Best Memory Card for me

[I want to cruise]

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27 8x zoom,16 mp camera I'll be taking on a summer cruise. I will be taking many photos and some video and would appreciate any recommendations on the type of memory card I should purchase? Thanks

[peety3]

Check the owner's manual for the recommended "Class" or data rate for your camera. It's especially important for video. Once you've found that, I'd recommend several cards that aren't real big, rather than one big card. If you had one big card and it got lost or corrupted, you've lost a ton of photos. Also, if your one big card fills up, now you're stuck, whereas with several smaller cards you know you've hit the 1/2 or 2/3 or 3/4 mark of the storage you've brought with you, and can remind yourself to pace yourself for the remainder of the day or trip (depending on what you do with your images). I have a pair of 16GB cards for my two main DSLRs, with an assortment of 8GB cards for if/when the 16GB cards get full, but 8GB is probably about the smallest you'll find in most stores these days.

[Tommy3putts]

Agree check the owners manual and website. Also may depend on the type of photography you're going to do. If you can get the bigger class card/ higher data rate.

[awboater]

I always buy a Class 10 card.

 

For the size, I always look at the economic considerations as there will always be a tradeoff between cost and size. Somewhere along those two parameters will be the "sweet spot" (in terms of cost/benefit).

 

For example a 32Gb card might cost $40, whereas a 16Gb card might cost $15, so the cost/benefit favors two 16Gb cards vs. one 32Gb card. And since my DSLR can handle two cards, there is the redundancy factor of having multiple smaller cards.

 

I also tend to buy SanDisk. But I disregard all of the Superlatives such as "ultimate" this and "extreme" that. I just look for a minimum of Class 10 and 30Mb/s for the speed and go with that.

 

But I won't pass up a sale on mem cards that are not SanDisk either, as long as they are brand name.

Edited March 1, 2014 by awboater

[I want to cruise]

Just checked my manual and it recommends Class 6 or higher. I will be purchasing a couple of 16 gb memory cards. Thanks to all for the advice.

[dileep]

Just checked my manual and it recommends Class 6 or higher. I will be purchasing a couple of 16 gb memory cards. Thanks to all for the advice.

 

You can get 16 GB cards for $10-15!

[rhkennerly]

I prefer a memory card for each day. I change it when I charge the battery.

That way if I lose the camera, I don't lose everything.

 

Of course, the other option is to travel with a laptop or use one of the dedicated reader/storage devices to copy off the pix, but that's expensive, too.

 

Then when we travel back home, we divide the cards between us and carry them in our neck wallets.

 

After all, if you don't have the pix, you didn't go. ;->

[Tommy3putts]

I do something similar. One or two large and medium capacity cards and several smaller.

[pierces]

Class 6 is the minimum recommended and while a faster card may or may not affect your camera's performance, it can have a significant impact when you download images and video.

 

Not all of my devices can make use of high speed cards but I spend a few extra dollars on them anyway to speed up the download on the back end of modern photography.

 

Dave

[chipmaster]

Memory is so cheap these days I'd recommend minimum Class10 and 16GB from the any of the major brands: Sandisk/Lexar. Saving 10 bucks simply isn't worth it for those priceless bits

[dileep]

Memory is so cheap these days I'd recommend minimum Class10 and 16GB from the any of the major brands: Sandisk/Lexar. Saving 10 bucks simply isn't worth it for those priceless bits

 

I have Samsung cards from Frys!

[peety3]

I prefer a memory card for each day. I change it when I charge the battery.

I wish we could make it through a day with one card, though we shoot with DSLRs in RAW format. ;) Our first Alaska cruise was 5400 shots for 85GB, our second was 9500 shots for 145GB.

[dileep]

I wish we could make it through a day with one card, though we shoot with DSLRs in RAW format. ;) Our first Alaska cruise was 5400 shots for 85GB, our second was 9500 shots for 145GB.

 

So why is a 32 GB card per day not enough? 7 cards is 224 GB? What am I missing?

 

Class 10 cards are $20 for 32 GB!

[peety3]

So why is a 32 GB card per day not enough? 7 cards is 224 GB? What am I missing?

 

Class 10 cards are $20 for 32 GB!

Four cameras (wife and I both shoot), so more smaller cards helps to keep space available in every camera. Some days involve more shooting than others; we ended up filling my laptop plus every card we had on the last cruise, so it easily could have been more, maybe a lot more.

 

Also, for our two best cameras, class 10 isn't enough to maximize performance. 160MB/sec 16GB CF cards are $80.

 

That said, I'm planning to get a 500GB SSD and two 500GB HDs for the next cruise: copy the cards to the SSD, then backup the SSD to the HDs and always leave one HD in my parents' cabin across the hall. That way we have enough room for whatever shooting we do, and we have backups so there's "proof we went on the cruise". ;)

[Smilin'Wave]

Personally, I use the fastest I can buy Class 10 UHS-1 cards. I tend to stick to Sandisk & Lexar. Also, because I will shoot RAW + JPEG depending on the shoot, I also purchase at least 16gb cards for my DSLRs. I like to have cards in the camera plus several spares in a card case. My husband & I both shoot so we have two DSLRs. We also have an advanced point & shoot so need a card for that one too. We don't take our laptop or storage device with us on trips so I need the extra cards.

 

If you are going to use your camera for video, I would suggest a higher capacity Class 10 at the minimum. Video will zap up memory pretty quickly, much more than photos will. I would be looking at at least a 16gb. They are quite affordable now and there are sales on them all the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[I want to cruise]

Several 16 gb and class 10 seems like it will work for my needs. Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions.

[rc51]

So why is a 32 GB card per day not enough? 7 cards is 224 GB? What am I missing?

 

Class 10 cards are $20 for 32 GB!

 

Wow! Where are you getting 32GB cards for $20? Are these SD or CF?

 

I should ETF you some cash and have you send a few to me!

 

Our pricing up here in Canada is no where close to that.