SD Cards Failure rates and experiences

[CUunderH2O]

I use them in my D80, and now my DMC-LX3. No issues yet, and I use 2, 4 and 8 gb cards. I always format the card in-camera after downloading to my pc and backing up. I've heard that if you format the cards in the card reader/pc that it can affect the life of the card.

 

[Peter_C]

My cameras have always used CF cards. I had a 512mb Lexar Pro card fail years ago. Lexar replaced it and recovered all my data for no charge. I have a failed Sandisk 16gig card right now that I need to send in. It failed when I was uploading, and now it will not read. I can not seem to access the card with any software.

Since I often shoot action sports in continuous mode my D300 camera uses a gigs worth of space in only a minute. Therefore I prefer a larger CF card. I have a couple 4gig cards too.

 

[alcina]

FWIW Sandisk cards don't have that builtin recovery stuff ... Transcends do. Transcends are often excellent value - I've got a bunch of them and use them all the time.

 

[seavenger]

I've had one 8GB a-data SDHC card fail within 3 weeks of slightly use. however, other 5 a-data cards never fail.

 

[SCUBAPIRATE]

I am using 4GB cards. I have never had a card failure in over six years of using them. I have had an occasional single photo not be readable, but so few that it doesn't concern me. As for reliability, I still use a card that was in my first digital camera that was destroyed by sand (the camera, not the card). Another card was run through the washer and dryer and still is fine.

 

[tridacna]

Question, if you had one of those SD cards with the e-link built in and a small eight or nine inch screen "internet" PC such as at Wall Mart for under 300 dollars couldn't you download the photos without removing the card to the PC and store them on the hard drive?

Eye-Fi How it works

N

N - those cards are so SLOW to transmit data, it's a joke. I would strongly recommend against them.

Tri