Whst size memory cards do you favour, and why ?

[kiwi]

Now you can get a lot of different size CF and SD cards, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc

what size do you favour.....and why ?

[wolffman]

8gb for main and 4gb standby. Smaller cards encourages me to clean them off and process the images and chuck the rubbish ones.

[mithrandir]

Like wolffman, I prefer 8 gb for my mains. Speed is also a factor with my preference being class 10s.
I also have a batch of 2 gb backup cards.

[RaoulIsidro]

CF Cards:
If using RAW+full size JPG: 8GB minimum, 2-3 spares.
If using JPG only (such as in HDR and animation, stop motion): 4 GB is sufficient, with a couple of 2GB spares.

SD Cards: 8GB as I can't find anything lower in most shops... :confused013 (conspiracy?):rolleyes:

[kiwi]

Like wolffman, I prefer 8 gb for my mains. Speed is also a factor with my preference being class 10s.
I also have a batch of 2 gb backup cards.


Im not familiar with "class10s" ??

[kiwi]

I should say that I use these in dual slot mode, I think they are good value. I also have a spare 4mb card at work, another at home, another in my camera bag, another on my strap, and one in the car for good measure :)

http://www.cheapchips.com.au/memory/sandisk-compact-flash-ultra-8gb-30mb-sec.html

[junqbox]

I use a combo of 4&8. The 4's are good as they are an easy way to group a shoot to backup on to DVD.

[Kym]

I carry a couple of Sandisk 16mb (one spare and one in my K-7) and one 8mb (in the K20D)

[ricktas]

I have 16GB CF cards. D3 takes two at once, shoot in RAW, with second card doing an instant backup. 16GB in D3 gives me about 500 raw files.

have never had to use the backup card, as not had a failure (so far).

[Xenedis]

I rarely upgrade memory cards, and my collection of them is quite small.


Main: SanDisk Extreme IV 8GB CompactFlash card
Backup: SanDisk Extreme III 4GB CompactFlash card

I've not had to use my backup.

The 8GB of my largest card is probably considered quite small by the standards of the current pixel counts DSLRs have.

I bought my 4GB card in November of 2006 for use with my Canon EOS 5D, which I bought about a fortnight later.

I bought my 8GB card opportunistically in 2008 when I bought my last lens.

I also have a 256MB (yes, megabytes!) card I bought in 2002 or 2003 for my compact digital camera at the time. It was a whopping $300 or so. The flash card is now essentially a museum piece. :-)

As of May this year I've been shooting with a 5D Mark II, which is 21mp vs. 12.8 (original 5D), so 8GB doesn't quite stretch as far. However, given what I shoot and the fact that I format my card after every shoot, I might have only run out of space once if that.

At some stage I should probably invest in a pair of 16GB cards of even 32GB, but so far the need has not arisen.

[darkbhudda]

Not long ago I bought a 16GB card. Got sick of running out of space on my 8GB during a busy weekend of shooting. Managed to fill up the 16GB in one day a couple weeks back. Put my 8GB into my P&S. Need to get a backup 8GB for those weekends I don't make it home to empty the card.

[hark40]

For the 350D I used a combination of 2GB and 1GB CF cards. (I also have a 128MB CF card, but that was used on the P&S). Sizes purchased was based purely on price at the time.

With the 60D, I had to go and purchase some SD cards. Got 2x8GB and a 16GB. This gives me a slightly higher shot count when compared to the CF cards, and the CF cards always lasted a shoot on a really busy day when shooting RAW.

Why 8GB and 16GB? One is cost (although they both worked out to be about the same $/GB), but also if a card is lost or faulty, I won't necessarily loose everything, just some. Also, the capacities allow me to shoot some video if I am so inclined as well without loosing to much stil shot capacity.

[wmphoto]

2 x 4g class 10 SDHC - why? because they were on special :D ($40 each). Hoping to pick up an 8 or 16 cheap when I go OS at the end of the year.

Edit: $40 when they were normally selling for $70.

[fastr1red]

I take the card for the job,,,,
Motorsport = Class 10 card with enough capacity to take the amount of shoots you'll need. If it's bikes and I spend a day there 16GB is needed plus a spare just in case.

Other formal photography = Class 6 cards and lower are fine and use 2 x 4GB. (Plus have the 16 backups)

REally depends what you're shooting, just make sure you have anough for the event.

