# 5D Mark III - Sandisk or Lexar CF Cards



## Jerrad245 (Mar 8, 2012)

Im wondering what your opinions are regarding Sandisk and Lexar, I am looking at the 90mbs CF offering's from both company's, I currently have 2 Sandisk 32gm 60mbs cards, but im going to be needing either another two 32gbs cards or one 64gb card. The Lexar being about $100 cheaper, wondering if its quality is the same or if I should just stick with Sandisk. Also will the 60mbs be more than enough for the 5dIII, shooting wedding's (photography) and video (for fun) primarily. Appreciate the comments.


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## fotoray (Mar 8, 2012)

I use 16GB San Disk Extreme Pro 90mbs cards with my 7D in burst mode and they have been very good. Very reliable even though they are a bit pricey. San Disk offers good guarantee for the Extreme Pro cars.


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## Michael_pfh (Mar 8, 2012)

Jerrad245 said:


> Im wondering what your opinions are regarding Sandisk and Lexar, I am looking at the 90mbs CF offering's from both company's, I currently have 2 Sandisk 32gm 60mbs cards, but im going to be needing either another two 32gbs cards or one 64gb card. The Lexar being about $100 cheaper, wondering if its quality is the same or if I should just stick with Sandisk. Also will the 60mbs be more than enough for the 5dIII, shooting wedding's (photography) and video (for fun) primarily. Appreciate the comments.



I am using a SanDisk Extreme Pro (64GB/90mbps) in my 1D4 - works very well, I can shoot bursts of RAW+JPEG (both L) of 20+ pics before it slows down.

Also got a SanDisk Extreme (32GB/60mbps), its very fast as well, using it in my 7D.


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## Jerrad245 (Mar 8, 2012)

You think its worth getting the 90mbs over the 60mbs for the new 5d3? Im getting 64gb so its a pretty big price difference for someone who just purchased a 5d3, 70-200L IS II, and lightroom all in one month


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## Michael_pfh (Mar 9, 2012)

Tough question. I am no expert but the slightly lower framerate of the 5D3 in combination with the higher MP should be as demanding as the situation I mentioned on the 1D4.

You could just shoot Raw L and skip the simultaneous JPG recording to lower the data throughput a bit. Also it should depend a lot on what you shoot - only for action, sports, birds, wildlife and other fast moving objects burst shooting and therefore max mbps is relevant.

Moreover, the amount of shots you take in between offloading your CF card determines the capacity. I went for the 64GB version since I like to leave my laptop at home when traveling to countries like Bangladesh for 2 weeks and hence need to be able to take a lot of shots per card.


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## jalbfb (Mar 9, 2012)

I have 2 Lexar 16GB UDMA 400x carda and a similar 8GB CF card and have no complaints.


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## Axilrod (Mar 9, 2012)

Prices have gone down recently, I have around ten 16GB/32GB Sandisk Extreme cards and I've never had a problem with any of them. I paid $99 for the first couple but they've dropped down to $50-$60.


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## Jamesy (Apr 14, 2012)

I have been using my old Sandisk 8GB Extreme (30MB/s) CF cards in the 5D3 but have been thinking about getting some larger/faster cards. In all honesty I have not had issue with the 30MB/s (200x) cards but I have yet to really push the new camera. The price difference is $100 for a 32GB 60MB/s card or $160 for the 90MB/s version. Do I really need the faster of the two?

I could also get the 32GB 95MB/s SDHC Sandisk instead or in addition to the above card. Is there any reason the SDHC card slot would be slower than the CF slot in the 5D3?


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## EvilTed (Apr 14, 2012)

I use the Lexar x1000 card for the CF and Sandisk Extreme for the SD (because I already had them).
The Lexar x1000 are the fastest out there and will make a difference to burst mode as the buffer fills up.

ET


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 14, 2012)

Jerrad245 said:


> Im wondering what your opinions are regarding Sandisk and Lexar, I am looking at the 90mbs CF offering's from both company's, I currently have 2 Sandisk 32gm 60mbs cards, but im going to be needing either another two 32gbs cards or one 64gb card. The Lexar being about $100 cheaper, wondering if its quality is the same or if I should just stick with Sandisk. Also will the 60mbs be more than enough for the 5dIII, shooting wedding's (photography) and video (for fun) primarily. Appreciate the comments.


 
For weddings and video, the cards you mention will be fine. for those shooting high frames per second, faster cards will clear the buffer more quickly, but for video, it does not speed up the capture process.

