Just bought an H20, Memory Stick questions. Fake/Real? Mark 2 necessary??

[andsoitgoes]

I tried doing a bit of searching, but as "Mark 2" and "Pro Duo" are too small, I can't search for them

I have in my hands a nice H20 and I want to get some more memory. I have a PSP and had some 2 gig cards laying around which work well for me.

However, I would like the ability to record more than 30 - 40 minutes of video (although really, that's probably more than enough... but still)

Looking at the cards, it makes me realize just how expensive Sony Memory Sticks are, and always have been.

Regardless... I have a few options. I'm looking for 16gb of storage, it seems the most fiscally reasonable.

The first is the dual 8gb MicroSD cards that tie together into one memory stick duo. It's the cheapest, and seems like it would work nicely.

Second, getting a Mark 2 card off of eBay. They can be had for about $45 USD.

Last option is buying a real-deal one from in-store, this is usually pushing about $70 USD.

BIG question is... Mark 2, is it really that much better? Is it noticable?

Also, if one of eBay cards I purchase are fake, is the speed lessened dramatically?

Would the dual MicroSDs slow it down even more than the fake single 16gb cards?

I don't see a lot of real world information on the speed of the Mark 2, and I figure posting here would get me the best results.

Thanks much!!

Nick

[Canuck935]

Not sure about the speed, but I would definitely stay away from the ebay cards. The biggest problem with fake cards is unreliability. It's just a matter of time before it gives out on you and all you are left with are a bunch of corrupted files..

[Anbesol]

Looking at the cards, it makes me realize just how expensive Sony Memory Sticks are, and always have been

Expensive being a very relative term here. The cards aren't "expensive" on their own, they are only expensive when you look over at the same sized SD cards. A small price to pay to be lucky enough to own a Sony. ;)

The first is the dual 8gb MicroSD cards that tie together into one memory stick duo. It's the cheapest, and seems like it would work nicely.

You may run into memory format issues here, as any SD card 2gb+ (1gb on microSD) are an SDHC format. Most current cameras are equipped for that, but Sony not having a real SD input may not. I'd try to make sure it works before you buy, if that is at all possible, perhaps read in the manual to see if it addresses the issue of SDHC format compatibility.

Mark 2 will have most likely ZERO impact on your photography. The benefit it offers only for download rates to and from computer, and if you shoot long continuous bursts. With most cameras, the memory speed has no impact on movie recording times, but sometimes it does, again check with the manual.

I personally dont care to use high speed cards, more important than speed is reliability, it is priority over speed by a lot. Totally indifferent, a 2GB card transfers in 1 minute 30 seconds instead of 59 seconds. Okay.