Not sure about SanDisk after reading about some problems with them. I have older XDXC extreme pro SanDisk cards i am still using and have not had problems with them. But - internet gossip - mentions problems with some & I am not up enough on them to know so would appreciate reality.
Am not a video shooter but do a fair amount of wildlife and at times shoot in bursts. Generally something like Grebes dancing, moose or birds in flight. Usually more pick & choose the times to trip the shutter.
Winter temps to -40 and summer temps into the 120 range above the Donut. Have not had any card problems in these extremes with the older San Disk and a few Lexar cards.
Most likely most anything works, but don't want to buy headaches, so I'm asking.
Delkin Blacks have a good warranty with 48-hour replacement policy.
Whatever you buy, always format and run a full write/read test like H2TestW a few times to confirm the card is correct before putting it into use.
TL;DR: Buy new cards when you buy a new camera. Buy good quality cards with high sustained write speeds especially if you shoot sports/wildlife or video. Max write speed is not a reliable metric to go off of. Buy cards that run cool. Generally go for ProGrade or Delkin, with Angelbird and OWC probably being in the next tier down. SanDisk and Lexar are junk these days.
Recently added Pergear 512GB CFexpress 4.0 Type B to my mix of Prograde and one Angelbird. I wouldn't buy Angelbird again when compared to the other two based on the card build quality, plastic rather than metal jacket.
TL;DR: Buy new cards when you buy a new camera. Buy good quality cards with high sustained write speeds especially if you shoot sports/wildlife or video. Max write speed is not a reliable metric to go off of. Buy cards that run cool. Generally go for ProGrade or Delkin, with Angelbird and OWC probably being in the next tier down. SanDisk and Lexar are junk these days.
That depends on how often you buy a new camera. At 2+ cameras per year it could be an awful lot of cards.
RoamingScott wrote:
Yeah, I don't hear a lot of chatter from the US folks about Angelbird.
Delkin Black has become the defacto recommendation here.
Yes, I agree, it’s largely a regional preference. Popular U.S. brands aren’t always easy to find in the EU, and the same goes the other way around.
Angelbird is widely trusted among professionals here in Europe, especially in high-end photo and video workflows, but it’s probably not the default choice for many U.S. buyers. The Trump Import duties and trade policies can also influence pricing, although I’m not fully up to date on the specifics. I ordered an extra card and the latest 2TB version is currently priced at $767 here, but it’s still in backorder.
Given the ongoing AI-driven demand for memory and storage, I wouldn’t be surprised to see shortages or price increases in the very near future on all cards. If you’re considering one, it might be wise not to wait too long.
Delkin Power 4 is a great midrange option, especially if you shoot mostly stills. About half the price of Black these days. You will have to mortgage your house and agree to name your firstborn after the CEO of a memory company to get your hands on a good card. Unlike the Sandisks the Delkin Power 4's run pretty cool. Make sure to get the Power 4 (USB 4.0 standard). Nikon cameras can't use the bandwidth (yet) but they run noticeably cooler than the Power 3.
