Looking for some advice re: CF cards

[Dr. Castro]

Hi guys,

I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space while on vacation, which brings me to this question:

Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card. It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[Jim Hawk]

Dr. C - I missed your post for a couple days...just didn't spot the thread and/or.....it's hard to remember what I've read, now that the topic lines no longer change color. Maybe it's just my browser. Anyway, as far as CF card advice - my experience with a 192 MB Lexar (in the Canon S100) is that it's very fast for the first 100 pics, then slows ever so slightly beyond that. I may be imagining things, but I DO know (via Windows Explorer) that the S100 creates a second folder once it hits around a hundred pics. But it's still kinda fun to have 300 pics on a card, especially on vacation when you can watch a running slideshow. I think it may also be ever-so-slightly cheaper p[er MB to get a "big" card......remember that just TWO summers ago, a 48MB card was a big card (!)

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[Dr. Castro]

Thanks Jim. Although I'm leaning toward just buying another 64MB card(I already have one), the advantages of a 128 or 192MB card that you pointed out are quite appealing. I hadn't even thought of the idea of being able to run a slide show of all the pics I'd taken on a trip with one CF card. Someone else pointed out that it's best to carry at least 2 cards in case one fails. Although I've rarely heard of this happening to a CF card, it's still something to think about. Do you usually just take the 192MB card with you on trips or keep others handy as well?

-Dr. Castro

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[Jim Hawk]

Yes, I like to take the 192 card on trips, but I also bring a 96 MB card as an "overflow" option. Keeping in mind that I delete the clunkers & extras as I go, I figure if I'm keeping more than 500 pictures of ANY event or vacation, I'm too busy taking pix to enjoy just being there.... BTW, another reason I like the S100's slideshow function is the simple way of rotating portrait shots 90 degrees so folks aren't always tilting their heads to see them.... I also patch the S100 into my VCR so I can videotape slideshows, and the rotated pix make it much more enjoyable than my Nikon 950 that doesn't have that function.

-Dr. Castro

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[Dr. Castro]

Thanks again Jim. The slideshow feature is one that I'd basically overlooked. Now you've given me some cool ideas for future projects with my S100

-Dr. Castro

-Dr. Castro

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[Jim Hawk]

Dr. C. You're welcome and for more fun with slideshow, see p. 48 (if you haven't already) about rotating pix in-camera. The rotation is not retained if you use a CF card reader and Explorer, which is fine with me. Canon's software probably does, but haven't cracked it open.....

-Dr. Castro

-Dr. Castro

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[John Thurston]

Gee, Dr Castro, what big cards you have.

When I went on vacation last year, I took the 8Mb card that shipped with my A5z. After doing the "shoot until full, discard trash shots, repeat" routine three times, I decided that I was taking home more than 8MB of pictures. I bought a 16MB card to help out.

This year, I took my 8 and my 16 and came back with 8MB free. Granted, I didn't take all my shots in RAW mode, but I still came back with 40 decent pictures. Once I got them on the screen at home, I threw out another 15.

Are you going on really long vacations?

Are you are really terrific photographers and generate a keeper with every shutter click?

Granted that your cameras are probably generating more MB/pic than mine, but the question remains: How can you generate 500 keepers? On my busiest days, I was able to make 100 exposures, but at the end of the day I was easily able to weed the pile down to a dozen workable photographs.

John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

 

[Dr. Castro]

Yeh, the rotate function is one I've also become quite fond of. However, I always have to "re-rotate" them later since I transfer most all my pics via PC card adapter. It only takes a sec to do and besides- I actually enjoy experimenting around with my "slowly but surely" improving pictures ;-)

-Dr. Castro

.

-Dr. Castro

-Dr. Castro

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[db.]

John: you may not be familiar with the
differences in size between the pictures
your A5z shoots and the ones shot with
a S20. In Large/Superfine mode I get
just twenty photos on the 48MB card
I bought thinking that the 16MB that
came with the camera was to small.
(Definitely not much to bring home
from a vacation, is it?)

BTW: I decided I did not want to many
"eggs" in one single "basket" and there-
fore prefer taking several 48MB cards
with me instead of one big one. Suits
me ... but may not suit you. Check it
out. (Each MB may be a bit more ex-
pensive this way, but the smaller card
is--as a side procuct of my decision--
also a bit faster).

Daniel B.

Gee, Dr Castro, what big cards you have.
When I went on vacation last year, I took the 8Mb card that shipped with
my A5z. After doing the "shoot until full, discard trash shots, repeat"
routine three times, I decided that I was taking home more than 8MB of
pictures. I bought a 16MB card to help out.
This year, I took my 8 and my 16 and came back with 8MB free. Granted, I
didn't take all my shots in RAW mode, but I still came back with 40
decent pictures. Once I got them on the screen at home, I threw out
another 15.

Are you going on really long vacations?
Are you are really terrific photographers and generate a keeper with
every shutter click?
Granted that your cameras are probably generating more MB/pic than mine,
but the question remains: How can you generate 500 keepers? On my
busiest days, I was able to make 100 exposures, but at the end of the day
I was easily able to weed the pile down to a dozen workable photographs.

John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

 

[Jack Reeves]

Dr. C, et. al.

Permit me to chip in 2 cents worth of painful experience. I purchased a 32Mb card to take with my S10 to the Montreux Jazz Festival (the largest that I felt like paying for here in Europe). After a couple of days shooting, I filled up the card. No they certainly were not all keepers, but I was too busy enjoying myself - and taking pictures along the way - to do the edit/erase routine. When I filled the card up, I said "no problem". I pulled the old 8Mb card out of my pocket and switched it with the full one.

The next day, I went to dump the cards to my laptop - and could not find the 32Mb one. I don't know whether I dropped it, or someone lifted it (the former I think most likely), but I lost not only two whole days of pictures, but also the ability to shoot with the abandon that I was getting use to. So, my feeling is - if you are going 'large' then go large enough that you never have to take the chip out of the camera. For me, that would mean as large as possible (IBM microdrive?) since I often take 3-4 day weekends without the computer along to dump to. My personal choice is to go multiple-medium. I am planning on buying two 64Mb cards when I get back to the USofA.

Hi guys,
I've had my S100 for a while now, and the only CF card I've used is the
Lexar Media 64MB I bought aftermarket. So far, it's been more than
sufficient using the default Large/Fine mode, but I've yet to take my
S100 with me on a vacation. I'll definitely need more storage space
while on vacation, which brings me to this question:
Do most of you guys use just one large capacity CF card(128+) or take
along two or more lower capacity cards with you on vacations, outdoor
excursions, etc. I've heard some people say they prefer to carry a
single 192MB card and others say it's better to not "keep all your eggs
in one basket". I'm leaning towards just buying another 64MB card, but
I've also thought about shelling out the extra money for a 128MB card.
It's been a while since I've seen this topic discussed on the forum, so
I'd love to hear some opinions, experiences, etc. from you
guys(especially other S100 owners).

Thanks!

Dr. Castro

 

[John Thurston]

I begin to see the difference. In RAW mode, I'm about 1mb/pic on my A5z and 1.9 on my Pro70. If I shift to JPG, my 16MB card will hold 40 shots on my Pro70 and 60 on the A5.
I guess those camera bits need to go somewhere!

John: you may not be familiar with the
differences in size between the pictures
your A5z shoots and the ones shot with
a S20. In Large/Superfine mode I get
just twenty photos on the 48MB card
I bought thinking that the 16MB that
came with the camera was to small.
(Definitely not much to bring home
from a vacation, is it?)