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What size memory card for my new camera?
Reefman
07-06-2010
I've just ordered a Lumix TZ 10 12MP camera and unsure of what size card to go for - I know I need a class 6 for the HD video but can't decide whether to go for a 8 or 16 GB card.

I think the 16 will hold over 4,000 images but I cant see I'd ever need this as after all you download to a PC regularly and is it worth paying twice the price of an 8GB one

I'm thinking of a trancend card as they seem better value than the Scandisk

any views?

Cheers
chrisjr
07-06-2010
I would go for the highest capacity you can afford. You never know when you might need it. And having a higher capacity allows you to store the raw images in the highest quality option and still get a decent number of shots per card. Remember you can always reduce the size/quality of an image for a specific purpose (use on a website for example) but it is impossible to put back detail that was never there in the first place. So it often pays to start out from the highest quality to give yourself more options as to how you can use the images.

Oh and I'm sure you meant to say cardS (plural). You should never ever just have one card. cards go tits up at the most inopportune moment, just when you need to take the most amazing shot in the whole history of photography Or you accidentally erase some valuable image before you had a chance to download it. In each case a spare card will get you out of the brown smelly stuff.

If you erase an image accidentally it greatly increases your chances of getting it back if you don't use the card until you have a chance to run some file recovery software on it. So having a spare card allows you to go on shooting if you need to.
Reefman
07-06-2010
Cheers

I've got an old 4GB class 2 card I was to keep for back up.

I'll go for the 16GB then - I've also just noticed that I can get a class 10 one for about £4 more than a class 6 is this worth doing ?
chrisjr
07-06-2010
According to the official SD Association website Class 10 does not exist (I assume we are talking SD cards here?)

http://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/speed_class/

So it could be some sort of unofficial manufacturers spec. It may work but a bit late to find out the camera doesn't support it after you've ripped the package open

Mind you I see Panasonic may be one of those "Class 10" makers so maybe the Lumix camera can take it? If there is no mention of Class 10 in the specs of the camera I would be tempted to go for Class 6 just to be on the safe side.
FlatProblem
07-06-2010
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“I would go for the highest capacity you can afford. You never know when you might need it. And having a higher capacity allows you to store the raw images in the highest quality option and still get a decent number of shots per card. Remember you can always reduce the size/quality of an image for a specific purpose (use on a website for example) but it is impossible to put back detail that was never there in the first place. So it often pays to start out from the highest quality to give yourself more options as to how you can use the images.

Oh and I'm sure you meant to say cardS (plural). You should never ever just have one card. cards go tits up at the most inopportune moment, just when you need to take the most amazing shot in the whole history of photography Or you accidentally erase some valuable image before you had a chance to download it. In each case a spare card will get you out of the brown smelly stuff.

If you erase an image accidentally it greatly increases your chances of getting it back if you don't use the card until you have a chance to run some file recovery software on it. So having a spare card allows you to go on shooting if you need to.”

That camera doesnt have a RAW option, so in this case:

You might be bettter off buying a smaller FASTER card (or even 2) like the SanDisk Extreme III SDHC 4GB. I have a 16GB one (as it was on offer) but also have some 8GB ones, its better having a couple incase one gets lost, or corrupt (think holiday snaps, would you rather have no photos or 1/2 of them).
FlatProblem
07-06-2010
invisible post
Reefman
07-06-2010
No raw, bu the HD video is memory intensive thouoght wont be using that too much

hmmm maybe the 8GB will be best bet then
clonmult
07-06-2010
Originally Posted by Reefman:
“I've just ordered a Lumix TZ 10 12MP camera and unsure of what size card to go for - I know I need a class 6 for the HD video but can't decide whether to go for a 8 or 16 GB card.

I think the 16 will hold over 4,000 images but I cant see I'd ever need this as after all you download to a PC regularly and is it worth paying twice the price of an 8GB one

I'm thinking of a trancend card as they seem better value than the Scandisk

any views?

Cheers”

I'd tend to stick to sandisk if there isn't much of a price difference.

And as for you needing class 6 - thats not exactly true. I've been recording HD video onto my class 4 SDHC in the FT1 without any problems at all.
Reefman
07-06-2010
sounds like class 10 would be overkill then
clonmult
07-06-2010
Originally Posted by Reefman:
“sounds like class 10 would be overkill then”

May be a pre-requistive for a handheld variant of a RED camera though

1080p may well require higher data transfer rates that class 4 doesn't support, but 720p is fine.
Appleseed
07-06-2010
I'd go for a couple of 8GB cards - if one fails you won't have lost everything, just half!
The Sack
07-06-2010
Originally Posted by clonmult:
“1080p may well require higher data transfer rates that class 4 doesn't support, but 720p is fine.”

1080p AVCHD will only be about a 10Mbit average or 1.25MB, class 4 has a theoretical speed of 32Mbit or 4MB.
PrinceGaz
07-06-2010
Originally Posted by Appleseed:
“I'd go for a couple of 8GB cards - if one fails you won't have lost everything, just half!”

Yeah, two 8GB cards makes sense as SDHC cards are so small and thin you can carry one (or even several) in a wallet without even noticing they're there. You're unlikely to need more than 8GB on any day out as regardless of what you shoot (either still photos or video), the battery is likely to run out long before the 8GB card is filled (even with HD video), and a spare battery is likely to be as bulky as at least five or six SDHC cards.
dodgygeeza
07-06-2010
Another consideration with respect to card speed is not so much performance while it is in use - as other posters have said, even a fairly modest SD card can keep up with pretty much any camera these days - but the speed at which all your hard work downloads onto your PC.

It is for this reason that I love my Sandisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition card even though it makes next to no difference at all to the performance of my camera while I'm shooting.
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