Skip to navigation | Skip to content

Share your knowledge. Make a difference.

Pictures Hate Glass Ceilings: Get a Better CF Camera Card!

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 4 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #3475 in Tech

0 people favorited this page (yet!)

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Squid Giant

Created by Pixelrage (contact me)

Vastly increase the length of your photo sessions by storing much more images... upgrade to a better Compact F...  (more...)

Start your own Squidoo page

Your fans are waiting!

Upgrade to a Better Compact Flash Card

 

CF or CompactFlash cards are data storage devices for the pictures you take, that help you keep snapping & storing while out on your photography journeys. Higher megapixel cameras demand higher performance cards, making the selection of a great performing, high-capacity CF card a necessity. Additionally, photographers using large image formats such as higher-quality TIF or RAW files will demand cards with more space.
In recent years, higher capacity cards have been released, but which are considered the best choices? Here, I'll list the optimal CF cards for your review, based on ratings and performance.

Menu:
Choosing the Right CF Card | Choosing the Right CF Card by the Numbers
Top Rated Cards: 512 MB | 1 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB

Perhaps you'll also like: Best Camera Lenses | Best Camera Bags

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Choosing the Right CF Card 

There are generally three factors to consider when buying your new CF card:

1) It must be a card type compatible with your camera. If you're using an older camera, be sure to read the manual (or manufacturer's website) first. Look for the part of the manual describing compatible CF card types. For instance, some older cameras cannot support CF cards with a capacity over 2 GB.

2) Write speed: This is the speed at which data is written to the card once a picture is taken. You'll obviously want a fast write speed, but another factor thrown in will include your camera's read & write speed. In other words, a fast CF card and a slow camera won't exactly make for an optimal end result (although, it won't hurt your camera or the card).

3) Storage space: A self-explanatory factor. Just like PC hard drives, you'll want the largest size card for the work you'll be doing. If you only take pictures at family events and holidays, obviously - you won't need overkill in terms of storage space. However, if you're taking high resolution pictures for your portfolio with a modern SLR camera, then you'll want the top-of-the-line card only.

Choosing the Right CF Card by the Numbers 

Determine what speed & storage amount is sufficient for your camera type:

Lesser CF Cards are now becoming outdated, as 1GB cards appear to be the new "low standard." Here is a chart outlining the minimum requirements based on your camera type:

4 megapixel (or lesser) cameras
-CF card speed: not applicable for this camera type
-CF card storage space: at least 128 MB

5 megapixel cameras
-CF card speed: 32x-50x
-CF card storage space: at least 256 MB

6 megapixel cameras
-CF card speed: 40x-60x
-CF card storage space: at least 256 MB

7 megapixel cameras
-CF card speed: 50x-80x
-CF card storage space: at least 512 MB

8 megapixel cameras
-CF card speed: The fastest possible card
-CF card storage space: at least 512 MB

9 megapixel cameras
-CF card speed: The fastest possible card
-CF card storage space: at least 1 GB

10 megapixel (or higher) cameras
-CF card speed: The fastest possible card
-CF card storage space: at least 4 GB

Source: Dubbin, R., Grunin, L. Picking the Right Card for Your Camera (2007). CNET Networks, Inc.

Current Top-Rated [64 MB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 64 MB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

Fujifilm 64 MB CompactFlash Card

64Mb CompactFlash Memory Card.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $62.99

Current Top-Rated [512 MB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 512 MB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

Lexar Media 512 MB CompactFlash (CF512-231) (Retail Package)

512 MB. Lexar 4X technology.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $129.99

Kingston 512 MB Type I CompactFlash Card (CF/512) (Retail Package)

512 MB. 6 Mbps read rate, 5 Mbps write rate.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $16.25 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $49.99

Kingston 512 MB CompactFlash Card (CF/512-S) (Retail Package)

512 MB. 50x Speed, 10MBs read rate, 8MBs write rate

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $23.50 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $26.99

SimpleTech STI-CF/512 512MB CompactFlash Card

512 MB. Write speeds of 1.5MB per second (10X).

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $27.99

Current Top-Rated [1 GB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 1 GB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

SanDisk SDCFH-1024-901 1 GB Ultra II CompactFlash Card (Retail Package)

