The 5D Mark III & SD Memory Cards

[briansquibb]

I just did a test with my 5D Mark III. I find Mr. Cable's claim that putting an SD card in the card slot slows down the CF card. Groundless.

Infared - his claim is not groundless it states so in the manual as I posted earlier today. You don't state which Record mode your are on. "Standard" and 'Auto Switch Card" have no effect with SD card in place however "Rec. Separately" and "Rec. to Multiple" will have a slow down effect see page 116 in the manual and or more detail on my earlier post.

This is the same as the 1D4

 

[RGomezPhotos]

The Mark III takes SDXC cards which are rated at 100MB/sec - 300MB/sec. So really SDXC cards should not be a major bottleneck. I completely understand that if you are writing to two cards that speed will suffer. I'd like to see some real numbers with top-end CF and SDXC being written to at the same time.

 

[Loswr]

The Mark III takes SDXC cards which are rated at 100MB/sec - 300MB/sec. So really SDXC cards should not be a major bottleneck. I completely understand that if you are writing to two cards that speed will suffer. I'd like to see some real numbers with top-end CF and SDXC being written to at the same time.

SD card speed is not the bottleneck in this case - the camera doesn't support the higher speed UHS-I class. It's like plugging a USB3 HDD into a USB2 port, you're limited to the slower speed.

 

[tron]

Sorry - this is *not* new information. In Canon's defense this is all explicitly stated on page 117 of the owner's manual. If you are concerned about burst mode then leave camera on Standard or Auto Switch Card. The manual states: "When Rec. separately is set, the maximum burst will decrease greatly. (See pg 121)". Pg 121 further explains on the matrix the burst rates and also states: "The Maximum burst rate applies to High Speed Continuous Shooting", it then extrapolates that it is referring to UDM7. It may seem obvious then since the SD cads (if engaged in the two other record modes modes) would have to be the lowest common denominator. On page 32 the manual also states the camera does not comply with UHS standards although these cards can be used.

Now a good work around to this if in the field and you need the backup feature but also the fastest burst mode on a UDMA7 CF card is set the camera to record only on the CF card (Standard Mode). Be sure the CF is the card chosen to record (under Record/Play menu) as well. Now you can copy your images to the SD card by pressing Menu. Choose Menu section 3, sub menu 1 and select "Image Copy". Here you can define your Source (the CF card) and the freespace on Card 2 (SD card) there you can copy all your CF images to an SD card without losing burst mode speed and still have your backup.

Well, if someone has to copy the CF content to SD card afterwards in order to not lose speed , there is always the bypass that works on all models: Remove the CF card, put it in a portable device like hyperdrive, copy the contents, reinsert the CF card

 

[briansquibb]

This link may be useful

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_wb_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-12452

 

[infared]

I just did a test with my 5D Mark III. I find Mr. Cable's claim that putting an SD card in the card slot slows down the CF card. Groundless.

Infared - his claim is not groundless it states so in the manual as I posted earlier today. You don't state which Record mode your are on. "Standard" and 'Auto Switch Card" have no effect with SD card in place however "Rec. Separately" and "Rec. to Multiple" will have a slow down effect see page 116 in the manual and or more detail on my earlier post.

This is a ridiculous article. Of course the speed drops off when writing to two cards. Canon states that is the manual. Cable clearly states "NOT" to put an SD card in the holder. If you do he says it will slow the speed of the CF card down. That is CLEARLY not true. Only if you have the camera menu set to multiple write. I knew this long before I bought the camera. So where is the news?

 

[briansquibb]

I just did a test with my 5D Mark III. I find Mr. Cable's claim that putting an SD card in the card slot slows down the CF card. Groundless.

Infared - his claim is not groundless it states so in the manual as I posted earlier today. You don't state which Record mode your are on. "Standard" and 'Auto Switch Card" have no effect with SD card in place however "Rec. Separately" and "Rec. to Multiple" will have a slow down effect see page 116 in the manual and or more detail on my earlier post.

This is misquoting me and says nothing either

This is a ridiculous article. Of course the speed drops off when writing to two cards. Canon states that is the manual. Cable clearly states "NOT" to put an SD card in the holder. If you do he says it will slow the speed of the CF card down. That is CLEARLY not true. Only if you have the camera menu set to multiple write. I knew this long before I bought the camera. So where is the news?

