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1GB Compactflash vs. Microdrive

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They're not all that slow either. In fact, they're still well up in Rob Galbraith's performance rankings; the 30x Transcend is only about 20% faster. I have to agree though that now that it's down to only about a $40 price delta the Transcend is the better buy.

Nill
~~
http://www.toulme.net
MMalleck said:
I've used microdrives for years now and have never had one failure.
I wouldn't categorize them and being very fragile. Maybe extra care
is good in handling - and wouldn't want to sqeeze one. But, I've
had them drop on the floor and get bounced around a bit without any
probs.
Click to expand...
 
BTW, note that Costco also have different ones available in their stores from what they have online, since I picked up a 128MB SanDisk card from the store the other day while I was waiting for a Lexar one. Worth checking them out, if they're nearby.

Max.
David Waterman said:
Costco sell some at their store, and they also have some on line.
Costco usually have pretty low prices :

http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=subcat%2Easp&catid=79&subid=2109&log=%2C&NavTop=

SimpleTech 1 GB $249.99
SanDisk 1 GB $239.99
SanDisk 512 MB $159.99
SanDisk 512 MB $129.99
SimpleTech 512MB $119.99
SanDisk 256 MB $74.99
SimpleTech 256 MB $59.99
SanDisk 256 MB $59.99
Click to expand...
 
Paul's characterization was, in fact, a bit overstated. (THAT statement is a bit understated -- lol).

The 1GB 30x Transcend cards are about $230 and are about 20% faster than a 1GB microdrive, which is about $190. Hmmm, just over 20% premium for 20% more speed.

The microdrives are, in fact, pretty danged rugged. I believe somebody quoted the specs for both: microdrive can handle 1500 G's of shock when it's not operating. The CF can handle 2000 G's. I'm surprised there's so little difference, actually.

I can say that if I were to drop one of them from chest-height onto concrete, or put one through the washing machine, I'd want it to be a CF rather than a microdrive. Otherwise, the microdrives are a pretty good deal.

But now the microdrives aren't half the price of the CF . . . they're just slightly less.

That's why I have sold my three 1GB microdrives, and will soon have 4 of the 1GB Transcend 30X CF's.
Nill Toulme said:
They're not all that slow either. In fact, they're still well up
in Rob Galbraith's performance rankings; the 30x Transcend is only
about 20% faster. I have to agree though that now that it's down
to only about a $40 price delta the Transcend is the better buy.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
that show a difference, people will do the usual and tell you what they believe. Belief is a wonderful thing. Not only does it require no proof, it will accept none!

Any time you start getting anecdotal evidence (war stories) and logical conclusions in place of documented test results, you know you have entered the domain of BELIEF!
 
MMalleck said:
Speed may take second place to having 4GB of storage. I know this
is a little off topic, but kinda cool. Of course the more storage,
the more you lose if you have a failure.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0301/03010602fourgbmicrodrive.asp
Click to expand...
--

max...i used 1 gb microdrives (three of them) for 2-3 years without a problem. i switched to a card reader when i got my 1ds and decided that with the extra handling a cf card would be safer. i bought 3 1gb lexar 16 cards when the price plumited. i have used them all 3-4 times filling the card each time. one failed and i lost half of my pictures. it was replaced by lexar but i now have an uneasy feeling about them.
 
Even CF can fail, as your post demonstrates.

I wouldn't worry about it. Electronic devices tend to fail early in life if they're defective. Sounds like you simply got a defective CF card.

One day, the CF cards you have will also come up against their limit (which is about 100,000 read/writes, I think?) and fail. Just like a microdrive will one day fail.
Max Savin said:
max...i used 1 gb microdrives (three of them) for 2-3 years
without a problem. i switched to a card reader when i got my 1ds
and decided that with the extra handling a cf card would be safer.
i bought 3 1gb lexar 16 cards when the price plumited. i have used
them all 3-4 times filling the card each time. one failed and i
lost half of my pictures. it was replaced by lexar but i now have
an uneasy feeling about them.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
which is why I choose to pay a little more for a known and trusted brand like Lexar for memory and not some in-house brand I never heard of.

Memory is memory and works if it works, but the controller on the CF cards I think are produced and tested independently from where the raw memory originates.

If I really wanted the best possible deal, I'd have gotten a Viking 1Gb card for $239 thru zones.com or Transcend for $236 (thanks RobE) instead of $275 for my Lexar 1Gb which I know is verified for a certain throughput capability, documented.

octane 87 and octane 91 both work in my car, and both fuels get me where I ned to go, but I buy Premium regardless because I love my car as I love my camera.
James Long said:
that show a difference, people will do the usual and tell you what
they believe. Belief is a wonderful thing. Not only does it require
no proof, it will accept none!

