I don’t maintain again phrases for gear that has fancy specs however will not be constructed to be a workhorse for high-volume photographers capturing underneath varied circumstances. With all of the spectacular expertise connected to the SanDisk Professional-Cinema CF Categorical card, I got down to see if it was not solely as quick and high-powered because it touts but additionally if it was constructed with the sturdiness that I anticipate once I’m investing in gear.
I took this card for a check run over a couple of weeks and introduced it all over the place my shoots have been scheduled. It got here on my industrial haircare shoot (wherein I shot inside a bathe with water splashing all over the place), within the studio working with off digicam mild and bursts for “splash” photographs, and extra.
I additionally plan on bringing it in a couple of weeks for my 3-day sports activities shoot within the scorching desert of Abu-Dhabi to see the way it withstands solar and warmth. I like fancy specs, however I additionally like when gear can face up to humidity, water, warmth, chilly, and the whole lot else that’s a part of my life as a industrial photographer.
As you possibly can collect by the cardboard’s title, this card had videographers on their thoughts when it was designed. With flawless 8k video seize and minimal sustained 1,400 MB/s write speeds, it’s designed to be a workhorse on lengthy skilled filming units. Setting all of the spectacular specs apart that attraction to videographers, let me inform you what I appreciated about it as a photographer.
Blazing Quick Burst and Write Speeds
On sports activities shoots, a card’s burst and write speeds make or break your capability to “get the shot.” Simply as runners lunge ahead on the end line to achieve that additional half-second which makes or breaks their race, a card’s writing velocity could make or break your hero shot. The distinction between getting 3 or 12 full-resolution uncooked photographs as an athlete crosses the end line is invaluable. This card delivers burst speeds of as much as 1,500 MB/s and write speeds of 1,700 MB/s. (Mic drop.)
For those who want a card you possibly can depend on to maintain up with the animals working by way of your wildlife images, the birds lifting off the water’s floor, or a boxer delivering the title-winning uppercut, this card’s velocity is one you possibly can depend on to get the job finished.
Accelerated Offload Speeds
For those who’re within the enterprise of caring about burst charges, you’re additionally aware of offload speeds. I don’t just like the idea of “spray and pray” images, however many varieties of images result in a whole lot, and generally 1000’s of photographs a day, particularly when motion is concerned. After an extended day of labor, the very last thing photographers need to do is impatiently stroll by their pc to see gradual obtain progress throughout late-night offloading. This card was designed with “super-accelerated offload speeds.”
Sturdiness
Gear with the ability to take the exhausting circumstances that photographers generally discover themselves in is a non-negotiable for me. There are some extremely marketed items of drugs I’ve bought through the years that may’t take being splashed, dropped, withstanding excessive temperatures, and so forth. The reality is these circumstances are normative for some photographers. Our gear needs to be designed to work within the circumstances we work in. A lot of our readers spend lengthy days on panorama shoots, weathering rain, frost, warmth, and humidity. While you {photograph} repeatedly, you inevitably drop gear, go away it within the solar, get caught in a rainstorm, and lots of different situations that require sturdiness. Our gear should be capable to face up to the circumstances we face as photographers. I’m happy to report that this card was designed with these circumstances in thoughts. The rugged design can face up to as much as 1-meter drops and as much as 50 Newtons (11.2 kilos).
In an effort to see if it met my requirements of sturdiness, I got here up with a dangerous experiment. I used to be strongly apprehensive about working it. The truth is, I used to be so apprehensive that I made an Instagram ballot and most of the people voted to not run the check on the danger of frying a $300 card. However for you, my beloved readers, I carried out the check anyway. In any case, if I’m going to advocate that you simply buy this card, I need to know that it’ll survive the lifetime of a working photographer. Towards my photographer intuition, I introduced the cardboard into my studio and set it up for a splash session.
I needed to check if it might survive getting a little bit moist. By “a little bit moist”, I didn’t fairly get the shot I used to be on the lookout for off the bat, so I ended up dousing the cardboard roughly 10 occasions, as an alternative of my deliberate one or two occasions. I carried out the check reside from my studio, wiped it off, and apprehensively introduced it off to my pc. To my shock, all of the recordsdata survived the dousing. Since water injury generally reveals itself over time, I’ve continued to examine the cardboard within the days since, and I’m pleased to report it’s working because it was once I first took it out of the field. I don’t advocate duplicating this check at residence. However I’m pleased to report that the cardboard was designed, as marketed, with sturdiness in thoughts.
Who Is This Card for?
The Professional-Cinema SanDisk Professional, as its title reveals, is designed with videographers in thoughts. Videography requires extra reminiscence and velocity than images does. The query then turns into, is that this card vital for photographers or is it overkill? It is determined by your values. Ought to folks solely purchase a Toyota as a result of they drive on roads that wouldn’t make the most of the complete functionality of a Maserati? In fact not. For myself, I don’t thoughts spending a little bit bit extra on a chunk that I can depend on. I would favor to spend $300, by no means miss a shot, and know my gear is sturdy than to spend $200 and get by with a decrease high quality. The truth that it’s backed by a lifetime restricted guarantee is an added incentive to put money into a card that can all the time ship. This card can be good for the hybrid photographer-videographer. One other utilization that might be good for this card is as a backup card on sports activities shoots. Quantity sport who shoot occasions with a whole lot or 1000’s of individuals like a marathon photographer for instance, are sometimes required to shoot “small JPEG”. A few of them shoot RAW on a backup card in case they seize a picture they need to use for his or her portfolio. The scale of the 640 GB ($699) or the 320 GB ($319) are perfect for this goal.
Closing Ideas
As I discussed in my introduction, I get actually irked by delicate gear. I just lately wrote an article that landed me on 3 convention calls with one of many largest digicam manufacturers within the trade. The reality is although, I want gear that I can depend on. Interval. From my expertise over the previous few weeks, this card not solely has all essentially the most superior expertise, but it surely appears really to be constructed with sturdiness in thoughts.
Pull over Toyotas, that is one Maserati I’m shopping for.
