D500 second slot: I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want...

old poet

I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want anything greater than 64 gig as I seldom shoot video. It seems a waste to not use it if for nothing but overflow or redundancy, storage. Also, I don't want to break the bank.Thanks.

Quixdraw Loc: x

The cards are pretty inexpensive and I keep both slots filled. I don't ever shoot video, and nearly always shoot jpeg large fine. I have one button repurposed to switch to record raw on one jpeg on the other, just in case. Really no need to use both slots except for a pro who must deliver product. Your choice.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I use my second slot as a backup, just in case there's a problem.
I've never had an issue in the camera, but a few errant keystrokes on the computer has sent me to the back-up card a couple of times.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Les Brown wrote:

I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want anything greater than 64 gig as I seldom shoot video. It seems a waste to not use it if for nothing but overflow or redundancy, storage. Also, I don't want to break the bank.Thanks.

It depends on what and how you shoot. Right now, I have both of my D500s and my D850 set up to record raw files on the SD card, which is also designated as the Primary card, and Fine/Large JPEGs on the XQD/CFast card. If I ever shoot any video, it goes there as well. The SD card is twice the size of the XQD card, which seems to balance just about perfectly. If that ever changes, or if ever get to the point of shooting more video, I might have to rearrange things.

Please note that I just about never shoot bursts, and when I do, they are never as long as what the camera buffer will hold, so this arrangement works fine for me. If my practices ever change, a quick setup change will take care of it. There will be no impact on my shooting, except that I'll have to buy some larger XQD/CFast cards.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

I purchased by D500 in mid-2017, and from the outset I've had a 64GB XQD in the first slot, since it's so much faster than an SD, and I occasionally take burst shots of birds and grandkids. I have a 32GB SD in the second slot just in case I fill up the XQD or the XQD fails, neither of which has never happened.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

I follow David Martin's system almost. I have a 64gb xqd card in the first slot and a 64gb fast sd card in the second. I use the second as backup just in case.

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

How is YOUR memory? Hopefully better than mine. I have two cards in my D7200 and glad I do because a few times I have taken one card out, inserted it into my laptop to upload images and forgotten to reinsert the card back into the camera. When that happens and you're away from home on a photo shoot you'll be extremely thankful for that second card.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Les Brown wrote:

I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want anything greater than 64 gig as I seldom shoot video. It seems a waste to not use it if for nothing but overflow or redundancy, storage. Also, I don't want to break the bank.Thanks.

Unless you need the buffer space an XQD card offers you should use the SD card slot, it would be less expensive and you can get a good quality card for it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1431033-REG/sandisk_sdsdxxy_064g_gn4in_extremepro_sdxc_64gb_card.html?sts=pi&pim=Y

leftj Loc: Texas

Les Brown wrote:

I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want anything greater than 64 gig as I seldom shoot video. It seems a waste to not use it if for nothing but overflow or redundancy, storage. Also, I don't want to break the bank.Thanks.

I designate one slot for jpeg and the other for RAW. Easy Pezy, now you have everything you may need.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Les Brown wrote:

I recently bought my wonderful D500. I need advice about what to use in the top card slot considering all of the recent hubbub about cards. I do not need or want anything greater than 64 gig as I seldom shoot video. It seems a waste to not use it if for nothing but overflow or redundancy, storage. Also, I don't want to break the bank.Thanks.

I use burst shooting wildlife. XQD slot one, SD in two both are 32G. Slot 2 set for overflow. The only time overflow ever was used was in Africa.

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

I updated my firmware on the 3 D500s I have to be able to use the CFExpress card vs the XQD. My setup is I use the SD card as a backup only. I've worked with a 64 GB (Shooting raw) & on very few occasions have filled the card (The D500 are used as remote cameras with MIOPs sound sensors) & are prone to picking up lighning/thunder & other loud noises if they are set too sensitive.

old poet

GLSmith wrote:

I updated my firmware on the 3 D500s I have to be able to use the CFExpress card vs the XQD. My setup is I use the SD card as a backup only. I've worked with a 64 GB (Shooting raw) & on very few occasions have filled the card (The D500 are used as remote cameras with MIOPs sound sensors) & are prone to picking up lighning/thunder & other loud noises if they are set too sensitive.

Thanks, your answer got to my issue. What options are best for the xqd slot. I don't know anything about CFExpress. Do they fit the XQD slot? Are there advantages?

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

GoofyNewfie wrote:

I use my second slot as a backup, just in case there's a problem.
I've never had an issue in the camera, but a few errant keystrokes on the computer has sent me to the back-up card a couple of times.

Same here.

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

Les Brown wrote:

Thanks, your answer got to my issue. What options are best for the xqd slot. I don't know anything about CFExpress. Do they fit the XQD slot? Are there advantages?

The XQD is the slower of the 2...CFExpress is designed to fit the XQD slot....big difference between the 2 is how fast the data moves out of the buffer & gets written to the card...Negative on CFExpress, you need a CFExpress card reader...The XQD doesn’t read the data.

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

Also as CFExpress is “new” technology, the $$$ is more...I believe my 64GB CFExpress card was about $115...CFSExpress card reader about $75....Before deciding to stick with XQD, that technology is going to be phased out.....like everything else in this throw away society😜