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  4. Does brand matter when buying memory cards?

Does brand matter when buying memory cards?


12 years 1 month ago #204779 by KenMan
As title reads, does brand matter? Or are all memory cards just about the same?

I'm buying some new cards and curious about this.

Thanks!
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12 years 1 month ago #204822 by geoffellis
Well, depends on what you mean by Brand exactly

Are you comparing compact flash to secure digital for example? Or are you comparing say SanDisk to Kingston sd cards?

Regardless, each manufacturer is going to have a different manufacturing process. Its like buying an Red Delicious Apple from two different farms. They may be almost identical... however the fertilizers and pesticides used may determine the exact taste and shelf life of each apple respectively.

So yes... the 15$ no name brands, generally dont last as long as the 100$+ brand names (in my experience). Theres also the fact that the 15$ ones are often class 2... slowest of the slow... where as the 100$+ ones are class 6, 8, or 10. This means the expensive ones are much better for things like video, and continuous mode. Theyll also copy to your computer much faster.
www.geoffellis.ca
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12 years 1 month ago #204826 by KenMan
What a great answer and loud and clear. Thank you for that clarity
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12 years 1 month ago - 12 years 1 month ago #204833 by geoffellis
No problem.

And as a side note, I would recommend against buying anything less then a class 4 card for digital photography, And nothing less than a class 6 for hd video. My recommendation would be a class 6 minimum though if you can afford it. Class 8 and 10 cards are still prohibitively expensive if you really dont need it (last time i looking at SD cards anyways)

Ill also expand on the above... for most part... if youre comparing an 100$ San Disk card to a 120$ Kingston card with the same specs/class... dont hesitate to save the 20$. There really wont be a noticeable difference. However, if youre comparing a 120$ card to a 40$ card with the same specs... definitely be wary of the 40$ card.

And this thing with classes, is specifically for SD cards... Ive never really used any of the others like CF or xD (aside from here and there)... so I dont know much about them as far as their ratings and speeds, etc heh
www.geoffellis.ca
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12 years 1 month ago #204843 by Stealthy Ninja
I got a couple of 16GB class 10 SD cards for about... $50USD each the other month. Sandisk too, not some crappy brand. Maybe I was lucky I think (they aren't fakes before you ask, they were bought at a major electronics chain in Hong Kong).

How does that compare to the "West"?
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www.aevansphoto.com
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12 years 1 month ago - 12 years 1 month ago #204852 by geoffellis

Stealthy Ninja wrote: I got a couple of 16GB class 10 SD cards for about... $50USD each the other month. Sandisk too, not some crappy brand. Maybe I was lucky I think (they aren't fakes before you ask, they were bought at a major electronics chain in Hong Kong).

How does that compare to the "West"?

Its interesting... prices on these things have really dropped. I went and looked at Canadian pricing, and I could not find any 16GB Class 10's, just 4,6 and this new specification they are calling UHS-I (Ultra High Speed), which according to wikipedia has about 5x the read/write speed than previous class 10's. Anyways these are listed for only about 70$ Canadian! for Panasonic/Lexar brands.

Did the same search at some Australian retailers, and the 16GB Class 10's were about 90$

But ya... these are a lot cheaper then they used to be. Ive been buying sd cards since they were 16MB each. Kept upgrading from the 32MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB - And seriously... it seems as the capacity doubles the prices go down LOL (Ive honestly had at least 1 each of the above cards at one time or another haha)
www.geoffellis.ca
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12 years 1 month ago - 12 years 1 month ago #204864 by Stealthy Ninja
I'm pretty sure I have a 8MB card somewhere.

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and also
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While we're on a roll:
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img\def

www.aevansphoto.com
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12 years 1 month ago #204887 by Henry Peach
I don't know if brand name matters, but I don't see enough savings between the cheapest and well known brands to take a chance. Except for the latest, fastest, biggest cards/drives memory is cheap.
mattneedham.zenfolio.com
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12 years 1 month ago #204912 by Be Mine 4ever
I have already bought the cheapest brand and the most expensive brand on the shelf at the time and to me there isn't a difference. Now there is a difference between a slow vs fast write speed.
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12 years 1 month ago #204920 by CONRAD
well said Geoffellis
:agree:
I have had many photographers work for me and I supplied them with the cards. I had a few cheeper cards as back up and had some problems. The cost of a card is nothing vs lost or non working cards.

After you get a card KEEP IT DUST FREE
Conrad
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12 years 1 month ago - 12 years 1 month ago #204999 by photobod
Sandisk always for me, they are fast and reliable so why change just to save a few quid :thumbsup:

cheap as chips here take a look www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=se...+flash+cards&x=0&y=0
www.dcimages.org.uk
"A good photograph is one that communicate a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective." - Irving Penn
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12 years 1 month ago #205005 by geoffellis

Be Mine 4ever wrote: I have already bought the cheapest brand and the most expensive brand on the shelf at the time and to me there isn't a difference. Now there is a difference between a slow vs fast write speed.

Aside from the speed issue... ive had a number of cards have the plastic casing snap under normal use. ie as i was putting it in a reader or device.
www.geoffellis.ca
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12 years 1 month ago #205060 by Meskill
Personally I prefer Sandisk :thumbsup:
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12 years 1 month ago #205065 by Baydream
Since December, I purchased 2 64Gb Class 10 cards for about $35 each. Have been using them since then with no issues. I do test them right away and would return them immediately if any problem occur. It got these as a test and keep shooting.
Shoot, learn and share. It will make you a better photographer.
fineartamerica.com/profiles/john-g-schickler.html?tab=artwork
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12 years 1 month ago #205303 by Mayo
If brand is important to you then go for a specific brand, if not Sandisk or Kingston are a couple good ones
Canon 5D - Canon 50mm f/1.4 | Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 | Canon 70-200 f/4L
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