dSLR Dad

The following is part three of a much larger dSLR Dad Holiday Gift Guide:

Give them the Gift of More Pictures

A gift that all dSLR Dad’s could use, more memory cards. But the key to this gift is it can’t just be any old memory card. The key for a dSLR Dad is speed and reliability. The quicker the card, the quicker the camera can write to the card. This means you will actually be able to use the high frame rate (fps) more often, with less delay in between bursts. You will also be able to download to the computer 2 to 3 times faster. Which is a big deal when a fast 4GB flash card can still take 3-5 minutes to download.

Reliability is another key. You want a card that not only has a lifetime replacement warranty (yes flash cards can and do go bad, like any other hard drive), but also works better in inclement weather and extreme temperatures. I have used both Sandisk and Lexar. Both are excellent, buy the better value.

For Sandisk, their Ultra II cards are a good place to start. Lexar’s mid-range is the 80x Platinum series. I recommend either the SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III or the Lexar 4GB 133x Professional Series CompactFlash Cards. They both offer higher speed, great durability, and include recovery software when your computer won’t recognize it.

Note: Compact flash (shown) is what the majority of dSLRs use. Nikon’s D40, D50, and D80 series use Secure Digital Cards (SD for short). They’re smaller and look like a postage stamp. Make sure you get the correct type.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 at 9:55 AM and is filed under Camera Lens and Accessories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.