Compact Flash Card Recommendations?

photodad1

I am looking to replace my Compact Flash cards for my Canon 7D. Any recommendations?

ziggy53

What are you using now and why do you want to replace it/them?

insanefred

here is a rundown on what I have.
3 Sandisk Extreme/Extreme III*
1 Trancend
1 Lexar.

Extreme III has some compatibility issues. And my 8GB Extreme must have some bad sectors. I get some Err message about after 150-170 photos (then goes away after that.
Trancend I've had 2 corrupt photos out of thousands.
Lexar is the oldest and has NEVER giving me any hassle.

photodad1

Compact Flash Cards

ziggy53 wrote: »

What are you using now and why do you want to replace it/them?

I am using Delkin Devices 8GB - 450x

I am starting to get errors when downloading the card to my PC. I format each card after everytime I download photos.

Art Scott

I have 2 lexar 2gb 80x (bought when they 1st came out and were selling for paltry 180.99 off ZipZoomFly and New Egg) that have never given me any hassles of any kind......I have over a dozen of transcends that range from approx 1yr back to 5 or 6.....no problems of any kind
If money is no object then go with the Lexar's ....if you want great memory and want to save some bucks for lenses or other needs then go Transcend.....my newest are the 16gb 600x......at some point all memory goes bad........if in warranty then recover images and get warranty replacement if out of warranty try to recover images and toss card....

Bryce Wilson

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

If you're interested, the above link has various CF cards tested for camera write speed as well as card to computer speed, etc. with various models of cameras and shows the performance for each.

Regards,

ziggy53

photodad1 wrote: »

I am using Delkin Devices 8GB - 450x

I am starting to get errors when downloading the card to my PC. I format each card after everytime I download photos.

I'm not a fan of Delkin cards.

Do you use the camera to transfer from card to computer or do you use an external card reader?

Have you tried another method and device combination?

Do the troublesome images still show OK on the camera?

If testing shows it is a card problem then historically Sandisk cards have some of the highest compatibility with Canon cameras. The Canon 7D has UDMA capability and I am using Sandisk "Ultra", 30MB/s, 8GB cards in the Canon 5D MKII without problems. (The 7D has similar data throughput and is a similar vintage to the 5D MKII.)

Many users are also reporting good success with Transcend UDMA CF cards in Canon cameras. I have not tested them myself but I do use a pair of Transcend 16GB, SDHC cards in my Canon camcorder with very good success.

ziggy53

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

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

If you're interested, the above link has various CF cards tested for camera write speed as well as card to computer speed, etc. with various models of cameras and shows the performance for each.

Regards,

Sadly Rob has stopped testing newer cameras and the Canon 7D in particular is not tested.

ThatCanonGuy

I use the Transcend 8GB 600x CF along with a Sandisk Extreme III 8GB SDHC in my 1DII. They both do fine. My 1DII can't take advantage of the Transcend's 600x, but my next camera probably will. AND, those Transcends are cheap. Newegg has some really nice prices. I also use a Kingston 8GB 133x, it is fine as well (and cheap).

@insanefred: Maybe the Extreme III is a knockoff card from China with a Sandisk label on it?:D

insanefred

ThatCanonGuy wrote: »

@insanefred: Maybe the Extreme III is a knockoff card from China with a Sandisk label on it?:D

Bought it from a authorized dealer, and confirmed it is legit through Sandisk.

photodad1

Thanks everyone for all of the information. It has been very helpful.

Matthew Saville

I have only one recommendation to make, or to "amen" if it has already been made:

DO NOT BUY FROM EBAY OR AMAZON 3RD PARTIES!!!

Especially Sandisk cards, and especially 8 GB ultra II cards; they are the #1 counterfeit cards on the market as far as I can tell ALWAYS buy your cards from a reputable, authorized dealer and ALWAYS buy cards that have a lifetime warranty.

I don't recommend the lifetime warranty so that you can get the card replaced for free in ten years, or so that you can get a free replacement card if it fails on you. No, by that point it's too late. The reason I recommend cards with a lifetime warranty is that, quite simply, that indicates you have the cream of the crop, the most reliable card that the manufacturer can make. So, whether you buy "cheap" Transcend or Pretec etc. cards, or "overpriced" Hoodman / Lexar cards, ...just remember those two things I mentioned.

Personally, I have had failures at least once from a few of the major brands- Lexar, Sandisk, and Kingston. I don't think any one brand has given me more than one or two complete card failures (though images were recoverable of course) in the ~6 years and half-million clicks that I've been around for...

But, that's just feedback, not advice. ;-)

=Matt=

DsrtVW

I can only comment on what I have used. Mostly Sandisc Extreme with no failures. Both Compact flash and SD 2,8,16gb sizes
I bought 4 16gb Class 10 Kingston before I went to Alaska I had one totally fail and one would not work in my D7000 (disc error)but it worked when I put in my Nikon P100.
Right now if I had to go buy a card it would be a Sandisc.

I do have 1 Delkin Device Pro 8gb Class 6 I bought in Alaska just make sure I did not run out of storage since I was not downloading. I have only filled it once.