Recommendations for compact flash?

[Lisa]

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there. Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

 

[GaryR]

Hi,

Apparently Sandisk is the OEM for Nikon branded CF cards, so one could expect the Sandisk memory controller is fully compatible with the Nikon 7/8/9xx CoolPix cameras. I use the 48 and 96 mb CFs in a 950 with no trouble (so far).

Gary

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there.
Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

 

[Jim S.]

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there.
Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

go to http://st7.yahoo.com/alix/compact-flash-cards.html and get a 48 meg
card for $108.00 I received mine 3 days after ordering - it's not a Sandisk,

but the seller guarantees it - it seems to work fine with the 300 pictures I've taken with it

 

[dino11928]

I use the SanDisk 40Mb card ($85 from egghead.com). I chose this size because it matches perfectly with the 40Mb Iomega Click Disk. I don't have a laptop, so when I travel I can transfer pictures from the CF card to the much cheaper Click Disk.

-Kevin

 

[Bob Pitz]

Apparently Sandisk is the OEM for Nikon branded CF cards, so one could
expect the Sandisk memory controller is fully compatible with the Nikon
7/8/9xx CoolPix cameras. I use the 48 and 96 mb CFs in a 950 with no
trouble (so far).

Gary

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there.
Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

 

[Bob Pitz]

There is some research that suggests the Microtech CF w/C4 controller is the fastest. I use 2 ea 48MB units without adverse incidents, so far. I also use the Microtech CameraMate reader for transfering images to my hard drive. I use NT 4.0, so I had to opt for the parallel port connection, although USB is faster. Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom chose not to support USB for NT 4.0. USB is supported in Win95 os2 version only and Win98, also Win2K, if we ever see it.
bobpitz.

Apparently Sandisk is the OEM for Nikon branded CF cards, so one could
expect the Sandisk memory controller is fully compatible with the Nikon
7/8/9xx CoolPix cameras. I use the 48 and 96 mb CFs in a 950 with no
trouble (so far).

Gary

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there.
Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

 

[Eric]

Um, USB didn't exist when NT 4.0 was released. That might have had something to do with it.

• Eric

I use NT 4.0, so I had to opt for the parallel port
connection, although USB is faster. Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom
chose not to support USB for NT 4.0.

 

[Tyson H.]

Bob is correct, the Microtech CF with the C4 controller are very fast, and didn't cost me more than most other brands with older controllers.

I did a test of three brands of CF and posted the results on my site if you care to see:
http://smoothy.net/DigiCamTest

Tyson

Apparently Sandisk is the OEM for Nikon branded CF cards, so one could
expect the Sandisk memory controller is fully compatible with the Nikon
7/8/9xx CoolPix cameras. I use the 48 and 96 mb CFs in a 950 with no
trouble (so far).

Gary

What recommendations for brand of compact flash are there out there.
Still using the supplied 8 mg, but need to expand quite a bit here.

 

[Bob Pitz]

Uuuummmm, and how many Service Packs have been released for NT 4.0 - 5 and soon to be 6. Surely, they could have brought NT 4.0 up to speed, if they had wanted to.

• Eric

I use NT 4.0, so I had to opt for the parallel port
connection, although USB is faster. Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom
chose not to support USB for NT 4.0.

 

[Brad]

I have a couple of comments regarding the legitimacy of your tests.

1) Why was the SanDisk CF of a much higher capacity than the others. I have heard that larger CFs take longer to write the same amount of data; I've also heard that as a CF fills up, it takes longer to write the data.

2) My own experience with both the Microtech (C4) CF and a Sandisk CF -- both 48MB -- has shown almost no difference when used in a Canon Pro-70 camera. It may be that some cameras are optimized for a particular type of CF.

I am glad MT is not claiming "8x" like Lexar and deceiving people into believing that the CF is actually 8 times as fast in recording data, when in fact the "8x" refers to the controller speed, and the overall impact is MUCH less than "8x" -- typically not even twice as fast.

As for cost, I can get a Sandisk 48MB CF for about $97 at buy.com, while the cheapest price I've seen for Microtech (45MB) was $159. Hardly worth the extra money for a few seconds. Besides, with today's cameras coming with larger and larger buffers, recording speed is not as important when you can take 10 or more photos before filling up the buffer. If recording speed is your concern, then go with a microdrive.

• Derek

 

[Bob Pitz]

I won't dispute your speed findings; however, I purchased a 48 MB Microtech CF in Sept and Oct at buy.com for $113.95 each time. If there is a valid speed advantage to the Microtech, the additional $17 is probably a good deal.
bobpitz

I have a couple of comments regarding the legitimacy of your tests.

1) Why was the SanDisk CF of a much higher capacity than the others. I
have heard that larger CFs take longer to write the same amount of data;
I've also heard that as a CF fills up, it takes longer to write the data.

2) My own experience with both the Microtech (C4) CF and a Sandisk CF --
both 48MB -- has shown almost no difference when used in a Canon Pro-70
camera. It may be that some cameras are optimized for a particular type
of CF.

I am glad MT is not claiming "8x" like Lexar and deceiving people into
believing that the CF is actually 8 times as fast in recording data, when
in fact the "8x" refers to the controller speed, and the overall impact
is MUCH less than "8x" -- typically not even twice as fast.

As for cost, I can get a Sandisk 48MB CF for about $97 at buy.com, while
the cheapest price I've seen for Microtech (45MB) was $159. Hardly worth
the extra money for a few seconds. Besides, with today's cameras coming
with larger and larger buffers, recording speed is not as important when
you can take 10 or more photos before filling up the buffer. If
recording speed is your concern, then go with a microdrive.

• Derek