I’ve been reading your bog for a very long time (it must be a decade at least), and you’ve always been religious when it comes to redundancy.
I mean you’ve written many times about always being prepared, and always carrying duplicate (even triplicate) bodies in case disaster strikes.
So why the snark when it comes to two card slots?
When it comes to failures I would image both cards and cameras fail fairly infrequently these days (espeically at the rate you swap them out). So why is having backup bodies a solid strategy, but card slots not?
And even if you deem them unnecessary, why not recognise that others may have a legitmate use case for them.
Over the years there are a number of go-to topics that really seem to bring out your petty unreasoanble side (GPS anyone?), they stand out precisely becuase you normally seem so much relaxed about things.
I don’t know, it leaves a bitter taste to me, and it just seems uncool.
Okay. I'll bite. I'm overstating the two card slot slagging because the huge amount of press chatter about the absolute need for two card slots has become over the top. As if a camera won't even work without two card slots. The last time I used the two card slots for redundancy (which seems to be the issue) was when I was doing a photo session with Dell Executives and Bill Clinton back in 2012. It was one of the few times when a re-shoot would have been impossible. That was 2012. I think the latest memory cards are amazingly reliable and the use of two cards for every shoot seems like overkill to me. Especially since we can chimp and check images all day long while we shoot.
I still believe in redundant bodies because there are still mechanical, moving parts that are much, much less reliable than electronic parts. Also, sometimes assistants and even clients can accidentally drop cameras. Finally, if the issue is a camera glitch that causes mis-writes it's going to hit both cards.
We worked for over a decade with digital cameras that came with ONLY ONE CARD and I guess I've gotten used to the workflow and the risk. I'm asking people not to overlook a good camera if the ONLY thing is the lack of an EXTRA card slot.
GPS? Still one of the stupidest things I can think of to encumber a camera with... Still haven't heard a good argument for its use.
Yes. Other people have a use for two cards. Yes, they can write their own blogs.
As to the bitter taste....I am only human and have my own set of prejudices and exaggerated preferences. If you've read the last 3,807 blog posts you'd already recognize that.
In your honor I will use both card slots in my cameras tomorrow.
(FYI: if you use a UHS2 card in the "A" slot of most cameras and a slower card in the second slot your camera performance declines to match the slowest card. In 4K 10 bit video this means both cards in the slots MUST be brutally expensive V-90 rated cards in order to provide the throughput for the system, not just the "A" card. At $250-$300 a card this means adding $300 per camera for that two card excitement. Over three cameras that comes out to nearly an extra $1,000...... but hey, I guess no one else is on a budget....
Actually, I think I do have a solid rationale for 2 slots. I’m not a pro or even a very good amateur, but I configure slot 1 for RAW and slot 2 for small, basic JPG. The JPGs are about 1megabyte, which transfer quickly on to my iPad, take up little space, look really good on the tablet, and post readily to FB over slow Internet connections. The big RAW files wait till I get home and pick the images that deserve post processing-a depressing few in my case....
Your response was a thought provoking and useful lesson. Probably not one you intended to give, but I got a lot from it. So thank you.
> GPS? Still one of the stupidest things I can think of to encumber a camera with... Still haven't heard a good argument for its use.
Assuming you are not being deliberately provocative (which is consistent with your previous posts on the subject), I'm surprised you really can't see use cases where the value of automatically appending location data to a photo's metadata would be of value. I mean even a passing contemplation of other lifestyles or vocations would highlight why it would be a useful addition.
Back in 2010 (after a 4 month, 13 country 'photo' trip around the world... goodbye life savings to date) I wrote a list of criteria for what I wanted in 'my' ideal camera, GPS was high on that list for obvious reasons. This year there was actually a body in a system that met all the criteria. I'm very happy with it. I still travel.
> If you've read the last 3,807 blog posts you'd already recognize that.
Yup the patterns get clearer each year. I started back around your EP-1 days, maybe a bit earlier. Though my earliest note I saved for my own edification (I went back into my notes app to find it) was this one:
We Moderate Comments, Yours might not appear right after you hit return. Be patient; I'm usually pretty quick on getting comments up there. Try not to hit return again and again.... If you disagree with something I've written please do so civilly. Be nice or see your comments fly into the void. Anonymous posters are not given special privileges or dispensation. If technology alone requires you to be anonymous your comments will likely pass through moderation if you "sign" them. A new note: Don't tell me how to write or how to blog! I can't make you comment but I don't want to wade through spam!
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7 comments:
Must have been due to the dual card slots! 😀
Rick
Gosh Golly! I'd forgotten there were TWO card slots because ...... well..... real photographers only need one...
I don’t get it.
I’ve been reading your bog for a very long time (it must be a decade at least), and you’ve always been religious when it comes to redundancy.
