SDHC card users - which one?

[Ellen]

Hi all,

JM Tran suggested I try getting a faster memory card for my k100d to speed it up a bit, but there are so many different options/brands out there - ultra 2, extreme 3 blah blah blah!

Which do you use and why, and how do you find it. What size do you use, and is it enough space?

Thanks in advance :)

[nisstrust]

I'd say go the 4gb Extreme III Sandisk SDHC version

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2687)-SDSDX3-016G-A31-SanDisk_Extreme_III_SDHC_16GB.aspx

better check if it is compatible with your camera?

[Ellen]

better check if it is compatible with your camera?

It should be now, I just installed the latest firmware so it should accept SDHC as far as I know?

[Kym]

Yes, K100D support SDHC with latest firmware.

Get the Extreme III the speed is noticeable and even more so on the K20D.

[Ellen]

Thanks Kym... You would want it to be significantly faster with the price tag it comes with!

[Kodi]

If you but off Ebay be careful there are a lot of Fake cards on sale.

[Kym]

If you but off Ebay be careful there are a lot of Fake cards on sale.

Why buy reputable brand name cards from a reputable dealer like our sponsor Cheap Chips (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=13499) and not eBay cheapo knockoffs?

Glad you asked!

The problem with fakes and knockoffs is either ...

a) mis-labelling (wrong size/wrong speed) {which is fraud }

b) Quality - most chips in a factory go through a testing phase - sub standards are sold off and the good ones get the premium brand. eg. A few years ago sub sub-spec CPUs got sold off and put into lower spec boards, was ok unless you overclocked - bang!
When chips are produced their is a % yield in fabrication. For high end chips this can be as low at 30% (eg. CPUs) due to density issues. This is why the latest / fastest chips are expensive. As the product is developed and more importantly the Fab process improved the yield improves and the cost will fall.

That's part of the premium you pay for genuine Sandisk. The MTBF of the genuine is much higher and it will perform to at least spec. I've worked for a major computer hardware company and believe me - the chip quality issues is a biggie.

IT IS NOT JUST BRAND LABELLING!!

If you have any understanding of chip Fab issues then you understand the concepts of yield and burn in quality. All chips are not the same - even from the same production run!

Further...

Computer wafer testing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wafer_testing)

Chip FAB device testing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_device_fabrication#Device_test)


Once the front-end process has been completed, the semiconductor devices are subjected to a variety of electrical tests to determine if they function properly. The proportion of devices on the wafer found to perform properly is referred to as the yield.

The Fab tests the chips on the wafer with an electronic tester that presses tiny probes against the chip. The machine marks each bad chip with a drop of dye. The fab charges for test time; the prices are on the order of cents per second. Chips are often designed with “testability features” such as "built-in self-test" to speed testing, and reduce test costs.

So the 'good' chips cost more for good reasons, not just branding.
I've used Sandisk in several applications including my camera and never had an issue.

[Ellen]

Thanks for that! Will have a look at the link you gave.

[Derek-C]

I brought from Cheap Chips and great service.:th3:

Arrived overnight.

Derek

[Ellen]

thanks for the help guys!

I ended up getting a 8gb Extreme III from cheap chips last night, $69 came to in the end with postage included. They just sent me an email to say it has been shipped already! So far very impressed... looking forward to trying it on my camera and comparing the difference.