One thing to consider is how long you are willing to wait for a 60gb card full of video to download to your computer. A very fast card and fast reader will greatly speed that up, but if you are willing to go away and do something else for while, a USB 2 reader will work.

I'm planning to get a new PC with USB 3 this fall when windows 8 comes out, so I'm using usb2 right now. I sold my firewire 800 readers for far more than I paid for them to help finance my 5D MK III. I had not used them for over a year anyway.


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## Jamesy (Apr 14, 2012)

Interesting you mention faster readers, I saw a post somewhere that mentioned their reader did not support the newer Extreme Pro cards. I have a four year old Transcend card reader and am considering tacking on the Sandisk USB 3.0 card reader that indicates it supports all of current high speed protocols such as UDMA 6 and 7, UHS-1.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/810152-REG/SanDisk_SDDR_289_A20_ImageMate_All_in_One_USB_3_0.html

My main system is a laptop running XP Pro, which I need for some legacy software but USB 3.0 is the better way to go from a future proofing standpoint.

Anyone have any experience with the Sandisk "SanDisk ImageMate All-in-One USB 3.0 Reader / Writer" mentioned above or could you recommend one that has similar features?

BTW, here si the Rob Galbraith test results for CF and SDHC cards for the 5D3.
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_wb_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-12452&sort_col=burst&sort_dir=DESC


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## Michael_pfh (Apr 19, 2012)

Also there is a comparison on reader speeds on that site:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/reader_report_all.asp?cid=6007-9392&card_type=CompactFlash


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## bycostello (Apr 19, 2012)

i'm sandisk, but think it is a bit of a canon/ nikon kind of question..


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## pwp (Apr 19, 2012)

Over the years, anecdotally Lexar products have presented more problems and glitches than Sandisk. Having dipped into Transcend, Lexar and the very good Ridata, Sandisk is the card that has been consistently 100% stable in my experience, all the way from the 64Mb & huge 128Mb cards of a decade ago through to the 32Gb Sandisk Extreme cards that have become my current standard card. 

Cards are something you never want to have to have the slightest concern about. Sandisk has the most stable reputation. I've even washed and tumble dried them in jeans pockets and they have just come back cleaner.

Paul Wright


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## pwp (Apr 19, 2012)

Jamesy said:


> Anyone have any experience with the Sandisk "SanDisk ImageMate All-in-One USB 3.0 Reader / Writer" mentioned above or could you recommend one that has similar features?



More Lexar vs Sandisk here... My first USB-3 reader was Lexar and it was as unstable as hell on my system. Half the time it would not "show" as a drive unless you unplugged it and plugged it back in again. Often it returned reads at below USB-2 speeds. What a piece of garbage. It works OK as a USB-2 reader and now lives in my laptop bag.

Last week I bought the Sandisk. http://www.sandisk.com/products/readers-accessories/imagemate-all-in-one-usb-30-reader

Thankfully that vulgar "look at me" stand detaches easily (magnetic). It's very compact and so far there have been no connectivity issues. Speed is around the same as the Lexar when it worked. But to be honest, I see the major flaw in the design comes from Sandisk's desire to keep the reader very compact. The insert depth from the front of the reader to the gold pins is the shallowest I have ever seen. CF cards can be fiddly to align and it's disturbingly easy to bend the pins in the reader. I've straightened mine twice in the fortnight I've had it. More depth in the "mouth" helps steer the card accurately for a clean docking.

Frankly I'd look further than Lexar or Sandisk for a new USB-3 reader.

Paul Wright


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## Jamesy (Apr 19, 2012)

I just bought a 32GB 90MB/s Sandisk CF card and a 95MB/s SDHC card and had heard about missues with older card readers and some of the new cards (UDMA 6/7 and UHS-1) so I initially had the Sandisk in the cart but eh then stumbled on a USB 3.0 'Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader RDF8'. I have been using a Transcend reader for years and never had an issues so I thought I would try it it out. It costs less than half what the Sandisk goes for too. I have not tried it out as my order has not arrived yet.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/815153-REG/Transcend_TS_RDF8K_USB_3_0_Multi_Card.html


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## Old Shooter (Apr 19, 2012)

Jamesy said:


> The price difference is $100 for a 32GB 60MB/s card or $160 for the 90MB/s version. Do I really need the faster of the two?
> 
> I could also get the 32GB 95MB/s SDHC Sandisk instead or in addition to the above card. Is there any reason the SDHC card slot would be slower than the CF slot in the 5D3?



