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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> One Big Card or Many Smaller Cards?
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 07/14/2004 09:35:51 AM · #1
After my recent problem with my new 1 Go CF card (LOST about 30-40 pics), I'm reconsidering getting the same thing. I fear that the same thing will happen again, and it will happen at a time when the photos are important.

Here's my question: is is better to get 1 big card (1 Go) or many smaller cards (4 x 256 or 2 x 512mb)?

What do others do?

I'm going on vacation on Monday and need the additional storage, so I'll need to decide quickly.
07/14/2004 09:37:46 AM · #2
I'm paranoid...I'd get several smaller cards. Who knows when the evil card-failure bug will bite? And if you have only one card...yikes. That's just my opinion.
07/14/2004 09:43:13 AM · #3
I agree, you wouldn't wanna put all your eggs in one basket. I have two 256 and one 512.
 07/14/2004 09:46:01 AM · #4
I lost 400 pictures of Prague last year because my card decided to crash. Good thing I had my other 800 pictures on two seperate 256mb cards. Smaller is better.
07/14/2004 09:48:47 AM · #5
I have 3 cheap Lexar 8x 256MB cards. As a software developer I'm definitely of the opinion that it's best not to have your eggs in one basket. Most of the time I use my X-Drive though, although a friend recently had the USB socket break off. :-/

Message edited by author 2004-07-14 09:49:02.
 07/14/2004 09:49:07 AM · #6
I researched my cards before I bought them (compact flash) and found that the 1 Gb and larger cards were having failure problems so I purchased 1 512 and 2 256 cards which were all rated very high in all areas. I take zillions of pictures a month and haven't lost any.

Good luck and have a nice holiday!
 07/14/2004 10:18:29 AM · #7
I also have to agree with the rest. I have 3 512's, 1 256 and 1 128. I would worry about losing a 1g card and as far as the 4g for $900... unless Lloyds of London would insure it.. forget it.
 07/14/2004 10:23:34 AM · #8
I would get 2 532 cards and a little portable hard-drive that you can back up the cards onto. That way if you can make a backup of one and keep using the other, you don't even have to delete the pictures until you are sure they are backed up.

Plus can get a little portable hard-drive pretty cheep (I use a drive pro, but there are more and more on the market every day)
 07/14/2004 10:24:20 AM · #9
You might want to think about going with the small SanDisk extreme. Costs a bit less than the mega size normal cards, but its engineered to work with a wider temp range and more resiliancy to impacts (dropping). Like any media, quality is a relevant consideration. Even if you're not photographing extreme sports, an over engineered card will theoretically have a longer time before a marginalizing event occurs. It also comes with a software program designed to help retrieve data if the card crashes.

Message edited by author 2004-07-14 10:24:50.
 07/14/2004 10:55:04 AM · #10
I'd say to stick with the 1GB. If you get a working 1GB card (bummer that your first card was defective -- I don't think that has anything to do with it being 1GB; you could have just as easily gotten a defective 256MB or 512MB card), it should continue to work as well as a 256MB or 512MB would. The advantages to having a larger card... you don't have to change cards in your camera as often, you don't have to worry about physically losing (or keeping track of) a lot of smaller cards, you don't run the risk of filling up a small card because you didn't think you'd need to bring along your "spares", and you're less likely to miss a photo-op because your card filled at an inopportune time. And if you ever want to shoot raw, you're really going to appreciate having the space on one card.

Plus, think down the road -- in a year or two, 1GB will be like 256MB and 512MB cards are today, and as the megapixels on cameras increase, those smaller cards will be less useful because they will store only a limited number of pictures.

Message edited by author 2004-07-14 11:17:31.
 07/14/2004 11:22:57 AM · #11
maybe I've just been lucky, but still have yet to experience an all-out card failure. personally , I think the 512's are the best value around...
 07/14/2004 12:02:35 PM · #12
Originally posted by mariomel:
After my recent problem with my new 1 Go CF card (LOST about 30-40 pics), I'm reconsidering getting the same thing. I fear that the same thing will happen again, and it will happen at a time when the photos are important.

Here's my question: is is better to get 1 big card (1 Go) or many smaller cards (4 x 256 or 2 x 512mb)?

What do others do?

I'm going on vacation on Monday and need the additional storage, so I'll need to decide quickly.


