DR KOH

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Memory card speed test

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How fast is your memory card? How fast is your camera writing and reading speed? How fast is your computer writing/reading speed? How fast is your card reader?

Does it really matter? 😀

A friend of mine, Aaron Kok took up the trouble and spent time to do the test below. Hope you will find it useful.

Camera – 1D Mk3

PC – Sony Vaio notebook – Centrino 2ghz

Card Reader Tested

– Buffalo PCMCIA CardBus (RCF-CBA)

– Buffalo MCR-A27

CF Card Tested

– Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB

– Sandisk Extreme III 2GB

Lexar Pro 2Gb 80x

– PenDrive 4Gb 155x

SD Card

– Kingston 2Gb Elite Pro SD

Tests are NOT scientific, just done to satisfy myself to purchase cheaper cards 😉 . Tho keep in mind on reliablity. So far only cards have failled me is kingston CF and Lexar Pro. Kingston was exchanged for Sandisk and Lexar was replaced. Lexar works fine now.

Buffer Clearing Tests. 6 shot burst. Time calculate from 1st shot till camera stops writing via the write light..

Test done by taking photo of a clock and taking final shot when buffer clears. Error of approx +-1 sec. All these are done via eyes and just the windows clock, not an actual timer.

Compact Flash

– Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB - 6 seconds

– Sandisk Extreme III 2GB - 6 seconds

Lexar Pro 2Gb 80x – 10 seconds

– PenDrive 4Gb 155x – 20 seconds

SD Card

– Kingston 2Gb 50x Elite Pro SD - 6 seconds (it feels as it it clears much faster, will need to do more bursts to test)

There are differences in some card when it clears the buffer. Some will show the buffer dropping smoothly, some clears 1,2, then wait, then clears another 3, then wait and clears ones.

Card to PC – 200MB Multiple RAW Files

Buffalo PCMCIA

– Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB - 20 seconds

– Sandisk Extreme III 2GB - 20 seconds

Lexar Pro 2Gb 80x - 25 seconds

– PenDrive 4Gb 155x – 30 seconds

Buffalo USB

– Sandisk Extreme IV 4GB - 15 seconds

– Sandisk Extreme III 2GB - 13 seconds

Lexar Pro 2Gb 80x - 20 seconds

– PenDrive 4Gb 155x - 18 seconds

Credits to: