If shooting video is important to you and you don't want your camera to freeze and loose an 8 minute shot, I would highly avoid the SanDisk Extreme III 8GB CF cards. They have been reported to freeze the camera. Read this thread for more detail 5D Mark II Freezes / Locks up / Buffer Problem SOLVED and http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos...-compared.html and DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking - View Single Post - Interview Shots from a Corporate Project.

I have now shot over 700GB of video with three cameras using the Kingston Elite Pro 133x 32GB CF cards and have not had one freeze or lock-up. We are shooting 14 minute takes each time. I would never trust the SanDisk Extreme III 8GB cards for this.

The SanDisk Ultra II 4GB card never experienced a lock up by the way. Only Extreme III 8GB.

Good luck!

Just wondering if anybody has tried using the Transcend Industrial CompactFlash Cards, they are meant to have a wider temperature operating range. I have had no problems with the Transcend 133x and 300x but with high summer temperatures here I thought I may give the Industrial version a try. What do you think?

Bob

I bought 3 Extreme III 16g cards when I ordered my 5dmk2 on its announcement day. When the camera came all was well with the cards and camera. Just before a trip in January I tried some Qmemory (16gb) cards I was using with my 40d and older 5d in the new mk2. They worked fine, and the Sandisk 16gb worked fine also, until....... I formated the Qmemory in the MK2.

At that point the sandisk cards stopped working on the mk2. They worked on all the other 2 cameras and were formattable(?) under win XP and OS x. Canon had no explanation for the behavior. Sandisk, very helpful BTW, expressed me 3 new extreme III 16 gb cards. They didn't work on the mk2, but worked everywhere else. After the trip I sent the camera to canon for repair, as suggested by Canon Tech people. I included a sandisk card and a Qmemory card.

Canon said the inner mechanism was replaced and the sandisk cards now function as they should. I'm afraid to use the Qmemory again on the 5dmk2 for fear of losing the use of my 6 sandisk cards until I sent the camera out for repair again.

Does anyone else use Qmemory cards on their 5dmk2?

Jim

Buck I also use the 32GB Transcend 133x cards and have had no problem. You don't need fast cards for video, although obviously the faster the card, the faster download speeds to your computer, and the faster you can shoot RAW stills rapid fire.

So, I have 16GB Extreme IV UDMA cards for my rapid RAW shooting, and I use 32GB Transcend 133x cards for video recording.

I've got one Extreme III 8Gb and 6 Ultra II 4Gb - never had any problems with any of them, shot nearly 300Gb so far (mostly on the Extreme III).

I have two Transcend 133X 16GB cards... They're great. Haven't had a problem yet.

I've used SanDisk Ultra II 4GB cards from Costco for years with a 5D and now the Mark II. I've never had a problem with still capture or now video. While less convenient, it's nice that if I do lose a card (more likely that I physically lose it as almost happened on a recent shoot), I'm not missing as much data. Transfer rates are fine. My opinion is some of the ultra high speed more expensive cards are overkill at least for my use.

CF Flash Decisions
 

What would be an ideal combo of CF cards and the 5DMKII for:

1. Shooting RAW + JPEG in bursts
2. Shooting Video + Still Capture
3. Shooting Video only

I guess I would probably just need the fastest cards out there?
I don't know how much #2 I will actually do but would like to have the ability.
I also don't plan to machine gun shoot, but I don't know what the 5DMKII is capable of with RAW + JPEG bursts?

I am also trying to spend as least as I can but yet get as much GB storage as I can.
I think I need one CF card for the photo scenarios and one CF card for the video scenarios.
Which ones should I consider for each? It sounds like the 133x cards are good for video only but not if I want to shoot RAW and RAW + JPEG burst as well as taking a still while shooting video?

Has anyone used or tried the Pretec cards?
http://www.ptiglobalusa.com/hisphicacfca.html

Tom from Timescapes.org pointed me towards these, says they are great!

You don't need super fast cards unless you're doing lots and lots of burst stills at full 3.9 fps

of course fast cards help with download as well as saving on camera...

video only really needs 20mps (I went with sandisk extreme iii with 30mps) just to be safe

So will a SanDisk Extreme III and/or IV card handle RAW+JPEG bursts, say if I was only doing 10-15 bursts at a time?

