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Buy More Smaller Capacity Memory Cards or?

And1ss

And1ss

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 20, 2009
542
2
Buy fewer larger capacity cards?

I'm looking to add about 16gigs of memory cards for my dslr and m4/3. Do you guys recommend 4x4gb or 2x8gb cards?

It'll be about the same price and I know it may be generally better to buy lower capacity to spread your photos out so you don't loose too many photos should a card crap out.

Oh another thing, for those who have both a dslr and m4/3, would you carry both for a trip overseas or just one? If just one, which one would you take?
 
I have several 4GB cards, 3-4 8GB cards, and recently purchased 2 16GB cards (PNY from Newegg for $25.00 each). I like the 16GB cards for shooting video with my Pany ZS6. The 4GB ones are plenty for my DSLR (12 Mpix). I like to carry several cards rather than just one of two. Paranoid that way. The last two trips we made to visit family, I left the DSLR at home. Missed a few photos, but basically pleased. Nice to travel light. I found that a couple of extra batteries for the small camera are nice to have. Shooting video drains them quickly.
 
I don't know what resolution your camera is, but if it's something in the 8-12MP range, 4x4GB cards should work fine. My camera is 10MP and I can get almost 400 shots per 4GB card shooting in RAW.

Ruahrc
 
really up to you. I shoot in RAW on a 7D (18MP) and use two 16GB and one 8GB card. With good memory the quality or reliability isn't a problem with those sizes anymore, and I find that with the larger cards they're usually also faster cards which is necessary for the RAW files and HD video on the cameras (as well as continuous shooting)
 
Always use my 16G card. Why bother with smaller cards that might get lost etc?

If anything, for the summer coming I'm thinking of upgrading to a 64G and be done with it.
 
Because if you loose one of many you still have the others. If you loose the one card you have, you loose everything. The same for when it breaks. More cards means spreading the risk which means less risk of loosing everything.
 
dyn said:
Because if you loose one of many you still have the others. If you loose the one card you have, you loose everything. The same for when it breaks. More cards means spreading the risk which means less risk of loosing everything.
Click to expand...

This. I generally purchase the smallest card that meets the card speed that I desire. For my 7d, that usually means either 8 or 16 GB cards. I seldom fill a card since I'm constantly rotating. I'd love it if the next version 7d/5d support dual CF cards. That would be a dream come true. I'm paranoid when it comes to losing data (a likely side affect of my job, information security).
 
I have a 32GB, 16GB and 8GB SDHC's as well as a couple random 4GB cards lying around. I use the 32GB exclusively and have the others as backups or whatever. This is all with my P&S. Once the DSLR comes in then, depending on how the other cards work, I just might ante up and get the 64GB
 
Cool Thread

I have one 8 GB class 10 card and one 32 GB class 10 card. I use the 32 GB mostly, but the 8 GB is faster, so I keep it in my bag. I want to buy either another 32 GB card or a 64 GB card. I plan to shoot more videos, so the extra space for video clips is important, but this question is subjective. I have a DSLR by the way.

Furthermore, I like to have more than one card as h1r0LL3r pointed out. If a card pukes, then I have a backup.
 
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The fewer stuff I bring the less likely I'll have a problem.

I opt for as large as a card as I can afford and carry a second back up card. Thats it.
 
Thanks for the replies guys (and gals). It generally looks like multiple cards is better. I decided to get 2x8gb cards since I will be recording some 720p footage.

As for my second question, any of you dslr + m4/3 owners? Would you bring both, dslr only, or m4/3 only?
 
dyn said:
Because if you loose one of many you still have the others. If you loose the one card you have, you loose everything. The same for when it breaks. More cards means spreading the risk which means less risk of loosing everything.
Click to expand...

How do you lose a card that sits in your camera? ;)
 
And1ss said:
As for my second question, any of you dslr + m4/3 owners? Would you bring both, dslr only, or m4/3 only?
Click to expand...

