High Sierra Topix

Hi,

I'm looking at a replacement point-and-shoot to take backpacking, and the gal at Best Buy told me today that I could significantly reduce the lag time between pictures by buying a higher-speed-rated memory card (SD in this case). True?

-B2

"In fact, most people won't notice a difference because the actual performance of a flash card has more to do with the limitations of your device than the flash card itself."

Source:
http://internethub.net/catalog/cameras/p8802b.htm

Shawn wrote:"In fact, most people won't notice a difference because the actual performance of a flash card has more to do with the limitations of your device than the flash card itself."

Source:
http://internethub.net/catalog/cameras/p8802b.htm

Thanks, Shawn, but I'm thinking that source might be a bit old: "A general rule of thumb: If your camera has a pixel count (resolution) of less than five megapixels, the speed rating of the flash card doesn't matter much." I'm not sure it's even possible to buy a new camera with less than five-megapixel resolution these days...

-B2

This might help BSquared.
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/di ... cards.html

I faster card will only make a difference when shooting rapid-fire shot after shot. Its not going to eliminate the "Lag" Most people associate with Point and shoot Digital cameras. The Lag is the result of the focusing (contrast based) method of the P&S Cameras.

A faster card can make a difference on a DSLR when you are shooting many photos very quickly (sports photography), as it will allow photos to clear through the camera cache and onto the card quicker, allowing you to take more rapid fire shots.


Unless you shoot a lot of sports photography, buy the cheapest cards you can find, from a source you have some trust with.

Yes the card speed can cripple or enable your DSLR..
A great resource is DPreview http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/page13.asp
My first hand experience backs the card speed can cripple a cameras features... a few years back I received a cheap 2 meg card as a gift and at an air show shoot, I filled up my extreme and my ultra card so I put in the cheap 2 meg one... and the burst mode dropped off significantly anf I spent more time waiting on the camera to write the image to the card so I had to change my shooting approach with that card.. and I went out and purchased a second 4gb extreme so I would not cripple my cameras features.

The cheap one is a last resort card in my bag.

Benca