I know the III and IV will handle the video fine.

For bursts, I'd get the IV.

For video you need a bit over 40 mega bits per second. Most cards do closer to 20 mega bytes per second. That's four times faster than you need.

You might consider a 4GB SanDisk IV, and a 32GB slower card. You can also use the slower card for timelapse shooting of stills.

Thanks Jon. I think I'll probably get an 8 or 16 GB Extreme IV for stills/bursts, and the 32 GB Extreme III for video. However, I don't know how much of the bursts I really need, in which case I keep beating myself up with trying to make a decision on what cards to get.

I can get the RiData 8, 16 and 32 GB cards for $157 (all 3 together), that seems like a heckava deal.

CF Card Reader
 

Anyone suggest a fast CF Card reader for USB 2.0?
I supposed most any would do fine...

I have a Delkin Devices reader that is really nice on the PC. I just yank the cards out and Windows File Explorer sits there showing the previous files. I plug the card back in, hit F5 to refresh the view and I'm back to work. I've been doing this for seven months with SanDisk IV cards.

Unfortunately, my friend claims that his Delkin Devices reader crashes his Mac. Hopefully a new driver/patch will fix that soon.

Mine looks like this one, but says "Delkin Devices" on top rather than "eFilm."
Delkin Devices | eFilm Reader-38 Card Reader/Writer

To not quite answer your question as unloading the CF cards can take a significant time it's worth buying the best & fastest that you can. I have used a variety of USB devices but the Lexar Professional UDMA FireWire® 800 Reader device is far & away the fastest CF reader that I have used. I would expect their Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader to be as good as it gets for USB.

CF card for 5d
 

ordering 5d camera in a few days, am thinking of this card:
Transcend 32 GB, 133x High Speed, Compact Flash Memory Card.

anyone use this one, or, similar, have heard of a few issues with a different cards

I bought four Transcend 133x 16GB cards when I bought my 5d. Two of them have died, one during a job which was extremely embarassing. I will not touch Transcend again.

I have since switched to Sandisk Extreme III and have encountered no problems.

I've been using a Transcend 16GB x300 card for stills and video since I bought my 4D mk II at Christmas. I've not experienced any problems whatsoever. I've read about problems with all brands and models, including the SanDisk extreme III and IV.

How much difference between Kingston 133x and Extreme III
 

I have Kingston 133x 32GB, and when I transfer full card it takes more than 30 minutes for all files to transfer. I am using one of those All-in-One USB 2.0 card reader, similar to one Jon has shown above.

Though I have started using it recently only once did I see the side bar in 5D2, that also when I had Auto ISO and light was changing fast. Otherwise this Kingston card is working fine. I also have some Ultra II 4GB, but they fill up too fast.


What kind of time are you spending transferring a full 32GB Extreme III or IV card?

32 gig CF card
 

I just read that even though you can use a 32 gig card all you can get is a max of 4 gigs or 12 minutes because of the file system, what is everyone's experience with this issue

Yes, there's a 12 minute (approximate) limit-it is all over the documentation etc.

You can only record 4GB in a single file, but you can record as many files as you can fit on the card.

This used to be a HUGE issue before we had manual control, since it took time to trick the camera into the desired settings. Now, with manual settings, you can just hit record again after you hit the ~12minute, 4GB limit.

My recommendation to people who need to capture longer recordings is to use a separate audio recorder, so your audio is continuous, and to have some B-roll that you can use to mask the video drop out. If that's not good enough, get a different camera. The 5D2 isn't the right solution if you need very long takes with no gaps.

So anyone knows if the Kingston 133x 32GB can handle video and an occasional RAW still at the same time, or do I need their Ultimate 266x for that..?