I'm going to be traveling over the summer, and only plan to take my GF1 (rather than one of my Nikon DSLRs), with compact(s) for backup. Weight is the main issue. For the type of shooting I plan to do (mostly daylight, little/no action, i.e. low ISO), m4/3 will be more than adequate. Will probably take a tripod.
 
fcortese said:
A) Camera gets stolen, left at dinner table at restaurant, etc:eek:
B) Occasionally card have been known to go bad/corrpted even in the camera:eek:

;)
Click to expand...

Camera gets stolen as apposed to your jacket getting stolen (containing the card), your camera bag being stolen, your wallet being stolen, etc ;)

I'll give you the thing about a card going bad. Never had it to me personally in the myriads of cards I've owned.

I just think the chances of losing a second card thats not in the camera is way higher than anything that will happen with a high quality large capacity card in your camera ;)

Each to his own at the end of the day!
 
And1ss said:
As for my second question, any of you dslr + m4/3 owners? Would you bring both, dslr only, or m4/3 only?
Click to expand...

honestly, it depends completely on what you're intended use and goals are.

if space and weight isn't an issue i say go ahead and bring both, but if you're bringing the m4/3 b/c you think the dslr might be too big or too much for what you're shooting i say stick with the m4/3 and save some space and weight.
 
And1ss said:
As for my second question, any of you dslr + m4/3 owners? Would you bring both, dslr only, or m4/3 only?
Click to expand...

Depends entirely on where i'm going and what i'm doing. If i'm going somewhere where I think i'll use my camera lots, i'll take my DSLR. If i'm going somewhere where i'll be walking a lot, for example, i'll take the smaller lightweight option. If i'm doing both on the same holiday, i'll take both.

David
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'm leaning towards bringing both, my GF1 & D90.

I'll be going to China so the d90 will be used for scenic shots and whatnot, while the gf1 will be the walking camera.

As always, thanks for the input.
 
tinman0 said:
How do you lose a card that sits in your camera? ;)
Click to expand...
Take it out and forget that you put it in the cardreader in your monitor...happened to me once. Of course I found out when I was already away from home :mad: Some people do manage to lose the small sd cards easily when they take it out the camera. In short, the same way as you lose keys (even though it will mostly be in your pocket).
 
dyn said:
Take it out and forget that you put it in the cardreader in your monitor...happened to me once. Of course I found out when I was already away from home :mad: Some people do manage to lose the small sd cards easily when they take it out the camera. In short, the same way as you lose keys (even though it will mostly be in your pocket).
Click to expand...

Now that's a lesson I learned a couple of years ago. If one card comes out for downloading the back up card goes in until the main card is ready again - JUST IN CASE you leave the house with the camera and the memory bay is empty.

Lo'and'behold I did exactly that the other morning, spent several minutes trying to work out why my card was only registering 300 shots available lol.
 
4GB - DVD SL
8GB - DVD DL
12GB - HD DVD SL
24GB - BD SL / HD DVD DL
48GB - BD DL
96GB - BDXL 3L

BDXL 4L is 128GB, I'm not sure if a 128GB card actually fits.

You can't count on backing up to more than DVD SL at kiosks (because even if the burner is DL, DL disks are rare).
Drop-by might give you access to other formats. I would only expect DVD SL and BD SL. HD DVD is very dead and DVD DL and BD DL are rare. BDXL in your dreams!

So, if 4GB is too small, I would go for 24GB.
 
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cube said:
4GB - DVD SL
8GB - DVD DL
12GB - HD DVD SL
24GB - BD SL / HD DVD DL
48GB - BD DL
96GB - BDXL 3L

BDXL 4L is 128GB, I'm not sure if a 128GB card actually fits.

You can't count on backing up to more than DVD SL at kiosks (because even if the burner is DL, DL disks are rare).
Drop-by might give you access to other formats. I would only expect DVD SL and BD SL. HD DVD is very dead and DVD DL and BD DL are rare. BDXL in your dreams!

So, if 4GB is too small, I would go for 24GB.
Click to expand...

lol wrong thread?
 
cube said:
No. Those are the maximum card sizes for each backup format. Not the size of the disks.
Click to expand...

But, I asked what to buy? Not anything about backup format? I'm not understanding the connection with my original inquiry.
 
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