Please help: Canon 1D Mark III question about memory cards

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

I finally got the opportunity to buy a 1D Mark III a week ago replacing my older Mark II N :)

I decided to buy an Extreme IV 8GB CF card for it, which as it turned out after the test, transfers raws as fast as the other card I own - Extreme IV 4GB CF.

My delight was dismalled minutes later, when I put my old SD Extreme III 2GB to the test, smashing both the CF cards with the final result !!!

Here is the test itself:

Shooting in 10fps mode at 1/8000 sec up to the first buffer-full stop at the 24-th frame. Counting the total time for which the buffers completely empies and the red light stops twinkles:

CF Extreme IV 8GB - 21 sec
CF Extreme IV 4GB - 21 sec
CF Extreme III 2GB - 15 sec

So please advise me which card to finally buy for the Mark III? Which one currently on the market is the fastest one for shooting only RAW files at 1D Mark III? Of course the price definitely matters, especially if the difference between the two cards is a second or two for a full buffer emptied?

Should I consider buying SD HC SanDisk Extreme III 4GB


instead of SanDisk 2GB SD Extreme III 133x


because the price of the first is far more good compared to the second card?

For example, two SD HC SanDisk Extreme III 4GB costs 141 units, while four SanDisk 2GB SD Extreme III 133x costs 200 units in my currency.

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

:confused:

[Robert O'Toole]

With a EOS-1DMKIII, SD beats CF and SDHC.

Go with the SD, non-SDHC.

According to Rob G's CF/SD tests on the MKIII. The SanDisk SD EXT III is the fastest card.

This seems strange but it has to do with the MKIIIs age really. Newer cameras like the 50D, D3, D700 write speeds are more than 2X faster.

Robert

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

Robert, thank you very much ! :)

[Robert O'Toole]

Anytime Nikolay!

I checked here for you, I was surprised! The Sandisk 4GB SDHC extreme cards are $39 here with a $10 rebate so thats $29 net!!!

This is amazing, these used to be $300 cards!!!

If I come to Bulgaria I will make sure to let you know so maybe I can bring some items for you to save you $$ :-)

Robert

[Robert O'Toole]

Even more amazing, you can buy a SanDisk 16GB Video HD SDHC Memory Card, which carries a class 4 speed rating for $69 with a $30 rebate or $39 net.

They are marketed for video but work in still cameras no problem I am told.

This would be the best choice for a point and shoot digital camera!

Robert

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

This will be great Robert! These prices really make sence here in Bulgaria, though even here the prices became much more affordable with less profit per unit for the murchants (thanks to the increazed competition on our market within lets say the last two years)