CF memory card or SD: I would like to find out what memory cards other photographers carry on vacations. I would like to be able to use the video on my 5d II as well as photos shot in...

PhotoTex Loc: Texas

I would like to find out what memory cards other photographers carry on vacations. I would like to be able to use the video on my 5d II as well as photos shot in RAW. What type of card, what size card, how fast, and how many? On previous vacations I have shot about 800 high jpg. photos in two weeks.

snowbear

We don't really go on vacations, but an occasional weekend. I use a Nikon D40, so there is no video, and only one SD slot. I have one 4GB card and a few 2GB cards - all 60x, I think. I shoot raw 98% and try to avoid the "spray & pray" method. I haven't run out of space yet.

PhotoTex Loc: Texas

snowbear wrote:

We don't really go on vacations, but an occasional weekend. I use a Nikon D40, so there is no video, and only one SD slot. I have one 4GB card and a few 2GB cards - all 60x, I think. I shoot raw 98% and try to avoid the "spray & pray" method. I haven't run out of space yet.

Snow bear. thanks for the response
PhotoTex

02Nomad Loc: Catonsville, MD

I'm going to Italy in October for a little over 2 weeks, I'll have my 5D II set on Large/Fine. I will definitely take more CF cards than I need....2 16GB 600X, 3 8GB 300X and maybe a couple of 4 GBs. This will be (most likely) my last trip to Italy and I'm going to connect with family that I didn't know that I had. I'll be taking a LOT of pictures so that I can share them with my dad when I return. If you will be shooting video, I would recommend that you take a couple of 8GB or 16GB cards; I believe that you can get about 45 minutes on a 16GB card with the 5D Mk II.

magicunicorn Loc: Melbourne Australia

HI My cameras only take CF cards ... i have a high speed 16 G and an 8g and of course the old 4 g that came with the second hand camera i bought.

The 16G is my main card and i can tak 600 photos in a day and i have never filled up my card yet

Photog1 Loc: North America

PhotoTex wrote:

I would like to find out what memory cards other photographers carry on vacations. I would like to be able to use the video on my 5d II as well as photos shot in RAW. What type of card, what size card, how fast, and how many? On previous vacations I have shot about 800 high jpg. photos in two weeks.

This is simple. If you have an outlet where you can transfer your card images to a laptop or online storage, then you can probably get by with a 4GB card or two. Once they're transferred to a safe place, format the card and start over. If you have no other outlet, then buy as many 4 or 8gb cards as you can reasonably afford, and swap a card out when it get to about 90% capacity.

I recommend buying only those card types which your camera accepts. Format and test each one before you embark.

In the event of dire emergency, I hear that many stores such as Walmart sell memory cards. I would suggest that, should you find yourself in the wilds of Waxahatchie, Texas or Minot, North Dakota with a full memory card and no replacement handy, just look for the big blue signs

mremery Loc: From Maine, living in Virginia

I was talking with a professional photographer Sunday who uses a card (SD) once then stores it after copying files to his Mac. This way it's a backup device as well as initial storage. And since cards are so cheap nowadays, the cost is minimal.

Another photographer at a conference suggested using smaller sized SD cards rather than larger capacity. That way if the card goes bad (and they do), there's far fewer images on a 2 or 4 GB card rather than a 32 or 64 GB card.

DK Loc: SD

mremery wrote:

I was talking with a professional photographer Sunday who uses a card (SD) once then stores it after copying files to his Mac. This way it's a backup device as well as initial storage. And since cards are so cheap nowadays, the cost is minimal.

Another photographer at a conference suggested using smaller sized SD cards rather than larger capacity. That way if the card goes bad (and they do), there's far fewer images on a 2 or 4 GB card rather than a 32 or 64 GB card.

I do the same thing with my cards and also agree with the sizing of cards for the same reason.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

PhotoTex wrote:

I would like to find out what memory cards other photographers carry on vacations. I would like to be able to use the video on my 5d II as well as photos shot in RAW. What type of card, what size card, how fast, and how many? On previous vacations I have shot about 800 high jpg. photos in two weeks.

CF cards are expensive and since your camera will take both I'd buy SD cards. It will only record movies that are up to 4GB is size at a time then you have to start another take. I'd buy class 10 SD's that are name brand in the 16GB to 32GB range since you are doing movies and RAW.

imagesintime Loc: small town, mid-America

jeep_daddy wrote:

quote=PhotoTex I would like to find out what memo... (show quote)

If you are using a Canon 5DMKii then you will use CF cards because that is the only format that it uses.

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

I travel quite a bit with my D7000 body which holds 2 SD cards. I carry 12 - 32GB Class 10/1 cards with me. I shoot raw and usually mirror card 1 to card 2, and offload each days shoot images each night to a portable USB hard drive and laptop.
Sometimes I shoot video and have not run out of space on the 32GB cards. The newer Class 1 cards have a write speed of 45MB/sec and work really good for video and multiple frames.
Hope that helps.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

I've had an SD card snap in half while I was holding it.
I don't think I could even bend a CF card if I tried.
I think you could throw a CF against a wall as hard as you could and it would be fine.

CF cards are quite durable.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

my main cameras use sd cards i carry extra. my pentax 645d holds 2 sd cards and auto switches when one is full.i havn't filled up one yet.

PhotoTex Loc: Texas

Thanks guys. That is the information I needed.
PhototTex