How many memory cards and batteries?

[nojak]

How many memory cards are enough?

For "normal" shooting when we will be home soon to copy them off? Probably don't need a lot here. Having extras lets us rotate them and have spares when one stops working. Likely not as interesting a question as the below.

For trips when we'll be away longer? I'm thinking in terms of weeks (1, 2, 3, 4).
Need more cards (or bring a laptop/means to copy them onto other media so they can be reused). Nice to have more vs. cost of buying a lot of cards (cheap if it's a $10k photo safari, more noticeable for a week backpacking around).

Personally, a pair of 64GB SD for the D7200 and 2 sets of 128GB (CF+SD) for the D810. But SD are so cheap that thinking should get some more. CF are 2.5X the cost of SD UHS-1 (comparing Extreme Pro 128GB), so thinking how much I really need.

I tend to take single shots vs. being on CH @ 5-7fps, so I'm finding that I never seem to fill my cards, despite shooting NEF+large JPEG. I must still be used to film.

And batteries?

I presently have 4 EN-EL15 batteries (and multiple AC chargers) that can be shared among the 2 cameras+grips, which seems enough to me, but perhaps a DC charger might be a good idea. Seems easier to recharge batteries, although YMMV when you're remote enough.

I'm curious what others do, and also why.

 

[romfordbluenose]

If you can't recharge your batteries then thinking about storage is a waste of time. the batteries will run out long before your cards.

There is no point in shooting NEF + JPG unless you can use the JPEGs.

The only way of using the JPEGs is to load your cards in a computer or equivalent, if you can do this then you can archive the cards and reuse them.

Unless you shoot with continuous 128 gb a week would be more than enough and I use a d800. I rarely fill a 64gb card in a week unless I shoot continuous.

I take a laptop whenever I can.

 

[1elementin7groups]

I also carry 4 EN-EL15 batteries. I use XQD cards in my D850’s and D500: 1-128GB, 2-64GB, 1-32GB. If those fill up then images roll over to the back up SD cards: 128, 64 and multiple 32. I only shoot compressed lossless RAW, to me RAW+ jpg uses up too much space and I would end up tossing out the jpgs anyway.

In the evening I transfer the images to a portable 1 TB SSD using a 2011 Macbook Pro. Then reformat the cards in the camera, recharge the batteries and I am good to go.

Get home and all my images are already on the SSD so I simply plug it in to the desktop Mac Pro and edit in LR/PS.

I use XQD because they seem to be much more robust than the SD cards and XQD cards are extremely fast if shooting wildlife. Next cards may be CF Express if Nikon updates the firmware in the cameras.

Dave

 

[Schrodingers_cat]

How many memory cards are enough?

No way to tell for someone else.

My wife and I allow an average of 500 images per day when traveling overseas, but I can't recall ever having actually used that much. Better to have extra space.

We also do not travel with a laptop. We can carry a buttload of cards in the space that laptop would take up, and don't have to fool with copying anything.

I presently have 4 EN-EL15 batteries

Sounds about right if you can recharge overnight when needed.

a DC charger might be a good idea

I'm guessing you are traveling by car. We don't travel that way so would have no place to plug it.

 

[Leonard Migliore]

I take enough cards to store all the images I'm going to take. I shoot RAW on a D750, so each image is about 30MB. That comes out to more than 1000 RAW files on a 32 GB card. I never take more than 1000 pictures per week, so one 32 GB card per week is sufficient.

When I travel by bicycle, I don't have a laptop or other storage device. But even when I do carry a computer, I don't back up to it. Others might.

I carry 2 batteries and make sure both are fully charged every night. The D750 doesn't eat batteries so I've never had to change one during the day. I carry a Sony RX100 on bicycle trips and that will indeed go through a battery during the day.

 

[JaXImagea]

I used to take 2 batteries, 4 cards (2-32GB CF and 2-32GB SD). I also got an inexpensive 12VDC inverter to charge while I drove. Dittoe on the 1 TB USB drive to back up daily.

 

[mais51]

I also carry 4 EN-EL15 batteries. I use XQD cards in my D850’s and D500: 1-128GB, 2-64GB, 1-32GB. If those fill up then images roll over to the back up SD cards: 128, 64 and multiple 32. I only shoot compressed lossless RAW, to me RAW+ jpg uses up too much space and I would end up tossing out the jpgs anyway.

In the evening I transfer the images to a portable 1 TB SSD using a 2011 Macbook Pro. Then reformat the cards in the camera, recharge the batteries and I am good to go.

Get home and all my images are already on the SSD so I simply plug it in to the desktop Mac Pro and edit in LR/PS.

I use XQD because they seem to be much more robust than the SD cards and XQD cards are extremely fast if shooting wildlife. Next cards may be CF Express if Nikon updates the firmware in the cameras.

Dave

Too dangerous - if the SSD corrupted you are tossed - I always copy my image onto 2 portable hard drives - cheap now only $100 for 2TB 2.5" second one for back-up and labelled as such.

 

[David Lal]

How many memory cards are enough?

I tend to take single shots vs. being on CH @ 5-7fps, so I'm finding that I never seem to fill my cards, despite shooting NEF+large JPEG. I must still be used to film.

This is a very difficult question to answer for others who do not know your style but from what you write you seem not to subscribe to the spray-and-pray, machine gunner paradigm - and neither do I. Three frames for me is a long burst, even two is rare. In addition, I'm pretty discerning about when I will press the button.