[peterking]

16GB Extreme Pro as main then three 4GB Extreme IV's as backup. Mongrel once their all full. Too many hours in front of the screen.

[Speedway]

I have 2 Kingston 133X 8GB cards I use in the 7D and a 4GB unbranded blue card for the 400D with 3 Lexar 1GB cards as backups these were purchased when I first got the 400D. I usually download them every day whether there's 1 or 1000+ shots on the card.
Keith.

[kiwi]

I wouldn't use cheap cards, just this week a friend of mine on bp had his Kingston card corrupt during a wedding shoot

[tek]

+1 that is exactly what I do. With my old P&S (many years ago) I had a 512MB card as DVDR weren't common back then.

[Tannin]

I reckon it's a mistake not to buy a big, fast one when you buy a new card. I used to buy ones that seemed to be big enough at the time and not too expensive. That wound up leaving me with a stack of very small, very slow cards. The 512MB and 256MB cards had seemed fine when I had a 4MP camera, and even well after that the 1G and 2GB cards seemed OK, but they wound up needing to be replaced too soon. They weren't quick enough either - as camera and card reader speeds increase, speed becomes more and more important.

So I was still using one 2GB card until just this week when I bought a 32GB Sandisk for the 7D (bird camera - needs by far the most space) which means that the 16GB card can go to the 50D, the 8GB card goes to the 40D, and the 20D gets the 4GB card. (I mostly use a 16GB SD for the 1D III, though it takes CF as well.) With any luck, that will be the only 32GB card I ever buy: by the time I want a new one, 64GB will be affordable (and needed if file sizes keep on increasing as they almost certainly will) and we can play the hand-me-down game again.

[Jules]

Having been stung by card failure before, I stick with 8GB cards (and a couple of 4GB as backup) to limit the number of images I could potentially lose if a card fails. Shooting RAW with my 5DII, I get upwards of 275 photos on an 8GB card which is plenty for my style of shooting.

[Kerro]

I have an 8gb Ultra Sandisk that gives me 250 raw and jpg. I also have a 4gb and 2 x 1gb Extreme III and a 4gb Rdata card.

[phild]

I buy what's affordable, currently I have 2x16gb Kingston elite pro cards which have been rock solid in the 5d, plus an 8gb sandisk ultra ii which is seldom used. I've just added a 7d to the bag so another 16 or even 32gb card is in order, pending some testing I'll probably go for the Kingston cards again.

[Ozzi Paul]

I use 2 Sandisk Extreme III & 1 Sandisk Extreme Ducati SDHC cards, all 4gb each. Mainly went for Sandisk for reliability reasons and went with 4gb mainly so if a card did become corrupt I wouldn't loose everything. I have been thinking about getting a couple of 8gb cards though, mainly because I do some motorcross photography and would rather not have to change cards as much. The class 10, 30mbs cards may even help to get more images with their faster read/write speeds. I only shoot in RAW mode so the extra room will get me more than the 166 Raw files that fit on the 4gb cards. Will probably get Sandisk again but may look at other top brands like Lexar etc.

[virgal_tracy]

MAinly Sandisck Extreme 8gb CF Cards with Extreme III 4gb cards also. I will take in excess of 50gb with me to a wedding for 2 cameras no bigger than 12mp. This will change when I upgrade to dual slot cameras (new D700 feature please).

[MarkChap]

The 5D gets the 4g cards, I have 2 of these
The 7D gets the 8g Cards, I have 2 of these

This gets me in the area of 300 RAW on a card with a back up card if I need more

I also have 2 x 1g and a 2 gig card just in case I need a little more space in an emergency

[LJG]

I never take my cards out of my bodies, I always download via cable. I run an 8gig in the 450D & a 16gig in the 50D. I thought about buying a 32gig for the 50D but have not been game. Don't ask me why because I don't know. When we go to the States next year I will probably buy another card as a backup for the 50D, but have not decided on whether I'll buy another 16gig or a 32.

[JohnRA]

A couple of Sandisc 4GB's, one for each camera, that's all I need.

[Watchamacallit]

I run with sets of 16GB cards, since I tend to shoot in RAW all the time (and sometimes with JPEG for previews) on a rotational basis. Will probably pick up some 8GBs as backups. Known brands only (as usual).