I'm currently using Sandisk Extreme 8gb cards with my D700 and other bodies. I'm guessing I'll need to buy larger cards for larger file sizes, how much card will I need for still images and video? I'd also like to know if you have a preference between SD and CF cards?

mVs
D2H, D2x, D300s, D700 & D800

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Check D800 Brochure here:

http://www.nikonusa.com/en_US/o/Y6wrkA9OU_z04IreazIXl_22UII/PDF/D800_Brochure.pdf

Last page shows file storage on a 8 gb card. So for uncompressed 14-bit RAW and Loss-less compressed 14-bit RAW, you only get 103 stills, no if you shoot jpeg its for large fine jpeg it is 360 stills

I would recommend 32 gb cards (one 32 gb CF Card and one 32 Gb SD Card) to be honest if you shoot RAW so you can have about 824 stills on camera storage...

Hope this helps

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I just ordered a Lexar LECF1000X64G
64 GB PRO COMPACT FLASH CARD (1000x)

and a Lexar LESD133X128G
128GB Professional 133x SDXC Card

My plan is to use one for video and the other for raw stills. But, my plans may change as I learn to use this camera. I think this kind of setup will become much more the norm than the smaller cards we have used on our D700s.

I think you can forget about an 8gb card unless you want to carry around bunches of them.

Larry Miller, Annapolis, MD
D700/D800
http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9
http://lmmillerphotography.smugmug.com/

My only "strategy" over the years has been to slowly add capacity at the next size/speed that makes sense for me, which is usually one or two generations off of the most leading edge (too bad I don't follow this strategy with cameras, would save me a lot of money ).

Then once I get enough of a critical mass built up, at the fastest speed and near fastest speed that my cameras support, I stop completely.

For example going from 8Gbs that you currently own, I'd be tempted initially to buy just one 32GB (or maybe 16Gb) of both a CF and SD and at a speed the camera supports which is from memory UDMA-7 and UHS-1. In general this strategy is optimal to not buy any card that is faster than your camera can clear the buffer (assuming this is ever an issue for you - for me fast buffer clearing is definitely a big consideration since it normally implies something really great is going on which is why the buffer is getting full).

BTW SD cards have in general only been half as fast as their contemporary CF corollaries, which can be a bit annoying if you have been spoilt by CF in the past.

Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
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My largest CF card now is 4 GB for my D200. I am going to get a 64 GB CF for the D800 for a similar amount of images to my crop of 4 and 2 GB cards on the D200.

Shoot nature with respect and don't trample it or startle its inhabitants.

Video does not need as fast a card as stills FYI. So Larry's strategy of using an SD for video (since they are generally slower) and CF for stills makes sense.

I don't know the optimum speeds for video from the D800, but for example on the D7000 you can get away with a card as slow as a Class 6 for video recording, which is pretty slow. So maybe minimum Class 10 SD just to be safe on the D800. Bearing in mind that if you have the SD configured as overflow for the CF, that your stills can get directed to the SD.

Anyhow perhaps counterintuitively my point is, that it's the still buffer clearing that is far more demanding on card speed than is video. Anyhow perhaps a moot point about Class 6 or 10 unless you have some old ones kicking around, since it is probably advisable because of the speed of the camera to get a minimum UHS-1 for the SD card (and UDMA mode 7 for CF).

Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
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I already have 32GB SanDisk 30, 45, and 95MBs cards so I will try each before getting more.

The Lexar 1000x card seems overrated to me.
I do care about the read speed but it is the write speed that relates to camera performance.
So I will start with the cheaper 600x CF cards that also spec at a sustained 20MBs Video speed.

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