Fast SD cards... what difference does it make?

[Fabooliss]

Does the extra speed make a big difference to a 6 Megapixel P&S camera for an amateur like me? What does it actually do?
For that matter, how do I know what the speed is, most of them just say "fast", "extreme" or "twice as fast as conventional cards".?
Thanks!

 

[ndelaware]

I think the biggest difference with the high speed cards can only be seen if your camera does video. For normal picture taking most cameras can't write data as fast as the high speed cards can accept it.

 

[Ratpack]

For a normal P&S camera, I would not spend the extra money for the fast cards. I have the fast cards, but I use a DSLR which may not need them, but when snapping shots at 2-3 per second I didn't want to take the chance.

 

[JR6ooo4]

It may also help when uploading to your computer. For a two gig card the difference may only be a few minutes.

Mikeeee

 

[ducklite]

It really depends on teh type of camera you have and the type of shooting you do. If you are shooting with a P&S, the processor isn't going to be any faster than a regular card, so there's no sense spending the money for Ultra or Extreem cards.

If you've got a DSLR and are shooting RAW, then you'll want to go with faster cards.

Anne

 

[Groucho]

You can often find the high-speed cards for very good prices (as low as $20 for a 2-gig) so that kind of makes it a no-brainer... the exception being if you are brand-loyal on card manufacturer. If you want a Sandisk to match the speed of the 133x/150x cards from the others, you'll looking at closer to $100 for a 2-gig card.

I'm using a Ultra 2gig 133x and a PQI 150x and both work fine in my DSLR. (The PQI was DOA but the replacement is fine.)

The big different is write speed - IIRC, the "basic" cards only write at 1.5 m/s, while the 133x/150x cards write closer to 15-17 m/s. The "inbetween" cards, like 60x and the Sandisk Ultra 2, are somewhere around 8-12 m/s. I'm sure that you won't see your buffer clear out 10x faster, but it should make a noticable difference.

 

[Fabooliss]

The big different is write speed - IIRC, the "basic" cards only write at 1.5 m/s, while the 133x/150x cards write closer to 15-17 m/s. The "inbetween" cards, like 60x and the Sandisk Ultra 2, are somewhere around 8-12 m/s. I'm sure that you won't see your buffer clear out 10x faster, but it should make a noticable difference.

What does that mean when I'm taking pictures?! What does the buffer do? Does it have anything to do with continuous shooting that I just posted a separate question about?

Feeling a little lost in cameraspeak!!!

 

[ndelaware]

The "buffer" holds the image you just took while the camera writes it to memory card. That way you can take another picture without having to wait for the camera to write the entire image file to the card. As soon as the image is written to the memory card the buffer thows it away leaving room for another image file that is on it's way to the memory card. The better the buffer the more pictures you can take in "continuous shot" mode.

 

[Fabooliss]

Thanks!!! That makes sense now!

 

[Groucho]

Like he said.

Of course, the buffer is the same size no matter how fast your card is - but the theory is that once the buffer is full, it will empty out faster if you have a faster card, allowing the next picture to be taken sooner.

 

[Fabooliss]

Thought of another buffer question... how do I find out how much buffer a camera has in comparison to other cameras? I haven't seen that listed in any of the specs. (We are looking at the Canon A540).

 

[Groucho]

The actual size (in technical speak, like how many kilobytes) is rarely if ever listed, and even if it was, it's really not the important number as different cameras take different-size photos. And if you shoot in a lower-quality format (lower resolution or quality), you'll probably be able to shoot more in a row.

Regarding the Canon A540 that you mentioned in the other thread, according to this page (found by throwing: canon a540 continuous ...into Google), it can shoot until you fill the card. That means that it can write them out about as fast as it can take them.

To find out about others, it's probably easiest to do a Google search. Just put in the camera model and the word continuous and you'll probably find it.

 

[rtphokie]

Does the extra speed make a big difference to a 6 Megapixel P&S camera for an amateur like me? What does it actually do?
For that matter, how do I know what the speed is, most of them just say "fast", "extreme" or "twice as fast as conventional cards".?
Thanks!

If you use burst mode (rapidly taking shots one after another), you'll want the fastest card you can get or you'll be severly limited in the number of shots you can get off before your camera pauses to write the data to the card.

You may say "but I dont shoot sports". I use burst mode constantly. It's a great way to have a number of shots to pick from. When shooting landscapes the wind might blow a bit and move a leaf on a long exposure shot but in the next shot it's fine. When shooting people, especially children, their expressions can change from second to second. Having multple shots to pick from can ensure you get the best one.

 

[Fabooliss]

I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. I think I may just leave it on continuous mode all the time, that way they'll be in the picture sometimes!
Thanks, you have made this so clear and so much easier!
Anybody know when they are going to go on sale for the cheapest price up here in Canada?