The CF slot really seems to be the "primary" on the 5DIII; it will drive a UDMA 7 card and there is a significant increase in performance. IF you are a fps hound... Unfortunately, the only SanDisk CF UDMA 7 card right now is their 128GB $695 bank-breaker... I won't use Lexar cards any more - had one of their "pro" cards glitch up in my camera and lost an entire shoot. Never had a problem with a SanDisk card...

The SD card slot is slower on the 5DIII because it is not enabled for UHS-1. You can put an Extreme Pro card in it, but without the UHS-1 technology it will default down to either 30MB/s or 45MB/s - can't remember which one at the moment...


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## photophreek (Apr 19, 2012)

Jamsey wrote:



> My main system is a laptop running XP Pro, which I need for some legacy software but USB 3.0 is the better way to go from a future proofing standpoint.



I suspect that your legacy Win XP system is running on a MB that has a bus rate that is less than the speeds of a USB 3 reader. As a result, using a USB 3 reader on an older system will only realize USB 2 speeds. I run a legacy XP system which will be upgraded soon when Windows 8 is relesed and adding a USB 3 reader to my current system is a waste of money because my bus speed on my MB will only support USB 2 speeds.


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## Renato (Apr 19, 2012)

I use 65 bit Win Ultimate 7 and a Delkin USB 3 link:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/764367-REG/Delkin_Devices_DDREADER_42_USB_3_0_Universal_Memory.html

The reader has worked for 6 months without any issues and it reads at and above card specs. It really speeds up file transfer and highly recommended!

I have problems with canon 7D reading Transcend 32GB 600X but the readed has no problems. All my other cards are Sandisk Extreme IV (45mb/s), Sandisk Ultra (30 mb/s) and have no problems.


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## Jamesy (Apr 19, 2012)

Renato said:


> I use 65 bit Win Ultimate 7 and a Delkin USB 3 link:
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/764367-REG/Delkin_Devices_DDREADER_42_USB_3_0_Universal_Memory.html
> 
> ...


Understood. My XP system only has USB 2.0. I am not trying to squeeze more performance out of it in terms of speed but there was a question about the UDMA cards functioning with an older reader, that is why6 I got the new reader. I also have a little Asus 1501 system which is essentially a PVR which I can test the transfer speed of the USB 3.0 on.

Off topic, I have been copying files to the XP box, converting them to DNG and importing them into LR. I think I will be building a new 'photo processing' box over the coming months, once the credit card recovers from the 5D3 launch


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## Jamesy (Apr 19, 2012)

Jamesy said:


> ... stumbled on a USB 3.0 'Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader RDF8'.
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/815153-REG/Transcend_TS_RDF8K_USB_3_0_Multi_Card.html


My order just arrived here at work. Interesting, the reader has a USB 3.0 cable included and a proprietary figure-8 style connector on the card reader side. I was expecting a standard micro or mini connector. Has anyone seen this approach on other card readers (proprietray or off-standard connector)?


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## Jettatore (Apr 20, 2012)

I have this card. http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Compact-Flash-Card-400X/dp/B002WE4H8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334940349&sr=8-1

I did a search before I bought it and it got as good or better reviews than the more expensive cards in all categories including speed and reliability (at least for my purposes of maxing out a 7D's FPS and video performance). Mine has been rock solid. I just ordered a second one to put in my 2nd body. Let me try to find that review site for you. Edit: here it is, http://sportsphotoguy.com/all-about-cf/

If you are planning to get some ridiculously more expensive card, I would get this one first and test it vs. Canon's advertised max FPS speed. It captures shots at what appears to be (without some crazy timed test) 100% of what the 7D is capable of, which is to say, extremely fast, and does great for video for me so far as well, no dropped frames to date. Nothing but flawless performance to this posting (knock on wood, but I'm not sure I even need to with this one) I have the 32GB model.


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## Rofflesaurrr (Apr 20, 2012)

Jamesy said:


> Jamesy said:
> 
> 
> > ... stumbled on a USB 3.0 'Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader RDF8'.
> ...



It's actually not a proprietary connection. It is the standard Micro USB 3.0 connection. It's wider to make room for the additional contacts that are required. It is also designed to be backwards compatible. You can plug a normal micro USB 2.0 cable into one side of. the port, although you will only get USB 2.0 speeds. Search google for a USB 3.0 A to Micro B cable if you need a longer one. I bought mine through DigiKey. Cables to Go is a good source for them too.


