Digital Camera experts: need good SD card

**Posh Tourer :P** · 12th February 2005, 15:22

Right.. My current 256MB SD/MMC card keeps corrupting when it gets hot (I think).
This is highly irritating and I lose lots of photos, and I'm thinking of trying to swap it for a better brand.
Who is good, and how much should I be paying?

**jrandom** · 12th February 2005, 15:30

The actual NAND flash memory chips that store the data in most of the SD cards on the market are made by only one or two factories (Samsung, Toshiba, et al).

It's probably getting old. Just buy a new one from Dick Smith. And buy an MMC card, not an SD card. They're compatible, and MMCs are cheaper.

**Posh Tourer :P** · 12th February 2005, 15:59

this is only about 4 months old.....

**Warren** · 12th February 2005, 16:28

Originally Posted by Posh Tourer :P

Right.. My current 256MB SD/MMC card keeps corrupting when it gets hot (I think).
This is highly irritating and I lose lots of photos, and I'm thinking of trying to swap it for a better brand.
Who is good, and how much should I be paying?

Go to http://www.pricespy.co.nz/cat_4.html they have all the computer shops listed there, you should be able to suss out the better brands from the prices.

**MikeL** · 12th February 2005, 16:28

Or you could go about it the proper way. Junk your existing camera and SD card and buy a Sony with Memory Stick...

**Posh Tourer :P** · 12th February 2005, 16:34

Originally Posted by jrandom

The actual NAND flash memory chips that store the data in most of the SD cards on the market are made by only one or two factories (Samsung, Toshiba, et al).

It's probably getting old. Just buy a new one from Dick Smith. And buy an MMC card, not an SD card. They're compatible, and MMCs are cheaper.

So what is the difference between MMC and SD?

And if I buy another, will it stop corrupting?

**Posh Tourer :P** · 12th February 2005, 16:37

Originally Posted by MikeL

Or you could go about it the proper way. Junk your existing camera and SD card and buy a Sony with Memory Stick...

Oh shut up you....

I've already spent too much money to junk it, and I'm going away in two weeks....

**Zapf** · 12th February 2005, 16:47

what are you doing to the poor new memory card to corrupt it?

and what brand is the card?

if you are not in too much of a hurry I can get you a SD or MMC (same price)

256Mb $53+GST
512Mb $81+GST
1Gb (SD only) $119+GST

1 year warranty on the above....

**Posh Tourer :P** · 12th February 2005, 16:53

I'm flying out on 2nd March, so hurry is relative.

I recall it is a fuji card, MMC. (It is light green with dark green dots, I think the packaging was Fuji.

I've noticed that whenever I leave the camera sitting in the summer sun for more than about 5 minutes, the card is likely to corrupt. Even if I'm using it in the sun for a few minutes the same thing happens....

**jrandom** · 12th February 2005, 19:06

Originally Posted by Posh Tourer :P

So what is the difference between MMC and SD?

They're identical in most ways. The SD standard adds some features to the MMC standard, that's all. I know this stuff because I had to implement an SD/MMC slot in the Navman iCN 6-series product line a couple of years back...

The SD electrical interface adds some connections to the MMC interface, and the card is slightly thicker. An MMC card will fit into an SD slot and work fine, but an SD card won't fit into an MMC slot.

The point of the SD standard is to add 'security' features so that data can be stored on a card and copy-protected. MMC just allows storage, no fancy protection-code stuff. But unless you're using the card in a device that implements that stuff (and cameras certainly don't, it's all for music etc) then just buy MMCs, because they're about 30% cheaper, and they'll work in either slot.

Originally Posted by Posh Tourer :P

And if I buy another, will it stop corrupting?

Probably. I've seen heaps of SD cards go bung and start returning crapped out data. Seems to happen quite a bit. No idea why it would happen, the flash memory that stores the data should be pretty robust. Might be the fancy-schmancy SD logic chips sitting in front of the actual storage, which would mean that MMCs would be more reliable.

And, in answer to MikeL's point, once again, the actual storage of data on Sony MemorySticks is identical to SD, MMC, CompactFlash and all the rest of them. They're just front ends for Toshiba or Samsung NAND flash chips. It's only the interface logic and plastic housing that changes.

**Motu** · 12th February 2005, 21:10

I think the problem is that Maarten needs a posh card - totaly different from a flash card...I thought you smart arses woulda figured that out by now.

**bungbung** · 13th February 2005, 15:48

Take a look at http://www.flashcards.co.nz

**dss3** · 13th February 2005, 16:19

i have a pretty much brand new 128kb sd card from deck smiths, buyt now camera has broken... You can have it for the price of a box of cartlon colds if ya like??

_daryl

**What?** · 13th February 2005, 19:48

www.flashcards.co.nz

These guys are awesome.

**Posh Tourer :P** · 13th February 2005, 20:03

Originally Posted by dss3

i have a pretty much brand new 128kb sd card from deck smiths, buyt now camera has broken... You can have it for the price of a box of cartlon colds if ya like??

_daryl

That would be great, I'll pm you when I'm coming down your way, I'll be going to Taupo in the next two weeks sometime I think....