail is always the same, having two doesn't double the chances that one will fail, statistics don't work that way.

---

Last edited by elliott; 11-06-2012 at 05:44 AM.

[Docrwm]

The chance that an SD card will fail is always the same, having two doesn't double the chances that one will fail, statistics don't work that way.

No, it merely means that you have split your images between two cards instead of having all of them on one card. Then, if one fails, you have only lost 1/2 your images. It also means that if some problem develops with the card you can swap out and keep shooting without possibly further corrupting the images on the problem card.

[snostorm]

I always buy at least 20MB/sec rated cards of whatever "class" (the class speed rating system is stupid) since these seem to be faster than any of my present Pentax cameras can write. I'm not particularly a fan of Sandisk -- they're fast, but I had 3 of 4 Sandisk Extreme III 20 MB/sec cards that lost their lock tabs (which I never touch) and became useless in the field -- they were replaced under warranty, but that didn't help me when I needed them. I'm currently using Transcend cards as my mains.

I've always used faster cards than necessary. They're (usually) durable -- should outlive my present gear, and who knows when Pentax will speed up the write spec. . .no sense in buying into future obsolescence.

Scott

[NickLarsson]

I'm using 3 Transcend class 10 SDHC cards for 1 year now, no problem yet.

[Anvh]

The chance that an SD card will fail is always the same, having two doesn't double the chances that one will fail, statistics don't work that way.

I'm no chance expert so correct me if i'm wrong.
If 1/10 of all cards fail, that means that if you've 1 card that you would have 10% that one would fail right?
If you've 2 cards, that would mean 1/10 + 1/10 = so that would mean there is 20% chance 1 of your cards would fail right.
So 2 times as much chance you got a bad card.

[elliott]

I'm no chance expert so correct me if i'm wrong.
If 1/10 of all cards fail, that means that if you've 1 card that you would have 10% that one would fail right?
If you've 2 cards, that would mean 1/10 + 1/10 = so that would mean there is 20% chance 1 of your cards would fail right.
So 2 times as much chance you got a bad card.

You're doubling the amount of cards, so instead of 1/10 it becomes 2/20, which is still the same 10%. Doesn't matter if it is 1 card or 100 cards, your odds of a failure is still 10% in your example. Now, having an insane amount of cards increases your probability that more than one will fail at the same time, but that really doesn't come into play in this situation because no one is carrying hundreds of cards.

A card isn't more likely to fail if you have a backup with you, the one sitting in your pocket doesn't get jealous of the one inside the camera and decide to corrupt itself.

It isn't a case of probability of failure, it is a case of damage control. If you are a professional on a paid shoot and lose a 32gb card with thousands of shots, you're really in a bad position, you have nothing to give your customer. If you lose an 8gb card, but have 3 other 8gb cards full, you might be able to salvage the shoot and still get paid. The actual failure rate of good SD cards is fairly low, so you might not ever have one fail, but it is still a good idea to protect yourself. Same reason many professionals carry duplicates of ALL of their gear, having a spare doesn't mean you're expecting a failure, it means you're prepared for one.

[ndjedinak]

I'll echo what it said here: "class 10" is fine. Some class 6 seem to work just as fast (not all in my experience). UHS1 provides no benefit.

One poster recommended eyefi; I generally love the eyefi cards, but I have stopped using in the Q as the Q picks up some sort of odd noise when filming if you use an eyefi card. You can hear it here:

You Tube

You Tube

No noise without the eyefi.

[Anvh]

You're doubling the amount of cards, so instead of 1/10 it becomes 2/20, which is still the same 10%. Doesn't matter if it is 1 card or 100 cards, your odds of a failure is still 10% in your example. Now, having an insane amount of cards increases your probability that more than one will fail at the same time, but that really doesn't come into play in this situation because no one is carrying hundreds of cards.

in what world is 2/20 = 10% ?

I'm explicitly saying that 1 card will fail, so is it not correct that the more cards you've the higher the chance is one will fail?

[VisualDarkness]

in what world is 2/20 = 10% ?

I'm explicitly saying that 1 card will fail, so is it not correct that the more cards you've the higher the chance is one will fail?

In this world?
2/20=0.1=10%