Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)
My friend wanted a UDMA memory card for his new Nikon D700 so I ordered the Sandisk Extreme using Amazon Prime. The card came very quickly, and a few thousand shots later, we're both very impressed.
Sandisk gives this card a 60MB/s rating (400x) and markets it towards DSLR users, primarily because they are the ones who will most likely be able to enjoy the advantages and notice the speed difference. Compared to my old generic 133x (20 MB/s) non-UDMA memory card, the improvements ranged from barely noticeable to fantastically faster.
The D700 has a large buffer so even when using a slowish card, the camera is equally responsive when taking single shots and non-RAW bursts. The differences become obvious when using continuous drive and flushing the buffer. Compared to the generic 133x card, the Sandisk Extreme shot faster, longer and was able to flush the buffer almost twice as fast.
In order to enjoy the advantages of UDMA memory cards, you first need a camera that supports it. To get the files out of the memory card faster, you'd also want to pair the card with a memory card reader than can keep up. While USB 2.0 has a theoretical peak maximum transfer rate of 60 MB/s, the practical rate of most USB card readers is 20MB/s or less. In fact, using my generic USB card reader, I couldn't tell the difference between copying/moving files between the Sandisk Extreme and my 133x. (I wouldn't bother with UDMA USB 2.0 Card readers either since they're not significantly faster) Personally, I'd go for a firewire-based reader like this: Lexar Compact Flash Firewire Reader or maybe an ExpressCard reader. Various reviews show that the Lexar firewire reader is 2-3x faster than a USB card reader.
ADDED 10/19/2010: USB 3.0 is also a fantastic option!
Keep in mind that this is not the only UDMA card that Sandisk makes. The Extreme IV's and Extreme III's 30 MB/s and faster are also UDMA enabled. (Extreme III 20 MB/s is not) Generally speaking, if a CF card is rated at 30 MB/s or faster, it supports UDMA.
If you need a new CF memory card and your camera supports UDMA, there's no reason not to pick one of these up. (Other than they're still a bit pricey) You'll have the best possible shooting experience with no drawbacks. Also, even if you don't opt to get the fast card reader, the USB readers will still work.
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Product Description
Get exactly the shots you want with professional-grade SanDisk Extreme® CompactFlash® cards. With up to 60 MB/s* read/write speeds, you'll see it takes more than a great digital SLR camera to bring your ideas to life. And with 16GB of space, you'll have room to capture it all in RAW+JPEG, and save the editing for later. SanDisk engineered its Power CoreTM Controller to take whatever your camera's buffer can dish out. By distributing image data across the card more rapidly and efficiently, this card delivers professional performance.
Product Details
- Brand: SanDisk
- Model: SDCFX-016G-P61
- Dimensions: .70" h x 4.60" w x 6.10" l, .6 pounds
Features
- READ & WRITE PERFORMANCE: Up to 60MB/s (400x) for serious performance gains.
- UDMA: UDMA 5 enabled (works in all UDMA modes)
- TEMPERATURE: Tested to perform from -13F to 185F
- DURABILITY: Shock protection and RTV silicone coating added inside for protection against moisture and humidity
- WARRANTY: Backed by rigorous stress-testing procedures and our limited lifetime warranty.
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