Max size card for Mark III

What is the biggest card (CF and SD) that you can use with the Mark III? Is there a max?

Todd I could be wrong but I don't think with the current size cards available that there is no limit at the moment. Even the EOS 5D recently had a firmware update to correct the 8 GB limit is had.

I havent tried it, but I read the 32 Gig SD cards will work in it.

all fat32 and fat16 cards will work with mkiii, and it will properly format cards up to at least 16gb (haven't tried higher ones). the only "exception" to this is that to update firmware, you need to be using a fat16 card (just your average up to 2gb card will work fine)


edit: in fact, practically any eos camera can read almost any size card it has. the only real problem is in formatting the cards

basroil wrote in post #5387278
edit: in fact, practically any eos camera can read almost any size card it has. the only real problem is in formatting the cards

Well, 10D or later; if you have a D60 or earlier, you either stay at or below 2 GB or format the larger cards FAT16 manually in your computer.

Is there a sweet spot for cards or is it user preference. For example is it better to have a bunch of 2gig cards or a couple of 4gig cards?

I use 4 GB for the 5D and 1D3; get about 200-250 shots (RAW+Small JPEG) per card (about the most I consider manageable at one go) and backs up nicely to a single DVD on the go. On the 20D and D60 I use 2 GB cards for, again, around 250 shots/card. Other people will tell you smaller is better since a card failure will lose you fewer photos, but I haven't had a card failure in several years, and that one didn't cost me any pictures, with a good recovery program. SanDisk replaced it free, too.

Andy1265 wrote in post #5387577
Is there a sweet spot for cards or is it user preference. For example is it better to have a bunch of 2gig cards or a couple of 4gig cards?

Personal preference really. I'm sure plenty of people enjoy shooting lots of pictures and not having to change the memory card.

For myself, I have a stack of five 2GB Ultra II cards that get rotated from camera to PSD and back when I'm shooting in volume. I figure if something "bad" happens I've lost one (relatively small) cards pictures.

The smaller cards also means each dumps into the PSD faster.

Thanks for all the replies. I wasn't trying to start a "card size preference" debate. I know the pitfalls of using a few large cards. I just wanted to know if there were hardware or firmware limitations that would restrict the size of the card.

I think Tommykjensen found that an 8 GB card was fine up to about 4 GB and started running slower once he got past that on his 1D3.

Thanks Jon. I use 4GB cards now. Sounds like it's best to just stick with them. Thanks again.

I have a 32GB card. Someone want to bring a 1DMIII to me to test?

I use dual 8GB cards (CF and SD) When full I take both out and put in the next set of 8GB cards. Dual cameras/cards/hard drives are a requirement for me!

who makes 8gb SD cards?

I use 16gb crds without any issue in my MkIII's..