Best CF for Rebel XT

[ohnnyj]

Hello all:

Anyone have any recommendations on some high speed, high capacity cf cards for the Rebel XT. I've heard that the SanDisk Extreme IIIs are pretty good. Which are the best available?

Thanks.

[Vetteography]

I just got a 2.2gb Magicstore Microdrive in the mail today, just in time for the car show this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Meg C]

I have the 4 G Hitachi Mini drive, and I really like it...

[thomasrhee]

Just visit Rob Galbraith's site for speed tests of various CF cards.

The page for the Rebel XT is http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-7699

If you're not in harsh/extreme weather conditions, just buy the cheapest one of any of the ones that are highlighted in blue. You won't be able to tell the difference in performance.

[Avalonthas]

My favourite is the Lexar 1 Gig Professional 80X series. They got for about 100-200 bucks canadian here depending on how/where u get them. They are more expensive then the traditional CF card but they have the best performance. (Im not sure but i think they have a 120x or atleast in the works, but at this time it wouldnt be worth the price since its top of the line). I believe they have just come out with the 4gig and 8 gig CF cards in canada, however i would recommend max using 1 gig cards because if u corrupt just once file u have the possibility of losing all ur card. And if one breaks / treated to hard weather u dont lose as much. I usually carry 3 to 5 of them in my bag and i usually only use one to three fully in a shoot. Sometimes i only use half the space on each if i want to be safe. But I would recommend getting the Lexar Pro 80x in multiples of 1 gig.

I wouldnt recommend a microdrive. Although they have large amounts of space and cheaper, they are much slower and more susceptable to corruption/breaking because of the moving parts. Some may disagree that microdrives have just as much of a percentage breaking down as CF cards but i just can never accept that. Microdrives are also very pressure sensitive as the moving parts are extremely close together and the slightest pressure could ruin them in some instances. I have gone through maybe 20 CF cards and 5 Microdrives since getting into digital photography, and ive lost all 5 microdrives and never lost a CF card. Ive had one corrupted file on a Sandisk CF but the rest of the card was useable luckily.

So I would go with Lexar Professional Series 80X 1gig, or 2 gig at the most. If you are in Toronto, you can easily get four 1 gig cards for cheaper then a single 4gig card. So its also cost effective. I dont know if this is true all around north america.

[Avalonthas]

Opps I forgot to add, that if u do go with a Lexar CF card, make sure it is second edition because they are much much faster then the original.

And the Sandisk Extreme 3 is even much better, I own a single 1 gig card, but i only use it when im shooting in cold/wet/very hot conditions because it has a steeper price. For regular shooting, the Lexar gives extremely fast speed and flexibility with a cheaper price.

[ohnnyj]

Thanks for all the replies you guys. From the chart posted by thomasrhee, I see that the SanDisk comes out on top but as indicated I probably won't notice a difference between any of those in blue. The Lexar is also performing well as Avalonthas suggested, although some slip out of the higher teired ones. I will see what the prices are going for and probably stick with a 1 or 2GB card. I really don't need much space as I am going to be purchasing an iPod photo w/camera connector so upwards of 60GB of picture space ought to be enough. Just don't know how fast the transfer is.

[Avalonthas]

Well your ipod and camera are USB2.0 compliant, which theoretically means u can transfer at 480MB/S, which means u could offload a 1gig CF card in 2.5 seconds, however this is only theoretical. The actual speed depends on ur device, which in this case is ur CF card. Although u can achieve 480MB/S, you will be limited to 1-4mb/s with a standard CF card, and 5-7mb/s with a premium CF card. So the max speed u will achieve at the moment is around 7megs per second if u get the best card, assuming everything else is constant. Temperature/other conditions also apply to the transfer speed but thats like an entire Computer Engineering and Physics course worth of thinking. So keep that in mind, that if u can wait a extra minute, then u wont have a problem saving some $$$ and buying a medium card (low to medium blue on the list). Basically the only benefit you will have to using a higher speed card is if ur so busy that u cant wait a few minutes extra to let the transfer complete, or if u want to squeeze a few extra shots into your continous shooting modes. I think the Rebel is rated at 14 shots max on continious shooting mode ???? but with a medium to highend CF card u can get in as many as 1-5 extra shots depending on conditions, because it is unloading data from the buffer to the card at a faster rate.

[Avalonthas]

If you were to transfer things from your computer directly to ur Ipod photo, you can technically fill your entire Ipod harddrive in about 2 minutes, where as if you were transfering from a CF card it would technically take about 2 hours


Technical Comp Transfer (60gig * 1000negs = 60000megs / 480mbs = 125s / 60s = 2.08minutes)

Technical CF Transfer (60gig * 1000megs = 60000megs / 8mbs = 7500s / 60s = 125min / 60min = 2.08 hours)

And these are based on generous values as fastest Cf write speed is 6.2mbs and there is actually 1024megs in a gigabyte, not 1000. Then it is also based off what size/format the files are saved in, and temperature, and any other conditions. So these are jus technical theoretical based calculations.

Conclusion: If you have an USB 2.0 enabled computer then transfer as much as u can from ur computer to ur ipod rather then the camera to the ipod unless ur transfering on the spot. Of course its obvious that u want be filling up the entire 60gigs in one shot, but its just an example. So if u got a 1 gig card, divide it by 60 (1gig card, approx 2 mins, which isnt bad) :P :P :P :P :P
Mwuahaha all that reading for 2 minute transfer speed. MWUAHAHAHAHA :P :P :P :P Doesnt seem so long now does it :P

[ohnnyj]

Thank you Avalonthas for taking the time to put all that info together. I understand that I may have to wait a minute or two to download a full cards but I think I can manage. Plus I highly doubt I will be using it that often, as most of it will be a direct computer link which as you pointed out is much quicker.

BTW: Do you happen to know how fast a picture is transfered to the flash? I have used my sister's Sony DSC-10 and it can be very slow (upwards of 5-10 seconds) just to write one photo onto the card (a 128MB Sony Memory Stick). Maybe it is just a slow MS?

[Avalonthas]

Well Memory Sticks, atleats if it is the original type are extremely poorly designed and as a result very very very slow. Also there were 3 versions of the original memory stick and although they all were slow, the first 2 versions were extremely slow compared to even standard CF cards. I dont know how to tell which version u have, but its understandable that it would be so slow.

I couldnt say how fast it would transfer to ur flash cuz i dont know which flash u have or intend on buying, so lemme know and i should be able to help u further.

With my 300D, and a Lexar 40X 1gig CF card, it usually takes anywhere from 1.5 to 4 seconds to transfer on the CF card depending on what im shooting and other conditions. I would average it at about 2seconds between my 40X and 80X CF card, as long write times are rare for me, especially for a 6MP camera. The 350D because it has 2 extra MP the filesize would be larger and would take longer, however with DIGIC2 and other features the camera has including the improved censor and buffer will prolly cancel that out, so with a good card ur prolly looking at 1.5 to 2.5 seconds on average, atleats thats what i experience.

[Jon]

I just got a 2.2gb Magicstore Microdrive in the mail today, just in time for the car show this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

Quick! Send it back before it dies on you!!!!!!

[Avalonthas]

I agree with Jon.

[Andy_T]

Exactly what I wanted to say.

Get that 2.2 Magiccrap drive back as long as you can!!!!

We are not kidding!!!! Do a forum search for MAgicstor...
It'S about the worst accessory ever mentioned here.

Best regards,
Andy

[jazt]

Well your ipod and camera are USB2.0 compliant, which theoretically means u can transfer at 480MB/S, which means u could offload a 1gig CF card in 2.5 seconds, however this is only theoretical. The actual speed depends on ur device, which in this case is ur CF card. Although u can achieve 480MB/S, you will be limited to 1-4mb/s with a standard CF card, and 5-7mb/s with a premium CF card. So the max speed u will achieve at the moment is around 7megs per second if u get the best card, assuming everything else is constant. Temperature/other conditions also apply to the transfer speed but thats like an entire Computer Engineering and Physics course worth of thinking. So keep that in mind, that if u can wait a extra minute, then u wont have a problem saving some $$$ and buying a medium card (low to medium blue on the list). Basically the only benefit you will have to using a higher speed card is if ur so busy that u cant wait a few minutes extra to let the transfer complete, or if u want to squeeze a few extra shots into your continous shooting modes. I think the Rebel is rated at 14 shots max on continious shooting mode ???? but with a medium to highend CF card u can get in as many as 1-5 extra shots depending on conditions, because it is unloading data from the buffer to the card at a faster rate.


The reviews for IPOD with camera connector are showing transfer speeds that are VERY slow compared to dedicated PSD ( P2000 or Flashtrax, or any other device) I won't bother qouting the speeds, or lack there of...

http://www.ipodlounge.com/index.php/reviews/comments/apple-ipod-camera-connector/

Despite this, I just bought a Ipod Photo 60 gig. My need was for causal off loading, while on extended trips, I don't need zoom, exif, or historgram. Just unload at the end of day at the hotel. I wanted an MP3 player and the photo off-load is a bonus.

[MadMesh]

From what i read... iPod photo is soo SLOW... I hear its not built for people who buy 1 gig to 4 gig cards... sure u can use it. but what about battery? No point if ur filling up 1 gigs cards in RAW like cake. Then takin 30 min to move 1 gig to the ipod, then the bettery dies. Im now using Laptop, and a Type II CF card reader, i have both Hitachi microdrives and Ultra II CF cards. Never send an iPod to do a laptops job... + Laptpo has bigger screen, i have all my canon software on it, + photoshop + EOS Capture software

[MadMesh]

again,.. i TOO was thinking of gettin an iPod photo... since i heard about battery life and transfer speeds. No use for me, if u want it for music, be my guest...

[fetching]

i have the XT and i use sandisk 1GB ultra II cards, have had no problems at all.

*knocks on wood*