One 32 gig SxS card or two 16gig sxs cards.
 

The 32gig is cheaper than two 16s but what is it they say about all your eggs in one basket :)
What would you buy if you had the choice?

From reading this forum every day for two years or so, my observation has been that overall, people have had less issues with 16GB cards than 32GB cards, and since you have two slots you can insert cards for uninterrupted shooting no matter what you use.

Often the difference in cost is nil anyway.

But since I primarily shoot on SDHC cards, others who use only SxS cards may have another opinion.

John

The risk is predominately human error when offloading during a shoot.
Two 32GB cards are best and if you can't afford SxS get SDHC.

Also, from what I've heard, if there should be a need for file recovery, it may be easier on non proprietary SDHC than proprietary SxS.

The "eggs in a basket" thinking is backwards in this case IMHO. The cracked eggs come from human intervention. The less card swapping and less offloading, the more secure the basket is. Maybe the expression should be, "The more egg baskets, the more likely you'll drop them."

Thanks John and Craig for the advice so far.

Craig I don't offload during my wedding, just when I get home BTW.

Then 32GB is definitely not enough unless you shoot less than 2 hours at a wedding. Back when I did them, I'd often shot 5 hours and sometimes over 6.

Craig, Sorry, I should have said, (didn't think) I already have enough SXS cards to cover a wedding.. just thought I might buy another spare SxS card and wondered if one 32gig or two 16gig was a better buy.

Fewer cards is better. If you're already using SxS you might consider 32GB SxS-1 card depending on firmware in camera.

I have just updated the EX3 firmware but did i read somewhere that the 16GB/32GB SxS-1 cards have a lifespan of 5yrs.

No. They only last 5 years if you use them every day of each year.

I wouldn't be using it every day... so does the lifespan depend on how often you would use it.
Use it less and it could last longer.

That's it. It has so many record cycles based on 5 years of once a day use.

Will there be a sign when they near their lifespan?
Or will the just fail one day you think?

I would get 1 32gb card. I used to think differently, but after having 3 8gb cards with me as a reserve on my last shoot, I would have preferred differently

Yes Craig, your right, less is best.



I think I will get the 32gig SxS Card, I already have one and I can offload it in about 20mins to my PC.

Thanks everyone of your advice.