Memory Cards - help!

[Monte Bleasdale]

Can anyone help a beginner in trying to decide what kind of extra memory cards to buy for my Coolpix 4500?
I see there is Smartmedia, Compact flash (at least 3 different sorts), and SD menory to choose from!

I intend taking most of my photos on fine, and at present I don`t have a facility to download any photos onto any device while I`m out in the field.
Any advice will be gratefully received!

Monte

[Highway Man]

Hi Monte

The cards which the Coolpix 4500 requires are Compact Flash. I would suggest that you have at least a couple of 128mb cards. These are a lot lot cheaper than they used to be and can now be bought for as little as £20. I have a Coolpix 995 and have 1 64mb card and 3 128mb cards. You will also need at least 2 batteries (I have 3).

Mark

[Doug]

Amazon has 256 MB cards for just over £40 from memory.

The 128MB ones are out of stock with them at present.

I 5hink a selection of smaller cards - 64 or 128MB are best then if one fails you haven't lost too much - if you buy bigger ones they are more costly to replace.

[IanF]

I only use 2x 256 mb cards, though when holidaying I could do with a bit more capacity.

[Tannin]

Don't fiddle about with small cards, Monte. You'll save a few dollars/pounds/yen/cowrie shells in the short term, but come to regret it later on when you are looking at a wonderful bird and have no more shots left.

Go for 512MB and make 256MB cards your absolute minimum. Over here (and it's probably the same where you are) you can buy a 512MB Compact Flash card from a computer shop (where they are used to having ultra-slim retail margins) for about the same price that you can buy a 256MB card from a camera shop (where they are used to high retail markups).

I have 3 x 512MB and it's plenty at this time of year. Two would do most of the time, but I like to be sure.
Come the long days of summer ..... well, I'll have to wait and see.

Tony

[Monte Bleasdale]

Mark/Doug/IanF/Tony
Many thanks for your info - now where`s my chequebook......?

Mark, can I ask where did you source your spare batteries from?
I`ve noticed the original Nikon EN-EL1 costs £39-99 from Warehouse Express (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/) , whereas 7 day shop do an equivalent one for £14-99. Do you (or does anyone) know if the latter are of suitable quality?
Thanks again
Monte

[Tannin]

Over here, the genuine Nikon is about $120, Monte, and a no-name clone just under $100. I have 3 x Nikon batteries, and one of the clone ones. So far, I can't tell them apart. It's possible that brands vary and here are no certainties, but I'd go with the cheap one.

I noticed in another thread that someone said larger flash cards are slower. Is this true? I haven't noticed for myself, but then while I had some 256MB cards, I gave them to a friend when I got the 512s so I have not run them side by side.

[Doug]

Monte

On another thread someone recommended a battery from Maplin that costs £29.99 - I got it next day delivery (Delivery FOC) it screws under the camera and will work with the Eagle eye adaptor set up. It has indicator lights to show power remaining. I was able to spend all afternoon with the monitor on and still have plenty of power left - It looks to me like it could run all day more or less with a full charge and a full charge on the integral battery.

it is the best add on I have for the CP4500.

Here is the link

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/module.asp?CartID=03090215260453&moduleno=36187

Worth a look

Doug

[IanF]

Sounds almost too good to be true that Doug. What a good price for a superb sounding bit of kit.

I`ve noticed the original Nikon EN-EL1 costs £39-99 from Warehouse Express, whereas 7 day shop do an equivalent one for £14-99. Do you (or does anyone) know if the latter are of suitable quality?
Thanks again
Monte

Monte, I haven't tried this brand, but I do have a Hamma clone which actually seems to last longer than the Nikon battery!

[Highway Man]

Hi Monte

I have 2 Nikon batteries and a Uniross one. They are all 650 milliamp hour (650mah) though the higher the mah the longer they last. I got all my equipmenty from Jessops except for 2 of the 128 memory cards, which came from pricestorm.com
Also on the subject of batteries be warey of the fast charges. A couple of my friends have Hanel fast charges and there batteries don't last anything like as long as mine (which use the original Nikon charger).

Mark

[ivewalmer]

I have four batteries for my CP4500. 1 original Nikon, 1 uniross and two unbranded from 7 day shop - can't say I've noticed any difference between them. Am rushing off to look at the maplin link now though!

[ivewalmer]

PS

Just looked at the link - does look superb - does anyone know if the jessops manual cable release is long enough to still work with this screwed on?

[rka]

Best price/performance currently with 256MB CF1 cards. I currently use two 256MB.

