Worth getting an SD card for 5D3?

[Harry Muff]

So my new camera is on the wagon to me now.


I've got a 16Gb CF that's currently in my 5D2 which, naturally, will be moving into my 5D3.


Given the confusion of card reading speeds and settings changing due to cards being pulled in and out (that have different settings for each), is there any real benefit to using an SD apart from backing up?


I can't say I've ever wished for a second slot for either type in my 5D2, even while knowing that the 5D3 has the capability.




Also, would anyone recommend using JUST an SD as they are quite a bit cheaper?

 

[distant.star]

.
I've had a 5D3 since December. I have SD cards. For what I do, I've never put one in my 5D3.

Like most of these questions, it comes down to what you need the tool to accomplish.

 

[jdramirez]

I use a sd for small jpg backup and review in a tv or computer, but if I'm going someplace where high speed is an issue, it goes the ad card.

 

[Spooky]

Harry,

I have both cards in my 5D3 all times. I may take out the SD if I were shooting continuous action, but I rarely do... My reasoning is that the SD cards are much cheaper, so I back up the CF shots in camera to the SD then swap out the SD to a new one and format my CF to continue. I have done this while away from home on holidays, taking 4 32G SDs and 1 16G CF.
Each to their own, it works for me. I could just use SD only but old habits and all that...! I do notice if I'm bracketing shots that there is a slight delay when writing to the SD that doesn't happen if using CF only but it is not a concern shooting landscapes.

 

[EYEONE]

For weddings I throw a big 64gb SD card in there along with my 16gb CF cards and have it write RAW to both cards. At the end of the day I have a backup of everything I shot. The SD slot is slow though, I wouldn't use it for sports.

 

[Ripley]

SD is significantly slower than CF in the 5D3, but they're also a lot cheaper. If you need burst speed the CF is a necessity, otherwise there is nothing wrong with using just SD.

Options when running multiple cards can be found on pages 116-118 of the instruction manual. I shoot RAW to a Sandisk Extreme CF 32Gb, and JPEGs to a Sandisk Extreme SD 32Gb simultaneously because it saves me time in my post workflow, in several ways.

I love having two cards onboard, and all the options the 5D3 gives you to utilize them.

 

[East Wind Photography]

The best use for the SD card is writing two copies of an image to both cards at the same time. Useful if you are a wedding or event photographer and want two copies. It slows down the number of shots in drive mode before it has to buffer but if that is not important for the shoot then you can write to both cards. Otherwise you can set it to write to the CF card first and fail over to the SD card when it's full. That setting wont hinder your write speed.

I use an Eye-Fi card in mine (now that the new firmware fixes all of the crashing). I can enable the wi-fi piece on wedding shoots and let the family see the images on my ipad (compressed jpg) and still write the full raw to the CF card.

 

[JonAustin]

All the posts contributed thus far are good examples of various applications for the SD card slot. Mine differs slightly, in that I put a spare 16GB SD card I already had "lying around" into the slot "just in case."

I always shoot to a fast 16GB CF card, and I usually carry a wallet of extra CF cards with me. But I like the "extra insurance" of being able to switch over to the SD card if the CF card fills up or fails (never had a CF card fail in 15 years), or -- given the need and enough time -- to copy the contents of a full CF card over to the SD card, then erase / reformat the CF card and resume shooting.

I don't think I would spend the money to buy an SD card for my 5D3 if I didn't already have one, however, just to fill the slot.

 

[msatter]

I have always a SD card with WiFi capabilities in the camera and the smaller JPG files can be send to tablet or phone or other services to display the pictures.

When you insert a SD card in a 5D MKIII also the writing speed to the CF card is reduced due to design by Canon.

 

[Harry Muff]

Thanks for all the replies peeps. You've helped a lot in making my decision.




The question I have left, however, is whether anyone would trust ONLY an SD card? (For slower shootion situations of course.)


It's just that I will be running my MkII and MkIII side by side for a while, and can only afford to get an SD. So that'll have to go int the MkIII, and the CF stay in the MkII for the time being.

