I've used many different SD cards in 5 different Pentax cameras and quite frankly can't tell the difference for single shots. Using a higher speed card than the maximum your camera is designed for won't get you any better performance from the camera, the camera's electronics can't do better than its best. As for copying files to computer, to get the fastest a card can achieve requires the card reader, computer and (if relevant to you) network all to be able to operate at that speed. In any case, the difference is only likely to be tens of seconds or a minute or so unless your are copying lots of big files. If you do want to read up on what the symbols on SD cards mean and why they are there, here's a reasonably simple guide (link). At the end, it says "Note, using a higher-rated card that goes beyond the speed class requirement for a device will still work, but you won’t be experiencing the full benefits of the higher speed class since the device only supports the lower speed class". Personally, I'm happy to live with transfer speeds that are probably less than the very, very quickest possible, secure in the knowledge that I've saved a lot more time than that by not trying to find the very best/fastest/optimum card then finding that it costs more than I'm willing to pay.

My advice is therefore to get a couple of cards from well known brands (Sandisk, Kingston etc.) which are the fastest your camera is designed for then start taking photos. You need at least two because one will inevitably fill up just before you spot a perfect photo opportunity. If you really want to see how much performance varies for the sort of photography you'll be doing, get different speeds of brands for each card and compare. I'd be surprised if you notice much if any difference in practice.

Steve

Well, I think they're nice, even if they are not rare or exotic. Taken a few months ago at RSPB Radipole Lake nature reserve. In the 1980s my home overlooked the reserve and the quickest way to walk into town (Weymouth) was the footpath across the reserve. Seeing these birds (or rather their ancestors) was a regular event. It takes a bit more effort now to go and see them - and it means paying parking charges to the local council .

All with K3iii + Sigma 100-300mm f4 + 1.4x TC.

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual.

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Steve

Hey, that's cheating! Don't you enjoy the thrill of the chase, trying to anticipate when the breeze will drop, spotting the point of minimum subject movement and hoping against hope that everything will be just right when the shutter opens?? What is life without challenges???

Steve

Well, perhaps not absolutely everything...

You're right. I didn't put much thought into DOF. Thanks to the breeze, the aperture and thus DOF had to be a compromise. More DOF meant smaller aperture which meant longer exposure which meant more motion blur. Given the swaying in the breeze, just getting focus at the right point was a big enough challenge!

Steve

More wandering around the front garden in the evening. Late sunlight on the subject with the background in shadow works for me. Need to be quick, though, as shadows lengthen quite quickly - wait a few minutes and the subject is now in the shade. All taken with K3iii + Irix 150mm macro + 1.4TC + light breeze.

Thoughts, comments et. welcome as usual.

1. No Mow May is still hanging on...



2. Dandelion



3. Aquilegia



4. Love-in-a-mist (Nigella)



5. Love-in-a-mist - another view




Steve

A really good set of photos of animals and birds which deserve to be treated far better than humans have treated them in the past (and even today). Thank you for posting.

Steve

This is depressing. I'm looking at my lens collection and thinking that I'd have to pay someone to take it away if I wanted to get rid of it . If I didn't already have a Sigma 105mm, I'd snap it up at this price.

Steve

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

Steve

Thanks folks, appreciated.

The geraniums seem to have been particularly good this year. They must like being hot and dry. 3 and 4 are variety Rozanne, which was voted by the public and growers as the Plant of the Centenary at the 100th Chelsea Flower Show in 2013.

Steve

Superb.
The going up, coasting along and going down is OK. It's the landing that can get 'interesting' (said from experience of a single flight).

Steve