Memory cards: do brands matter?

[Arjay12345]

So I posted a thread before about how much memory I should take for an upcoming holiday

Currently I own 2 x 8gb Sandisk Extreme III CF cards for my 50D. I'm up for buying more cards to ensure I don't run out (see Memory space for holiday.. if you're wondering why the hell I would need more memory).

Things is as the Extreme III's aren't the cheapest cards on the market, do they really make a difference?

Is read/write speed the only difference?
And dare I buy cheaper alternatives?

Thanks
Arjay

[Grumby]

Arjay,
IMHO, as long as you buy a decent brand name, from a reputable source (i.e NOT off eBay), then you'll get a card that'll see you through most day-to-day situations. The C2/C4/C6... categorisation tells you what the read/write speed of the cards is. If you are really into 'extreme' photography in extreme conditions (from Glaciers to Deserts - as SanDisk suggest), then you probably need to spend more money on top of the range cards (and camera, and protective clothing...)

At the end of the day, my belief is that you get what you pay for - if it sounds cheap, it's probably not going to last...

Just my 2c worth


Grumby

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

yes. pretty much the speed is the only difference in the Sandisc extreme cards. i myself own 3 sandisc extreme cards and a SiliconPower card. i use the latter card in my point and shoot. personaly id get the Sandisc extremes for a dSL. but i don't think it makes a huge difference. some people say they have issues with other brands, and i have almost nothing bad about Sandisc.. soo i guess it depands on your budget..

[chalkie7]

Arjay...not sure which country you're from, but I get 4gb Sandisk extreme III's for £16.99, free delivery. Here's the link...

Play.com (UK) : SanDisk Extreme III 4GB CompactFlash : Electronics - Free Delivery

[jdepould]

If you don't need the speed, I'd say go ahead and buy cheaper SanDisk or Lexar cards. I wouldn't go with an off-brand though.

[mipo]

For my usage & reliability I stick to the brands & models tested with the camera models I own.
They are listed at the end of the camera manual. (For Nikon at least)