# Would you pay for a larger buffer?



## RGF (Oct 8, 2015)

I often fill the buffer (even with fast CF cards) and would gladly pay extra to a larger buffer.

Anyone else interested in a larger buffer? Would you pay for it?


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## neuroanatomist (Oct 8, 2015)

I don't recall the last time I filled the buffer of my 1D X. IIRC, it's ~43 RAW = 3.5 seconds continuous shooting (assuming the needed parameters, else longer).


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## RGF (Oct 8, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> I don't recall the last time I filled the buffer of my 1D X. IIRC, it's ~43 RAW = 3.5 seconds continuous shooting (assuming the needed parameters, else longer).



HI NA

I seldom buffer out on the 1Dx but with the 5DSR I buffer out often.


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## Don Haines (Oct 8, 2015)

7D2, not a problem..... The 60D I had before, big problem!

The camera is the way it is..... no way to increase the buffer after production.... all you can do is get faster memory cards to clear the buffer sooner but even that may not help.... the problem might be that processing the data is the bottleneck and in that case no mater what you do, speed is limited.


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## Zeidora (Oct 8, 2015)

Never filled buffer on 5D2 and haven't done it yet on 5DsR. Not even close. 1Dx is your answer, both capacity and price wise.


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## jcarapet (Oct 8, 2015)

5d3 is about 15 shots with sd. Haven't bought a cf due to not wanting to invest in it. If I could get 8-10 seconds shooting for Rugby or football I would be ecstatic. Especially for $200 or less. Can't have it all which is fine, I will still settle for status quo. less photos to filter through.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 8, 2015)

I generally use 1 shot, so a buffer is far down my list of priorities.


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## tpatana (Oct 8, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> I don't recall the last time I filled the buffer of my 1D X. IIRC, it's ~43 RAW = 3.5 seconds continuous shooting (assuming the needed parameters, else longer).



On my 5D3 and slow CFs, I often hit the buffer.

Now with 1DX and Lexar 1066x CF, I think it gets close to 100 photos at 12fps until the buffer starts to slow it down, and it's still going pretty fast even after that. On my speed test, it takes 171 pictures in 30 seconds.

Since I already have those, I wouldn't pay extra to double the buffer. On some other scenario, I might pay bit extra.


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## FEBS (Oct 8, 2015)

When speed is needed I use the 1Dx. In the past with my 7D I frequently hitted the full buffer. However, as I look afterwards in the postprocessing, this causes a lot of work. So, my shooting style has changed for that reason. I don't push the shutter continuously, but keep in focus with the back focus, and when timing is there I push the shutter and take mostly 3 till 5 shots. For BIF it might sometimes being a little more but even then mostly different short takes of 3 to 5 shot but that repeated several times. I don't know if I even got once the buffer filled on my 1Dx.

So no, I would not want to pay more for the 1Dx, even not while I mostly take photos of wildlife and sport. For the other cameras, I don't use them when speed is needed. So for that reason, also there a no.


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## tomscott (Oct 8, 2015)

Bit of a stupid comment buying a 5DMKIII and not buying CF cards… The SD is painfully slow.

I regularly fill the buffer on the 5DMKIII but I don't think it inhibits me too much. Just have to wait for that moment file a sequence and hope within that 2-3 seconds it got what I want.

I am getting a 7DMKII to compliment the 5D so in those situations I don't need to compromise.


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## lux (Oct 8, 2015)

The most important difference for me in shooting sports between my 6d and my 7d2 is buffer. Not fps, not sensor etc.


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## AcutancePhotography (Oct 8, 2015)

What are the technical problems with cameras having larger buffers?

I often wonder if cameras/grips could be designed to allow the grip to have a larger buffer for those times when extra bufferage would be desired.


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## candc (Oct 8, 2015)

i shoot a lot of bif. the buffer fills pretty quick on the 70d and it is slow to clear. it slows down and sometimes wont shoot at all when there's a lot of action (like eagles below a dam) the buffer is the main reason i got a 7dii. if you use a 1066x cf card you will get 49 shots @ 10fps to fill the buffer and then it still shoots 7fps according to TDP. I've never noticed it slowing down.


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## sanj (Oct 8, 2015)

I often fill the buffer on the 1dx/c to the point it slows down considerably. Happens often when a predator is approaching a kill.


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## pwp (Oct 8, 2015)

Deeper buffer is always valuable to have tucked away even if you only need to call on it from time to time. Particularly with my 5DIII and less so with the 1D4 I tend to hit the buffer limit at the most frustrating moments...at a peak moment during an action sequence, or worse, while shooting aerials where there are limited and expensive opportunities to shoot the target subject. Sometimes for action I'll reluctantly choose mRAW simply to access deeper buffer. 

Because of the almost infinite different shooting styles, some photographers will never come close to experiencing buffer limits. But for others it can be confronted on a daily basis, and needed to be managed...usually at the expense of unbridled creativity. So yes, I would pay $$ for deeper buffer. That might simply mean upgrading to 1DX.

-pw


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## m8547 (Oct 8, 2015)

One of the main reasons I upgraded from a T3i was the painfully small RAW buffer (about 7 shots with a fast card). I upgraded to a 6D, which only takes about 17 shots, but it's still a significant improvement. 

I've realized a more useful comparison metric than number of shots is burst time. The T3i can go for only 1.9 seconds before the buffer is full, but the 6D can go for about 3.7 sec (depending on the card and how much data is in each RAW file. I can't remember how many I normally get).


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## RGF (Oct 9, 2015)

pwp said:


> Deeper buffer is always valuable to have tucked away even if you only need to call on it from time to time. Particularly with my 5DIII and less so with the 1D4 I tend to hit the buffer limit at the most frustrating moments...at a peak moment during an action sequence, or worse, while shooting aerials where there are limited and expensive opportunities to shoot the target subject. Sometimes for action I'll reluctantly choose mRAW simply to access deeper buffer.
> 
> Because of the almost infinite different shooting styles, some photographers will never come close to experiencing buffer limits. But for others it can be confronted on a daily basis, and needed to be managed...usually at the expense of unbridled creativity. So yes, I would pay $$ for deeper buffer. That might simply mean upgrading to 1DX.
> 
> -pw



+1. Some times I don't want to carry the 1Dx - like the small form factor of 5D or higher MP of 5DS but need a larger buffer with action. I would gladly pay a bit extra to avoid buffering out. Cheaper to add extra buffer to camera than upgrade all my cards to absolute fastest versions.


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