Flash cards for upcoming overseas trip

[Xenedis]

4-8GB cards. I don't use anything larger as the cards do and will die when used often enough.

I haven't heard about this.

Can you explain a bit more about it?

[sunny6teen]

they do have a limited life expectancy as far as how many times you can write/format on them but it's so high that no one really worries about it.
I tend to get a failure every 1-2yrs or so but I figure that it's more to do with being outdoors. mine were just cases of failing to read but I know guys who've had corroded pins etc.
I do know that replacing a card with the camera on will pretty much put you on the 'failure shortlist'. it's a big no-no. as is switching the camera off when it's still writing. it used to be a problem when cards were slower but maybe not such a big deal now. though I imagine if you have noise reduction switched on it would be easy to think that the camera had finished writing before switching it off.

you'll be fine. if a card does fail, just don't use it again. chances of recovery are better than average. I've had images restored...interestingly, it also restored images from several shoots previous (despite me formatting each time).

just remember to take everything with you. film is still popular in africa and buying digital stuff can be a problem. (south africa would be the exception).
even in Egypt (world's tourist hot-spot) buying a CF card outside of Cairo was pretty difficult. I managed to track one down on a passing river cruise ship. considering its rarity I was bracing myself for the price...particularly as I'd been warned about how pricey it would probably be.
turned out to be the same price as in Australia....but about 3wks salary for the guy who sold it. no one stocks digital slr stuff because no one can afford it.

I haven't heard about this.

Can you explain a bit more about it?

[Xenedis]

I can't wait to see the wildlife when you get back!

If all goes to plan, you'll see them while we're still there.

The kit MArianne and I work with is 2X16GB and 1X8GB cards each - we tend to back up religiously every day though - just in case - you never know! (on to laptop and external HDD 2.5")

Interesting to hear that your approach is also fairly light-weight, and essentially mirrors what I'll be doing.

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they do have a limited life expectancy as far as how many times you can write/format on them but it's so high that no one really worries about it.

Yep, that's true of any solid-state storage.

I do know that replacing a card with the camera on will pretty much put you on the 'failure shortlist'. it's a big no-no. as is switching the camera off when it's still writing.

I generally don't open the flash compartment with the camera on. Not a big concern for me.

though I imagine if you have noise reduction switched on it would be easy to think that the camera had finished writing before switching it off.

I disabled long-exposure noise reduction. I'd rather do noise reduction (if necessary) in post, and when you're shooting a minutes-long exposure in the dawn light (which intensifies rapidly), dark frame subtraction is evil, as each exposure takes twice as long.

you'll be fine. if a card does fail, just don't use it again. chances of recovery are better than average. I've had images restored...interestingly, it also restored images from several shoots previous (despite me formatting each time).

I'm not particularly worried, as I've never had a flash card fail, and the one I use all the time is one I've owned and used for over four years.

just remember to take everything with you. film is still popular in africa and buying digital stuff can be a problem. (south africa would be the exception).

I have no film cameras any more. :-)

South Africa is where we'll be.

Getting back to your earlier post, I got the impression that you were saying there's an issue with failure of larger-capacity cards, which might be why you don't use them.

The only issue of which I'm aware is the fact that all of your proverbial eggs are in one basket, so if a card does fail, you can lose a lot more than if you had images spread across a quantity of smaller cards.

[sunny6teen]

no, I was only referring to the 'eggs in one basket' scenario. all cards have the potential to fail regardless of size.