My last holiday was four days in the lovely old Spanish city of Valencia. I took two 32gb cards and failed to fill either of them up (not even half full). Why two cards? I alternate them each day so that if disaster strikes I have not lost everything. I do NEFs only. I also took two batteries and a battery charger.

I took around 300 frames - but culled half of them on editing once home. No point storing rubbish!

 

[Flashlight]

My 'strategy' is to have two 128GB SD cards in each camera I take (D750's, D7200) in backup mode. This will be good for over 4000 12-bit NEFs per camera which I never shoot in a day when on the job and neither during a two week holiday. If I'd be needing more shots on a holiday I can theoretically wipe the backup card and keep on shooting but I'd probably have a laptop with me. I take two batteries per camera with the prerequisite I can charge them daily.

--
Philip

 

[johnchap2]

Since you are using battery grips I suggest that you also take along the AA battery holders. AA batteries are available virtually anyplace in the world, in case the worst happens. I am not sure whether rechargeable AAs will work in a battery grip, but this might be another option. This is just in case the worst happens that you are away from charging source and/or your primary and backup chargers fail to work or get lost. I have had the Nikon chargers go bad twice now always bring along at least one spare. Once or was it twice I left a charger in a hotel room. Each time I did have a backup. Four batteries for two cameras may be cutting it thin. Could easily see that heavy shooting with two bodies could exhaust two batteries each. Buy two more.

The old adage about penny wise and pound foolish is appropriate here.

Particularly on great expensive trips, consider keeping the original cards as long term storage, and plan never to erase them. Actually, not super expensive as LT storage. This does not necessarily mean that one should not take backup device to back up images. Just that once copied, not to reformat the cards. At about $30 per 64MB SD card, a few hundred dollars for LT storage of images is not bad when one might be spending many thousands of dollars for the trip.

 

[PHXAZCRAIG]

My longest trips in the past have been 3-4 weeks, but more typically I'm out for 1-2.

Depending on where I go, I may take a couple of shots a day, or a thousand. I'm now shooting a D850, so file sizes are pretty big.

So far I've found I can go for a week with a 128GB primary card (XQD for me). I have two of these cards, so that generally holds me for two weeks, usually much longer. (I don't do videos - if you do, then you'll need a lot more).

Since my camera has dual slots, I also have a 64GB SD card in there for backup. I have 5-10 other SD cards, though only 3 or 4 of those are 32GB and the rest smaller. I have at least three 32GB SD cards to go with the 64, and so far I've only used the SD card once. (After several months of shooting, my primary card filled up during a family gathering).

When to Erase:

I go by the philosophy of having at least two copies of a file before erasing the card. The first copy is on my PC. The second copy will be made overnight when my backup software runs at 2am. A third copy also currently is made because I back up my NAS to another NAS for additional safety.

Managing cards in the field:

I have a simple way to manage my used/available cards. I carry a bunch in a Thinktank card holder (Pixel Pocket Rocket) which is a folding holder with slots to put cards in visible pockets. When I fill a card, I put it back in the holder facing down. I know those cards are done for the trip. I don't generally bother to lock them with the sliding tab.

I have the idea of always having at least one big, fast card for primary storage. The idea is to be able to hold at least of week of data on the card, since most of my trips are no longer. But if I fill the card, then I simply switch to using slower cards, or smaller cards.

In the field, if i have a laptop with me I download the files each night (and usually do some processing right then for feedback if nothing else).

Batteries: Above water I use a grip with a large battery. I've done this with D850, D810, D800e, D700 and D300. I've never run one of these out, and they'll almost certainly last a full week. I usually don't even bother bringing the charger along since I could fail over to the EL-15 if necessary.

Underwater I can go for at least 5 dives without needing a charge, and that is using the pop up (D810) to trigger flashes all the time. Several hundred shots per day. Very little Live View or video however. Where I usually dive I can change batteries at lunch after two dives, and I do that if I need to get into the housing to change lenses. Otherwise I just wait and swap at night. I always carry two batteries just in case. Since I've been using the grips, I don't have much idea how long the in-camera batteries last, but it would sensible to always have one spare with you, plus the (oversized) charger.

 

[NotASpeckOfCereal]

Around town totally depends on what you're shooting and I have lots of portable power solutions for that, so I'm going to reply only to the travel aspect.

I travel with only 1 pair of backup cards (XQD + SD cards for the D850) in case of card failure.
For actual backup, I bring two WD portable 4TB drives. They're very small, the batteries last for a long time, and they're in duplicate. I don't have the more expensive SSD models, so if you don't shoot as prolifically as I do, you might get away with 3-4 pair of 128GB cards.

The WD batteries need charging every so often.

I bring 3 internal camera batteries and 2 grip batteries.

Those batteries also need charging every so often.
For charging the above batteries, I bring the normal cords/chargers they came with. On road trips, I typically stay in the occasional hotel or motel, so I charge them all at that point.

On road trips where I won't always have the AC power of a hotel / motel (off road camping), I carry large batteries, such as the Goal Zero Yeti 400 (with an extra battery chained to it for twice the charging time).

That big battery also gets charged at the next motel / hotel stay, but if it looks like I'll be away from AC power for awhile and will need the solar panels, I bring them on the trip.

Obviously, trips where I fly to the destination, I won't have the big batteries or solar panels, so I hope to find AC mains from time to time.

Chris

PS: I shoot video as well, so need lots of storage.

 

[NikonShoot3r]

I shoot with dual sandisk 128gb sd xtremes on my d750 and one is set to overflow... have a spare, so total 3.