SD card longevity

[doug_m]

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Some questions for the experts on this forum:

 

1) How much use should one expect to get from a 2 G SD card before it fails?

 

2) What are early signs that the card has been overused/ is failing?

 

3) Does the M8 wear down SD card contacts the same as other digital cameras vs less or more ?

 

4) What brand, model and size cards do you experts like best for use with the M8?. Which cards have the best value?

 

Thanks much,

 

Doug

[johnastovall]

Transcend lists 10,000 insertion/removal cycles.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. You've be replacing it with newer, bigger, faster before it's MTF.

 

I for years have used nothing but SandDisk Extreme III media for my Canons, R-D1 and now the M8. Never a problem...

[divory]

But I have had two Transcend 4GB SD cards fail on me within weeks, so much so that I have gone back to using 2GB cards only.

 

David

[fotografr]

But I have had two Transcend 4GB SD cards fail on me within weeks, so much so that I have gone back to using 2GB cards only.

 

David

 

You might be getting counterfeit cards. Where are you purchasing them? A lot of fakes are sold on eBay.

 

Are you formatting the cards in the M8 before your first use?

[thai.charlie]

I would stick with Lexar or Sandisk cards, which come with warranties (at least you get the card replaced), and I believe their cases are better put together. I've used cards from "smaller" companies and had the plastic case itself split open (repeated pressure on the bottom of the card against the spring loaded slot -- that's stress), plastic cracking off around the contacts, and the write protect tab fall into the card. I use Sandisk Ultra II and Extreme III, up to 2 gb, with no problems so far. I use PC and always format the card in the camera.

[robsteve]

But I have had two Transcend 4GB SD cards fail on me within weeks, so much so that I have gone back to using 2GB cards only.

 

David

 

I had a Transcend 4gb fail too over the summer. I just brought it back to Costco for refund and let them deal with Trancend. I noticed the case was splitting open on this card and it may have been related to the failure. The card would not mount in any of my card readers or computers.

 

My 2gb transcends also started to break and shed little pieces of plastic like the poster above noted. They were also purchased at Costco and I returned them too.

 

I am now using just 2GB Sandisk Ultra II and Exteme II cards. My Utra II cards date from two years ago and the DMR and still look like new. The Trancends were only about three and six months old and were falling apart.

 

Robert

[doug_m]

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Thanks everyone. What prompted my inquiry was that I had a salesman at my local shop comment that the contacts on one of my Ridata 2 G cards looked very worn after the card failed to work with an express card reader on a brand new Macbook Pro (without leopard).

 

I have 2 M8s and a total of nine 2G cards( 6-7 Ridata and 2 or3 Sandisk Ultra 2) . I have taken less than 10,000 shots on each camera with camera #1 being bought as one of the original US purchases early last Nov. All of the cards have been used about the same amount and I'd guess that less than 3000 images have actually been downloaded.

 

Seems like the Ridata cards should not be having contacts that are wearing out this soon. Am I correct?

[thai.charlie]

Ridata is exactly the brand that went bad on me. All of them. Case split, plastic flaked off the contacts area, write protect tab fell into the card. I thought I got a deal. You get what you pay for. Use at your own risk! When you're using thousands of dollars worth of camera gear, why skimp on your "digital film" ?