MtnMan Loc: ID

Yes, SD cards are better and cheaper. The compact flash cards are to attract old time professionals who have a bunch of them.

I bought a compact flash adapter for my D800 that takes two micro SD cards. It works fine. If you go that way you need to be sure to get the right adapter card: the thin one.

It turns out I've yet to use the second card slot. Even though I shoot RAW on the D800 I never fill the 32 GB SD card.

moonhawk Loc: Land of Enchantment

I don't know why they use two types, but I take advantage of the fact that they do use two cards--I set them both to record the same image. Gives me some peace of mind as I have a backup in case one card or the other fails.

I wish they were both SD, as then I wouldn't have to have two types, and all my cards would work in both my D810 and mt D7100.

Also, as previously stated, it could make the body more compact.

MtnMan Loc: ID

True. Also you can download images from the CF card using the USB cable that comes with the camera. It would be slower.

Or, if you get the adapter card as I did then the micro SD cards that you get for it come with SD adapters so you can pull the micros to use in the SD adapters on your computer. An extra step but not difficult.

MtnMan Loc: ID

If they do they might get me! For the time being I bought a D5300 to complement my D800.

Although I might go for the D750 update if they put an articulated screen on it: for the lighter weight.

I'm hoping they come out with a mirrorless FX (with articulated screen) that takes F mount lenses without adapter.

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

Both have their advantages. Yes, I'm one of the old dudes who have a bunch of cf cards and would not have liked it if I could not use them in my d810 or d800. As you get older you too will see the advantage of being able to handle the larger cards as arthritis sets in. The sd cards seem cheaper and more readily available if you need to buy one in Frostbite Falls, Mn. Another advantage is that most lap tops and some i pads have a slot to immediately pop the sd card in to view. With cf cards you will need to carry a reader. So for now, I usually shot on the sd card and use the cf for back up until the arthritis gits worse. Hope this helps. Leon

mdsiamese Loc: Maryland

I was using a d700 before upgrading to the d810. Being able to continue to use all of my compact flash cards was a huge relief. But I do like being able to also use the less expensive and more prevalent SD cards.

ggttc Loc: TN

Ok...having shot the 810...the files in raw are about 50 mb...32 0r 64 gig card...do the math...because I cant count my fingers and toes without writing in down

Dan821 Loc: Traveling........

I use both 32GB and 64GB cards in my D810
I also have some newer 128GB CF cards that I use.
The objective of the shoot determines which card capacity I select.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

My personal preference is for CF cards and that's because I have a large investment in them. Because they are bigger, I do find them harder to loose track of. I guess I would also have to admit that I like them because that's what I'm used to. I have no issue with replacing technology, but I haven't seen any better for what I do than the CF cards. IMHO!

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

When I started in digital there were many cards but the two most popular were the CF and the SD cards. The divide was simple too, the professional gear used CF and the consumer gear used SD. The problem though, when you have two standards for the same thing, is that you end up with higher costs making and maintaining two different flavours of memory cards. So a decision was taken somewhere in the industry that the SD card would be the standard. As a result you'll find most laptops come with an SD card reader built in and you'll find that practically everything that's made now uses that card.

In terms of your questions, manufacturers who make high end stuff find themselves in a quandary. Those who use CF cards often have a large number of them. They would not appreciate being forced into buying all new cards and changing standards after spending thousands of dollars for a new high end camera. So many compromise offer a slot for each in the newer models. Eventually though I think you'll find that the CF card would disappear soon enough.

As to "better", both have issues. The CF card is quite robust and for a time had higher capacities and performance since it is also larger. The main issue with these cards is the many pins. If you accidentally bent a pin in the camera you were into an expensive repair.

SD cards seem more flimsy and delicate and until recently were limited in terms of how much memory they would carry or how fast it will perform. At the same time they don't have as many pins. They also have a switch that allows you to turn off the card thereby preventing write operations.

At this stage too it doesn't matter which is better, the CF card is on its way out so you may as well stock up on SD cards instead. In terms of performance, that depends on the camera. I use 60 MB/second cards for my D800 and my D3, that seems fast enough to allow the cameras to work flat out. If I ever have a faster camera I'll probably be looking for another faster card.

In terms of brand, the Sandisk and the Kingston ones have good reputations but I think you'll find the members here have many more favourites that they swear by. In fact it's hard to make a recommendation.

There are very few companies (two or three I think) who manufacture these memories and the controller that allows you to read and write to the memory. These two components are then assembled by the companies who place their name on the card. The problem is that the cards can have memory from one maker and a controller from another and this mix changes constantly, so in fact it's not easy to say that a particular brand is better than another because they all seem to come out of the same pot.

Regarding your choice of camera, I personally prefer FX sensors, they create higher image quality. That leads you to the D800 and the D750. At this point then how much resolution do you need?

I use a D800 because I do mostly macro work. To me that resolution is an answer to my prayers. Sometimes it's impossible to get close enough to a subject to fill the sensor. In those moments there's enough resolution to get a sharp crop. The down side of the camera is that it's slow, four to five frames per second, and it's unforgiving. With that resolution you better keep your lenses squeaky clean because every spec shows up on your images. You need to also keep the sensor clean.

For non macro work I prefer my D3, it's faster and allows me to work in very low light situations.

The same could be considered for your choices. I'd say the D750 is an excellent general camera whereas the D800 is more into areas where you need high resolution.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

While I don't really want to, as I have thousands invested, I have to agree with all of what Bugfan wrote. In addition to fewer pins, the SD card, along with the other similar types, have contacts on the card which eliminates one issue. I also concur with his assessment of the sensors available, although I suspect I'll still buy the next model. I would love to have a D810, but with the sports performance of a D4s! It's nice to have a dream!

ggttc Loc: TN

The 810 has the same focusing the system is D4

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

And thats where the similarities stop. The D810 was not designed for pro sports, at least IMHO. Very nice camera, but not for my main work. I'd own one otherwise.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

SD or CF? Politics, religion, rock and roll, and memory cards. Opinions, lots and lots of opinions. The one thing we know for certain is if the camera takes two cards, the slowest card, regardless of which type, will drag the other card down to it's speed. Easiest way to avoid problems is to use the same speed cards. If that isn't possible use only one. Or, you can put up with the slowdown.

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

Thank you for your information. I'm sorry I have taken so long to reply, it's been a busy couple of days. You actually have answered a question I was going to ask as to whether the SD could be made the primary. That is probably the route I will take.

Thanks again!!
Dodie