SanDisk Debuts ‘Fastest’ 32GB SDHC Card

[Hal Protter]

SanDisk Debuts ‘Fastest’ 32GB SDHC Card
By Lisa Johnston -- TWICE, 6/24/2009 11:40:00 AM
Sydney, Australia — SanDisk announced what it’s calling the “world’s fastest” 32GB SDHC card, with read and write speeds said to be 30MBps.
The company said the 32GB Extreme SDHC card adheres to the SD Association’s new Class 10 specification, which reportedly exceeds requirement for today’s high-definition (AVCHD) video recording. The card offers a sustained write speed fast enough to ensure high-definition video recording and capacity capable of storing 160 minutes of full HD 1,920 by 1,080 pixels at 24Mbps data transfer rate.
The card can store up to 2,500 RAW3 images. It will ship in August; pricing could not be confirmed at press time.

[Matthew Hurley]

Originally Posted by Hal Protter

SanDisk Debuts ‘Fastest’ 32GB SDHC Card
By Lisa Johnston -- TWICE, 6/24/2009 11:40:00 AM
Sydney, Australia — SanDisk announced what it’s calling the “world’s fastest” 32GB SDHC card, with read and write speeds said to be 30MBps.
The company said the 32GB Extreme SDHC card adheres to the SD Association’s new Class 10 specification, which reportedly exceeds requirement for today’s high-definition (AVCHD) video recording. The card offers a sustained write speed fast enough to ensure high-definition video recording and capacity capable of storing 160 minutes of full HD 1,920 by 1,080 pixels at 24Mbps data transfer rate.
The card can store up to 2,500 RAW3 images. It will ship in August; pricing could not be confirmed at press time.

Thanks for posting this. I wonder if any of the current SDHC card adaptor manufacturers will address the speed bottle neck we experience when over cranking our EX series sony cameras. That and the "Restore media" issue, for this poster, has greatly impinged on my trust level for these SDHC/card adapter combos. In all honesty, when using the current class 6 SDHC cards and proven compatible adaptors, i only use them for personal stuff. "Restore media" warnings is something i can not have occurring on a controlled higher end paying job. Sorry. The trust in these combos is not there for this guy anyway. Higher speeds of writing is a good thing if true. Now the card adaptor manufacturers need to address their adapters ability to handle these write speed capabilities.

Example. The new Hoodman adaptor coupled with the SanDisk 16GIG Ultra 2 card. Location in which the combo was used. Iraq. Results. Unusable. Reason. Continued "Restore media" warning. Lesson learned. I love my Sony S&S cards. They have never had an issue.

[Craig Seeman]

I'm using Sandisk 32GB Ultra II Class 2 cards since January and have NEVER had a Restore Media message. All the Ultra II issues people are having are with Class 4. Of course this makes me suspect of the value of "class" ratings. Apparently the cards aren't tested with sustained writes for long durations. Many people are having good luck with Transcend Class 6 though.

[Barry J. Anwender]

Originally Posted by Matthew Hurley

Thanks for posting this. I wonder if any of the current SDHC card adaptor manufacturers will address the speed bottle neck we experience when over cranking our EX series sony cameras.

Matthew, this "speed bottle neck" as you call it is a function of Sony's EX firmware for USB data transfers from the camera to any USB storage device. The current safe overcranking limit is 48fps. You can reliably record at or under this limit without any restore errors. Anything over this limit will generate storage errors. Cheers!

[Mark Savage]

I only get a "Restore Media" message after I have inserted a card (Transcend Class 6) back in the camera/slot after uploading it, and haven't deleted all clips yet. It has not presented any issues.

[Kevin Spahr]

If a SDHC card gives makes me do a "restore" - I don't use that card in the camera again.

I think some cards just can't maintain a constant write speed - or in other words defective. I have a number of Transcend 16GB cards that have never given me a problem. I test all cards completely before using - twice!

[Craig Seeman]

Originally Posted by Mark Savage

I only get a "Restore Media" message after I have inserted a card (Transcend Class 6) back in the camera/slot after uploading it, and haven't deleted all clips yet. It has not presented any issues.

That may be because your computer is putting invisible files on the card. Make sure you use ClipBrowser only to copy and/or delete clips.

[Kevin Spahr]

Not me, I always lock the card before in goes in the computer or format it before using it again (if I forget to lock it).

