CF card recommendations?

divamum

(I did search the site, but I don't seem to have the hang of the dgrin engine yet, as I didn't find specific info... By all means, please point me to an old thread or article somewhere if there's one out there and I simply didn't come up with the right string to find it!)

I'm looking at adding a couple more CF cards for my Rebel XT - currently I use an A-data 120x which has been fine, but since there are now much faster cards to choose from, I'm wondering if there is an upper speed limit - are any TOO fast for the camera? (I"ve had this problem with audio equipment, hence why I'm asking.)

Also, while the a-data card has worked beautifully (and thus I would consider buying that brand again), are there any particular brands/flavors the XT seems to prefer? Ideally, I want a couple of 1g and maybe 2g cards so I can swap out for different situations; I find it easier to keep track of (and upload) than on one larger card.

Thanks for any info!

ziggy53

I moved this to Accessories for better searching.

Yes, we have covered this many times before, but the cards and cameras keep changing so I don't mind a new thread now and again.

Cameras are sensitive to different cards by different manufacturers, sizes, grades and even versions. A very good resource for comparing cameras and cards is at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007

... but older cameras, including the XT are at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7700

Specifically, use the drop-down menu and look for the Canon XT/350D by name.

divamum

Thanks! (I know how annoying it can be to regulars when new readers ask the sameoldsameold questions, so thanks for being gentle with me!)

ETA: The charts are very interesting and helpful for general info (I"ve bookmarked them!), but I'd still welcome anybody's specific input regarding currently available cards in the XT (those are older, slower cards, so I'm still unsure if I can take advantage of the faster speed cards available now). TX!

ziggy53 wrote:

I moved this to Accessories for better searching.

Yes, we have covered this many times before, but the cards and cameras keep changing so I don't mind a new thread now and again.

Cameras are sensitive to different cards by different manufacturers, sizes, grades and even versions. A very good resource for comparing cameras and cards is at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007

... but older cameras, including the XT are at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7700

Specifically, use the drop-down menu and look for the Canon XT/350D by name.

Tee Why

I like Ridata's Ultimate series, very fast, reliable, and relatively cheap for the price.

ziggy53

divamum wrote:

... I'd still welcome anybody's specific input regarding currently available cards in the XT (those are older, slower cards, so I'm still unsure if I can take advantage of the faster speed cards available now). TX!

Briefly, the Canon XT/350D does not have the circuits to support DMA transfer so those newer DMA cards would not be realized or utilized on the XT.

When you look at charts like these note the "trends" being developed in the numbers. The SanDisc cards consistantly do well in the XT, but note that the Extreme III cards are only marginally faster than the Ultra II cards. I decided some time ago to standardize on the Ultra II cards for my:

2 - XTs
40D
1D MKII (both CF and SD in this case)

To this end I use only Ultra II 2 Gig and 4 Gig cards in all of those cameras. I am very happy with the speed and trouble-free performance of those cards on all my cameras.

The faster cards might be much faster in trasferring from a card reader into the computer, but I am not having a problem with my Lexar multi-card reader and those cards.

An added benefit is that the Ultra II cards are often discounted and pretty cheap, increasing the value to me.

I also do not fill the cards completely full (I try to stop at about 75-80 percent), I do not field erase and I always format the cards in-camera before an event.

dangin

i'm a big fan of the lexar and prospec cards (calumet photographic's house brand). they both carry a lifetime warranty and perform well in both my DMA and non-DMA cameras. i've had to send a sandisk cf card back in the past due to read/write failure and haven't bought another one since.

Art Scott

I currently have 2 Lexar Pro 2 gb 80X and 2 Transcend 8gb 120X...getting ready to buy 2 more 8gb Transcends..... HERE ............probably the 266X or the 300X, my KM 7D's won't get the benefit of either but the Pro cams I am considering will.