SD to CF 1 and SD to CF2

[rhys]

Has anybody seen the SD to CF 1 and SD to CF2 adaptors?

I keep reading about them and how good they are and I'm wondering three things:

1. Is it just a flash in the pan since SD is slowly being replaced by a smaller SD card?
2. Where can they be obtained in the US (excluding e-bay sources as I don't feel e-bay is somewhere one should buy new items **).
3. What's the maximum size of SD card that can be used in one?

[DavidW]

I think 'full size' SD cards will be around for some time. Smaller SD formats (mini SD and micro SD) do exist, largely for mobile phones, but they are often more expensive and lag in capacity against full size SD cards.

Full size SD cards seem idea for the current batch of compact cameras - certainly that's what Canon use.


The maximum size of an SD card is 2GB, because that's the maximum size allowed in the SecureDigital Association specification - see here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=197503) for more details. For 4GB to 32GB, you need SD HC, which is the same form factor, but electronically incompatible with SD (SD HC devices are likely to support SD for cards up to 2GB, but SD devices without SD HC support won't work with SD HC cards).

If you want to be very safe, stick to 1GB SD cards - the original version of the SD specification only allowed for 1GB cards, and some devices don't work properly with 2GB cards. On the other hand, there are few if any devices that aren't happy with cards of 1GB or smaller.

The 4GB "SD" cards break the standard and I recommend that you avoid them.


There are two types of these adapters - the sort that fit in a CompactFlash slot and have a 'lump' hanging out where you insert the card, and the sort where the SD card fits entirely into the volume of a CompactFlash card. The first sort are often multi-card readers (I have one that supports SD, Memory Stick and SmartMedia). I'd expect the second sort to be Type II because of the depth involved.

My experience isn't that good of the CompactFlash card adapter I have, though it's not the type I suspect you're after. No matter which of my SD cards I use in it - it seems to corrupt on large transfers whether it's in a card reader on a PC, or the CompactFlash slot of my iPAQ. This has to act as a warning - you're introducing another level of complexity, which may affect robustness and can only worsen performance. I presume that you're intending to use one to use an SD card in a non-1 series DSLR.

I suspect the compatibility and reliability issues may be why these devices aren't entirely mainstream. Add in the size limits on SD, and I'm not sure they're that attractive an opion. I know you have some links with the UK, so you'll understand what I say when I say that they're available from Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=48016). A similar product is available here (http://www.digitalera.co.uk/product/sd-card-to-type-ii-compact-flash-card-adapter.html).

There is (or at least was) a Minolta branded adapter - see here (http://www.camerahacker.com/Minolta/SD-CF1.shtml) for a review and some comments. The reviewer noted some compatibility issues.



David

[rhys]

Aha. I thought there might be a snag. It seems that there are quite a few:
1. Too many SD standards (even SD is an offshoot from MM).
2. SD having a low maximum capacity. That pretty much nails SD as dead.
3. Communication issues.

It looks like CF is here to stay for at least a while longer. When things get complicated in the way MS has, people tend to get very turned off. That's certainly true for me. I want to be able to pick up one type of card and to know that it'll work. CF does that as does XD. Looks like SD and MS are heading down the path of being also-rans.

[Rellik]

I have this one here:

http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/eagletec_sd_to_cf_ii_card_adapter_review

Using it on my Rebel XT without any problems so far. I assume there might be some performance hit on the read and write speed, but I haven't experienced in my use.