I think a good post like this makes me think it's time to finally upgrade to the 5DMk3's... I'm still sporting Mk2 bodies. I've had a very scary run in where I accidentally formatted a card (user error) but was thankfully able to get the photos back from my computer as they'd already been imported there and were hiding in aperture backups.
In my experience, using dual card slot cameras can be just as confusing and complex enough to cause data loss, too. It is nice for the immediate backup while you're shooting, however after that on the back-end you need to be VERY careful, and very methodical + consistent with your backup system.
Personally I still use single-card cameras across the board, and I feel just as safe as if I used a dual-card camera because I know my backup procedures like the back of my hand...
There are some confusing issues with the Mk3 dual cards. My camera at almost any time can switch itself to reporting card 2 (SDHC) as the card it defaults to playing images, even though card 1 (CF) is supposed to be the one I chimp from. I have to look at Record func+card/folder sel. in the tools menus to check if playback is really card 1 every now and then so I don't chimp/delete off the wrong card. The other problem I have run into is that if card 2 (backup SDHC) is almost full, then the CF card 1 also reports full and just stops, even though it may have gigabytes remaining. One more niggle is that the SD slot is very slow in the mkIII, no matter what speed card you have in there. So if you are shooting something like sports and snapping shots into the buffer, you might as well just only shoot onto a CF in slot one and leave the SD out entirely. There are tradeoffs in a dual card cameras, and the mkIII is no exception.
That said, I like having a backup card, albeit a slow one, in the cam at all times. I've needed it in some idiotic moments when I've left the CF card out entirely and kept on shooting. YMMV.
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"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
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Matthew SavilleRegistered Users, Retired ModPosts: 3,352Major grins
There are some confusing issues with the Mk3 dual cards. My camera at almost any time can switch itself to reporting card 2 (SDHC) as the card it defaults to playing images, even though card 1 (CF) is supposed to be the one I chimp from. I have to look at Record func+card/folder sel. in the tools menus to check if playback is really card 1 every now and then so I don't chimp/delete off the wrong card. The other problem I have run into is that if card 2 (backup SDHC) is almost full, then the CF card 1 also reports full and just stops, even though it may have gigabytes remaining. One more niggle is that the SD slot is very slow in the mkIII, no matter what speed card you have in there. So if you are shooting something like sports and snapping shots into the buffer, you might as well just only shoot onto a CF in slot one and leave the SD out entirely. There are tradeoffs in a dual card cameras, and the mkIII is no exception.
That said, I like having a backup card, albeit a slow one, in the cam at all times. I've needed it in some idiotic moments when I've left the CF card out entirely and kept on shooting. YMMV.
Yeah, the mk3 will default to the opposite card for playback if you take out one of the cards to swap. Especially if the camera is on at the time, but some people claim that this is also the case even if they swap cards while their camera is off, or if they remove their battery while BOTH cards are in the camera, ...however I have tested this and cannot get that to happen.
The SD card slot may not be able to keep up with the entire buffer at the fastest FPS rate, however I have still found that getting faster SD cards in general will help. Bottom line: Avoid 30 MB/s or even 45 MB/s cards if you want to shoot full RAW at 6 FPS or whatever it is; try and get the ~80+ MB/s cards. Even if they don't give you the full speed possible, they do better than the others.
Comments
In my experience, using dual card slot cameras can be just as confusing and complex enough to cause data loss, too. It is nice for the immediate backup while you're shooting, however after that on the back-end you need to be VERY careful, and very methodical + consistent with your backup system.
Personally I still use single-card cameras across the board, and I feel just as safe as if I used a dual-card camera because I know my backup procedures like the back of my hand...
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
There are some confusing issues with the Mk3 dual cards. My camera at almost any time can switch itself to reporting card 2 (SDHC) as the card it defaults to playing images, even though card 1 (CF) is supposed to be the one I chimp from. I have to look at Record func+card/folder sel. in the tools menus to check if playback is really card 1 every now and then so I don't chimp/delete off the wrong card. The other problem I have run into is that if card 2 (backup SDHC) is almost full, then the CF card 1 also reports full and just stops, even though it may have gigabytes remaining. One more niggle is that the SD slot is very slow in the mkIII, no matter what speed card you have in there. So if you are shooting something like sports and snapping shots into the buffer, you might as well just only shoot onto a CF in slot one and leave the SD out entirely. There are tradeoffs in a dual card cameras, and the mkIII is no exception.
That said, I like having a backup card, albeit a slow one, in the cam at all times. I've needed it in some idiotic moments when I've left the CF card out entirely and kept on shooting. YMMV.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
Yeah, the mk3 will default to the opposite card for playback if you take out one of the cards to swap. Especially if the camera is on at the time, but some people claim that this is also the case even if they swap cards while their camera is off, or if they remove their battery while BOTH cards are in the camera, ...however I have tested this and cannot get that to happen.
The SD card slot may not be able to keep up with the entire buffer at the fastest FPS rate, however I have still found that getting faster SD cards in general will help. Bottom line: Avoid 30 MB/s or even 45 MB/s cards if you want to shoot full RAW at 6 FPS or whatever it is; try and get the ~80+ MB/s cards. Even if they don't give you the full speed possible, they do better than the others.
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum