How are IBM Microdrives compared to Sandisk Ultra II?

[ShutteringFocus]

Are IBM microdrives simply dinosaurs when compared to Sandisk Ultra II CF cards?

I've been trying to decide between the two for my D30, which isn’t a blistering fast camera...but I'm sure I'll upgrade within the next year.

[Andy_T]

I assume you won't notice much of a difference in the D30.

However ... it's quite a difference on the 20D.

I realized that when I had filled my Sandisk UltraII 1GB card on my 20D and had to use the 1GB IBM microdrive from my old G2 ... I was taking 5 FPS large jpg shots of my son on a speeding model train at a fair when the camera noticeably slowed down to allow the microdrive to write the buffer contents...

I had never before really 'realized' the buffer indication in the viewfinder, as the Sandisk UltraII is so fast that it empties the buffer nearly immediately. However, the microdrive had a very hard time keeping up and slowed down my shooting action considerably. So I was basically hypnotizing the small number in the viewfinder to go up so I could start shooting again...

Best regards,
Andy

[gasrocks]

Microdrives have moving parts inside. Will wear out sooner, cannot be dropped, slow to startup, etc. A few people say they like microdrives but not many. Stick to name brand, fast CF cards.

[Salleke]

Like Gasrocks says: buy only good CF cards and you won't be sorry.Forget about Microdrives they are things from the passed and have done theire job.
Now it's time to move on solid state memory if yoy have to buy it today.
People who have good Microdrive's (IBM, Hitachi) will still use them. But if one day they were out then they will move on to solid state memory cards to....IMHO.

[rich_yau]

Microdrives are slow. They bust easily.

[Bamamike]

Hey Rich and Salleke,
do you treat your drives/cards different than your camera???
Keep it clean, don't drop it (would you drop your camera?) and don't bend it.
They last forever and they aren't "old" technology; just different.
And for some reasons their price is still an advantedge - and IMHO their speed is not that bad, compatable to a 40x CF-card.

[Salleke]

Hey Rich and Salleke,
do you treat your drives/cards different than your camera???
Keep it clean, don't drop it (would you drop your camera?) and don't bend it.
They last forever and they aren't "old" technology; just different.
And for some reasons their price is still an advantedge - and IMHO their speed is not that bad, compatable to a 40x CF-card.

You are right. We have to handle our Mivrodrives very carefully, but anyone who love his gear does it I think.
And you are right again that Micrdrives are good in price, but he/she who must buy memory today has 3 options:

1) Microdrives of a good brand!!!)
2) Solid state CF cards
3) Vosonic backup drive for in field backup. Or Epson and/or others...

I have one Microdrive and I don' use it any more.
I have 4 CF cards (3 x 1 GB and 1 x 2 GB all San disk)
I have one Vosonic 40 GB.
So IMHO if a newcomer in photography has to make choices it's better to buy a Microdrive only as a last resort.
But not because they are so bad.
If tomorrow I have to buy more memory it would not be a Microdrive anymore.
But that is offcourse a personal choice.

[grego]

Hey Rich and Salleke,
do you treat your drives/cards different than your camera???
Keep it clean, don't drop it (would you drop your camera?) and don't bend it.
They last forever and they aren't "old" technology; just different.
And for some reasons their price is still an advantedge - and IMHO their speed is not that bad, compatable to a 40x CF-card.


Crap happens, sometimes things fall. The CF card can break if it drops as well, but its more durable than the microdrive. Better to invest in something that is more durable and will last. If you buy a microdrive, and it breaks, you can't use it anymore andthat's a waste of money.

[Jon]

If you buy a microdrive, and it breaks, you can't use it anymore andthat's a waste of money.
Are you saying that a broken CF flash memory card is still usable even if it's broken? I've had two CF cards fail, and need replacement, but all 3 of my MDs are trucking along - and the 1 GB IBMs are older than either the Kingston or the SanDisk Ultra II that died.

[brucea]

I would be happy to accept contributions of currently unused MDs that folks don't want to use because they are afraid they will break!!!

Consider this -- lots of folks want the fastest and cheapest (at least lots of folks who contribute their opinions on this forum). Even if they currently happy with CF memory, in a few months or years the latest and greatest conventional CF will have greater capacity and be much faster than what is currently available. So -- what is the real life cycle of a CF card? Do people use them until they no longer function? Or do they use them until they feel they need something faster and more capacity? And (here's the kicker) is that CF card life cycle any longer than that of a MD?

I use a 4 GB Hitachi MD formatted to 32K sectors in my 10D. According to an analysis I did of Galbraith's ratings, the card is 80% as fast as the fastest CF card, but is 4x the capacity and cost less than one-quarter as much per GB. I can live without the extra speed: how often does anybody shoot off a burst of 10 shots and then have to wait for the buffer to write to media? That's not photography, that's shotgunning!

Take care of your gear and it will take care of you.