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## Jamesy (Apr 20, 2012)

Rofflesaurrr said:


> Jamesy said:
> 
> 
> > Jamesy said:
> ...


Nice - thanks for the insight. I only have one other USB 3.0 device, a hard drive dock from Thermaltake and it has a much larger connection on the peripheral side.

Good to know a standard micro cable would do in a pinch.



Jettatore said:


> I have this card. http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Compact-Flash-Card-400X/dp/B002WE4H8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334940349&sr=8-1
> 
> I did a search before I bought it and it got as good or better reviews than the more expensive cards in all categories including speed and reliability (at least for my purposes of maxing out a 7D's FPS and video performance). Mine has been rock solid. I just ordered a second one to put in my 2nd body. Let me try to find that review site for you. Edit: here it is, http://sportsphotoguy.com/all-about-cf/
> 
> If you are planning to get some ridiculously more expensive card, I would get this one first and test it vs. Canon's advertised max FPS speed. It captures shots at what appears to be (without some crazy timed test) 100% of what the 7D is capable of, which is to say, extremely fast, and does great for video for me so far as well, no dropped frames to date. Nothing but flawless performance to this posting (knock on wood, but I'm not sure I even need to with this one) I have the 32GB model.


I have some 30MB/s Sandisk 8GB Extreme III cards and will try to test them head to head with the new 90MB/s Sandisk.

BTW, the link to the Sportsphotoguy site says:
"If you have the Canon EOS 5D Mk II, this camera can take advantage of class-leading performance of the SanDisk Extreme Pro 90 MB/sec cards."

The reasons I bought the Sandisk 90MB/s was
a) reliability - I have never had issue with Sandisk cards
b) I asked in this tread and many said they were good cards
c) I wanted one of the fastest (I know the 1000x Lexars are faster) card that would not impede the camera buffer. Transferring to the computer was secondary in terms of priority.

In my brief test yesterday on my 5D3 & Sandisk 90MB/s card, I think the max burst with full size raw and - JPEG enabled, both going to the same card was 6 shots. I have a Sandisk in the second slot in a fill and spill config. It would be interesting to see if the 90MB/s card exhibits a BIG difference in performance over the 30MB/s one.


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## t.linn (Apr 20, 2012)

pwp said:


> Over the years, anecdotally Lexar products have presented more problems and glitches than Sandisk. ... Sandisk is the card that has been consistently 100% stable in my experience, all the way from the 64Mb & huge 128Mb cards of a decade ago through to the 32Gb Sandisk Extreme cards that have become my current standard card.
> 
> Cards are something you never want to have to have the slightest concern about. Sandisk has the most stable reputation. I've even washed and tumble dried them in jeans pockets and they have just come back cleaner.
> 
> Paul Wright



My experience exactly. I've had a couple issues with Lexar cards and readers (and poor support to go with it). My experience with Sandisk has been flawless. It's not that I would be particularly worried with a Lexar card in my DSLR but I am willing to pay a premium for Sandisk because of my positive experiences with their products.


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## Jamesy (Apr 21, 2012)

Rofflesaurrr said:


> Jamesy said:
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Thanks for the sources. I have found USBFever to be pretty cheap too but they are Hongkong based and have the standard three week delivery for most items. http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=2555


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## pwp (Apr 22, 2012)

Jamesy said:


> Jamesy said:
> 
> 
> > ... stumbled on a USB 3.0 'Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader RDF8'.
> ...



I had a lousy Lexar USB-3 reader then my present Sandisk USB-3 reader and they both run proprietary cables.

Paul Wright


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## Jamesy (Apr 22, 2012)

pwp said:


> Jamesy said:
> 
> 
> > Jamesy said:
> ...



Hey Paul, I thought my Transcend had a proprietary cable, it turns out it is just a newer USB 3.0 micro cable as Rofflesaurrr had pointed out.



Rofflesaurrr said:


> It's actually not a proprietary connection. It is the standard Micro USB 3.0 connection. It's wider to make room for the additional contacts that are required. It is also designed to be backwards compatible. You can plug a normal micro USB 2.0 cable into one side of. the port, although you will only get USB 2.0 speeds. Search google for a USB 3.0 A to Micro B cable if you need a longer one. I bought mine through DigiKey. Cables to Go is a good source for them too.


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