CF Cards

Dogdots

If this is the wrong section to ask my questions please move me

I just bought the SanDisk Extreme III 4GB and the SanDisk Ultra 8GB cards. What is the difference? They both have the same read/write of 30mb/s. Is it just size -- 4 vs 8 GB? The Ultra cost $10 more.

Is the SanDisk Ultra newer then the SanDisk Ultra II? I'm assuming not, but what is the difference between these two?

I'm hoping someone can help me figure this one out

ziggy53

Wow, I had to look this up on the Sandisk page.

There appears to be a "new" version of the "Ultra" designated cards, and it is different from the original "Ultra" cards (which pre-dated the "Ultra II" cards).

The new "Ultra" cards are indeed rated at 30MB/s, the same as the newer Extreme III and Extreme IV cards. As far as I know Ultra II are rated at 15MB/s. (The original Extreme III are also 15 MB/s.) (The original Ultra II cards were 9MB/s.) Are you seeing a confusing trend here?

I think the primary difference in cards of the same speed is the temperature rating and UDMA capabilities. I would not be concerned about card names too much. Buy from a reputable seller and buy according to your needs (which are incredibly difficult to deduce it would seem since Sandisk is complicating things soooo much.)

denisegoldberg

I don't know the differences between the old and the new, but I just wandered over to the SanDisk site and it looks like their current card names are Ultra, Extreme, and Extreme Pro.

It looks like the Ultra II and the Extreme versions including a number (Extreme III) are discontinued. At least they are shown as discontinued on the B&H site (which I suppose could mean that B&H just isn't carrying them, but they also seem to be missing from the product pages on the SanDisk site). Very confusing...

--- Denise

ziggy53

I used this starting point for the current Sandisk offerings for dSLR cards:

http://www.sandisk.com/products/dslr

Dogdots

Ok...I"m really confused now

I checked out BH and the cards I just bought are listed on the site as 'in stock' and not discontinued....but then I could of misread something on there too. Link

I did check out SanDisks website again since you mentioned temperture Ziggy. I saw the Extreme was rated down to -25, but on BH it says the Extreme III is rated at -13 Then I checked the Ultra and I can't find a temperture reading for this card on either sites.

There isn't much of a price difference between these two type of cards on BH.

My cards were bought at a Ritz Camera store. Never have had any problems with my cards I've bought from them except they are more expensive then through BH. Funny tho...the guy was pushing the Extreme III over the Ultra card even tho the Extreme was cheaper.

Temperture is important to me living in ND, but I've never had any problems with my Sandisk cards out in -30+ temps.

Sure would be interesting to know what the difference really is.

ziggy53

Dogdots wrote:

Ok...I"m really confused now

I checked out BH and the cards I just bought are listed on the site as 'in stock' and not discontinued....but then I could of misread something on there too. Link

I did check out SanDisks website again since you mentioned temperture Ziggy. I saw the Extreme was rated down to -25, but on BH it says the Extreme III is rated at -13 Then I checked the Ultra and I can't find a temperture reading for this card on either sites.

There isn't much of a price difference between these two type of cards on BH.

My cards were bought at a Ritz Camera store. Never have had any problems with my cards I've bought from them except they are more expensive then through BH. Funny tho...the guy was pushing the Extreme III over the Ultra card even tho the Extreme was cheaper.

Temperture is important to me living in ND, but I've never had any problems with my Sandisk cards out in -30+ temps.

Sure would be interesting to know what the difference really is.

Here is the link to the data sheet for the "new" Ultra cards:

http://www.sandisk.com/media/416788/80-11-01707_rev1_datasheet_ultracf_r1.pdf

I don't see a data sheet link to the Extreme III cards. I do believe that the Extreme III is an upgrade over the Ultra, which probably explains why there are no temperature ratings for the new Ultra cards.

Dogdots

ziggy53 wrote:

Here is the link to the data sheet for the "new" Ultra cards:

http://www.sandisk.com/media/416788/80-11-01707_rev1_datasheet_ultracf_r1.pdf

I don't see a data sheet link to the Extreme III cards. I do believe that the Extreme III is an upgrade over the Ultra, which probably explains why there are no temperature ratings for the new Ultra cards.

Thanks Ziggy