[Bushwacker]

I'm about to sink the bucks into a Canon 300D Digital SLR. I'll be going with either a 256MB or 512MB CF card. There are alot of different cards on the market. Any recommendations on quality, manufacturer? In other words, what is everybody using and are you satisfied? Thanks BW

[Tom]

BW, unless you do a lot of continuous shooting and shoot multiple frames per second you won't notice any difference between the ultra fast cards and the average ones in the 300D due to the memory buffering. I'd stay away from the slower cards though (in particular the standard Sandisk). For the 300D I'd recommend 1GB of memory minimum. BTW, if you're patient you'll be able to get the 300D for 10% off at Dell Home. However, unless you need a camera for the cold winter I'd wait and see what else comes out. After a ho-hum 2 years there are rumors a lot of good stuff on the way, and better yet, the 300D is putting significant downward price pressure on the new introductions. In the fast paced digicam world it's better to buy at the beginning of the hiking season as opposed to the end.

[Bushwacker]

Thanks, Tom. I appreciate the info. BW

[catwoman]

Tom, why would you recommend 1GB minimum?! That's a LOT of memory! I've got a 1 GB card and it's just waaaay too much, unless you shoot off your shutter like a machine gun, I suppose. It all depends on what format you shoot in and how many frames you think you need per card. For portraits I shoot in RAW mode (large files) and I get over 100 images per 512 mb card. For sports shots I shoot in jpeg fine mode and can get probably over 200 images per 512 mb card. Another reason I like the 512 is that the images will all fit on on cd. With a 1 GB, you may need a couple cd's or a dvd. And then again, are you talking about taking minimum pack weight for a weeklong backpacking trip.... In any case, it all depends on how you shoot and what your needs are.

[Tom]

Well, Bushwacker was asking about the 300D which is a 6 MP camera. If you look at the dpreview.com review, RAW files average approximately 6.6 MB on the 300D, meaning only 69 images on a 512 MB card. That's not a lot of images, particularly if you bracket, shoot panoramas, etc. I routinely shoot 200+ images on a trip. As far as fitting everything on a CD, I don't let that dictate my shooting style. If the shot is there I take it (and then a few more for good measure). Not all of the pictures are going to be keepers so after you filter out the non keepers it should easily fit on a CD.

[catwoman]

That's a lot of pics on a trip! Plus, why bother bracketing if you shoot in RAW mode?! You can fix your exposures in the computer! I can adjust my pics up to 2 stops of light with Nikon Capture. And then do more stuff in Photoshop. My D100 is a 6.1 megapixel camera and when I put in a 512 card, my camera will initially say I can shoot about 52 images in RAW mode. However, once I start shooting.... today, for example, I got down to where my camera said I only had 6 images left, yet I'd already shot 92 shots!

[Tom]

You have greater latitude for adjusting over/under exposure with RAW, but it isn't going to be as good as getting the exposure right to begin with. I only bracket when I plan to blend exposures later (in lieu of using a graduated ND filter to avoid blowing out the sky). I wouldn't want to rely on RAW in this case. I consistently run out of space shooting RAW with my G3 with a 1 GB card. I can't imagine shooting RAW with a 6 MP DSLR with only 512 MB of memory, particularly if I'm going on a multi-night trip. Why pay big bucks for a DSLR, then skimp on the memory?

[catwoman]

I don't skimp on the memory at all. I just don't have a need to click my shutter like a machine gun.

[Tom]

No reason to at Dorothy and Bear Lakes. Go somewhere like the Enchantments and you'll be singing a different tune.

[Sore Feet]

I've found that unless you plan on getting 8x10 prints or something, shooting RAW is pretty much unnecessary. I've been shooting at Max. quality JPG for months, and I can't tell the difference from a RAW shot (with my G3). And I do bracket a lot as well, and the space saved is definitely helpful. But when talking about storage...you can never have too much space. If you don't use it now, you may use it in the future with a different camera. Like Hard Drives...yesterday's programs are puny in size when they are put on 120gb hard drives, yet they took up 50% of the drive 5 years ago. Ah, technology.

[Dayhike Mike]

[catwoman]

[MCaver]

Who says you need to format it? Just delete the images. I rarely format my cards. There's no need.

[Tom]

Money to burn? Man the D100 ain't exactly cheap. Ditto on what MCaver said about formatting. I think I've formatted my card once or twice in 3 years. I have a hard time believing formatting a card impacts the life. It's solid state. There's no moving parts. No chemicals like a battery. The camera's gonna wear out before the CF card ever does, even if you formatted it every day, and most memory comes with a lifetime warranty anyway.

[Newt]

So I understand this setup, they are used seperate and then connected together for image download? Or? Thanks, NN