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What SD cards do you use?

Terry

New member
What brand/model SD cards are you using???

I've had the problem with a couple of SD cards showing as locked and not being read by the camera. At least one is a Lexar pro. I've been using a San Disk Ultra II for the past few weeks that feels particularly slow and I constantly have the red blinking light that the camera is writing, a bit strange. With the blinking light, image review is also painfully slow. I'm trying to sort out all of my cards before traveling as I'm not bringing anything for image transfer.

Thanks,
Terry
 
S

Shootist

Guest
Use Lexar Pro x133 2GB cards in all digital cameras whether SD ot CF. Never had a problem with any of them. I do have 1 Sandisc 1GB but only use it to load firmware.
 

carstenw

Active member
I use Ultra II USB cards. I also have an Extreme III but I had some trouble with it, so I just stick with the Ultra IIs. I have heard that the Transcend cards sometimes have poor build quality, and many other cards don't work well with the M8. Honestly, this is an area where I would expect more from Leica.
 

Terry

New member
I use Ultra II USB cards. I also have an Extreme III but I had some trouble with it, so I just stick with the Ultra IIs. I have heard that the Transcend cards sometimes have poor build quality, and many other cards don't work well with the M8. Honestly, this is an area where I would expect more from Leica.
With the Ultra II's do you find the camera lagging behind in write times? Perhaps what I am noticing is just one dud card.

Thanks,
terry
 

Terry

New member
Use Lexar Pro x133 2GB cards in all digital cameras whether SD ot CF. Never had a problem with any of them. I do have 1 Sandisc 1GB but only use it to load firmware.
I am going to try reformatting (in some other device) the Lexar(s) that keep coming up as locked to see if I can once again get them to work on the M8.

Thanks,
terry
 

carstenw

Active member
The Ultra II card is not slow as such, but it is no speed demon. Normally I don't notice it so much, apart from the long time to display an image when reviewing, but on occasion when I try to shoot several shots in a row (individually, not on C), I do find it lagging. I think this card just isn't that fast, and that yours isn't abnormal.

There are fake versions of Sandisk cards though. I wonder if you might have gotten a fake?
 

cmb_

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I am using the Transcend 150x 2GB cards in the DMR (don't have an M8) which I believe Guy also uses for the M8. Better wait for Guy to confirm that he still uses them and there is no problem with the M8. They have been fast and reliable in the DMR. I also use Ultra II's and Extreme III in the DMR.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Still using the Transcends 150 X 4gb cards . They really have been trouble free for the most part. They have never been the cause of any problem. This next update they better have support for SDHC, I'm patient but this needs to be done and at the price of cards which is really low these days when SDHC comes that i will replace all my cards. There has been about 15 k that has gone through them. That is a lot of data and i don't like pushing them any further.


For me and hopefully everyone takes advice here , just not a area to play games with unknown cards. Last thing you want are issues with cards. They start acting up find the nearest garbage can
 

Terry

New member
Thanks Guy,
Adorama carries (transcend) and I will get a few cards tomorrow. Looks like I have to get 2gb cards as everything at 4gb is SDHC. (b&h doesn't).
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I use the Extreme III's and have been considering a switch to the transcends --- the camera handles the EIII's just fine, however three of my card readers hate em.
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
What brand/model SD cards are I'm trying to sort out all of my cards before traveling as I'm not bringing anything for image transfer.
All the more reason to use the smaller 2GB cards. I don't like to put too many photos on one card (in case of loss or data problems).

I have been using some Transcend 2GB cards for over a year in the M8 with no problems. I have several other brands, too. I've only had trouble with one card, and it went right in the trash as Guy has recommended.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Thanks Guy,
Adorama carries (transcend) and I will get a few cards tomorrow. Looks like I have to get 2gb cards as everything at 4gb is SDHC. (b&h doesn't).
Buy only what you need for now. This SDHC should be here soon i would think. They been promising it for both the DMR and the M8
 

robsteve

Subscriber
I use the Extreme III's and have been considering a switch to the transcends --- the camera handles the EIII's just fine, however three of my card readers hate em.
I found the Trancends were starting to fall apart. A couple started to split in half, the others started to shed little pieces of plastic, like the bits between the gold contacts. I returned them all to Costco where I got them and went for some 2gb Extreme III.

I found I wasn't filling the 4gb cards very often and decided 2gb cards are fine until the SDHC support comes out.
 

robsteve

Subscriber
The Ultra II card is not slow as such, but it is no speed demon. Normally I don't notice it so much, apart from the long time to display an image when reviewing, but on occasion when I try to shoot several shots in a row (individually, not on C), I do find it lagging. I think this card just isn't that fast, and that yours isn't abnormal.

There are fake versions of Sandisk cards though. I wonder if you might have gotten a fake?
Carsten:

On my M8 and shooting DNG only, there was not a huge difference in the time it took to dump the buffer to a Ultra II versus an Extreme III. I have a note here where I calculated the Extreme III were only 22% quicker than the Ultra II in the M8. It looks like with the Extreme III, the M8 shot 11 pictures before it hit the buffer full and it took 17seconds to write the buffer. With the Ultra II it was 10 pictures and 22 seconds to write the buffer.

The DMR is another story. The Extreme III are 70% quicker in the DMR compared to the Ultra II.

My notes show that with an Extreme III and shooting DNG only, the DMR wrote at 4.62 mb/sec, the M8 6.47mb/sec. This was calculated by timing how long it takes to dump the buffer and the size of the image files in the buffer.

Robert
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Terry (and everyone)
I hope you're having a great weekend. I only use 2 gig cards.

I use Lexar 133 or Transend 150 in my Silver Leica (blue cards), and San Disk Extreme III and ultra II in the Black one (black cards) . . . . . this might seem odd, but I have different numbering scheme for the two cameras, and although reformatting before use preserves it . . .

The only card I've had a problem with is an Ultra II - which had always seemed much slower than the extremes anyway (maybe because it was failing).
 
C

Chris Herbert

Guest
I've always used Extreme IIIs... R-D1, D-Lux 3, and now about 100 shots in new M8. No problems to date with any of 4 cards in any camera.

Just remember before tossing if a card's acting up that some of them (the higher-end Sandisks anyway) have a lifetime warranty. Not sure how hard it is to get them replaced, but you can easily register ownership online with Sandisk. I also occasionally run tests on my cards with TechTool Pro (see "go to Mac" post in Gear Garage Forum) just to see if anything appears wrong.

Chris
 

Terry

New member
I bought 3 new Extreme III's at Adorama. There is a decent rebate going for these. The 2gb cards are $40 each and the rebate is $10 back on one $30 on 2 and $50 rebate on three. So, just over $23/each. Wasn't there looking for a bargain but got one. Guy, no Transcends in stock.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
They should get you by until the SDHC are supported. i sure do hope it is the end of this month. Mine have a lot of mileage on them and starting to concern me. You just don't know how long these hold up until they fail on you. Did your 28 cron show up. Looking forward to my 35 cron coming home tomorrow. My 135 apo is visiting Germany right now for vacation and a lube job. LOL
No it needs a shim and Solms had them to fix my front focus a little.
 
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