Camera Labs

Okay, I've just experienced a very weird thing with my SD cards and I'd like to see what you think about it...

My camera is Rebel T2i.
I have two SD cards: one is very old 1Gb Transcend SD (back then they didn't have any Class id, it just has 80x written on it) which I bought with my first point&shoot about 6 years ago.
The second one is a one year old Transcend SDHC Class 10 8Gb.

Here comes the weird part: when I insert 8Gb card and start bursting best quality Large JPGs camera stalls after about 22 frames (normal according to camera Specs).
(!) When I use old 1Gb it shoots well over a 100 !!! (109 to be precise and that's only when I got bored and stopped). there was no stalling whatsoever...

Camera settings are all the same: 1/100, F5.6, ISO 200, Manual focus
Also, RAW performance remains the same and stalls after about 7 frames.

Has anyone got any idea what can this be related to???
Or is it something everybody but me know already?)

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Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

Were they both freshly formatted before the test?

Yes, both were in-camera formatted before the test. And I repeated it several times.

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Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

So the older Transcend might be a classic Class2/Class4 card,but I don't understand how it would surpass the Class10. Are you sure you shot Large Jpegs both times & the FPS-speed was the same?

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Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
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Yes, all camera settings were the same as well as FPS.



Update: I just tested these two cards on my girlfriend's Lumix G3.
Class 10 shot about 38 frames in its Medium speed burst mode (or whatever they call it) it's the mode which still closes curtain in between the shots so it basically corresponds to burst mode of a dslr with mirror flipping up and down (G3's highest speed shooting modes do not involve curtain at all).
Old 1Gb card shot 75 before I got bored...

Settings were all the same: 1/100, f5.6 ISO400. Large fine JPGs

_________________
Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

It could be that your old card is better than advertised as the result of binning.

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Body: Canon Rebel XS, Canon EOS 7D
Lenses: Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4.0 OS HSM DC Macro, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS II, Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II, Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM, Canon EF 85mm f1.8 II USM

IMHO that's the most plausible explanation by far. There may have been something that it faltered on during testing but it was still satisfactory to be sold albeit at a lower specification.

In short, you may have been very lucky!

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Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

You should test another new generation Transcend against your old card,although there shouldn't be a lot of differences.
well,you really are lucky then. it's a bit hard to understand how this was possible,since the brands should write accurate specs about their products.

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Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
Visit my work here

Hi all!

I tried another Transcend SDHC Class 10, this time a 16Gb one. It is newer than my 8Gb and it has a black sticker on it (mine has a yellow/orange color one) and at Large Fine Jpeg option it can shoot till i run out of memory (at least again I got bored at about 80 images).

Maybe my Class 10 8Gb was a manufacturing defect or faulty somehow, I don't know. The weird thing remains with very old 1Gb 80x card.. As with this card camera performs better than what is written in specs. ALSO, this old card can do HD video... (not that you can record much of it on 1Gb, but still this card was designed back when there probably was no HD video at all).

In a little while I think I'll order one of 8Gb Sandisk Extreme cards. I'd like to see what it can do...

_________________
Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

I've searched but have yet to find an "SD card primer " on this site. Am a novice in the digital world and the SD designations remain unclear. The dealer where I picked up a new FZ 150 recommended a Class 10 card (4GB), but the manual says Class 4 will suffice. A larger card is now required to test video capacity.

Any recommendations or links to a comprehensive rundown on these cards?

(capacity, class, transfer rates, longevity, cost)

I'd prefer to avoid overbuying.

Alex

Hi Alex1

I used to own an FZ 38 and the above described 8Gb Transcend Class 10 was more than enough for it (videos and continuous stills). However now, using a dslr I experience some discomfort of this cheaper SD card, as it would choke on long burst and just in general does not really match the camera. And I regret a little not predicting the upgrade to a more powerful camera that would require a more capable card.
To you I'd suggest not to be scared of "overbuying" if there's even a slightest possibility you'll go for a DSLR/EVIL/ILC system in the future.

ALSO:
With cheapo cards you don't just loose speed, but also the reliability. There's a much bigger chance of loosing your precious data on a cheap card than on a more expensive better one.

_________________
Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

Thanks Mish for your reply. The advice is good, esp. when it comes to reliability. The only company I've seen making bold claims about card reliability is Panasonic. They're not cheap, but if the claims are true, would be worth the cost, esp. for pro shooting.

Likely there are some cards that fall in the middle, before one sacrifices too much for a bargain. Do you have a good comparison or card primer site to recommend? Does it exist here?

E.g., I just bought a 16GB Class 10 Duracell card ("200x"), 50% discount at Future Shop. Brand name for batteries, right? - but so many to choose from. In other words, not everyone needs bulletproof cards, but would be nice to know what is spin & what is truth. I don't foresee upgrading, I'm really heading in the other direction away from pro photography.

It's the digital aspect that presents the learning curve.

Regards,
Alex

For some reason it's hard as hell to find good side-to-side comparisons of different SD-cards. When I needed some info on this I was just putting together all the bits and pieces I could find on the net (may Google help you).

I'm pretty sure you've already scrolled a little down to this:
http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26911

Cheers

_________________
Canon 60D (+Magic Lantern)
Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS, Canon EF 50mm F1.4, Tamron SP 70-300mm VC USD, Helios 44-2
Canon Speedlite 430EXII
Benro A300F Tripod + BH1 Ballhead


History:
Canon Rebel T2i

Thanks for the page referral, I'd not seen that.

An SD card comparison chart or 'buyer's guide' may not be practical, as it would require constant updating and review. The specs & offerings, even brand names, are constantly evolving. But it would be a start.

More useful would be a brief explanation of the various terms used to describe and market the cards - so one could separate the hype from the solid facts. Since these are engineered and possibly regulated products, they likely have norms & standards. Electronics trade publications may be the place to get the real lowdown.

Conversely, if funds are unlimited, one can always buy top of the line.

Regards,
Alex

Well, i think class 8 and 10 is not according do SD standards (but 4 and 6 is), thats why class 6 card performs nearly same like class 10. (i have personal experience with this)

It's same like with HD ready, super HD, High definition, HD, and full HD, but you will get 1080p picture only on one of them.

New UHS stadard does not allow this.

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I'm new to DSLR's, so please be patient and take my opinions with reserve. Thank you : ) Yes, i am Canon man.
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