The Good, the Bad and the CF Card

Many people got confused when it comes to buying memory cards for their device. Some of the most common questions are "which memory cards suits my camera", "which size memory card should I buy" or "which brand is better". I had the same issue when I was a beginner at these things too, through time my knowledge grow. Understanding Memory Cards is definitely important, especially if you're not a techie person and have a certain expectation of what your equipment can do for you.

Firstly, most of us are pretty much used to using SD memory cards and some people may not have heard about CF card (CompactFlash) unless if they're using Professional DSLRs that comes with a CF card slot. A price comparison of CF and SD cards would probably make you feel SD card is a better worth of choice as it is very much affordable than CF memory cards. The other advantage of it is it being smaller to carry around, especially when you're more than one card. SD card would be less space consuming.

So, after reading the above you may find it pointless to read further because SD card is absolutely cheaper, lighter, smaller and good enough for most of the device. However, it is good to know a few more things about CF cards. Although CF card may be slightly bigger, it is slightly faster and more delicate.

SD and CF card comparison is a forever topic to talk about. Some people think buying CF cards is totally a waste of money but I think it isn't. If you're using a fast Camera like mine (5D Mk iii), it would be a total waste to use slow memory cards. Of course, both SD and CF cards have their own varieties of speed & quality types to choose from. However, comparing the same speed memory cards CF can produce a much faster burst than SD cards. Fast camera can't produce "fast enough" shots if the memory cards are saving too slowly.

Imagine, I'm taking the above shot using burst mode. Clicking the shutter may take a second or two, but if the memory card saves slow... it may take minutes. Jet planes will eventually end its show before you got any good shots.

In general, CF card (CompactFlash) is a memory card used in professional cameras and are fast, durable and portable. Usually used by many professionals in Media industry and is a great option for Professional Photographers and filmmakers.

What you need to look out for when buying a CF card:

- Brand
- Storage Capacity
- Card Class
- Read Speed
- Minimum Write Speed

Last but not least, for rough condition travel trips or adventures or unpredictable temperatures. CF card will be a better option than SD card. Imagine you've a tough camera, but memory card broke down. Usually, CF cards can resist higher altitudes pressure than SD cards.

Hope you've learnt something here! Thanks for reading!

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♥ Thanks for reading as always!

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