Memory card failures; new or reused? (Page 4): Well, yes, I see your point. Just didn't think I wanted to carry a laptop around the British Isles. However, if we decide on doing the RV...

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

11bravo wrote:

While that might work for a short vacation, not re... (show quote)

Well, yes, I see your point. Just didn't think I wanted to carry a laptop around the British Isles. However, if we decide on doing the RV thing for traveling around this country, taking a laptop shouldn't be a problem.

Could you please define HGST HDD.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

lsimpkins wrote:

The gold plating is usually very thin and porous. The underlying or base metals can produce corrosion products that creep from the pores spreading into the contact area. This is usually not a problem, but in less than benign atmospheric conditions can cause intermittents. For reference, check out Battelle contact corrosion studies.

True. The base metal can corrode if not plated properly (or done cheaply).
On a well plated contact, not a problem.

11bravo

lmTrying wrote:

Just didn't think I wanted to carry a laptop around the British Isles.

Could you please define HGST HDD.

HDD: hard disk drive, aka "a spinner".

HGST: is a manufacturer of HDD's. (ok, they've been bought by somebody - WD? - but still retain their name, so hopefully they'll remain a separate division).

Unfortunately, they no longer make 2.5 inch external HDD's. But I can vouch for their 3.5 inch NAS drives (which I use as "regular" HDD's in my desktops).

I no longer trust WD's (well, maybe their blacks for the OS), and while I do use Seagate and Toshiba 3.5 HDD's, it's not for anything important. Anything important goes on an HGST.

Given HGST Touro external HDD's are no longer available, I do have a couple of Toshiba 2.5 inch 2TB external HDD's. Given I had a Toshiba 3TB external go bad (yes, only 1 sample point, but it only takes one) I stick to 2TB external HDD's for travel.

Given I'm more comfortable on a laptop than a smartphone, I don't find it a burden to travel with. It stays in the hotel when I'm out and about (long gone are the days of hostel dorms, but I will stay in a hostel's private room). And when I do change locations, it's a SMALL part of my luggage.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nikon1201 wrote:

I think your engineering degree has caused you to way overthink this.

crphoto8 Loc: Anaheim, California

You'll see many personal choices, here's mine -
1) I carry several cards when on a trip (4-5 times a year). Try to have extra cards if feasible.
2) I put a high speed write card in slot 1 (Olympus EM1-Mk2).
3) Backup with slower card in slot 2 (yes, I know this may affect write speed but backing up is more important).
4) Replace both cards when they are about 2/3 full. Mark both cards with same sequential shooting # and dates range.
5) Download only primary cards to the PC through LR creating DNG, smart reviews, keywords, etc.
6) Backup HD images to both internal & external HDs using Acronis and Synctoy. You can NEVER have too many copies!
7) Check and recheck all folders for errors, incomplete downloads, etc.
8) Once I'm sure my last shoot's images are safe I'll reformat ALL cards in-camera.
9) Repeat items 1 through 8.

I've never had a card fail on me but this maybe just dumb luck.

lmTrying wrote:

In all the threads I have read in the last 15 mont... (show quote)

11bravo

I use TeraCopy for copying from sd card to computer and internal to external hard drives. With verify option checked, it does a CRC comparison on each file, won't hang if there is a problem, and shows its progress in detail.

MrGNY Loc: New York

lmTrying wrote:

The only problem I have had is with the card currently in use. The only way it will download is to download from the camera using a transfer cable. If I take the card out of the camera and put it in the computer, nothing. I have nothing important on this card that is not already backed up. So it has become my "practice" card. Something tells me that I used it in another camera for a bit, so it may be confused.

Can you download other cards? Is this the only card you are using? If you can download from the camera it’s not the card. Your card reader may be flaking out or is dirty. The camera is being connected via USB get a USB card reader and you should be ok.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

Longshadow wrote:

While I don't fill cards everyday, I've been using... (show quote)

I haven't had any problems with any cards and some of them are 2 gig cards going back to when the Nikon D40 was a new camera!

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

11bravo wrote:

HDD: hard disk drive, aka "a spinner". b... (show quote)

Interesting and informative. HGST is the only one I had not heard of. The reviews of all the others have had both pros and cons. Makes it hard to decide. Several Hoggers have spoke well of SSDs. I found them to be smaller capacity and more expensive. But, having no moving parts, do they travel better than spinners?

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

11bravo wrote:

I use TeraCopy for copying from sd card to computer and internal to external hard drives. With verify option checked, it does a CRC comparison on each file, won't hang if there is a problem, and shows its progress in detail.

I assume that TeraCopy is software?

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

MrGNY wrote:

Can you download other cards? Is this the only card you are using? If you can download from the camera it’s not the card. Your card reader may be flaking out or is dirty. The camera is being connected via USB get a USB card reader and you should be ok.

Good points. I'll try downloading the card in my point n shoot. If that doesn't work, I will get a USB card reader.

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

photoman022 wrote:

I haven't had any problems with any cards and some of them are 2 gig cards going back to when the Nikon D40 was a new camera!

Good! Here on the Hogg we generally don't hear the good sides, just the failures.

But after that many years, I think I would have to replace those old cards with a couple of new ones just on principal.

11bravo

lmTrying wrote:

I assume that TeraCopy is software?

yes, freeware for windows (I don't need the paid pro version). Have used it for a decade, on every computer I own. I will say I limit it to 50 GB chunks as it does seem to hang on greater, but that might be my machine's problem. I can watch the progress, see what it's done (select the more option, otherwise it closes when it completes successfully), specify how it handles duplicate file names, and stack a number of executions (runs sequentially, not parallel).

11bravo

lmTrying wrote:

Several Hoggers have spoke well of SSDs. I found them to be smaller capacity and more expensive. But, having no moving parts, do they travel better than spinners?

yes, SSD's are fast and great for travel as they have no moving parts. But I can't justify the cost for the size I'd need for an extended trip. My OLD Lenovo laptop does have a 250GB SSD drive for the OS, programs, and small amounts of data. I use a cradle for a spinner HDD that swaps with the CD cradle, so I have 2 internal drives. I just never use the laptop on my lap, always on a hard surface, desk or table. Given I always keep 2 copies once photos off of SD card, still need an external drive.

Also highly recommend 2 other software programs: Hard Disk Sentinel and StableBit Scanner. Bit of duplication between the two. I use Sentinel to monitor disk temps and to sound alarm if get too hot, and Scanner to run periodic surface scans for health (also monitors temps, but Sentinel has more options, including automatic shutdown). Both paid, but have group price packages as I use on all my computers. Both well supported, and very responsive to questions.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

lmTrying wrote:

Good! Here on the Hogg we generally don't hear the good sides, just the failures.

But after that many years, I think I would have to replace those old cards with a couple of new ones just on principal.

I was a component test engineer for years (ICs, memory, discrete components, ...). I'm going to keep using my cards until they fail (and they will some year, probably after I do).
I have a Philco AM radio from the mid 60's that I bought when I was a teenager. It STILL works fine. I would have thought some of the electrolytic capacitors would have dried out by now.