 

[Ripley]

The question I have left, however, is whether anyone would trust ONLY an SD card? (For slower shootion situations of course.)

I have never had one fail, so yes. I use Sandisk exclusively.

 

[bvukich]

When you insert a SD card in a 5D MKIII also the writing speed to the CF card is reduced due to design by Canon.

It only slows down if you're writing to SD, (i.e., RAW to CF, JPEG to SD), just having it in there does not slow down writing to CF.

 

[mwh1964]

I only use SD. No probs unless shooting raw continously

 

[Brymills]

I mostly shoot sport so only use CF. That said, I have thought that an SD card would mean that if I end up needing to change cards at a critical time I can carry on with the SD until a more opportune moment. Ideally I'd have a 1DX and 2 CF's but in reality that's not financially viable.

 

[darrellrhodesmiller]

i've really gotten in the habit of using SD cards in my 5d mk III. yes burst rate isnt as fast.. but i rarely shoot sports or anything fast.. its just about convienience. my mac has a built in sd card slot. its just easy to pop the sd card out of the camera and stick it directly in my laptop. nothing to plug in or dig for in my bag.

when i do need fast burst rates.. yes CF cards are a better choice and you can tell the difference.

 

[docholliday]

All of my 1's are loaded with both CF and SD, usually 32GB sets. The camera is usually set to write to the CF with the SD as overflow. That way, if I fill a card, I don't have to stop immediately and swap CFs.

However, during critical shoots (weddings) I would write to both for redundancy. That would have been a neat feature in the film days! Before this, I would only shoot 8GB single cards, so that each card could be written to a DVD+DL as a "negative" archive. I still teach new shooters to start with 4GB cards (1 card=1 DVD) to establish good habits.

Even when tethering, I still store at least one copy on a card. That way, should something happen to the tether box, I still have the RAWs and go from there.

 

[tpatana]

When you insert a SD card in a 5D MKIII also the writing speed to the CF card is reduced due to design by Canon.

It only slows down if you're writing to SD, (i.e., RAW to CF, JPEG to SD), just having it in there does not slow down writing to CF.

I remember reading someone did test on this (maybe at POTN), and the conclusion was that even having SD card in will slow down the CF card, because the data bus speed will default to slower speed. Having only CF will benefit higher data bus speed.

So I've never even inserted SD card. I guess I should try it works.

Disclaimer: I could be wrong, but I did read someone testing that and with such conclusion. I haven't tested myself.

 

[M.ST]

Forget SD-cards in a 5D Mark III. Canon put an old SD-card-controller in the camera.

Please put a 2 CF-card-slot in the 5D Mark IV. We don´t need sd-card for professional use.

 

[bvukich]

When you insert a SD card in a 5D MKIII also the writing speed to the CF card is reduced due to design by Canon.

It only slows down if you're writing to SD, (i.e., RAW to CF, JPEG to SD), just having it in there does not slow down writing to CF.

I remember reading someone did test on this (maybe at POTN), and the conclusion was that even having SD card in will slow down the CF card, because the data bus speed will default to slower speed. Having only CF will benefit higher data bus speed.

So I've never even inserted SD card. I guess I should try it works.

Disclaimer: I could be wrong, but I did read someone testing that and with such conclusion. I haven't tested myself.

I saw (probably) the same post, then I saw someone claim they were wrong... So I tested myself. There is no slowdown just having the SD in the camera, it only slows down if you are writing to it.

 

[East Wind Photography]

I've never had an issue using the SD card in the 5DIII other than you are limited to 6 or 7 frame bursts in RAW mode....compared to 13 or 14 with the CF card.

Thanks for all the replies peeps. You've helped a lot in making my decision.




The question I have left, however, is whether anyone would trust ONLY an SD card? (For slower shootion situations of course.)


It's just that I will be running my MkII and MkIII side by side for a while, and can only afford to get an SD. So that'll have to go int the MkIII, and the CF stay in the MkII for the time being.