# Compactflash Card: SanDisk vs. Lexar...



## canon23 (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi All,

I've always owned Sandisk memory cards before, be it SD or Compactflash. I currently use two 16GB Sandisk for my 5D Mark II. I have had no issues with them.

So what prompts this question if Sandisk's been issues-free? Well, per CR, Amazon's currently having a deal on Lexar compactflash on the 64GB/400x & 128GB/400x for $85 & $170 respectively. My questions are 2-fold:

1) Has anyone had any issues with Lexar compactflashes? If so, what are they?

2) Would you have any issues it them being only 400x vs. 800x or 1000x?

Thanks for you input!


----------



## jp121 (Dec 28, 2012)

see if this page helps

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007


----------



## bycostello (Jan 4, 2013)

i've always used sandisk and had no problems.. so wouldn't want to change...


----------



## Yehyaalhafidh (Jan 4, 2013)

The only cards I own are 16GB Lexar Premium series CF and only 200x which work perfectly for my needs. Haven't had any problems with them yet! I shoot portraits, events and weddings and they've never failed on me with my 5Dii


----------



## eosphoros (Jan 4, 2013)

I prefer SanDisk. I've used both SanDisk and Lexar in the past and neither has failed. SanDisk speed and tech is ahead of Lexar so I go with them in the field.


----------



## Rienzphotoz (Jan 4, 2013)

canon23 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I've always owned Sandisk memory cards before, be it SD or Compactflash. I currently use two 16GB Sandisk for my 5D Mark II. I have had no issues with them.
> 
> ...


Both Lexar and SanDisk are excellent brands ... you should not have any problems with either of them.
But coming to your 2 questions:
1) I've been using Lexar cards for for over 5 years and never had any any issues
2) If you will be using the 400x Lexar card on a 5D MK II, you will get very good performance as the 400x card is capable of 60MB/s
I currently use Lexar 64GB (145MB/s) CF card and SanDisk 64GB (95MB/s) SDHC card in my 5D MK III ... both purchased on a sale a few months ago ... very happy with both.


----------



## RustyTheGeek (Jan 4, 2013)

They are both quality brands.

I have owned/used *Sandisk, PNY, Kingston, WinTec and Transcend* with no problems whatsoever. Before I buy, I tend to look over the reviews from *Amazon* (General Users), *NewEgg* (Technical Geeks), *B&H and Adorama* (Photographers) because each of these retailers have a slightly different demographic.

It's also important to read the specs carefully and understand the difference between Read, Write, Peak and Average Speeds in the Specs.


----------



## RMC33 (Jan 4, 2013)

I have had excellent luck with every card I own. Including trancend~.

I bought 4 16gb 90mb/sec cards for the holidays off amazon for I think around $75 each. I tend to shy away from bigger cards (32 is my personal max size limit) because I like the security of having all my photos across 4 cards rather then all on one. I lucked out and got 4 sandisk 8gb SD cards for my 5d III as backup for $10 each over the holidays too.


----------



## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 4, 2013)

I've never had a card fail either. I started out in the 1990's with smart media cards, then CF cards. I recall paying $265 for a 85MB card for my Nikon CP-990 way back in early 2000 or so. I've had close to 100 cards, most of them Lexar or Sandisk, but there were Kinbgston, Delkin, Transcend and likely others in there too.

I did sell my almost new 30D to a lady who had just had her Canon XT burn out. I included a small CF Card. A few days later, she put in her Toshiba CF card that she had been using with her old camera, and it burned out the 30D as well. Since the camera was only 5 months old, Canon fixed it for her at no charge, and she destroyed the bad card and bought a good one.
Its rare, but a bad card can cook your DSLR.


----------



## DanoPhoto (Jan 4, 2013)

I have always used SanDisk caerds with no problems.


----------



## skullyspice (Jan 4, 2013)

I have always used Lexar since 2003 and have never had any problems. Even the one that went thru the washing machine still works.


----------



## maxcolefilms (Jan 4, 2013)

I've used the same Lexar 16gb and 8gb CFs (300x) in my 7D for the past 5 years and I've never had a failed card. I ordered the twin pack Lexar 16gb CFs (400x) a few months ago for my second 7D body and they have performed just like my other Lexar CFs, just a little faster! As for SanDisk, I've worked with a few of their CFs but mostly their SDs and the pro-extreme lines of their SDs are fast and secure! I've used SanDisks SDs with the ENG JHM750 shoulder cam and GoPro 2 (just got my gopro 3 with a sandisk microSD), never had a problem. Those are the two brands I usually stick to, and at any given time one of these brands usually has some sort of deal too.


----------



## RustyTheGeek (Jan 4, 2013)

RMC33 said:


> I have had excellent luck with every card I own. Including trancend~.
> 
> I bought 4 16gb 90mb/sec cards for the holidays off amazon for I think around $75 each. I tend to shy away from bigger cards (32 is my personal max size limit) because I like the security of having all my photos across 4 cards rather then all on one. I lucked out and got 4 sandisk 8gb SD cards for my 5d III as backup for $10 each over the holidays too.



+10 Ditto! Spread out the worry in case a card gets lost or corrupted.


----------



## RustyTheGeek (Jan 4, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I've never had a card fail either. I started out in the 1990's with smart media cards, then CF cards. I recall paying $265 for a 85MB card for my Nikon CP-990 way back in early 2000 or so. I've had close to 100 cards, most of them Lexar or Sandisk, but there were Kinbgston, Delkin, Transcend and likely others in there too.
> 
> I did sell my almost new 30D to a lady who had just had her Canon XT burn out. I included a small CF Card. A few days later, she put in her Toshiba CF card that she had been using with her old camera, and it burned out the 30D as well. Since the camera was only 5 months old, Canon fixed it for her at no charge, and she destroyed the bad card and bought a good one.
> Its rare, but a bad card can cook your DSLR.



Wow! That's an interesting story. Makes me think I may use an old Rebel to "test" those new CF cards, eh? I typically "stress test" new cards already on my computer using a test program that confirms the read/write speeds and will give an indication of whether the card is working correctly. It's sort of a hedge against counterfeit cards or faulty cards catching me off guard in the field.


----------



## Kumakun (Jan 5, 2013)

I guess I'm just echoing the chorus, but I use both SanDisk and Lexar (for both CF and SDHC) and have never had a problem.


----------



## pwp (Jan 5, 2013)

Sandisk vs Lexar? No problem with either one provide you avoid the very cheap, slow models. 
Do the math/equation for the Gb and speed per $ sweet-spot. B&H recently had a great deal on a two-pack of 32Gb Lexar 1000x UMDA7 cards so I stocked up. These fast 1000x cards make a very real, tangible difference in my 5D3 & Mk4 with a deeper usable buffer and way faster clearing time compared to the previous Sandisk Extreme cards I was running with. 

Like others, I have never had a CF card fail, corrupt or behave badly. In 12 years of CF card use I've has Sandisk, Trancend, Ridata and Lexar. A few of them have gone through the clothes washing machine when accidentally left in my jeans pockets and they just came out cleaner. No problems. 

As a possibly over-the-top form of insurance, I don't use CF cards for more than a couple of years before updating to fresh cards. 

-PW


----------



## RMC33 (Jan 5, 2013)

RustyTheGeek said:


> RMC33 said:
> 
> 
> > I have had excellent luck with every card I own. Including trancend~.
> ...



Glad I am not the only one. The pro's my friend hired for his wedding shot the whole thing on two 128gb cards and lost one (I THINK it was a kingston, cooked off and had no recoverable images) halfway through the night. They were very happy I mirrored 95% of the shots on that card.


----------

