M8 and SDHC

egpj

egpj

50 Summilux is da DEVIL!
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So far I have not seen anything that plainly states the new M8 will use SDHC. The Leica M8 is not listed on Sandisk's website as accepting the new SDHC and so far Leica has not listed cards that can be used with the M8 on their website. Of course if you look at any of the Leica info they list the website as a reference. That kind of stuff makes me nervous as a consumer. Today I contacted Tony Rose about the new SDHC Ultra II's coming from Sandisk but I am wondering if I should buy with the lack of info coming out of Leica about this very important issue.

Please, all those who want to say "well, Leica says it will work with cards up to 4 gig." Save it man. I would more readily believe that was about SDHC if Leica said plainly "SDHC cards" Usually when a manufacturer adopts the new tech they toot their horn so that everyone can hear. Wouldn't that just suck if we could not take advantage of that new format!?!:mad:
 
Yeah, but the market of M8 users for Sandisk is so tiny, they probably don't care. M8 sales aren't even a drop in the bucket in the digi world.

-grant
 
True, but my point is that no where is Leica saying "SDHC". Yeah, I know "4GB"=SDHC but call me a doubting Thomas but I need to see Leica say SDHC.
 
I also don't believe Leica is foolish enough to make such a false performance statement, press-wise. They risk their reputation and brand equity, which for them, is everything.

That stated, I did wait until I put the camera in my hands before I placed an order, so I can appreciate your concern.

-grant
 
According to Sandisk the camera must say "SDHC". Hey sorry to be prude about it or act like a stuck record but you have to really.
 
The highest I have seen is 2gig non-SDHC. That is one reason why it is so perplexing for Leica to not say SDHC as the standard the camera will read. I want to see it in writing. Is that so hard for Leica? Someone up there has to be a "Technical Writer". Why they could even say to the web guy, "hey, put this blurb on the website that the M8 accepts "SDHC cards" up to 4gig capacity."

I don't know about stuff like this though (partly the reason I posted this). Maybe they have other issues which prevent them from using the term "SDHC".
 
dhoelscher said:
Well ... the 4 Gig SD card from this manufacturer doesn't anywhere display the SDHC logo (nor is it described as such in the text) ...

http://www.hoodmanusa.com/securedigital.asp


Dave Hoelscher
Click to expand...


Well, that scoops it for me. Some assurance is that Tony Rose has emailed me and assured me that all of the new cameras support the new SDHC standard. I just want Leica to say it in thier camera specs info.:angel: :confused:
 
Prior to the SD 2.0 standard (SDHC) 4GB cards were usable if the host used FAT32 formatting. SDHC brought about a different method of addressing (sector vs. byte) and enhanced speed.
 
dhoelscher said:
Well ... the 4 Gig SD card from this manufacturer doesn't anywhere display the SDHC logo (nor is it described as such in the text) ...
Click to expand...

Not true, when you order the 4GB card you get a reminder that says:

"4 GB Cards can only be used in cameras that support the FAT32 file system. If you are not sure, check your owners manual or contact your camera manufacturer to see if your camera supports the FAT32 file system."

cheers Olivier
 
Who cares? Imho it is pretty stupid to use 4Gb cards anyway. One card breaks down, lose 400 shots. Much safer to use 4 1 gig cards or even 8 500Mb ones...
 
jaapv said:
Who cares? Imho it is pretty stupid to use 4Gb cards anyway. One card breaks down, lose 400 shots. Much safer to use 4 1 gig cards or even 8 500Mb ones...
Click to expand...

Jappv:

I agree that smaller cards are better but I probably wouldn't go so far as to say using larger cards is stupid. Maybe risk seeking :D My rule is 2 GB max.


egpj:

As far as getting a definitive answer, why don't you email Leica tech support. I've found them to be very responsive.
 
just because you have a 4 gig card in your camera doesn't mean you have to fill it - it only means that you don't have to stop shooting to change it until you reach a convenient time when you won't miss an importaint shot.

Is that what you mean by "stupid"?
 
jaapv said:
Who cares? Imho it is pretty stupid to use 4Gb cards anyway. One card breaks down, lose 400 shots. Much safer to use 4 1 gig cards or even 8 500Mb ones...
Click to expand...

Well, it has been pointed out in other discussions of this subject that using 4 1Gig cards in place of 1 4gig card increases the ODDS of a card failure by 4x.

Assuming (he grabs a number out of thin air) one in 10,000 cards fail, with 1 large card you have 1 chance in 10,000 of a failure that loses ALL your pictures, whereas with 4 smaller cards you have 1 chance in 2,500 of a failure that loses 1/4 of your pictures. (or with 8 smaller cards, 1 chance in 1,250 of losing 1/8th of your pictures).

Plus the extra wear and tear on contacts of increased card swapping.

Basically one must choose between a low-probability, high-risk event, or a higher-probability, lower-risk event.

Even so, I'm with JAPPV in that I prefer a moderate number of moderate-size cards, simply because it helps me keep shoots organized, and I don't have to download all 4 gigs at once (or dig around in the DCIM folder trying to read file numbers) to get to one or two shots.

Are there ANY SD cards (or cameras that take them) that are 4 gigs and NOT SDHC-compliant?

If so, Leica should clarify. If not, then saying the M8 works with 4-gig cards is logically equivalent to saying it is SDHC-compliant, so far as I can see.
 
Honestly I was under the impression that the SDHC cards would have higher read and write times. That is my main reason for being interested in the format. Anyone who has had to languish in the wait time with the Digilux2 shooting raw would understand. The high capacity is nice to have when things are going along and you are in "the zone" while shooting. You do not need to interrupt and switch cards until it becomes convenient. Higher capacity also allows for more creative approaches to be explored in one shoot. I personally do not want to become a digital chimper. I'll review when I get back to the hotel and decide what to keep there. A high capacity card will help that aim.
 
jaapv said:
Who cares? Imho it is pretty stupid to use 4Gb cards anyway. One card breaks down, lose 400 shots. Much safer to use 4 1 gig cards or even 8 500Mb ones...
Click to expand...

It depends on what makes you comfortable. I've never lost a file to a bad card but I only buy Sandisks from reputable authorized vendors (fear of fakes).

Personally, I like a card that will hold 200 pictures for a day shoot. But some may like 4GB cards. But would find carrying 4 to 6 500Mb cards a bit of a chore, not to mention confusing.

Rex
 
SDHC (SD 2.0), besides the increase in storage, brings in higher speed. There are now three classes of speed ratings (2, 4, 6 MB/s), each being the minimum. For all you ever wanted to know (or not), see: http://www.sdcard.com/
 
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