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Memory cards and image quality?
Aug 27, 2011 02:38:20   #
Ugly Hedgehog Newsletter
 
Hi,

I have been told that there are no dumb questions when one is learning. That being so, I would like to know if the memory card has any bearing on the quality of my pictures that are stored on it. Are any memory cards better than others?? Trying to consider everything!!

Thanks for any help. Mary.

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Aug 27, 2011 08:20:20   #
photocat Loc: Atlanta, Ga
 
Some are consider more stable. I.E. Lexar and Sandisk are the big players.

Some where out in the internet there is a serious paper with the results from many makers ranked.

You might try google, at one time I had it bookmarked but when i had the dreaded computer crash lost all the bookmarks.

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Aug 27, 2011 08:49:17   #
notnoBuddha
 
I have not seen anything about the "quality" of the image for the different cards. On the otherhand the recording speed seems to be an issue for some but I belive most of the name brands are going to be pretty close on that. One piece of advice that I have seen several places is to not use a card much over 4G and do not completly fill them. The idea being that if you in fact lose a card or one goes bad you have not just lost everything from the trip or your shoot. I have seen the theory that to complety fill a card you run a higher risk of it going bad - can't say I understand if there is any more risk of that but, I see no harm of doing it that way.

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Aug 27, 2011 09:11:19   #
KB Loc: Tennessee
 
Memory cards have no bearing on the quality of the images stored on it. Memory cards have different write speeds which affects the time it takes to download your images to your computer. Check out your camera manual for types of cards compatible with your camera. You don't want to purchase an expensive card that your camera can't take advantage of. I would also recomend a well known name brand like SanDisk. They are usually more expensive but you can feel confident your images are protected.

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Aug 27, 2011 10:13:07   #
Anthony Charles Loc: Santa Maria
 
one thing to remember about memory cards is if you are not going to use your camera for a while remove the card and store. it in a card holder,ditto for the battery.of this i speak from bitter experience

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Aug 27, 2011 13:21:21   #
chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon
 
Another thing to always to do to for long life of the memory card is after you download from it or at the beginning of the shoot, is to format the card in the camera. Make sure you have the pictures you want off of it first.
Just because a card is Class 10 does not mean it is always faster than a class 6 card. Shop around ask questions.

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Aug 27, 2011 18:55:45   #
a1l2i3c4
 
Thank you. I have made note of the brands and will make sure that I purchase same. I have no idea what came with my camera at this point.

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Aug 27, 2011 18:58:00   #
a1l2i3c4
 
Thank you. I will follow your advice.

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Aug 27, 2011 19:00:18   #
a1l2i3c4
 
Had not thought about doing that so I will be careful to follow your advice. Thank you.

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Aug 28, 2011 19:20:52   #
marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL
 
KarlB wrote:
Memory cards have no bearing on the quality of the images stored on it. Memory cards have different write speeds which affects the time it takes to download your images to your computer. Check out your camera manual for types of cards compatible with your camera. You don't want to purchase an expensive card that your camera can't take advantage of. I would also recomend a well known name brand like SanDisk. They are usually more expensive but you can feel confident your images are protected.
Memory cards have no bearing on the quality of the... (show quote)


Actually, write speed is the speed at which the camera can write to the memory card. Downloading to a computer would be the card's read or transfer speed. This is why an SD-based video camera needs Class 10 cards. Slow "write speed" cards would not be able to keep up with the huge quantity of video information pouring in from the camera.

A higher write speed card in any digital still camera will help the camera recover between shots faster. Slow recovery is sometimes misinterpreted as the camera having a slow shutter response when in reality it's trying it's best to "write" onto a retarded memory card.

I do agree though that memory cards have nothing to do with image quality. You can move an image file from a hard drive, to a DVD, to a memory card, to a CD, to a portable USB drive on a string around your neck, to another memory card, and the image will always remain exactly the same unless it gets corrupted. Then you won't be able to read it at all.

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Aug 29, 2011 02:29:08   #
PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach
 
The thing to remember about memory cards and quality is to make sure your camera is set such that the smallest number of pictures can be stored on the particular card.

Modern, large memory cards might say they can store 3,587 images when the camera is set to very low image size/quality, whereas the camera, set at its best quality, may store 121 images.

When you shoot at lower resolutions/quality, keep in mind there are limited solutions should, one day, you really need a low resolution picture to do the job of a high resolution image, for example, to be printed large, like 24x36. Even a 6 megapixel camera, if shot RAW, can make it to 24x36 through sophisticated enlargement techniques. Trying the same thing from an 800x600 pixel resolution is possible, but the results will be a very poor quality print.

Me, in my digital darkroom. 30x40 print.
Me, in my digital darkroom. 30x40 print....

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Aug 29, 2011 03:56:51   #
Johnny Loc: Shreveport, La
 
notnoBuddha wrote:
I have not seen anything about the "quality" of the image for the different cards. On the otherhand the recording speed seems to be an issue for some but I belive most of the name brands are going to be pretty close on that. One piece of advice that I have seen several places is to not use a card much over 4G and do not completly fill them. The idea being that if you in fact lose a card or one goes bad you have not just lost everything from the trip or your shoot. I have seen the theory that to complety fill a card you run a higher risk of it going bad - can't say I understand if there is any more risk of that but, I see no harm of doing it that way.
I have not seen anything about the "quality&q... (show quote)


I think that is excellent advice on building up a collection of cards that fairly inexpensive while also finding out for yourselve the ones you like most. I personally have lost pics due to corrupted files which ruined the whole group and am now a firm believer in many smaller cards....Buddha very wise...
:thumbup:

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Aug 29, 2011 08:55:42   #
marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL
 
Johnny wrote:
notnoBuddha wrote:
I have not seen anything about the "quality" of the image for the different cards. On the otherhand the recording speed seems to be an issue for some but I belive most of the name brands are going to be pretty close on that. One piece of advice that I have seen several places is to not use a card much over 4G and do not completly fill them. The idea being that if you in fact lose a card or one goes bad you have not just lost everything from the trip or your shoot. I have seen the theory that to complety fill a card you run a higher risk of it going bad - can't say I understand if there is any more risk of that but, I see no harm of doing it that way.
I have not seen anything about the "quality&q... (show quote)


I think that is excellent advice on building up a collection of cards that fairly inexpensive while also finding out for yourselve the ones you like most. I personally have lost pics due to corrupted files which ruined the whole group and am now a firm believer in many smaller cards....Buddha very wise...
:thumbup:
quote=notnoBuddha I have not seen anything about ... (show quote)


You might want to investigate what factors are causing you to have corrupted files (heat, static electricity, holding it in your moist lips during card changing, rough treatment, kids messing around with the card, etc.). I've never had a corrupted file from a camera but lost several (but still not many) in post-editing on a sick hard drive that had corrupted sectors.

It might help if you immediately backup your memory card when you get back to your computer and maybe a CD as well then reformat the card (in the camera only) each time before you go out for another shoot.

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Aug 29, 2011 20:33:47   #
Randyb1969 Loc: Armpit of California
 
notnoBuddha wrote:
I have seen the theory that to complety fill a card you run a higher risk of it going bad - can't say I understand if there is any more risk of that but, I see no harm of doing it that way.


I've heard of that. It's called Murphy's Law

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