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D-Lux 4 Recommended Cards


david@blumenfeld.com

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Hi...I am about to purchase a d-lux 4 and wondering from users, what is the card of choice to go with that camera...I've heard about problems with the higher capacity cards...any suggestions?

 

Hi David. Congratulations on your impending purchase! It's a very nice camera.

 

We have lots of threads about SD cards, and most everyone has their favorites. Here's a recent discussion you may want to reference: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/66527-sdhc-card-revirews.html

 

You certainly want to make sure you get the fastest card possible, so get an SDHC card for sure. Class 6 cards are (I believe) 150x speed, and these are supported by the D-Lux 4. As far as capacity is concerned, I'm not aware of any specific problems. I use 8GB cards in my D-Lux 4 and Digilux 3.

 

I'll put in another plug for Hoodman SD cards ( Hoodman Corporation ) . They are quite a bit more expensive than mainstream brands (Sandisk, Lexar, Kingston), but are very high quality and are the only SD card, to my knowledge, made in the USA.

 

Jeff.

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Guest user47901

I would highly recommend you getting at least one or two 16 gb cards. Especially if you are planning to shoot raw

Also, order a set of extra batteries. I got three and that will for sure last for a normal week of shooting.

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I mentioned previously in the thread announcing I just bought a D-Lux 4 that Best Buy is selling the SanDisk Extreme III 8GB SDHC Class 6 cards for $40 online this week. Not a bad price for a good card IMO. The Hoodman cards look interesting as well though.

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Another Hoodman plug here too! I have an 8gb one in my Dlux 4...and love it.

 

RIDE

 

Yes, I recall you were one of the first to get them. I remember seeing you reference them, and after checking out their site, I ended up buying several.

 

Undoubtedly the price of the Hoodmans would make them an indulgence for some, so it's understandable if people have a difficult time rationalizing the cost. But in this era of globalization, I always like to buy locally and/or from small businesses, and for us Yanks, supporting American jobs in a brutal economy is important too. I'd certainly understand if that wasn't a very persuasive argument for people outside the USA though...

 

Jeff.

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Hi...I am about to purchase a d-lux 4 and wondering from users, what is the card of choice to go with that camera...I've heard about problems with the higher capacity cards...any suggestions?

 

I have a 16 gig class 6 SDHC "Transcend" card from my local CompUSA in FL, got it for $50. I shot raw, no problems at all

 

Glenn

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Wow...Just got the camera yesterday from my brother who picked it up for me in NY -- had a busy day, but got to play a bit with it and I think I love this camera! It's been a while since I had an "Inspirational" camera...The hoodman seems OK -- Was slow, until I activated the multi-burst...now its great...thanks for the advice

 

At first I kept wanting to put the camera up to my eye (no eyepiece, but I think I have an old rangefinder viewer 21mm somewhere)...But then I started working with the lcd...its quite cool composing images that way vs a viewfinder -- Seeing the images in 2 dimensions, like the final image is going to be is an entirely different way of working...I may try it out on an assignment this week...

 

Whats the deal with processing the raw files...does the latest photoshop cs4 process them?

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I have to use the software that came with the DL4 - Capture One. I think the RAW files by Leica are propietary.

 

Glenn

 

Almost every RAW file by every camera maker is proprietary, and there's almost always a delay whilst the software companies build in support for the RAW files of new models of cameras. At this point in time, the only holdout amongst the major programs is Apple's Aperture. The latest version of Adobe Camera Raw does support the D-Lux 4 .RWL file, and since ACR is the RAW engine for both CS4 and LightRoom, you can use either of those products (or the bundled Capture One).

 

Hopefully Apple will issue a "Digital Camera Raw" update soon which will include the D-Lux 4 and LX3. Their last release was version 2.4 in December, so it seems we're due...

 

Jeff.

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For my D-Lux 4 I bought a Lexar 4 GB SDHC from the US retailer OfficeMax.for $10 US. The 8 GB was $20. I was amazed at the good deal.

 

I am partial to 4 GB cards for all of my digitals as I know I can fit a whole card on 1 DVD-ROM.

 

Jeremy

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I spoke to the guys at Samys about cards and they said that SD is faster than SDHC. And even turned me away from buying a more expensive SDHC at 16GB. They are apparently designed more for video application.

 

So I bought a San Disk 2G with 15M/s transfer rate. Memory cards without the rate stamped on them are dubious. Preying on the consumer who just sees capacity as the greatest denominator. For me it is quick shooting in RAW and fast downloads into Capture One.

 

I may try SDHC at some point, but am satisfied with the SD Ultra 2. Anyone else do this comparison?

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I spoke to the guys at Samys about cards and they said that SD is faster than SDHC. And even turned me away from buying a more expensive SDHC at 16GB. They are apparently designed more for video application.

 

So I bought a San Disk 2G with 15M/s transfer rate. Memory cards without the rate stamped on them are dubious. Preying on the consumer who just sees capacity as the greatest denominator. For me it is quick shooting in RAW and fast downloads into Capture One.

 

I may try SDHC at some point, but am satisfied with the SD Ultra 2. Anyone else do this comparison?

 

Don't believe everything that the sales person tells you. I worked retail in college and believe me most of them don't know, don't care, and simply lack the work ethic to actually care. I know the company I worked for provides product training for workers to do on thier own within the system. As you could imagine not many people actually took the time to do the training and preferred to "wing it." That's probably why I have a habit of asking sales people questions I already know the answer to before I decide to engage in business with them. They will either try to BS me, answer the question correctly, or try to find the answer. If they act in a manner or the last two options I consider giving them my money... If not I leave.

 

FWIW I bought two SDHC Extreme III cards last week and they are both rated at 30M/s transfer rate. I believe they also make a version that reads at 20M/s. I'm pretty sure most SDHC cards are faster than SD variants and have more storage space.

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"WmAl" already posted a link to this article on Tom's Hardware, but I think these charts in particular should be of interest:

 

Charts, benchmarks SDHC Memory Card Charts, Avergage Write Transfer Rates

 

I kind of doubt that Hoodman owns a wafer fabrication plant ;) but I had some idle time, and thought I'd see who actually does produce SLC NAND memory in the US of A, and the only definite one seemed to be Micron Technology, who also sell under the Crucial and Lexar brand names.

 

Then I decided to see whether those prices were outrageous or not, and here's what I came up with for the top-rated cards:

 

Sandisk Ultra III, 8 gigabytes: $79.99, Newegg.com

Transcend 150X 8 gigabyes: $74.95, Adorama

Silicon Power (didn't find a USA source)

 

The real surprise was the #1-rated Lexar Pro 133x which currently sells at Adorama for $62.95 less $25 rebate. Standard shipping to my area was $5, which I reduced to $2.30 by including a Sigma DP1 battery to my order. This particular item shows free shipping by itself, but apparently reduces shipping costs when combined with other items; heck of a deal: $40.25, shipped. Yes, I pinch pennies--how do you think I can afford Leica?

 

Here's a link:

https://www.adorama.com/ILXSD8GBPRX.html?sid=1235341145470982

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