Sandisk Extreme IV and Extreme IV Firewire Test Results and Photo

[MDJAK]

I just ordered the combo of the Extreme IV 4gb along with the Extreme IV Firewire reader. Does anybody have any experience with this combination that they can report? I'm hoping I get a great increase in speed of transfer to my computer. Anybody point me to reviews on the web?

Thanks,
mark

[Big Mike]

I read in a magazine that the Extreme IV cards are the fastest cards avaliable...by a good margin. Let us know how well it works.

[ipacmm]

I would also be interested to see how you like them, I am thinking about buying that set but I am wondering if it is worth it.

[MDJAK]

Got 'em. I'll have to run a stopwatch countdown to compare speed between the extreme III with the usb2.0 reader and the extreme IV with the firewire reader.

Until then:

http://i.pbase.com/o5/12/533712/1/67592555.42K4206A.extreme.jpg

[MDJAK]

Just did a very quick, very unscientific test.

Shot until buffer was full, 11 raw shots, continuous drive.

Extreme III results: 11 seconds until first file displayed on lcd screen; 14 seconds until red light went off indicating writing to card completed.

Extreme IV results: 8 seconds until first file displayed on lcd screen; 11 seconds until red light went off indicating writing to card completed.

I believe that to be a considerable increase in speed. And when shooting bursts of 16.7 mp, the added speed is very noticeable.

For me, that is worth it alone.

I'm yet to try the read speed of the firewire reader transferring a full card. Stay tuned.


mark

[ipacmm]

Looks good, where did you buy yours at?

[MDJAK]

B&H, of course.

I've got some more results.

Let me first say I'm not a very didactic or scientific person.

That said, I just did a test of transferring full cards, the Extreme IV and III.

The IV transferred into my Mac in 2 minutes 30 seconds.

The III transferred into my Mac in 4 minutes 40 seconds.

Both were with the new firewire reader.

Placing the Extreme IV into a Sandisk USB 2.0 reader yielded a snail's pace. Eight minutes. I didn't bother with the III.

For me, and I would say anyone who values their time and regularly transfers large amounts of photographs, it is a great value.

mark

[CoolToolGuy]

I got the combo from B&H, but I haven't been out with it yet.

Ironically, I checked the Rob Galbraith database (after I got the Extreme IV), and noted that the Extreme IV is the fastest CF card available for the 1D MK II N, but the Extreme III SD card still beats it by a mile. That didn't change anything for me, since I use SD cards as a default in the 1D2N, and I got the Extreme IV for my 20D, but it pointed out to me how much faster the SD cards are, and that the future for all of us may be SD cards. . .

Sorry to go OT, but it is sort of related.

Have Fun,

[Calzinger]

That's extreme. Now if only my camera could actually take advantage of that speed...
I'm surprised they kept the "Extreme" to the IV. They should've named it the Sandisk Ridiculousness IV.

[Trung_EP3CTR]

Amazing, Firewire is so much faster.
I just wish the reader supports other types of memory card instead of CF alone.