You get what you pay for, and sometimes you get lucky
 

Transcend as good as Sandisk? I have seen just today 3 posts/complaints on one website on folks who regretted choosing them. I'm also sure there are those who have had a bad card from Sandisk as well, but I haven't seen them.

1st post: "I've taken the transcend route. Two cards don't work. I think they heat up with continuous shooting and give you an error. I've tried TWO cards by now - can't use reliably either one of them. I'd be better off paying more for sandisk. Transcend sucks."

2nd guy: "KevC had to exchange his card also."

3rd Guy: " The Transcend cards I have, though working well, are definitely slower than other cards with the same speed rating."

I've seen a lot of this. Transcend cards will work for some but I can't really risk it.

There is no question, based on what I've seen, that the majority of folks who use Transcend cards will be fine. On the other hand, their quality control or manufacting process is clearly inconsistent.

People sometimes assume just because something is expensive that it is a ripoff. It is a mistake to attribute high prices to marketing costs. I didn't choose Sandisk because of their ads. I chose them because they pretty much set the standard. They are the brand all others are compared to.

Companies do not USUALLY, I stress "usually" become #1 in a field by inflating prices and pretending to be better. They usually are better. Professional photographers tend to use Sandisk or other higher end cards because they are more reliable, not because they like to throw money away.

I am envious of those using inexpensive Transcend cards. They are a really good deal. On the other hand, I never want to tell a customer that I don't have their footage because I chose a cheap card.

Brian, posts are not appearing for me on here properly. You posted your reply for my benefit yesterday, but it is only now showing up...not sure what that is about.

I wonder about the bigger card also, and your point is well taken about the safety, workflow of smaller cards. Very good points.

On the other hand, when shooting weddings, which I do a lot of, I'm usually acquiring up to 5 hours per cam, if not more. It seemed cool to me to not have to be preoccupied with changing cards every hour.

Most of my weddings are Catholic masses, and I shoot continuously. Hour tapes were a hassel, because I had to change my tapes at what were often the most inconvient times.

I don't know...I'm kind of torn about it at this point.

Jeff, if you're shooting Catholic masses, why not get 80 minute tapes to be safe?

They were not available all the time...bought them when I could get them.. Doesn't matter any longer, I'm tapeless now.

Jeff i have three cards the same ones i used with my canon when i had it,i have two 8 gb sandisc extreme hd video 20 mb/s and one 16 gb the same card other wise.

If memory cards were a use-once item, I might be able to understand the quest for the lowest price but I believe the way to look at memory cards is as an equipment investment. When viewed in that light, the cost per event cost difference of premium grade cards versus cheap ones is tiny. If you are just playing with your camera in your back yard, it's no big deal what cards you use. But for professional jobs, cheap cards sound penny wise and pound foolish to me. I don't care if you know this guy who has a friend whose brother in law's neighbor says he has no problems with them, it's not worth taking a chance.

Plastic lens with cardboard barrels anyone? I have this buddy over at Flung Dung Lenses who can fix you up. ;-)

Well put Jim.

Regarding my card, will a 15mb card such as mine record in 24p with this camera? That mode records at the highest rate for the camera...will the card keep up? The manual does say a class 4 card is adequate for movies, but it doesn't make sense if it records at 24pbps that it will keep up...something I just don't quite understand.

But the question is, is there evidence a cheap card is lower in quality than a more expensive one? It's a mistake to assume higher price equals higher quality. Someone must have tested these things.

Despite the fact that I can't come up with any links to support my claims, I have read in numerous places that off-brand cards are much slower than their class ratings indicate.

I did tons of research as I was deciding which cards to go with, and from the countless reviews/articles/etc. that I've read, it seems that it's very hit-or-miss when it comes to Transcend, Adata, etc. Some people have no problem at all, but others complain of write errors or complete failure.

For me, it's a no-brainer. I'm not willing to take on a higher risk of losing data just to save a few bucks.

Yeah, Brian, I've seem multiple complaints for less-expensive cards, which I will no longer name, because it's beside the point.

A couple I've quoted earlier in this thread. Those were three complaints in a row in just one thread regarding just one less expensive brand.

As Corey mentioned, I've read here and there where the most common complaint is the cheaper cards are slower than they should be.

Some generic things are fine, but as a rule generics are cheaper for a reason. We've all been to the home of wealthy individuals. Tell me if they furnished their home with products from Walmart you couldn't tell the difference?

I have a dear friend who is intelligent, kind, generous. But this guy will NEVER pay for better quality, always buys cheap. He has a very nice home that he spent big bucks on, and he furnished it with wall hangings from Walmart, Target, goodwill. It looks cheap, and his house is pure tacky.

He believes anything that is decent and costs more than he thinks is fair is a ripoff, and basically his worldview is one of everyone trying to screw everyone.

If you get by with less expensive brands, 9 out of 10 times you'll probably be fine. I just spent $100 on a 16GB card, and yes it stung. But I feel good about it overall.

Re: Transcend class 10 cards with GH2?
 

I can say that I have gotten error messages on my unhacked GH1 using an ADATA 16GB class 10 card.

Re: Transcend class 10 cards with GH2?
 

Well, I just spent $200 on a 32GB super fast card. It really hurt. On the other hand I do have a lot of faith in it. It is supposed to be good in extreme temps, etc.

That's too bad Bill...so you lost your data?

Re: Transcend class 10 cards with GH2?
 

Well, just read a series of posts slamming Sandisk and extolling the virtues of Transcend. I know, it's mere anecdote. I say buy several brands, have a lot of extras. If one brand fails on a mission critical shoot, pop in another brand and keep your fingers crossed.

Re: Transcend class 10 cards with GH2?
 

This post is typical of why I like Sandisk, but in the end we can only buy what we can afford.

SanDisk Extreme III vs. Transcend SDHC test results: Canon EOS 1000D / 550D - 300D Forum: Digital Photography Review