Difference in cards?

[mugsisme]

I need a new SD card. I got a SanDisk last time. It was a ultra, which at the time I thought was the fastest card. http://tinyurl.com/3djt6h

I see that now Amazon has for the same price, a 4 gb sdhc card.
http://tinyurl.com/369ndy

Which is the better card to get? I am more concerned about writing to the card vs transfer speeds, as I have not been too unhappy with the transfer speed at all.

[cdifoto]

I bought 8GB Transcend Class 6 for the 2nd slot of my Mark II. Currently $31 each at Newegg.com. Naturally the smaller cards will be cheaper still.

Of the two you linked, the Ultra II looks like it'd be better since I think it's faster (those are the same brand/speed as I have in that size for my Mark II). I don't see a Class rating on the 4GB SDHC card you linked....and there are currently three: Class 2, Class 4, and Class 6. The higher the glass, the faster the card. They don't have "x" ratings like standard SD or CF.

[cdifoto]

Here's a 4GB SDHC for less than 23 bucks shipped:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208090

[Rhys]

Quite honestly, I don't worry about card speed. They're all fast enough for me to do video on my S1 IS or stills on my 30D.

As far as capacity, 4GB is pretty cheap at the moment and is probably the most economic option.

As far as brand is concerned - I've not got any qualms although I had some Fuji 64MB cards go bad on me a year or two ago.

[erichlund]

Unless you are upgrading to a high speed camera, I would not worry about the speed of the card. It will make some small difference when you are downloading at the computer, but that's not a critical point. All the cards should be able to keep up with your D40.

[Opensourcer]

Guys, how about the continuous mode shooting? Does it make a difference whether I choose a regular memory card or a high-speed one in this case?

[David Metsky]

At some level, yes. At any practical level, no. A 60x or Class 4 is fast enough for burst mode on anything short of a fast DSLR.

[Opensourcer]

Here's a 4GB SDHC for less than 23 bucks shipped:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208090Take a look at the reviews...

[cdifoto]

Take a look at the reviews...

Yeah, and? Look at the reviews for the same brand in 8GB.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16820208293


Know what that proves? Nothing, except that user reviews must be taken lightly.

[Opensourcer]

...and with the 4GB model:
- only 27 reviews, which proves that people do trust others' opinions on NewEgg
- buying it is like flipping a coin: 50% dead on arrival / write errors

Bottom line: too much risk, and they don't refund shipping if it's malfunctioning or doesn't work at all = you end up with the price on the price tag only about 50% of the time.

Comparing the 8GB model, it looks like they raised the quality checks because the reviews are by far more positive.

[cdifoto]

...and with the 4GB model:
- only 27 reviews, which proves that people do trust others' opinions on NewEgg
- buying it is like flipping a coin: 50% dead on arrival / write errors

Bottom line: too much risk, and they don't refund shipping if it's malfunctioning or doesn't work at all = you end up with the price on the price tag only about 50% of the time.

Comparing the 8GB model, it looks like they raised the quality checks because the reviews are by far more positive.

There's a lifetime warranty. It only costs about 80 cents to send a lightweight memory card to the manufacturer if you have to take it to that level.

I doubt there's much manufacturing difference between the 4GB to 8GB card, since they're both still in production. It's not as if the 4GB card is the predecessor to the 8GB.

You can find bad reviews and good reviews on anything. A few examples: The 1D III gets flogged a lot for its AF performance, and a lot of people are using it without issue. The 40D, same. Nikon has had poor high ISO performance until recently, and yet people use(d) them successfully for years.

Will I have problems with my Transcend cards? Who knows. I may have problems with any given card in my pocket. Doesn't mean I'm going to steer clear of a brand just because some reviewers had bad experiences with it in their BrandX P&S or it performed poorly in their EEEPC or whatever. I don't know those people or how intelligent or experienced they are to rely on their reviews, although sometimes it's obvious based on what and how they type. "Bad Card. Suck." and a single egg score doesn't even register on my "should I consider this review" radar.

[David Metsky]

I've used Transcend cards for years and have had no problems with them at all. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 4G card. It's merely luck of the draw and a small sample size.

[griptape]

I've used Transcend cards for years and have had no problems with them at all. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 4G card. It's merely luck of the draw and a small sample size.

Not to mention, if you have a great experience, you'll tell 1 person. If you have a bad experience, you'll tell 100. People are far more likely to write a review to warn people than to encourage people.

[Rhys]

Not to mention, if you have a great experience, you'll tell 1 person. If you have a bad experience, you'll tell 100. People are far more likely to write a review to warn people than to encourage people.

That, of course, underlines the importance of customer service and why "the customer is always right" is one of the cornerstones to customer service. There's no point in doing an advertising campaign if poor customer service is ruining your reputation. At best advertising can spread your name. A name linked to bad service is nothing but bad. It can take years to repair a reputation damaged by poor customer service. Hoover found that in the UK. Dyson also found that in the UK.