If I had to buy today, I'd spring for one 512MB and one 256MB.

rka

[Monte Bleasdale]

Good people
Many thanks for your replies - most useful.
(Doug,- thanks for the Maplin link, I`ve ordered the 2000mah battery from them, it sounds great!)

Monte

[Doug]

I will try to remember to take a photo of the Maplin battery set up with the Eagle Eye adaptor and shutter release system.

The battery is superb and does what it 'say's on the tin'.

[eric s]

Tannin

Large cards should not "inherently" be slower. But I wouldn't buy a card unless it actually advertised a real speed rating. Assuming they are not lieing (which would be illegal) then you should get what you pay for. A CP4500 probably won't really benefit from a card faster than 12x or so... at least that is the general rule of thumb for consumer grade cameras at other forums I go to.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the Lexar WA cards (untill recently) didn't go over 32x on 1G cards. It looks like they've solve this problem, though, as the 1G cards how go up to 40x ("It goes up to 11!" just gotta quote Spinal Tap whenever possible.)

Eric

[digi-birder]

My Canon battery lasts much longer than the Nikon 995's battery did. I used the same one almost for the whole of my first week on holiday this summer before having to put the spare in.

On holiday, I bought a universal charger from Jessops which has changeable plates depending on your camera. It cost about £35 I seem to remember.

I also have a compatible spare battery, purchased from 7 Day Shop, which lasts a long time as well and at half the price.

[Tannin]

Thanks Eric. That sets my mind at rest. My 512s are .. er ... I forget the speed rating, but I remember it being about 2 or 3 times faster than the Coolpix 4500 seems to be able to go. 25X?

Something like that. Mind you, they take twice as long to fil up as a 256k card. ;)

[Monte Bleasdale]

Hi Tannin/Eric and all
Can I beg some more help please? Do all the different cards not give a speed rating? And do different manufacturer`s cards have different speed ratings, even where the card size is the same? eg. I`ve seen 128mb Generic, Sandisk and Lexar CF cards. There`s also Sandisk ultra which I presume are faster as they`re dearer.
If the Coolpix 4500 has a maximum speed it can handle, are the faster cards therefore a waste of money for this camera?

Thanks
Monte

[POP]

Can you tell me please for the battery from Maplins to work in the camera does the camera battery have to be loaded as well,as when i took the camera battery out the camera would not work.

John

[POP]

I have solved the problem

John

[Doug]

John, I had the battery in and the Maplin battery attached at the same time.

[birder]

Hi - see my note on the batteries section about MP3 strorage in 'the field'.

Dr. Kevin P. Elsby

[alan_rymer]

Compact Flash Cards
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/normal_search_result.php?keywords=CompactFlash+Mem ory+Card+

Card Readers that plug into your PC via your USB port
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/normal_search_result.php?keywords=Card+reader+

[RoyH]

Mark/Doug/IanF/Tony
Many thanks for your info - now where`s my chequebook......?

Mark, can I ask where did you source your spare batteries from?
I`ve noticed the original Nikon EN-EL1 costs £39-99 from Warehouse Express (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/) , whereas 7 day shop do an equivalent one for £14-99. Do you (or does anyone) know if the latter are of suitable quality?
Thanks again
Monte

Hi Monte

Myself I would not buy a high compacity CF card unless it comes with a warrantee...I purchased a 128/64 card from
http://www.valuemedia.co.uk/ and they carry a 10 warrantee. I purchased two clone EN type batteries from 7dayshop and I would recommend them why pay extra for the Nikon type. 7 day shop do reasonable priced CF and they work well I have two 64 Mb cards from them my son also uses the same. Hope your doing ok, I am still waiting for LCE to return an eyepiece adaptor they were doing a mod on for that I bought for that X20 eyepiece I bought from you. It was 4mm too long, they have had it now for 5 weeks.

Roy.

[Ragna]

I use the Maplin battery with the Jessops cable release.The lead supplied with the battery is a bit short,but just long enough to attach it to thetripod handle{manfrotto 128 head] with a couple of velcro ties from B&Q.The Jessops cable release is not long enough if you attach the Maplin battery pack under the 4500,but i found if attached underneath as its supposed to be, this unbalances the camera even more, by velcroing the pack to the handle works very well.At £30 this is excellent value for money.Have tried cheap batteries from 7Dayshop 1st didnt last long sent it back 2nd didnt work at all.Every thing else from them is ok but their batteries for Nikon4500 are not good value.