Comments on: Update on Transcend 4GB 120x compact-flash card http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145 Not a photo blog. A personal blog with photos. Mon, 21 May 2012 00:39:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Albert http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-38141 Albert Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:26:41 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-38141 For those (still) curious enough, the D200 looks like it can pull a max of 9.5MB/sec of write speed on a SanDisk Ducati 8GB. http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-9406 Cheers, Albert (Montreal, Canada) For those (still) curious enough, the D200 looks like it can pull a max of 9.5MB/sec of write speed on a SanDisk Ducati 8GB.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-9406

Cheers,

Albert (Montreal, Canada)

]]> By: Mike http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-12727 Mike Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:59:58 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-12727 I bought a 4gb Transcend 120x for my d200 a couple months ago, and it doesn't work at all! I'm in Bangkok, so returning it to the retailer is not an option. I guess I'll contact Transcend, as I've already tried reformatting several times. I bought a 4gb Transcend 120x for my d200 a couple months ago, and it doesn’t work at all! I’m in Bangkok, so returning it to the retailer is not an option. I guess I’ll contact Transcend, as I’ve already tried reformatting several times.

]]> By: Colin (aka KolinP) http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-10740 Colin (aka KolinP) Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:46:29 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-10740 Hi Jeffrey, I think Chris's conclusion above about D200 write speeds may be pessimistic. I ran some tests myself earlier this year, and here are my (summarised) results: Images were uncompressed RAW + JPEG Fine(Large). JPEG optimised for quality. For each test I measured a burst of 29 frames. All three CF cards 'accepted' 18 shots at full 5 FPS rate before the D200 buffer filled, when (with the shutter release still held down) it then forced a delay for the 19th and subsequent shots of about 2.8 Secs per frame. (Other test details skipped here for brevity). 1. Sandisk Ultra II 4GB: Ser.No. BH060702976B Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 21,456,175 bytes Overall Write speed 5.267 MB/Sec, or 4.074 Sec per image 2. Lexar Professional Series 80X 2GB, Ser. No. 39132GBBB21059171 Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 23,254,015 bytes Overall Write speed 6.233 MB/Sec, or 3.73 Sec per image 3. Sandisk Extreme III 4GB: Ser.No. BH06012ZB Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 24,476,247 bytes Overall Write speed 8.358 MB/Sec, or 2.93 Sec per image (The differing file sizes in the tests was accidental/incidental and not be design.) So - as shown in item 3. my D200 can already write to my Sandisk Extreme III card at well over 8MB/Sec, and I look forward to testing it again with an Extreme IV card (or equivalent) to see if the D200 is indeed the bottleneck, or whether the CF card is the bottleneck. It's true that with later memory cards, the manufacturer's top-rated speed can only be achieved when their own propietary card reader is used, but I'm not yet convinced that I've reached the limit of CF-write performance with my D200. Maybe someone else has tested their cameras with later CF cards? Regards, Colin Hi Jeffrey,

I think Chris’s conclusion above about D200 write speeds may be pessimistic. I ran some tests myself earlier this year, and here are my (summarised) results:

Images were uncompressed RAW + JPEG Fine(Large). JPEG optimised for quality.
For each test I measured a burst of 29 frames. All three CF cards ‘accepted’ 18 shots at full 5 FPS rate before the D200 buffer filled, when (with the shutter release still held down) it then forced a delay for the 19th and subsequent shots of about 2.8 Secs per frame. (Other test details skipped here for brevity).

1. Sandisk Ultra II 4GB: Ser.No. BH060702976B
Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 21,456,175 bytes
Overall Write speed 5.267 MB/Sec, or 4.074 Sec per image

2. Lexar Professional Series 80X 2GB, Ser. No. 39132GBBB21059171
Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 23,254,015 bytes
Overall Write speed 6.233 MB/Sec, or 3.73 Sec per image

3. Sandisk Extreme III 4GB: Ser.No. BH06012ZB
Average Size of NEF+JPEG Pair = 24,476,247 bytes
Overall Write speed 8.358 MB/Sec, or 2.93 Sec per image

(The differing file sizes in the tests was accidental/incidental and not be design.)