 

[infared]

Brian ....I have no beef with you, at all. My beef is with Cable.
Cable says do not put an SD card in your camera it will slow down your CF card. Period. It simply is not true. It is an incorrect statement. He says if the card is there it slows the speed of your CF card. Not true. The camera has to be writing to both cards for that to occur. WOW...I was writing to one card before with my Mark II.
Having the SD card as backup is a wonderful thing in my world. What a great extra feature on a great camera.
I think maybe Cable hangs out with Ken Rockwell.

 

[Phenix205]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

 

[infared]

True enough.
My biggest beef with the 5D II was the lack of bracketing. Same on the 7D.. Canon did a major firmware update and did not improve something that the camera should have been released with. Three shot bracketing is an embarrassment on a $2500 or $1600 DSLR. Simply an embarrassment. Easy fix. My Micro 4/3's cameras put this to shame. I certainly do not think Canon is perfect....but I can't stand incorrect statements or language which is clearly apparent in the article that sparked this discussion.

 

[kenmartin]

Yeh what Cable wrote "It turns out that the camera will default to the slowest card inserted." is wrong in my testing.

I put in a CF and SD card then set the camera to write small JPG to the CF and RAW to the SD, then I shot burst for 30 seconds and counted the shots taken. Then I switched the setting, writing the RAW to the CF and the small JPG to the SD and repeated the test. The results were very different. Writing RAW to CF and small JPG to SD was much faster (burst maybe two to three times the number of shots in 30 seconds) than the opposite. So the situation is definitely more complex than "default to the slowest card inserted" in that scenario.

Now if you write the same size image (say both RAW) to both cards at once then the buffer cannot flush any faster than the SD card is written to, but that does not mean the CF card is being throttled. It means the buffer is stuck waiting on the SD card. Put another way the CF card is all done but the camera's buffer cannot clear because it is waiting on the SD card. But I could see how someone might think that means the CF card is being throttled down to the SD speed, but from my observations that is not the case.

TLDR: CF and SD write rates are independent

 

[Razor2012]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

 

[TrumpetPower!]

<blockquote>in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them.</blockquote>

I still don't see what all the fuss is about. Until the 1DX was released, with the exception of maximum burst speed, the 5DIII had better specs than any other camera Canon's ever made. And, except for a few meaningless megapickles of resolution and outstanding dynamic range as opposed to superlative dynamic range, it's better than any of Nikon's cameras.

What, you want the camera to give you an orgasm every time you release the shutter, too? Is that it?

Cheers,

b&

 

[briansquibb]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

 

[Razor2012]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

Wait, all the 1DX owners will be betrayed too by the 5DIII stealing the AF system.

 

[briansquibb]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

Wait, all the 1DX owners will be betrayed too by the 5DIII stealing the AF system.

.... and only having 18mp instead of the 22mp of the 5DIII - clearly a rip off from Canon for charging more for less

 

[Razor2012]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

Wait, all the 1DX owners will be betrayed too by the 5DIII stealing the AF system.

.... and only having 18mp instead of the 22mp of the 5DIII - clearly a rip off from Canon for charging more for less

Sorry Brian you were clearly ripped off buying the 1 series. Better sell them and buy a 5DIII while you can.

 

[briansquibb]

Sorry Brian you were clearly ripped off buying the 1 series. Better sell them and buy a 5DIII while you can.

....and I have 3 of them - money grabbing Canon ripping off destitute pensioners ;D ;D ;D

 

[bdunbar79]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

Wait, all the 1DX owners will be betrayed too by the 5DIII stealing the AF system.

Just link metering to the active AF point in the 5D Mark III and now you have a betrayal!

 

[Razor2012]

Ever since it was released, the 5D3 appears to have received more criticism than praise. Canon in this case did make many people feel betrayed by cutting corners on a number of things, the SD card being one of them. This is not the first time they did this (remembering the AF on 5D2) and they will continue doing this. So are many other companies. Unless someone does it differently, by including all the best features on a second of the line product, we will have to accept the reality. I just hope Canon would not quickly abandon the 5D3 within a couple of years or so.

You can't please everyone, there will always be critics. I don't know if I'd call it betrayed, what were people expecting? You only can put so many features on a 2nd tier camera, you have to draw the line somewhere. That's why there's the 1 series and the 5 series.

Betrayed - by putting the twin cards of the top of the range 1D4 in the 5DIII

Some people's expections are so unrealistic

Wait, all the 1DX owners will be betrayed too by the 5DIII stealing the AF system.

Just link metering to the active AF point in the 5D Mark III and now you have a betrayal!

Shhhhh, don't tell Brian.