SDHC cards class 10's ?

[Digidave]

Okay, I just ordered the Nikon D7000. The only question I have now is how expensive of SD cards should I buy. I presently own a couple of 4GB Lexar Platinum II 60x SDHC cards. One is a class 4 & the other is a class 6. They have been perfectly fine for use in my D80. I've read somewhere that I should use a class 6 card at the very least & while looking around I found these class 10 cards.

http://www.amazon.com/16GB-Sdhc-Pro-133X-Retail/dp/tech-data/B003JTHN2W/ref=de_a_smtd

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/553966-REG/Lexar_SD8GB_133_381_8GB_Professional_133x_SDHC.htm l

I'm not really interested too much in the video capabilities of the camera but you never know I guess. It would be a real bummer if I wanted a video & the cards couldn't handle it. So, I guess I have a couple of questions.

1) Are these cards good enough/worth it?
2) Are they over kill & a class 6 card would be good enough?
3) Is that a good deal for a 16GB card? $37.97
4) Should I buy a bigger or smaller cards?

[Jim Bryant]

Dave,
SD cards are a piece of S**t. They aren't as durable as the CF cards. I have slots in my
MKI I's for SD cards, but i'll never use them. I have a bunch of 4 gig cards and a few 8 gig.
You don't want to keep all your eggs in one basket incase the card get corrupted.

[Biomech]

Yep, SD cards blow ass. They are like iPods - technically absolutely shit, but marketed so that everyone buys them. Essentially the class number indicates the transfer speeds. Class 6 being 6MB/s, Class 4 4MB/s and so on. Compare this to my Sony Memory Stick at 60MB/s - 10 times faster than SD, and you can see the disadvantage. Infact my new cam takes both and there difference in copy speeds to my computer is literally 10's of minutes for a few gig.

Having said that, with a Nikon you obviously can't use a Sony Memory Stick :P So essentially, get the highest class you can.

[LoveDSLR]

Use the one that can keep up with the buffer. To keep things simple, I often use SanDisk Extreme III SDHC and Extreme IV/Ducati CF.

Class 10 is good for video.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Biomech

Yep, SD cards blow ass. They are like iPods - technically absolutely shit, but marketed so that everyone buys them. Essentially the class number indicates the transfer speeds. Class 6 being 6MB/s, Class 4 4MB/s and so on. Compare this to my Sony Memory Stick at 60MB/s - 10 times faster than SD, and you can see the disadvantage.

Dont know where you get this. Class 10 is classified as 22MB/s

[Digidave]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Dont know where you get this. Class 10 is classified as 22MB/s

Yes, I found some that were 30MB/s minimum. They are much more expensive though. I read somewhere that the D7000 has a small buffer so I'm thinking that's why a class 10 would be best. So that the card is able to right faster & clear the buffer quicker.

[theosus]

Id buy a class 10 and do an honest comparison in your camera. If it's no difference you can go back to class 6, and probably get twice the storage space for the same price.
They say use class 6 at least in my t1i, preferrably 10 for hd video. Since I only use 640x480 video - not having a blu ray drive to burn and play hd - I tried the t1i with class 6. Found no issues with it not performing well. I have 2 8gb cards and a smattering of smaller ones.

[scootermcq]

I don't have a D7000 to comment on, but comparing memory cards on my D90 I do not see a differnce in the buffer clearing on Class 4 to Class 10..... I have even timed it, because I want the buffer to clear faster, but it just not seem to make any difference.

[Shokinen]

The thing is the buffer in the D7000/D90 is smaller than on the D300 and above. Semi-pro bodies must have something more right ! hehehe.

This information isn't has obvious as the MP or the number of focal point when you look the specifications. If you shoot in RAW you will most likely fill the buffer anyway, even if you are using a Class 10 card.

I have 2 x 8GB Sandisk Extreme III cards (Class 10).
I take 3-4 shoots before it gets filled in RAW with Active Lighting on. 4-5 when it's off.
In JPEG, Active Lighing off, my camera doesn't stop.

The other advantage with a faster card is when you transfer you picture to your PC / portable backup device. 20-30 pictures is no big deal but when you back from travelling, 500+ pictures can take a long time. Just something to think about

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Digidave

Yes, I found some that were 30MB/s minimum. They are much more expensive though. I read somewhere that the D7000 has a small buffer so I'm thinking that's why a class 10 would be best. So that the card is able to right faster & clear the buffer quicker.

Dont need to be. I see them at a regular price of $60 (for an 4GB) but they're on-sale a good 40% of the time at half-off.