I mean you’ve written many times about always being prepared, and always carrying duplicate (even triplicate) bodies in case disaster strikes.
So why the snark when it comes to two card slots?
When it comes to failures I would image both cards and cameras fail fairly infrequently these days (espeically at the rate you swap them out). So why is having backup bodies a solid strategy, but card slots not?
And even if you deem them unnecessary, why not recognise that others may have a legitmate use case for them.
Over the years there are a number of go-to topics that really seem to bring out your petty unreasoanble side (GPS anyone?), they stand out precisely becuase you normally seem so much relaxed about things.
I don’t know, it leaves a bitter taste to me, and it just seems uncool.
Okay. I'll bite. I'm overstating the two card slot slagging because the huge amount of press chatter about the absolute need for two card slots has become over the top. As if a camera won't even work without two card slots. The last time I used the two card slots for redundancy (which seems to be the issue) was when I was doing a photo session with Dell Executives and Bill Clinton back in 2012. It was one of the few times when a re-shoot would have been impossible. That was 2012. I think the latest memory cards are amazingly reliable and the use of two cards for every shoot seems like overkill to me. Especially since we can chimp and check images all day long while we shoot.
I still believe in redundant bodies because there are still mechanical, moving parts that are much, much less reliable than electronic parts. Also, sometimes assistants and even clients can accidentally drop cameras. Finally, if the issue is a camera glitch that causes mis-writes it's going to hit both cards.
We worked for over a decade with digital cameras that came with ONLY ONE CARD and I guess I've gotten used to the workflow and the risk. I'm asking people not to overlook a good camera if the ONLY thing is the lack of an EXTRA card slot.
GPS? Still one of the stupidest things I can think of to encumber a camera with... Still haven't heard a good argument for its use.
Yes. Other people have a use for two cards. Yes, they can write their own blogs.
As to the bitter taste....I am only human and have my own set of prejudices and exaggerated preferences. If you've read the last 3,807 blog posts you'd already recognize that.
In your honor I will use both card slots in my cameras tomorrow.
(FYI: if you use a UHS2 card in the "A" slot of most cameras and a slower card in the second slot your camera performance declines to match the slowest card. In 4K 10 bit video this means both cards in the slots MUST be brutally expensive V-90 rated cards in order to provide the throughput for the system, not just the "A" card. At $250-$300 a card this means adding $300 per camera for that two card excitement. Over three cameras that comes out to nearly an extra $1,000...... but hey, I guess no one else is on a budget....
Actually, I think I do have a solid rationale for 2 slots. I’m not a pro or even a very good amateur, but I configure slot 1 for RAW and slot 2 for small, basic JPG. The JPGs are about 1megabyte, which transfer quickly on to my iPad, take up little space, look really good on the tablet, and post readily to FB over slow Internet connections. The big RAW files wait till I get home and pick the images that deserve post processing-a depressing few in my case....
Your response was a thought provoking and useful lesson. Probably not one you intended to give, but I got a lot from it. So thank you.
> GPS? Still one of the stupidest things I can think of to encumber a camera with... Still haven't heard a good argument for its use.
Assuming you are not being deliberately provocative (which is consistent with your previous posts on the subject), I'm surprised you really can't see use cases where the value of automatically appending location data to a photo's metadata would be of value. I mean even a passing contemplation of other lifestyles or vocations would highlight why it would be a useful addition.
Back in 2010 (after a 4 month, 13 country 'photo' trip around the world... goodbye life savings to date) I wrote a list of criteria for what I wanted in 'my' ideal camera, GPS was high on that list for obvious reasons. This year there was actually a body in a system that met all the criteria. I'm very happy with it. I still travel.
> If you've read the last 3,807 blog posts you'd already recognize that.
Yup the patterns get clearer each year. I started back around your EP-1 days, maybe a bit earlier. Though my earliest note I saved for my own edification (I went back into my notes app to find it) was this one:
http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2009/10/up-in-smoke-burn-past.html
Interesting 5 point list for 'the plan for Kirk Tuck Photography' circa 2009 :)
Another opinion on SD card failure by QT Luong
https://www.terragalleria.com/blog/lessons-from-losing-a-week-of-photos-to-memory-card-failure/
Rick
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We Moderate Comments, Yours might not appear right after you hit return. Be patient; I'm usually pretty quick on getting comments up there. Try not to hit return again and again.... If you disagree with something I've written please do so civilly. Be nice or see your comments fly into the void. Anonymous posters are not given special privileges or dispensation. If technology alone requires you to be anonymous your comments will likely pass through moderation if you "sign" them. A new note: Don't tell me how to write or how to blog! I can't make you comment but I don't want to wade through spam!
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.