Older memory cards

[Anaxagore]

Hi all,

I have a few older cameras or digital backs that use CompactFlash cards and are documented to support only 16gb cards max.
It seems that both Sandisk (WD) and Lexar (Now Chinese Longsys) have discontinued their 160MB/s 16gb cards, only 32gb+ remain and even 32gb is getting scarce; the older 16GB 50MB/s, sometimes the 120MB/s for Sandisk appear at a few places, often quite expensive. The Transcend 160MB/s seems to be the only one available in this category, but for how long?

1. would any of you know an online store that still has a supply of these 16gb cards, preferentially in Europe?
2. What would happen when inserting a 32GB or 64GB card, split into multiple 16GB partitions, into one of these older cameras?
3. Any experience with the Transcend-branded card?

 

[Horatio]

I just bought a SD to CF adapter. Seems to work just fine, but the largest SD card I’ve tried is 16GB. Have you considered trying one?

 

[Patrick Robert James]

A while back I needed a small 512mb SD card for an oooooold digital camera. Found one on Ebay and it was still new. Probably your best bet. A lot of people probably have used ones sitting around gathering dust.

 

[neeksgeek]

I use a Transcend CF to SD adapter in my Canon 1Ds Mk II, for the backup slot. I don’t know the speeds but it works with 16gb and 32gb SD cards. It’s a tiny bit slower feeling.

Oh and I had to upgrade the firmware of the Canon for it to recognize larger cards. That might be possible with your cameras?

 

[Anaxagore]

I just bought a SD to CF adapter. Seems to work just fine, but the largest SD card I’ve tried is 16GB. Have you considered trying one?

I have, but I had seen many posts online that these were unreliable so I haven’t done that yet. Are you generally satisfied of the adapter? What’s the brand you used for the adapter?

A while back I needed a small 512mb SD card for an oooooold digital camera. Found one on Ebay and it was still new. Probably your best bet. A lot of people probably have used ones sitting around gathering dust.

I thought about that too, just not sure how much I can trust someone on eBay who says a card is new. If it is à known store selling its old inventory, that will probably be the way to go.

I use a Transcend CF to SD adapter in my Canon 1Ds Mk II, for the backup slot. I don’t know the speeds but it works with 16gb and 32gb SD cards. It’s a tiny bit slower feeling.

Oh and I had to upgrade the firmware of the Canon for it to recognize larger cards. That might be possible with your cameras?

The firmware of my cameras hasn’t been updated in a while. The companies don’t provide anymore support for these models - one of them doesn’t even have a clock that goes to 2021, it stops ~10 years from the date the camera was first sold…

I’ll check both the famed auction site then the SD adapter.

 

[Horatio]

I have, but I had seen many posts online that these were unreliable so I haven’t done that yet. Are you generally satisfied of the adapter? What’s the brand you used for the adapter?

It's made in Taiwan and sold by Umox. I got it (cheap $12) off Amazon, so it's probably not very fast. I received it a week ago and have not yet tried it, other than to verify that the camera recognizes storage. The adapter supports up to 128GB, but My D300 won't support more than 32GB. I got an error message with a 64GB card, but not with the 32GB installed.

 

[Paul Howell]

My Sigma SD9 and 10 will not take card larger than 2MB, when they were showing up in short supply I bought 4 more cards. My Sony 700 and 900 will take up to 32gb, have not tired a 64gb, I guess I should and source a few additional 32gb cards. My SD9 came with a 256MB card.