Some cards will ask for a "restore" every time no matter how many times you format them - I know this through testing my cards - I had one bad one in eight.

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Matthew Hurley

.......the "Restore media" issue, for this poster, has greatly impinged on my trust level for these SDHC/card adapter combos. In all honesty, ..... i only use them for personal stuff. ..... Sorry. The trust in these combos is not there for this guy anyway.

Example. ...... Results. Unusable. Reason. Continued "Restore media" warning.

What I was told was to stick to three rules, and you won't have a problem.

1/Don't try and overcrank.
2/Use only recommended adaptors and cards.
3/Test all cards before use. In a batch there MAY be a small percentage of duds, weed those out, and the remainder are highly unlikely to fail later.

Procedure for testing was recommended to be record to a card at an overcrank speed, such that a known good card will fail after (say) 30 seconds at (say) 42fps. Then test all new cards at 42fps. If they last for about the 30 seconds, they've passed the test, if it's much shorter, they've failed. That's a much more rigourous test than just recording a few minutes at normal motion speed.

I consider tested cards more reliable for normal operation than SxS cards if the latter have to be regularly downloaded and reused in the field. It's not the card failures that worry me, more the chance of clips getting lost via finger trouble.

[Anthony McErlean]

Originally Posted by Kevin Spahr

... I test all cards completely before using - twice!

Kevin, I was wondering whats the best way to test new cards.
Do you just let the camera recored to the new card till full? 58 mins for a 16gb card.
or is recording 10 or 15 mins on a new card enough to test it.

Thanks.

[Kevin Spahr]

I found you have to run the whole thing full - my bad SDHC would not fail till it was around half full.

I bet somewhere there is an app to test write speed of these chips using a computer - like the way you can test a hard drive. I think some of the hard drive test apps will display a graph of write speed over time which would be nice. Anyone know of such an app?

[Matthew Hurley]

Thanks all for the feedback on my comment regarding the SDHC cards. I hope the NEW 32G card is robust, yet i will not be going down this SDHC card road again until i feel technically comfortable with their performance . At least when it concerns its use in the EX series of sonys HD cameras.

Did i run into a bad card? Could be. Though i like to save some money, sometimes going the least expense route comes at a price.

I will continue using the SDHC cards and adaptor combos only as a (Back up) to my sony S&S cards.

Once again, my main reason for this is comfort level. I just can not have something as simple as ,say an interview be hobbled by a "Restore media" message, when shooting @ HQ 720p 30fps.

To be hindered by something like that during say a critical once in a life time comment or visual moment, for me at least takes away the comfort level when using these card combos

I guess it all boils down to the individual. I tested my cards. I formatted my cards. I can go with the flow and adapt when something goes south during some shoots. yet on others, if i miss that " moment" well the look on the producers face can be very disconcerting to say the least. I have been asked by one producer, to not use the card combo,s on their shoot.

They too have had issues on other shoots with that combo. We work in a somewhat fickle and sometimes unforgiving industry. For now, i will be sticking to the sony 8 and 16 gig cards. When the day comes that the card combos improve from a technical stand point, i too will be the first in line to save a few dollars by purchasing them. Then with those saving, purchase more toys for my kit :p

I do await everyones feedback on the 32gig SDHC. Many of you guys have been a wealth of information on the card/adaptor front.

[John Peterson]

Transcend 16GB cards and six Kensington Readers - not one single Restore Media message. All six adapters are preloaded and ready to go before a shoot.

John

[Matthew Hurley]

Originally Posted by Kevin Spahr

I found you have to run the whole thing full - my bad SDHC would not fail till it was around half full.

I bet somewhere there is an app to test write speed of these chips using a computer - like the way you can test a hard drive. I think some of the hard drive test apps will display a graph of write speed over time which would be nice. Anyone know of such an app?

Kevin. You make a very good point here. If an app could be had to test the new 32gig SDHC cards, it would increase my comfort level.

Do i sound paranoid?:p Lol. Hey! I,m a camera man. Card no worky. Me no worky! A real computer bench test app would be very cool.

[Anthony McErlean]

Originally Posted by Matthew Hurley

Kevin. You make a very good point here. If an app could be had to test the new 32gig SDHC cards...

Thanks kevin and yes, if there was some sort of program to test the cards, I've bought 6 sdhc 16gb cards, Thats the camera recording "nothing" for 6 hours but if it has to be done, so be it.