Any time you start getting anecdotal evidence (war stories) and
logical conclusions in place of documented test results, you know
you have entered the domain of BELIEF!
Click to expand...
 
If your car isn't designed specifically for 91 Octane, you're literally throwing money down the drain by putting 91 Octane in it. Unless the 87 octane pings or something.

Are you implying that the Vikings and Trascend aren't "verified for a certain throughtpu capability" ?

I'd say that if you use RobG's CF database as a guide, you'll know how fast each CF will perform in your camera.
waruilewi said:
which is why I choose to pay a little more for a known and trusted
brand like Lexar for memory and not some in-house brand I never
heard of.

Memory is memory and works if it works, but the controller on the
CF cards I think are produced and tested independently from where
the raw memory originates.
If I really wanted the best possible deal, I'd have gotten a Viking
1Gb card for $239 thru zones.com or Transcend for $236 (thanks
RobE) instead of $275 for my Lexar 1Gb which I know is verified for
a certain throughput capability, documented.

octane 87 and octane 91 both work in my car, and both fuels get me
where I ned to go, but I buy Premium regardless because I love my
car as I love my camera.
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
...is that if you drop both a 1GB Flash card and a 1GB Microdrive, there's a much better chance that the flash will live. I've dropped CF cards before. The much more rugged nature of the solid-state cards puts them way ahead for this application (but people seem to forget that digital cameras are not the only application for CF cards.... show me a digital camera that can take my 10 Mbps CF-II ethernet card?).

Also, IBM's hard disk reliability of late has not been overly brilliant, so many will be wary on that count.

However, I'm a semiconductor engineer (in training at least) so feel free to regard my views as a little biased, but on a reasonable understanding of the technologies...

--
Mostly Full Frame user!

EOS Tree + Nikon Coolscan III
Deef Hurty.
 
While you're posting how much better you feel about paying extra for your Lexars, Max is posting above in this same thread about his new 1 gig Lexar failing on him and losing his shots:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=4828100

Sounds to me like you pays your money and you takes your chances. Or that you both would have been better off either sticking with your MD's or spending less money on a Transcend card.

Oh BTW...
waruilewi said:
octane 87 and octane 91 both work in my car, and both fuels get me
where I ned to go, but I buy Premium regardless because I love my
car as I love my camera.
Click to expand...
Yet another way to throw money away, but hey if it makes you feel good...

Nill
~~
http://www.toulme.net
waruilewi said:
which is why I choose to pay a little more for a known and trusted
brand like Lexar for memory and not some in-house brand I never
heard of.

Memory is memory and works if it works, but the controller on the
CF cards I think are produced and tested independently from where
the raw memory originates.
If I really wanted the best possible deal, I'd have gotten a Viking
1Gb card for $239 thru zones.com or Transcend for $236 (thanks
RobE) instead of $275 for my Lexar 1Gb which I know is verified for
a certain throughput capability, documented.

octane 87 and octane 91 both work in my car, and both fuels get me
where I ned to go, but I buy Premium regardless because I love my
car as I love my camera.
Click to expand...
 
I try to balance my personal brand preference with what info I find in these forums and what people like RobG says. I like the CS Lexar provides, their HQ is over in the east bay so I can harrass them at will if any of my cards fail, and they always have specials when they show up to trade shows, and they do a better job in standing behind their products than some others, not knocking other companies, mind you. It's just that I've been using Lexar since 1999 and I even have hteir firewire CF reader and their 128Mb JumpDrive. And no I do not work for Lexar or have any affliliation to them. There are reasons people buy what they buy, that's why we have Evian and Walmart bottled water, 87 octane and 91 octane gas. I live in a very hill part of town (14% slope) and my car doesn't go up the street on 87 octane well.

Don't tell me to trade in my car or else I'll feel very sad.
DavidP #28649 said:
If your car isn't designed specifically for 91 Octane, you're
literally throwing money down the drain by putting 91 Octane in it.
Unless the 87 octane pings or something.

Are you implying that the Vikings and Trascend aren't "verified for
a certain throughtpu capability" ?

I'd say that if you use RobG's CF database as a guide, you'll know
how fast each CF will perform in your camera.
Click to expand...
 
I hope that the IBM hard drive quality doesn't fall into the microdrive category. I have had 3 80GB hard drives fail from IBM, and finally switched to Western Digital and one Seagate Barrcuda 80GB (quiet).

Of course, IBM sold off their drive division to Hitachi...maybe it will get better.
 
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