storage: Exclusive SD/CF + card reader review?

Hi all!

Just like to share with you 2 review sites, one which reviews SD/CF + card reader exclusively. However, I cannot ascertain the reliability of the test!

Hope you find it useful!

1. hjreggel
   • Card review site
   • Homepage
2. "The CF/SD Performance Database is back" by Rob Galbraith

SD/CF cards used to be quite a major investment but the prices are quite reasonable now and just about all the brand names work quite well. The high speed ones don't take pics faster, or not so you'd notice, but download faster.
Card readers are so inexpensive that if you get one that doesn't work, just spend a couple of bucks and get another. I have one around somewhere but the readier on my desktop works just fine.

Quote:

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The high speed ones don't take pics faster, or not so you'd notice,

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True but there are other factors, which some consider significant. I'm not one of those.

• Frame rate - Initial frame rate
• Number of frames - Number of frames in a burst (until buffer full)
• Buffer full rate - Frame rate if shutter release held down after burst (buffer full)
• Next burst - How soon after the burst the buffer has emptied / CF compartment light goes out

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3x/page13.asp (D3x)
Burst of RAW images (14-bit NEF, FX / Full Frame Mode)

<table class="table-std" align="center" width="520"><tbody><tr> <th width="147">Timing</th> <th>

Time, secs
(8 GB SanDisk Extreme IV)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(8 GB SanDisk Extreme III)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(16 GB Lexar UDMA)

</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Frame rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">2.0 fps </td> <td align="center" width="122">2.0 fps</td> <td align="center" width="105">2.0 fps
</td> </tr> <tr> <th height="20">Number of frames </th> <td align="center" width="126">30</td> <td align="center" width="122">22</td> <td align="center" width="105">30</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Buffer full rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">1.1 fps</td> <td align="center" width="122">0.8 fps</td> <td align="center" width="105">1.1 fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Next burst</th> <td align="center" width="126">16.2 secs</td> <td align="center" width="122">29.1 secs</td> <td align="center" width="105">15.8 secs</td></tr></tbody></table>
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3/page13.asp D3
Burst of RAW images (12-bit NEF, FX / Full Frame Mode)

<table class="table-std" align="center" width="520"><tbody><tr> <th width="147">Timing</th> <th>

Time, secs
(4GB SanDisk Extreme IV)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(4GB SanDisk Ducati)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(8 GB Lexar UDMA)

</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Frame rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">8.9 fps </td> <td align="center" width="122">8.9 fps</td> <td align="center" width="105">8.9 fps
</td> </tr> <tr> <th height="20">Number of frames </th> <td align="center" width="126">17</td> <td align="center" width="122">17</td> <td align="center" width="105">17</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Buffer full rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">2.1 fps</td> <td align="center" width="122">2.7 fps</td> <td align="center" width="105">2.2 fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Next burst</th> <td align="center" width="126">8.0 secs</td> <td align="center" width="122">6.0 secs</td> <td align="center" width="105">7.0 secs</td></tr></tbody></table>
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond700/page13.asp (D700)Burst of RAW images (12-bit NEF, with MB-D10 and EN-EL 4a)

<table class="table-std" align="center" width="417"><tbody><tr> <th width="147">Timing</th> <th>

Time, secs
(4GB SanDisk Ducati)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(2 GB Lexar 133x)

</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Frame rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">8.1 fps </td> <td align="center" width="122">8.1 fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th height="20">Number of frames </th> <td align="center" width="126">16</td> <td align="center" width="122">15</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Buffer full rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">2.2 fps</td> <td align="center" width="122">1.2 fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Next burst</th> <td align="center" width="126">11.0 secs</td> <td align="center" width="122">21.0 secs</td></tr></tbody></table>
Burst of RAW images (12-bit NEF)

<table class="table-std" align="center" width="417"><tbody><tr> <th width="147">Timing</th> <th>

Time, secs
(4GB SanDisk Ducati)

</th> <th>

Time, secs
(2 GB Lexar 133x)

</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Frame rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">5.0 fps </td> <td align="center" width="122">5.0 fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th height="20">Number of frames </th> <td align="center" width="126">19</td> <td align="center" width="122">17</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Buffer full rate </th> <td align="center" width="126">2.2 fps</td> <td align="center" width="122">1.1fps</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Next burst</th> <td align="center" width="126">11.0 secs</td> <td align="center" width="122">21.0 secs



</td></tr></tbody></table>

Rob Galbraith is a professional photographer and I trust his testing more than most other sites. Testing memory cards is a pretty straightforward business, though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

Rob Galbraith is a professional photographer and I trust his testing more than most other sites. Testing memory cards is a pretty straightforward business, though.

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That's a good point. :D