Sandisk "blue" SDHC card or "Extreme"?

Hi everyone,

I need to expand the memory for my K200D for an upcoming trip on which I expect to take a large number of photos. I currently have a collection of class 4 & class 6 4gb SDHC cards, mostly Sandisk, a couple of Panasonics. I always stick to the top-notch brands for security & usually buy the "better" (faster, more expensive) Sandisk models.

I want to add a 16gb card but can´t decide between the Extreme (class 6) or the standard "blue" model, which is only a class 4. I haven´t used the blue ones much, are they as reliable & good quality as the extremes & ultras? I know that a class 6 does work faster in my K200D, but in this case the capacity is more important than the speed. Is the extreme really worth more than double? Links are below.

Many thanks

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-Secure-Digital-Capacity-Extreme/dp/B0037FLUYU/re...=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IJK77DWLUYSR3&colid=3LTY4HH99FI0S

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sandisk-SecureDigital-High-Capacity-Card/dp/B00422F8XQ/r...=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I39N50896S0PWM&colid=3LTY4HH99FI0S

Hi Jonathon,

I have a K20D, and my 16gb card is a Dane Elec.

I've had no probs with it, and would advise you to look at The 7 Day Shop, as their prices are very cheap, (being in the Channel islands they are tax free and delivery is free.)

I use integral Ultima Pro 16Gb cards. never had a problem with them

I use the San Disk Extreme. I have 2x8GB @6 and 2x8GB @10. TBH I have not noticed a difference but then I don't shoot many rapid sequences.

As with all cards, to avoid potential issues, I always reformat the card (in camera) after every download to the computer.

I like SanDisk Extreme and have bought 6 or 10 speed ones for a while.

Speed seems to be only an issue for those using Video so older cards should be fine.

As to reliability flash memory is an uncertain creature however much you pay so the logic of both reformatting (not just deleting) and using several smaller cards rather than one big one seems sound to me.

Amazing what you can get for your money now!

Is there a big price difference?
btw there are 2 different extreme III version, 20MB/s and 30MB/s you may find the 20MB/s version for a very good price.

Stefan - the 10 is 30MB/s and 6 is 20MB/s

As I said personally I haven't ever noticed a speed difference because ai rarely shoot in bursts. If you do burst shooting frequently though then you may want to invest in the 10.

Yep you're right, forgot about that one

I don't believe the camera is fast enough to write at those speeds and even if they can the processor is probably more a limiting factor then the write speed.

I would be just a little cagey about these. There is a history of forged Sandisk cards. These prices seem very low and a Sandisk extreme elsewhere is quoted at 30Mb/s where as this one is quoted as 20Mb/s (I am not sure what difference the "Video" designation makes.

Oggy - read two posts up ! 20Mb/s for a 6 is correct.

Ah - Extreme available as class six or class ten. Fiendish.

The card in my K20 is an extreme iii class 6 30Mb/s.

I feel the need for beer.

I am currently using THESE Samsung cards.

I have a couple of 8GB cards and a 16GB and they work fine.

Are those the ones you have to drive a truck over and fill with mud to get them to work Mike?

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Does anyone know if there is a quality/durability/reliability difference between the two Sandisk types?

There are or have been various extreme & ultra incarnations from Sandisk & they change frequently. The ultras & Panasonics I have are only class 4.

In the end I went for the Extreme version. It´s double the price, but at the end of the day the class 4, despite it´s 4 & a half star rating, amongst it´s nearly 1266 reviews (wow!) it has 131 1-star reviews that basically say the card didn´t work. That´s too much of a risk for me & I don´t want to risk losing photos or having to spend double getting a card in an airport where they´re much pricier.