Memory card for Canon Rebel xsi?

[JustUs275]

I have 1 memory card for my Canon Rebel xsi, a Sandisk Extreme III 8gb, class 6. I am definitely a novice at photography, still learning how to use my camera and lenses. :o

 

I think I should pick up another card for the cruise, just for the sake of having a backup or maybe even alternate cards. Is another card like the one I already have the best choice? They seem to have gone up in price in the last year, or maybe I just got a great deal on the first one I bought on ebay? ($33 with a reader) Some that I see on ebay are not in original packaging but are less expensive than others (Bulk?)...would that be a safe route? Or should I just quit pondering it so much and just order one from jr or adorama? :confused:

[chipmaster]

IMHO you will be fine with any Sandisk Extreme/Ultra II or better. The only time the speed rating really comes into play is during data transfer to computer or when you shoot at maximum FPS, machine gun mode.

 

12 Megpixel and if you shoot jpeg likely about 4-6Meg file per picture. The camera can shoot ~ 3.5FPS = 20MB/Sec. Any card that is that fast should be good enough for you to get 3.5FPS. More factors come into play so having 20MB/sec rated card may still cause it to limit shooting speed, but for certain don't spend for any of the high end premium cards as you are paying for performance you DON"T need.

 

I would avoid the ebay except for the most reputable storefronts. Anyone can take a card and rebadge it. Cards are so cheap and for what you need your local Officedepot or Bestbuy promo CF for the weekend is good enough. Another 8 GB will be smart to have, BTW 8GB is probably good for about 1,000+ pictures in jpeg mode.

 

I've actually only every filled more than 8GB just once, and that was on a two week cruise. I'm only taking an 8GB + 2GB. I really need to shoot more I think... :o

 

I have 1 memory card for my Canon Rebel xsi, a Sandisk Extreme III 8gb, class 6. I am definitely a novice at photography, still learning how to use my camera and lenses. :o

 

I think I should pick up another card for the cruise, just for the sake of having a backup or maybe even alternate cards. Is another card like the one I already have the best choice? They seem to have gone up in price in the last year, or maybe I just got a great deal on the first one I bought on ebay? ($33 with a reader) Some that I see on ebay are not in original packaging but are less expensive than others (Bulk?)...would that be a safe route? Or should I just quit pondering it so much and just order one from jr or adorama? :confused:

[trophy_23]

Be very careful on ebay with memory cards, there have been many reports of fake sandisk cards on there. I have an xsi and I have 2 4gb extreme III and 3 8gb extreme III. I find them to be great and have never had an issue with any of them. Now I am trying to find some CF cards as I just got a 7d!!!

[pierces]

Be very careful on ebay with memory cards, there have been many reports of fake sandisk cards on there. I have an xsi and I have 2 4gb extreme III and 3 8gb extreme III. I find them to be great and have never had an issue with any of them. Now I am trying to find some CF cards as I just got a 7d!!!

 

Watch Adorama carefully. When SanDisk releases their periodic rebates, there is a lag between the release and Adorama raising their prices. Typically, a $60 CF card will get about a $30 rebate (sometimes you get more if you buy two or three at a time) and shortly thereafter the price of the card goes up to $80. You still get a deal, but it's reduced to $10 off or so. I bought three 8GB Extreme III CF cards and with the rebate, ended up paying less than $20 each.

 

I will repeat the Ebay warning. SanDisk is the most counterfeited brand out there. A common practice is to buy lots of class 2 cards from a no-name manufacturer and re-badge them as Ultra (class 6) or Extreme (class 10).

 

Here are links to a couple of Ebay's own pages warning of known scams:

 

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-SanDisk-Extreme-Compact-Flash-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001456539

 

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-SanDisk-Ultra-Secure-Digital-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001254879

 

Ebay deals often look like they're too good to be true...and, at least with memory cards, they often are.

 

Dave

 

Dave

[trophy_23]

Thanks for the info on adorama, thatis how i picked up all my 8gb cards on a rebate super cheap! I hope the have it again for the cf cards before May. I prefer to get my cards from them as Iknow they are tge real thing. I have heard amazon is bad for fakes too.

[PeterPan]

SanDisk is probably the most counterfeited memory card on the internet! I have purchased cards from eBay that were obvious fakes. Cansidering what I paid for them, and they work OK, I decided to keep them and use them for "snapshot" type stuff.

 

I tend to use multiple 4GB cards for a cruise. That way I don't lose all of my shots if there is a problem with the card. Of course, I've never had a problem with any of my CF cards. :o

[donaldsc]

SanDisk is probably the most counterfeited memory card on the internet! I have purchased cards from eBay that were obvious fakes. Cansidering what I paid for them, and they work OK, I decided to keep them and use them for "snapshot" type stuff.

 

o

 

IMHO, the only place for flaky cards is the trash bin. Using them for "snapshot" pictures is like continuing to use a hard drive that sort of works. Cards are cheap - memories are not.

 

DON

[pierces]

Thanks for the info on adorama, thatis how i picked up all my 8gb cards on a rebate super cheap! I hope the have it again for the cf cards before May. I prefer to get my cards from them as Iknow they are tge real thing. I have heard amazon is bad for fakes too.

