lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Good morning fellow Hoggers!
I enjoy and appreciate much of the dialogue here as always.
After six years with a 5200, just recently, I stepped up to the D810. What an incredible difference as most of you well know. I was able to acquire a few FX lenses to use when I got it.
So my question:
The 5200 has one SD card slot of course, that was what I used all the time and I always kept the SD cards after they filled up because memory so cheap. I think I’m ready to start recycling those from several years ago. With good back up, there is no good reason to keep them.
The D810 has one CF card and one SD card. How do you folks manage the use of these two cards? There’s three options I believe, I forget right now but there’s three options as far as how to manage the saving of files. I shoot and save only RAW and then everything goes through Lightroom (on to PS for special work as desired). My workflow right now is everything comes off the SD card because I can plug that right into my computer to load to my external working drive.
So I’m only saving RAW.
How would you suggest using the CF card in conjunction with the SD card?
Thank you all!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Write RAW to the CF card. Write 'small' size JPEGs to the SD. Only offload and edit the RAW. Periodically, once a year or so, simply erase the entire content of the SD card. Maybe once or twice every other year do I have a reason for the 'quick' benefit of the JPEG rather than editing the corresponding RAW. Assure you have sufficient CF cards for travel. If I'm gone for a week, I need all 7 x 32GB CF cards I have. Even if I can back-up the cards, I'd like a assure I'm home and have the images safely copied to permanent storage before erasing the CF. I came from CF-based former cameras rather than SD, so I already had more CFs.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Interesting approach thank you. I had not thought of this workflow. I’m not opposed at all to switching my focus to CF cards. So when you’re saving small JPEG‘s to the SD card, do you consider that your back up? Do you have any functional use for the JPEG‘s?
I’m assuming then the writing time for files will be faster because it’s only one big file for the CF card and very small file to the SD card. Does that sound logical?
Of course the 5200 was quick writing smaller files. The 810 now takes a lot longer since I am writing the RAW files to both cards.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Your CF will tend to be faster, 1 to 1 to the SD. Check the data at this testing site for your D810: https://www.cameramemoryspeed.com/nikon-d810/fastest-sd-cf-card-speed-tests/ It looks like the camera can't do better than 98 MB/s for CF cards.

I use the SD card for the unlikely risk of having a problem with the CF card. I've never had a CF card problem in 16 years of shooting. I have had 1 (2 maybe) problems with SD cards. I have no functional use for the small JPEGs, same non-use for large JPEGs, if I was creating them instead. I'd rather have the small JPEG than nothing, but all the 2-slot hype has just been hype in my experience / need. I've been caught once with running out of space on the CF without another onsite. A few clicks and I was writing RAW to the SD for the remainder of that afternoon. That's been my only 2-slot benefit, due to my own poor planning.

In my shooting, both birds in flight and airshows, the low vs highspeed continuous mode and the camera's frames per second is the controlling variable rather than the card write speed.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Thank you again. Good point also regarding the cameras speed of writing. I’ll check out that link as soon as I hang up here. Good point, so the focus will be main=CF, SD back up to jpg just in case. My experience isn’t that deep but I’ve heard more about how dependable cards are and how very seldom there are any failures just as you have explained. Thank you again for your reply I appreciate your thoughts and input.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

I don't shoot Nikon, but I always record raw to both SD and CF cards. I usually have no need for a camera produced jpeg. One of the few times I shoot jpeg is when I set up a time lapse camera.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Thanks yes it would seem if one doesn't need jpg, the sd would be a logica RAW backup.
Thanks

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Do you have a fav CF card reader?

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

I use a Delkin usb3.0 reader for CF cards. Sometimes I use the SD card reader built in to my PC. I have never used the camera's usb port to download from the camera directly, as others write about. I use that connection only for tethering.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

I would choose the size card I thought I needed (say 64Gb if I was not doing much video).
I would have two SDXC and two CF cards.
I would get them from a good manufacturer.
I would get the fastest cards that my camera will use or maybe even slightly faster. (You said memory was cheap.)
I would have the SDXC and CF cards match in speed and size. (I believe both are written to at the same time so the slowest card might be the limiting factor for write speed unless both are faster than the D810 can use.)

And the usage option I would choose is to write RAW to each card as that is the only way to have a backup of the RAW file and you use the RAW file.

Congratulations on the new purchase!

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

👍thanks yeah SD on my laptop but need external CF reader.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Ok good thanks.
Yes I remember reading recently since I got the camera, and that the camera will load at the rate of the slower card so to start with I got two cards 32 gig with the same right speed but to save money I think I got the 95 gig. For a few more bucks and get the higher rated ones the 160 or something like that.
thank you for your reply appreciate the good info.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

I have a multitude of CF and SD cards that range in speed, mostly Lexar and Sandisk 633x and up. I don't really pay attention to the speed differences when pairing different card types for normal shooting, since the buffer will not be full waiting to write. If I'm planning to shoot a lot of high speed bursts, then I put in matched speed 1032x or up, depending.

Last year for HDR and/or PS layer masking, I shot a lot of bracketed photos at high speed in French churches and other dark buildings. 3 bracketed shots were not a problem for mismatched cards and I never worried or had any problems.

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Good info thanks.
Yeah I don’t shoot a lot of fast shots at lest not now.
And your comment re the buffer makes sence too.
I do have many SD’s so I’ll try those with a good reasonably fast CF.
Thanks again!!

legion3 Loc: Deer Park Long Island

The reason for two card slots is that if one card fails you still have your photos. i believe you should shoot raw on both cards ,that is what the pros due