So – as shown in item 3. my D200 can already write to my Sandisk Extreme III card at well over 8MB/Sec, and I look forward to testing it again with an Extreme IV card (or equivalent) to see if the D200 is indeed the bottleneck, or whether the CF card is the bottleneck.

It’s true that with later memory cards, the manufacturer’s top-rated speed can only be achieved when their own propietary card reader is used, but I’m not yet convinced that I’ve reached the limit of CF-write performance with my D200.

Maybe someone else has tested their cameras with later CF cards?

Regards,
Colin

]]> By: Chris http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-3149 Chris Sat, 27 Jan 2007 08:53:58 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-3149 like the 2nd poster said, the bottleneck is the CAMERA's WRITE SPEED to the compact flash. Most dSLR's are only able to write at about 5-8 MB/sec internally. Yes, even the high end Canon 1Dx's. A 1x in CompactFlash means 150k/s, thus 80x is actually 12 MB/s (doesn't mean that it is in Real World speed but...) and it's most likely the READ speed as WRITE speed is usually lower. A 120x would be 18 MB/s. The REAL way to test the speed of the CompactFlash would be to get a FIREWIRE 800 CompactFlash reader as that is the ONLY reader currenly with REAL WORLD speeds able to achieve a sustained 40+ MB/s transfer (Sandisk Extreme IV speeds). A USB2 CompactFlash reader can't go higher than 20MB/s for some reason. So yeah, your D200 can write at a decent 7.40 MB/sec that's cool. like the 2nd poster said, the bottleneck is the CAMERA’s WRITE SPEED to the compact flash. Most dSLR’s are only able to write at about 5-8 MB/sec internally. Yes, even the high end Canon 1Dx’s. A 1x in CompactFlash means 150k/s, thus 80x is actually 12 MB/s (doesn’t mean that it is in Real World speed but…) and it’s most likely the READ speed as WRITE speed is usually lower. A 120x would be 18 MB/s. The REAL way to test the speed of the CompactFlash would be to get a FIREWIRE 800 CompactFlash reader as that is the ONLY reader currenly with REAL WORLD speeds able to achieve a sustained 40+ MB/s transfer (Sandisk Extreme IV speeds). A USB2 CompactFlash reader can’t go higher than 20MB/s for some reason.

So yeah, your D200 can write at a decent 7.40 MB/sec that’s cool.

]]> By: Mark http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-3103 Mark Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:25:28 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-3103 Just came across this item in Tigerdirect (which in my eyes) hasn't either lived up to anyones expectations lately. The 4GB is currently selling for$64.99 - Just wanted to thank you for your input, maybe I wait just a little longer since prices are dropping daily. Also have you heard anything about the CF card being replaced? Just came across this item in Tigerdirect (which in my eyes) hasn’t either lived up to anyones expectations lately. The 4GB is currently selling for$64.99 – Just wanted to thank you for your input, maybe I wait just a little longer since prices are dropping daily. Also have you heard anything about the CF card being replaced?

]]> By: Randy http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-2522 Randy Fri, 22 Sep 2006 20:35:01 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-2522 Dude, I think you're measuring the write speed of your camera. A tenth of a second variation between all tests could be caused by just about anything. Cheers, Z Dude, I think you’re measuring the write speed of your camera. A tenth of a second variation between all tests could be caused by just about anything.

Cheers,
Z

]]> By: Ken Smith http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-2374 Ken Smith Mon, 04 Sep 2006 02:26:46 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-02-08/145#comment-2374 Just bought a 4gb Transcend at Fry's for $59 after rebate and thought I would do a search before I unwrapped it and popped into my D200. Just wanted to thank you for the research and findings you posted. I agree with you that it is still a great deal and plenty good for me. Don't know what you paid for the 80x but I havent seen a better deal in a while. Don't you just love your D200? Thanks a again, Ken Just bought a 4gb Transcend at Fry’s for $59 after rebate and thought I would do a search before I unwrapped it and popped into my D200. Just wanted to thank you for the research and findings you posted. I agree with you that it is still a great deal and plenty good for me. Don’t know what you paid for the 80x but I havent seen a better deal in a while. Don’t you just love your D200?

Thanks a again,
Ken

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