Cards are hardrives, the more info that can be stored on them the more sensitive they become. Better to get some smaller cards and always always remember to format each card before each use. And by smaller I mean 512.

Message edited by author 2004-07-14 12:03:18.
 07/14/2004 12:03:59 PM · #13
Originally posted by EddyG:
I'd say to stick with the 1GB. If you get a working 1GB card (bummer that your first card was defective -- I don't think that has anything to do with it being 1GB; you could have just as easily gotten a defective 256MB or 512MB card), it should continue to work as well as a 256MB or 512MB would. The advantages to having a larger card... you don't have to change cards in your camera as often, you don't have to worry about physically losing (or keeping track of) a lot of smaller cards, you don't run the risk of filling up a small card because you didn't think you'd need to bring along your "spares", and you're less likely to miss a photo-op because your card filled at an inopportune time. And if you ever want to shoot raw, you're really going to appreciate having the space on one card.

Plus, think down the road -- in a year or two, 1GB will be like 256MB and 512MB cards are today, and as the megapixels on cameras increase, those smaller cards will be less useful because they will store only a limited number of pictures.


yeah but in a year the technology on the 1 gig cards will probably be much better and more stable..like everything in technology.
 07/14/2004 12:28:13 PM · #14
Thanks for all the input. People seem to sway on the "smaller is better" side. I'll do some quick research and see what's available.

Thanks.
 07/14/2004 12:37:57 PM · #15
Originally posted by mariomel:
Thanks for all the input. People seem to sway on the "smaller is better" side. I'll do some quick research and see what's available.

Thanks.


The cheapest I've found them was at Henry's, I bought a 256mb lexar [not the fastest card around, but good] for $80CND which is $40 less than what they go for locally.
 07/14/2004 01:22:53 PM · #16
Vistek also seems to have cards in the same price range as Henry's.

//www.vistek.ca
 07/20/2004 06:51:43 PM · #17
I agree, I had bought a 256 cf and a 256 xd card to start with. The fujiS7000 only came with a 32 xd . I just got a 128 xd from ecost.com for $29 with rebate (1 per household) and I had my girl friend get me another. We're going on vacation in Oct. ,and I want plenty of memory cards!!
 07/20/2004 07:15:16 PM · #18
a lotta little ones, u dont know when the evil card killing fairy will bless you.
 07/20/2004 07:16:08 PM · #19
Sony Memory Stick

No Problems :P

Message edited by author 2004-07-20 22:53:16.
 07/20/2004 07:23:59 PM · #20
I am a financial planner, and I could never advise anyone to put all their eggs in one basket. Always diversify! :) Heehee. Get a few smaller cards. Yeah, you'll have to swich out, but if you lost one, at least your entire vacation memories are not gone from possible print!
 07/20/2004 07:47:19 PM · #21
seems like people are getting lazy about switching cards. all of them hold more shots than film. keeping track of tons of film is much worse than a few cards.
 07/20/2004 09:27:08 PM · #22
Originally posted by GoldBerry:
Cards are hardrives, the more info that can be stored on them the more sensitive they become. Better to get some smaller cards and always always remember to format each card before each use. And by smaller I mean 512.


Not true. Only "Microdrives" are close to a hard-disk, as it has moving parts. Moving parts on a hard-disk is fine, as you don't move a computer's hard-disk (notebooks eccepted, as they are made differently).

Compact Flash has no moving parts, and is termed "Solid-state Memory".

The thing with moving parts is that when the camera gets bumped while data's being written, and the writing heads move... ... goodbye data.

Go with Sandisk. They invented Compact Flash.

Message edited by author 2004-07-20 21:31:57.
 07/20/2004 09:31:37 PM · #23
Originally posted by GoldBerry:
Cards are hardrives, the more info that can be stored on them the more sensitive they become. Better to get some smaller cards and always always remember to format each card before each use. And by smaller I mean 512.


Most cards are not hard drives. They are solid state flash memory with no moving parts. Only the ones designated as microdrives are like hard drives. The solid state ones are really very reliable, can last forever, and it's not necessary to format for each use, but doesn't hurt if that's what you like to do.
 07/20/2004 09:32:32 PM · #24
COOLHAR:

haha. beat you to it.
 07/20/2004 09:42:40 PM · #25
GMTA
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