 

If it says "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com", you have no worries. Beware of third-party sellers without a good history of ratings. Either way, if you have a problem, Amazon has excellent customer service.

 

Dave

[JustUs275]

Thanks for the info...I went to Best Buy today to get a Sandisk extreme iii 4gb memory card and a circular polarizing lens filter. They didn't carry the lens filter or the extreme iii cards (our store is really small compared to most BB's I've seen). So I decided to order the items online - but walked out with a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS...it was a closeout price and I did "need" a p&s camera I can keep in my purse or pocket. ;)

 

So now I'm thinking I will order 2 of the 4gb extreme iii's and my question is: if for some reason the memory card in my dslr fails on the cruise, would I be able to take the card out of the powershot (assuming it already has pictures on it) and use it in the dslr? I'm wondering if the camera formats the card somehow, or would pictures on a card that were taken with various cameras all be ok?

[pierces]

Thanks for the info...I went to Best Buy today to get a Sandisk extreme iii 4gb memory card and a circular polarizing lens filter. They didn't carry the lens filter or the extreme iii cards (our store is really small compared to most BB's I've seen). So I decided to order the items online - but walked out with a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS...it was a closeout price and I did "need" a p&s camera I can keep in my purse or pocket. ;)

 

So now I'm thinking I will order 2 of the 4gb extreme iii's and my question is: if for some reason the memory card in my dslr fails on the cruise, would I be able to take the card out of the powershot (assuming it already has pictures on it) and use it in the dslr? I'm wondering if the camera formats the card somehow, or would pictures on a card that were taken with various cameras all be ok?

 

Each camera will create its own image folder on a shared card. No problem with mix and match cameras. I share cards between my Minolta 7D and Sony A700 regularly.

 

Dave

[PeterPan]

You can certainly share cards between cameras as long as they both use the same type card (i.e., CF, SD, etc.).

 

Man, there are some really an@l folks on this board! :eek: I take a LOT of photos. Some of them are simply not that important to me - like playing with new settings or trying new things. A cheap memory card is just fine for that type of thing.

 

You can bet that all my cruise photos, or any photo that is important to me, go onto a SanDisk Extreme or Ultra card (and one that is NOT a fake).

 

<Rant Over> You just gotta love Cruise Critic - there's always someone ready to "pounce". :rolleyes:

[pierces]

 

Man, there are some really an@l folks on this board! :eek: I take a LOT of photos. Some of them are simply not that important to me - like playing with new settings or trying new things. A cheap memory card is just fine for that type of thing.

 

You can bet that all my cruise photos, or any photo that is important to me, go onto a SanDisk Extreme or Ultra card (and one that is NOT a fake).

 

 

I wouldn't call it pouncing...different things are more important to some people and I think the intent was to warn folks away from questionable products or shady dealers.

 

I have to admit that I only use quality memory in my cameras. I carry a camera of some sort all the time and because I can't reliably predict which photos I won't care about and would be willing to lose to a cheap card, I just factor the cheap card out of the equation.

 

Dave

[PeterPan]

I guess the point is, rather than just throwing the "non-quality" cards away, I find a use for them - albeit a rather limited use. But, a use none the less.

 

Probably should have never mentioned it.....:confused:

[pierces]

I guess the point is, rather than just throwing the "non-quality" cards away, I find a use for them - albeit a rather limited use. But, a use none the less.

 

Probably should have never mentioned it.....:confused:

 

Mention away!:D

 

That's what I find most appealing about these pages as opposed to the various "brand religion" forums. Nobody gets pummeled for a differing point of view. Your point concerning finding a use for "iffy" cards doesn't apply to my personal preferences but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a great suggestion for someone else. Your opinion is no less valid because it doesn't agree with mine or others here.

 

The only worthless point of view is the one that doesn't get posted! ;)

 

Dave

[Zack Adams]

Not really one for the cruise, but I really enjoy the Eye-Fi cards! Totally awesome!!!

http://www.eye.fi/

[chipmaster]

Not totally true at all! ;)

 

Both HDD and NAND Flash memory is now made by a handful of companies you can count on one hand. A "bad" drive is risky not because it is likely counterfeit but more likely because it is making noise, running hot has a mechnical arm that skims mills above a platter. About the equavalent of an airplane going thousands of miles a hour at a few feet above the ground. One bump or crash or a slip of tolerance and you can indeed kiss your data goodbye :eek:

 

Flash cards if you can format them cleanly even a "fake" sandisk you are likely in pretty good shape. The things that seperate cards are density, speed, and reliability. The two most often reason for rebranding / counterfeit is to take a slower and smaller card and rebadge it as a faster larger density for more bucks. Almost all flash manufacturs gurantee their bits for 7 years retention time and 10,000 read/writes. So if it works the first time likely it will work the second, third, and 9,999th time you read and write it. Just don't be surpised that it is slower and can store fewer pictures. A counterfeit card isn't like a counterfeit made in china gucci bag or rolex watch :D

 

IMHO, the only place for flaky cards is the trash bin. Using them for "snapshot" pictures is like continuing to use a hard drive that sort of works. Cards are cheap - memories are not.

 

DON

[JustUs275]

Thanks for your help everyone...I ordered a Sandisk extreme iii sdhc 4 gb memory card, to go along with my 8 gb. :D