Need a CF card to keep up with the 40d

Your camera is only going to hold as many shots in burst as it's internal buffer can handle (which is 19 RAW and like 100 JPEGs). The card speed determines how fast the buffer clears out so you can shoot again.

Hey everyone-

I shoot sports with a 40d, and write now I'm using the Sandisk Ultra 30 mb/s compact flash, and many times I can only get off 3 - 5 shots in high speed continuous (I shoot full raw) before it needs to rest. Is that a problem with the write speed of the card being too slow?

Thanks

Interesting...how new is the Sandisk Ultra, such as the current version or the older one (presuming its the newer one). That might affect... Mind you I don't own one but I know cards make some difference. Even so that doesn't sound right... for the write speed your describing. I tested my 5dc ( I know its the not the same) came to about 17 with an Sandisk Extreme III with the same 30 mb/s. Perhaps try that on you 5Dc. If you don't get that then it might be the card... but if you get the same number of shots or about when it might be a camera thing.

Hope that helps!

If it's slowing up after 3-5 shots, the fault's not your card; the buffer on the 40D is rated at around 17 shots RAW or 14 RAW + L/F JPG. Your camera should be able to fill the buffer before slowing down. If you're shooting at high ISO settings, the files will be somewhat bigger than if you're at ISO 100, but that shouldn't make more than a frame or two difference in capacity (if that). I think your camera's the source of the slow-down.

You may have high ISO noise reduction enabled (check custom functions) It requires the camera to process noise in every photo, thus the camera's internal CPU becomes the bottleneck.

I'm shooting at ISO 3200, Full RAW, high iso noise reduction off, hightlight priority off... could it have something to do with the light/focus hunting before itll shoot. For example... I shot a still object here in my room at iso 3200 and it fired continuously for quite a while... wasn't having problmes.. but then i shot my roommate in the same as he was walking, and it started stuttering/slowing down (the numbers on the top LCD were blinking when it slowed and wouldn't shoot..

Crap, I hope this isn't a camera problem.

Sounds, sorry, like it is. But, OTOH, it sounds like something you can adjust to. Is AF on Servo, for instance?

Does it happen with all lenses?

Does it happen in manual focus?

@Jon, yeah- AF is on servo, because I've been shooting sports with the 40d.

@tkbslc, I've only tried it with the 70-200 2.8 IS, which is what I shoot the sports with.

I'm just trying to rule out communication errors with the lens. If it doesn't happen on other lenses, then maybe you have some dirty contacts or a connection issue with just the one lens.