Converting memory cards to CDs in the parks?

[Golf4food]

DW and I have been thinking... (yes, it hurts! )

We have been planning on buying an extra 1 or 2 GB SD card before our December trip to the world, but are now wondering when we would ever fill up that much space again? We already have one 2GB card that can hold over 600 pics at max jpeg resolution under normal circumstances, and we've never used more than 300 when going crazy on any given day. I'm sure we'll take more than 660 pics at Disney this trip, but we aren't likely to need that many again any time soon.

Isn't there someplace in the parks that will download your memory cards onto CD for you? If so, we're thinking that might be the better option this trip, instead of spending up to $100 on another large SD card.

Any thoughts? If there is no place in the parks that will provide that service, aren't there Walgreens' or CVS's or something just outside the parks that will do it? We'll have our car, so if we need to leave for a quick trip, it would be do-able.

 

[Razor Roman]

I did it in Animal Kingdom once. It cost about $12.

I wouldn't try it with a card bigger than 512MB - the next size up is 1 Gig and that's more than a CD can hold, so I wouldn't trust someone to transfer 700 mb of my files and delete the ones they transferred but keep the ones they didn't.

 

[Jeanne B]

Memory is so cheap these days, I'd buy an extra card. Plus it's a backup should something unexpected happen to your other card. You should be able to get a 1GB SD card in the $25 range if you keep your eye out online. Here's a link to a Kingston 1GB from Amazon for $19.99...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00070QI1I/ref=nosim/dealsofameric-20

And here's a bunch on newegg.com

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2000070068+1053107930&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=68

 

[Groucho]

I just ordered a PQI 150x 2gb SD card from Outpost for $43 - $15 rebate for a grand total of $28, with free shipping. The rebate ends tomorrow.

They also have an A-Data 150x 2gb for $30, free shipping, no rebate.

It seems as though prices are creeping up slightly - it's getting harder to find 2gb high-speed cards for $30 or under than it was a month or so ago - but the deals are still out there. I plan on picking up at least one more 2gb (in addition to my current collection of two 512m ones) before the next trip.

It's also a good idea in general to have a second card, in case one has a problem or even if one is accidentally deleted, as someone else posted about today.

 

[kat3668]

I also did it my last trip in MGM.. not sure of the name of the shop.. shutters maybe??? but it is the first shop as you enter MGM.. it cost around $15.00 if I remember correctly...

 

[barrie]

Digital Photo Downloads at Walt Disney World

 

[DebºoºS]

I did it on my last trip and it too was in MGM. First camera shop on the right. I left extra memory batteries et al @ the BW when we ran out to catch a ride on the Breathless. Too lazy to go back to the BW. They burned a CD but left it up to me to erase any pics. I did erase some but not all since I didn't trust the CD. Gave me enough memory to take fireworks and pics all night. So glad they provide the service. It was quick too. The CD was just great for the $.

 

[timned88]

Memory is so cheap these days, I'd buy an extra card. Plus it's a backup should something unexpected happen to your other card.

I agree 100%. Buy some extra cards and maybe a copy device (if you have the extra money) and save your money in the parks.

 

[Golf4food]

I've seen people here talk about the Kingston cards, but I love our Sandisk Ultra II 2GB so much, I'm afraid the dropoff in performance would be too much for me and would get on my nerves. How much slower will a 1 or 2GB Kingston be compared to the Ultra II?

 

[timned88]

unless you are using very high end equipment, chances are you wont see much of a difference at all.

 

[Master Mason]

It seems as though prices are creeping up slightly - it's getting harder to find 2gb high-speed cards for $30 or under than it was a month or so ago - but the deals are still out there. I plan on picking up at least one more 2gb (in addition to my current collection of two 512m ones) before the next trip.

A fact in the retail world... they have to raise the prices in October, so in November and December they can advertise they are at so much off etc..... Aslo it pads the margins for the november december discounts....

 

[Groucho]

I've seen people here talk about the Kingston cards, but I love our Sandisk Ultra II 2GB so much, I'm afraid the dropoff in performance would be too much for me and would get on my nerves. How much slower will a 1 or 2GB Kingston be compared to the Ultra II?

I had a whole long message written, then decided to start over because the speed numbers are pretty screwy. Speeds are generally listed in "read" speed because it's faster, and a Sandisk Ultra 2 is equivalent to about 60x, which is much slower than the 133x and 150x 2gb card that are common. But write speed is probably more important to photographers. So I decided to do some digging.

Here's the speeds for some common 2gb SD cards. Read/write.
A-Data Speedy: ?/?
A-Data Turbo 150x: 22.5mb/?
Corsair 60x: 9mb/?
Corsair 133x: 21mb/15.5mb
Kingston Standard: 5mb/1.5mb
Kingston Elite Pro 50x: 8.2mb/7.7mb
Kingston Ultimate 120x: 21mb/18mb
Lexar "standard": ?/?
Lexar Professional 133x: 20mb/20mb
OCZ 60x: 9mb/?
OCZ 133x: 21mb/?
OCZ 150x: 22.5mb/?
PNY "standard": ?/?
PQI Standard: 4.5mb/?
PQI 60x: 9mb/?
PQI 133x: 20mb/?
PQI 150x: 22.5mb/15mb
Patriot Signature: 6mb/?
Patriot Extreme Performance: 20mb/?
Panasonic Speed Class 2: 5mb/?
Panasonic Pro 133x: 20mb/20mb
Ridata Pro 120x: 22.5mb/11mb
Ridata Pro 150x: ?/?
SanDisk Extreme II: 10mb/9mb
SanDisk Extreme III: 20mb/20mb
Transcend "standard": ?/?
Transcend 150x: 20mb/17mb
Viking "standard": ?/?

If you're in a Disney mood, A-Data does have a "The Incredibles" 150x Turbo SD card.

Anyway, as you can see, not all cards are equal, even 133x/150x cards, and many manufacturers don't like giving out the "write" speeds... and sometimes,, the numbers are a little funnier as they'll give the fastest speed for a family of cards, but the large capacity ones may be slightly slower.

But from what I can see, if you want the fastest write speeds, you have to go for the Lexar 133x, Panasonic 133x, or Sandisk Extreme III. The Kingston 120x is not far behind, though, and much faster than the Sandisk Extreme II. The only card that listed its write speeds that seems much slower than average in writing is the Ridata 120x, at only 11mb - less than half its write speed.

Most standard cards seem to write at only around 1.5mb/sec, though, so any of the high-speed cards should be a big jump in performance.

There appear to be a few compilations of memory card speed tests out there on the internet, you can probably check those too, if you want more information.

 

[Golf4food]

Thanks for the data and advise, Groucho. High Marks for you. Haha. <rim-shot>