1 GB. Write speed of 9 MB/s, read speed of 10 MB/s.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $15.19 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $69.99

SanDisk SDCFX3-1024-901 1 GB Extreme III CompactFlash Card (Retail Package)

1 GB. 20 MB/sec sequential read/write speed.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $29.30 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $89.99

SimpleTech 1GB CompactFlash Type I Memory Card (STI-CF/1GB)

1 GB. 10X speed, writes at 1.5MB per second.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $99.95

Kingston 1024 MB CompactFlash Card (CF/1GB, Retail Package)

1 GB. 6 Mbps read rate, 5 Mbps write rate.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $27.99

SanDisk SDCFB-1024-A10 1GB CF Type 1 Card (Retail Package)

1 GB. High transfer rate for fast copy/download operations, weather tolerant.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $20.79 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $59.99

Current Top-Rated [2 GB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 2 GB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

Transcend 2GB 45X CompactFlash Memory Card

2 GB. 45x speed.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $11.85 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $124.99

SanDisk 2GB ULTRA II CompactFlash Card (SDCFH-2048-901)

2 GB. Write speed of 9 MB/s and a read speed of 10 MB/s.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $21.00 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $99.99

Kingston CF/2GB-S 2 GB ElitePro CompactFlash Card (Retail Package)

2 GB. 50x Speed, 10MB/s read rate, 8MB/s write rate.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $32.50 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $99.99

Kingston 2GB Ultimate CompactFlash Memory Card (CF/2GB-U), Retail Package

2 GB. 100x speed, 20 MB/s read rate and 16 MB/s write rate.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $44.95 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $52.00

Transcend 2G Cf Card 120X

2 GB. Read 20 MB/sec, Write 18 MB/sec.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $40.22 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $53.23

Current Top-Rated [4 GB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 4 GB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

Lexar Media 4GB 80X PRO SERIES CF-CARD WA ENABLED ( CFB4GB-80-380 )

4 GB. Write speeds of 12 mb/s - 80x (12 MB/s).

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $822.76

Kingston 4GB Compactflash Card Ultimate

100x speed, 20 MB/s read rate and 16 MB/s write rate

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $127.18

Kingston CF/4GB-S 4 GB ElitePro CompactFlash Card (Retail Package)

4 GB. 45x Speed, 8MB/s read rate, 6.75MB/s write rate.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $47.50 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $229.99

Transcend 4GB Ultra-Speed 120x CompactFlash Card - Green (TS4GCF120)

4 GB. Read 20 MB/sec, Write 18 MB/sec.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $65.95 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $79.99

Transcend 4GB 45X CompactFlash Memory Card

4 GB. 4 pcs of 1Gx8 Flash Memory.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $49.95 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $59.99

Current Top-Rated [8 GB] CF Cards 

This updated list is for current top rated 8 GB cards, by sales volume and ranking:

8GB Compactflash Card Ultimate

8 GB. Write speed rating of 133x.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $121.12 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $189.77

Transcend 8Gb Cf Card 120X

8 GB. Read 20 MB/sec, Write 18 MB/sec.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $118.77 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $214.24

SanDisk 8GB/15MB Ultra II CF Card ( SDCFH-008G-A11, US Retail Package )

8 GB. Write speed of 9MB/s and a read speed of 10MB/s.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $62.62 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $129.99

CF Cards Feedback: 

superjim

I was looking at Flash Memory for my cam cause the write speed at the moment is too slow. Your lens has helped, thanks.

Posted October 29, 2007

Today's Deals on Digital Camera CF Cards: 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by
X

Hi, I'm Pixelrage

Pixelrage

Join my fan club

Vastly increase the length of your photo sessions by storing much more images... upgrade to a better Compact Flash card today, and use your current one as a backup!

More pages by me...

See all my pages

X

Gold Star

This is a certified gold star lens, which means it's the best of its kind on Squidoo (or shows some serious potential for getting there!)

Read more about gold stars »

X

Pixelrage is a Giant Squid!

Giants are distinguished by their exceptional skill for making top-notch lenses, and lots of them. Whenever you land on a Giant Squid's lens, you know the person behind it is passionate about the topic and is hard at work making the lens worthy of your time and attention.

Learn more about what it takes to be a Giant »