Good Memory card (size & brand)?

[zarif]

What will be a good memory card for EOS camera mainly for still photos (no videos). Size & brand both.. I can find starting from $8 for 8GB to $50 for $16 GB etc with various brands/types?

Does it really makes a difference in photo quality or camera performance? Or just anyone is fine?

Thanks,

[Tim]

Hello easygeorge, 

1.  There isn't one specific brand which is best for a shooting video, but it is important that one uses large capacity SD cards rated SD Speed Class 6 or higher.  This will ensure you have both the capacity and speed to capture video.  

2.  We shy away from recommending cards with adapters because the adapters can add thickness and may become lodged in the camera.  Therefore only "full size" SD cards are recommended. 

3.  The camera stops recording automatically after hitting a 4GB limit, and starts a new clip.  This is normal, and if you are shooting HD video, 1920 x 1080, this limit can be reached quickly. 

4.  To format the card go into the Menu> Setup Menu 1 (Wrench with dot)> Format Card> OK> OK

This will erase all the data on the card, so please be sure there is nothing you need to keep still on the card. 

5.  We do not recommend switching cards between devices unless you properly format the card in the camera first as this will clear the card and format it for use in the camera. 

[easygeorge]

thank you for the information .... makes perfect sense

[easygeorge]

i have a CanonRebel t5i ,,,, i notice that the the on video mode it stops every ten minutes ,,, which is the best sd card to use when video taping ??? please let me know.. thanks

[Waddizzle]

You could be seeing the correct behavior.  Refresh yourself with your manual.  There are file size and recording time limitations associated with video files, which can cary widely depending upon the video resolution and video file format that you use.

[p4pictures]

Depends on your camera, faster more expensive cards can extend the effective buffer size if you shoot a lot of images in a continuous sequence. Faster cards also clear the buffer faster so even if you fill the buffer then you can get back to shooting faster. For SD cards it's best to aim at class 6 or higher specification cards, not all the cameras are capable of getting the benefit from UHS-1 cards.

My own personal preference is for Sandisk cards - I've had many over the years, and even after leaving them in a shirt pocket that then get's put through the laundry they still work fine.

Brian

[Nazareth]

for my 1DX I'm finding that I really like the lexar 1000 UDMA 7 32 mb cards- very fast, quick buffer renew, and holds a ton of JPG's- Got a double pack which saved me a little money- if you buiy them around Christmas or right after, you might get a sale on them in additions- Note- I'm aqlso using htese cards on my 7d- I just had to update the 7D firmware to get the cards to run at full speed- but it was no big deal really- just a download, follow instructions carefully making sure you have a GOOD battery with full charge so that hte process doesn't stop midway through the update- but as with any kind of flash upgrade, do so at your own risk- I've doen a couple and have no problems

[Nazareth]

I read the other day that the buffer on smaller cards like the udma 6/600? fill at around 38 shots I think it was, but with hte lexar 1000 udma 7 it fills at about 56 or so and also clears the buffer much quicker too- I beleive if my memory serves right that it was on 'the-digital-picture . com" site where i Read that it was under the review of the canon 1DX on that site (just type 1DX into the serarch bar o nthe site- it'll bring up the review- scroll down to the horse and rider shots, it's right above the photos that it talks about it I beleive) This was a fantastic review of the 1DX too- the folsk at that site really do some great reviews

I will however say that I don't see any transfer advantage when transferign it to my computer from the camera, using the uspplied camera cable (not hte ethernet one, but the regular usb one) as compared ot other cards- not sure how these thigns work- maybe there isn't an icnrease- but I guess I was hoping- but the card in the camera really makes a difference- I shoot lots of flying birds running animals etc, and it's reallyt nice beign able to get rapid succession of shots without worrying abotu hte buffer filling, then takign foreve3r to clear the buffer when you might miss the shot while waiting for it to clear-

[p4pictures]

The camera's USB connection is not fast enough to let the speed advantage of fast cards show.

To see an increase in speed when transferring images from cards don't use the camera connected to the computer, invest in a decent fast card reader. USB3 is great if your computer supports it, even the older - hard to get - FireWire connected readers will happily show big speed differences when downloading from a fast card compared to a slower one. 

Brian

[Nazareth]

Thanks, I didn't realize that- my comp has ability for usb3- but no usb3 card/ports etc- woudl I need an onboard usb3 card in the computer before being able to use a usb 3 card reader? I don't particularly like taking the memory cards out of the camera when transferign photos though- I'll look into firewire- and see about pickign one up perhaps- but do cameras liek hte 1DX and canon 7D support firewire?

[p4pictures]

The 1Dx and 7D only support USB 2 and it's not particularly fast as you've found.

To get faster download speeds the only option is to take the card out of the camera and use a quality card reader connected to a USB3 or FireWire port. (you may need a card to be fitted to your computer if you don't already have the hardware port)

Most professionals take the cards out of the camera and download the images to the computer using a card reader. I use an old Sandisk firewire 800 card reader on my mac, it's way faster than any camera's USB port and with image files as big as they are today it's the only way for me.

Brian