[daved]

hi -i want to upgade my memory card on my panasonic fz 20- am currently using a 512mb card which is getting pushed to the limit at a race meet (approx 200 pics) a 1gb card will give me double this-- what i would like to know is there any difference in quality of pics or indeed any difference at all between a "cheap" card from ebay for a tenner or card that may cost 50 pounds from a high street dealer?
dave

[Bundybear]

daved,
All memory cards work on the same technology. They write to disk and store, they may be formated, individual files deleted, think of them as a mini version of the hard drive in your computer.

Given this, storage devices of differing quality provide varing quality of storage. If that makes sense. When I say quality of storage I mean safe storage not file quality. A cheap card, like a cheap hard drive will perform the function of a more expensive card or hard drive but the longer you use it the more likely it is to fail. The card will not last forever they do have a write lifecycle. Some companies offer guarntees for write numbers. Check that out.

The image quality stored on a cheap card will be exactly the same as the quality on the most expensive card. Obviously what the most expensive cards offer is better and faster technology like write speeds, bundled recovery software etc.

I have had sandisk extreme II cards collapse (implode) at 2,000 shots. I have a much much cheaper no name card that has over 13,000 on it. They can be hit and miss, but what I am trying to relay is that would you skimp on a cheap hard drive for your computer to store images??

If it was me I would buy the better quality card, which is not always the most expensive.

Hope this helps.....Im sure someone out there will disagree.....
Oh by the way sandisk did replace my extreme II card there after sales service is great.

[Markulous]

Originally Posted by Bundybear

If it was me I would buy the better quality card, which is not always the most expensive.

Hope this helps.....Im sure someone out there will disagree.....

Don't disagree!

Biggest factor in price differences is that of speed differences - worth checking whether your camera will use the advantages of a fast card (very often they won't). If not, you can pick up a card from a known, reputable manufacturer much cheaper.

Having said that, a fast card will behave at speed when being read in a card reader (so there are still benefits to high speed cards, irrespective of camera)

Final point on cards: often you can't go over 2GB as camera will not support (due to FAT16 restriction). Again, check camera before purchasing

[sejanus]

At the risk of sounding contentious ( who, me?) I'd suggest that two cheap cards are better than one expensive one, provided you use them in rotation. I have 10 1GB CF cards at an average cost of £10. I find the write speeds entirely acceptable and I have a 1 in 10 chance of a card failing on me. I apply the same logic to SD cards.

Incidentally, I always reformat my cards before use. I may be misreading the standards but it looks to me like re-formatting does fewer accesses, so stressing the card that little bit less than deleting, though someone else may know better!

[daved]

thanks a lot for the info-- as for many things you get what you pay for i guess-- i didnt want to go the cheap route and be dissappointed with performance etc so a few pounds extra well may be worth it in the long run- many thanks- my camera will only take up to a 1gb card any way but armed up with a 1gb card and my existing 512mb card i shall/should get 600 piccies more than enough for my needs- i hope!!
many thanks
dave

[Sonsey]

If your in the UK Dave, Play.com are doing quality memory cards at very good prices. I just managed to pick up two Sandisc Extreme III 2gig compactflash cards for £17.99 each!... Worth a look I would think

Edit* - Couple of links -

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...B/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...B/Product.html

[JMitchell]

You might want to check out Micro SD Card, SDHC Memory Cards, Mini SD HC, Sony M2 Memory Stick Micro, Apple iPhone, they have great deals too. And a compatibility chart, so you can check what you are buying works with your camera, it gives you a list of cards that do!

HTH

Jack M

[daved]

thats great just ordered from play.com-- budgeted for around the 30 pound mark at my local high street shop- so ordered two - more than enough for my needs at the moment but will come in usefull when i upgrade my camera shortly

[Sonsey]

Glad to help!