-- peer

I use the 16 gig Kingston Pro Elite, no problems, from Frys. I ve stuck with that level. In our testing of Magic Lantern, it seems like issue start arising with various 32's and I recall reports of trouble on one the Knigston. With Magic Lantern, issue was with wait times for loading the Magic Lantern software from the CF card. Problem was eliminated y a pause inserted by Trammel Hudson. What that means with regular shooting is your best guess. The 45 minutes per card on 16's has been fine for me, so I didn't go to 32's

I've been using Extreme III cards. no probs with stills - but HEAPS of stuttering/pausing on video - mainly with panning. It seemed like the camera was wanting to 'buffer' somehow when too much info was trying to be recorded. (please correct me if this is technically impossible) - however, I layout the cash for an extreme IV 16GB, and have noticed more smoother panning. - still testing though.

any thoughts if I'm on the right track anyone?

i finally ordered a kingston 32 gig, 133, haven't seen any issues yet, I did get a fast reader tho, 480 mbs, loadiing files very quick,

Copied here for relevance from our 5D Mk. II forum

B&H has the Extreme III 30mb/s for $89.95 with rebates-- $20 back for one, $50 back for two, $90 back for three.

FYI: Lexars have a sleep feature, which can cost a shot if waiting and shooting overlap (as noted by a reviewer working in Iraq).

Sleep? Tell me more about it.

I'm getting a 7D but I don't know what card to get.

I was thinking about the Lexar | 8GB Professional 233x CompactFlash Card | LCF8GBDRBNA233 UDMA, but after that I may consider another brand.

I just got 2 Kingston Elite Pro 32 GB 133x CompactFlash Memory Card CF/32GB-S2 for $75 each from Amazon. I had been using a Sandisk Extreme III 30MB/Second, I guess the recommended 'fast' card.

The Sandisk is faster if you shoot rapid RAW 18MB still you notice it doesn't stop. The Kingston is slower but in reality it's the only time you'd notice it. I don't notice it at all on video, no buffer filling up indicators or anything. And I guess about 1/3 the price of the Sandisk.

I guess if you have UDMA Firewire reader (I don't) and shoot rapid RAW then get the UDMA cards, but if you want lots of video time (and lots of room for normally shot stills) I see the Kingston, so far, as a really good deal.

memory cards
 

Hey guys,
I'm about to buy a Canon 7D.
Which kind of memory cards do you advice and of what size ?
Lexar ? Sandisk ?
I just buy the 7D for video purposes.

Is this the one? I need more cards.
Amazon.com: Kingston Elite Pro 32 GB 133x CompactFlash Memory Card CF/32GB-S2: Electronics

Yes, that's the cards I got. No troubles so far. The only trouble I had was the other day when I had my 16MB Extreme III 30MBS run out of space during an interview and I forgot to bring along the Kingston 32GB. So it really pointed out the usefulness of a larger card like the Kingston.

Hmmm.. I'm considering purchasing this cam (Canon 7D) however, I'm concerned by all the reports of 'errors' throughout this forumn post.

Errors are not really something that can be afforded if I'm doing a wedding shoot for instance. It doesn't appear that anything I've read in here suggests there is a 'perfect' virtually 100% error free card. Is that the case?

Jon

Keith, can the Kingston 32GB handle 8fps shooting JPEGs?

im now in spain on a shoot and have had the 32gb elite pro buffer fill up once and stop shooting..

for the most part im still happy with it though..

In my search for a good card at a reasonable price I came across this:
Lexar – Compact Flash Memory Cards

Good reviews of this unit from many enthusiasts using the 7D and 5DMII. I can't find a 32gb version, but 16Gb should be sufficient I would think for most uses.

Jon

I just fired off about a minute of full sized JPGs at high speed 8fps with the kingston, didn't seem to slow down.

I'm sticking SanDisk although after I initially overbought a 16GB 60Mbps I've switched to 32GB 30Mbps. You can get a 3 pack for $300 after a $200 rebate:

3XSDCFX3032GA31 SanDisk 32 GB Extreme III Compact Flash Memory Card - Pack of 3

Happy trails, Michael

Hip Hip Hooray! Need CF card suggestions
 

Finally!

I am getting my 7D early next week, just ordered it today.

Now to start getting bigger and faster CF cards. I just checked with New Egg. They have some but I was wondering if anyone knows of some real good deals that is still quality cards.

Like 16GB or 32GB with 233x or so.

Thanks.