Please help me choose a new camera . . . THANKS.

[DougPaul]

Now, where can I get a cheapest SD cards?

http://www.pricewatch.com

Or stores like Staples and Circuit City often have them on sale.

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

The perfect hiking camera doesn't exist , but it if did, it would probably be the A720IS/A570IS with a 28mm eFL lens, as discussed/suggested in more than one of these camera threads. Maybe Canon is reading this...

Tim

 

[Bobby]

Don't forget Radio Shack

 

[Rob S]

Now, where can I get a cheapest SD cards?

I shop at and recommend MERITLINE.COM all the time. Great prices, and excellent customer service.

CLICK HERE for their SD cards.

They currently have a 4GB SDHC card for only $18.99!

 

[sli74]

I shop at and recommend MERITLINE.COM all the time. Great prices, and excellent customer service.

CLICK HERE for their SD cards.

They currently have a 4GB SDHC card for only $18.99!

WOW, Anyone know what the catch is here? Is this just an unbelievable deal or is there something about this card I should know about before buying a few of them?

Thanks Hobbes.

sli74

 

[Rob S]

I've been shopping with Meritline for about a year and a half now. I've made about 8 or 9 purchases so far with no problems. Once, when one of their products was not in stock, they sent me an email asking if I wanted to wait or cancel that portion of my purchase. I responded with a question, asking if I could substitute a similar product, and pay the additional $5 to compensate for the price difference. They responded by stating they would sell me the higher priced unit for the same price as the one I had originally ordered.

I have no affiliation with Meritline whatsoever ........ but I wish I did!

Rob

 

[Rob S]

Forgot to mention, check that your device is compatible with SDHC cards. The "HC", (High Capacity), cards should work in most, if not all, newer cameras ..... but check nonetheless. My new SD800 is compatible even tho the camera is actually last year's model (or the year before).

If your device does not work with the SDHC, then just use the regular SD cards which are very inexpensive, ..... around $12 for 2GB.

Also, related to the comment about using AA batteries, I too was looking for a camera that uses the AA batteries for the same reason. But after some research, I discovered I could buy a spare battery for the SD800 on eBay for around $15. So I bought the spare on eBay, and you should know that both the original battery and the spare I purchased not only work well, but last for a VERY long time, much longer than I expected. Meritline also sells the batteries, but I think I saved a buck or two on eBay, and the added advantage of receiving more positive feedback.

 

[sli74]

Hey Hobbes,

Thanks for the reply . . . it isn't really meritline I am worried about but if a PQI SDHC card is a good product. I only own SanDisk cards but those are twice as expensive so I am just wondering if these cards will perform the same or if it is worth spending more for the SanDisk? Thanks though for the review of Meritline . . . unless someone can tell me a reason why these PQI cards aren't good, I will likely get 2 or 3 of these 4GB cards (the HC cards are listed under specifications for the camera we are going to buy. Tanks again,

sli74

 

[Quietman]

The prices on all flash memory products have been dropping dramatically in the past year or so due to overproduction of these devices Flash memory article. Even so, $19 is a good deal. Personally, I've never had problems with any brand of flash card, from my 1st 4mb CF card, to my current 1GB sd card.

 

[DougPaul]

unless someone can tell me a reason why these PQI cards aren't good, I will likely get 2 or 3 of these 4GB cards

I have no specific info on this brand. People have occasionally had problems with non-premium brand cards. IMO, the security of a brand such as SanDisk is worth the extra cost.

Doug

 

[Grumpy]

I can only tell you this:

SanDisk memory (CF type) cards get used daily, and they get used hard by the photo department at the newspaper I work for. They routinely get carried "loose" and unprotected in pants, jacket or shirt pockets, camera bags and purses. Some have dented cases, worn out labels, and generally look terrible, but continue to function reliably after 5-6 years of service. That tells me SanDisk products are OK. I use them in my personal kit.

If you will be doing any volume of photography at all, I recommend getting a card reader to download (or is it upload?) your photo files to a computer. Decent readers are inexpensive, and will speed the process of transferring files to your computer a great deal. The one I use every day is made by SanDisk (how interesting, eh?) and will accommodate 12 different types of cards. It connects via USB 2.0. You can pick up one like it for about $30 through B&H Photo. Other SanDisk readers for your card can be found at B&H for about $16 and $20.

Whatever you decide about what memory cards to buy, consider how you will manage them. In an earlier thread here, there seemed to be general agreement that reformatting cards in the camera after the photo files have been moved to the computer (downloaded, or is it up ...?) is the best practice.

G.

 

[Rob S]

Grumpy is spot-on about owning and using the card reader. The SDHC card readers will read both SD and SDHC cards, but the SD readers will not read the new SDHC cards. Check out the deals on the readers at Meritline.

I own several different brands of SD cards ...... SanDisk, PQ1, and Adata. Never had a problem with any of them. YMMV. As DougPaul mentions, some folks have had problems with no-name brands.

And yes, prices have fallen dramatically. The 4GB SDHC card that I bought just a few months ago for $36.99 is now $18.99. 1GB cards can be readily found for under $10. Gotta love it. My older (2003) Olympus C4000 was a good camera, but used SmartMedia cards. I don't think they even make these anymore. I bought a 128K card for like $70 back in late 2003 or early 2004. Anyone wanna buy an Olympus 4MP camera ....... cheap?

 

[David Metsky]

I generally buy my memory cards from NewEgg.com; prices are close to the cheapest and they have excellent customer service. But frankly, memory cards have become commodities; made in a few factories with different brands slapped on them. Heck, I got a flier from Micro Center (in Cambridge) for a free 2G card just for showing up there, and a 1 G card for a friend.

The A720 handles SDHC just fine, so get whatever you want. 4G will take a while to fill up, that's a few sets of batteries. Right now the price/value line is 2G or 4G cards; but they are all so cheap it's almost silly to not buy a few more.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

FWIW, usually "downloading" means "to my computer" and uploading means "from my computer". You have downloaded this message as part of a web page for display in your web browser. I am about to upload it to the server when I hit the "Submit Reply" button. Here goes. Neat, huh?

Tim

 

[DougPaul]

FWIW, usually "downloading" means "to my computer" and uploading means "from my computer". You have downloaded this message as part of a web page for display in your web browser. I am about to upload it to the server when I hit the "Submit Reply" button. Here goes. Neat, huh?

Do you grow your trees (the computer data structure type, not the woodsy type) up, down, or sideways? Is the root at the top, bottom, or side?

I figure it is generally worth adding a "to" or a "from" to disambiguate uploading from downloading and vice versa.

Doug

 

[Grumpy]

And I remain confused (about uploading and downloading). Too much to remember.

Maybe I'll just stick to transferring or copying image data from memory cards to a computer. I can handle that.

G.

 

[Raymond]

They’re like inferring and implying, Grumpy.

 

[MichaelJ]

Seema - my A720IS with a 2GB card in it, completely empty, set at best quality and largest image size, says it has space available for 568 shots.

The card is a Sandisk Ultra II and has worked flawlessly.

Doug - despite the root implying down when analagous to a real tree, my trees go up to the root and down to the leaf because I think of it in terms of "up" the hierarchy or ancestry.

 

[DougPaul]

They’re like inferring and implying,

Except that inferring and implying are well defined, unlike uploading and downloading.

Doug - despite the root implying down when analagous to a real tree, my trees go up to the root and down to the leaf because I think of it in terms of "up" the hierarchy or ancestry.

My trees have different orientations, depending upon the application.

Doug