**UPDATE** Samsung -- REALLY fast SD-Cards

[Frank Fremerey]

After I had data loss with a Sandisk -- till that point I never used anything but Sandisk -- later I found that the card reader was not up to its specification, I was searching for new cards.

Then I saw hundreds of posts on Amazon recommending the Samsung and hey, this is the real thing:

While other cards claim 90 MB/s -- which only means 90 MB max. read speed, the Samsung claims 90 MB/s read & 80 MB/s write and lives up to that task

I bought SDHC 32GB/64GB PRO UHS-I Grade 1 Class 10 up to 90MB/s read, up to 80MB/s write

You need a reader that is safe with UDMA7 and USB3 Interface though. After trying several I finally found this: Kingston Media Reader FCR-HS3 card reader USB 3.0.

I connected it with the long cable directly to the mothership.

Now I cannot cook a coffe while transferring 64GB to the computer anymore.

[antonoat]

Frank,
I've been a long time Sandisk user(sounds like a bad habit, lol)  thankfully I've not had any problems, I have though
been reading lots of positive things re the Samsung cards, maybe there is a viable alternative at last!

Tony

[Bjørn J]

No doubt that Samsung know how to make memory chips, and Samsung flash memory has a very good reputation, for example their SSD-drives. They don't seem to make CF-cards, though - I use only Lexar, Toshiba and Sandisk in my cameras. Actually I have Samsung SD-card in my car's dashboard camera

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Never saw any reason to stop using my Sandisk cards (CF, SD) as there has been no problems with either format. SD cards are too small, but that is hardly the fault of Sandisk ...

Nice to know there are alternatives in case I need to replace lost SD-cards in the future. Not an unlikely event, I dare say.

I have gone all in for Samsung SSDs after having had my share of troubles with the products of other makers. The Samsungs (120 to 512 GB sizes, about 10 different units) have been behaving well now for over 3 years.

[Bjørn J]

Samsung had some problems with the 840 EVO SSD, but apart from that glitch their SSD's are excellent. I have a Samsung  in my Lenovo laptop, the others are Intel 520-series - also very reliable workhorses.

Recently I have used some Toshiba Exceria Pro CF-cards, they are considered to be extremely reliable, and so far they seem to work perfectly in my cameras.
None of my Sandisk cards have failed me, but one or two Lexars have behaved strangely, so they are dumped in the bin.

All my cameras have two card slots, that is a feature I really appreciate, it gives me a bit more ease of mind.

[Frank Fremerey]

I have 2 Samsung and one Intel SSD, about 15 CF and SD from Sandisk which all work pretty well and now I use the 32GB superfast Samsung Pro in my D600 plus the 64GB  in my X100T.

Most of my Sandisks are 45MB speedgrade, some 60MB, some older 30MB only.

With both the D600 and the X100T the difference is clearly noticable.

It is a pity Samsung does not offer CF. I would replace my Sandisks in the D3 right away.

[Anthony]

I recently had to recover data from two Sandisk cards, one CF and one SD.  The fault was entirely mine, as the data was already on my computer (don't ask).

I still had the cards, but they had been formatted in camera several times since I had transferred the lost data.  I downloaded RescuePro from Sandisk, and over the course of a few hours it recovered all the lost images, which I then transferred back to my computer (and immediately backed up!).  A few days later I had an email from Sandisk asking me if RP had worked.  I replied positively and received a personal response.

So I am feeling warm about the company at the moment.

[elsa hoffmann]

Me too have had a corrupt Sandisk card - since then used Lexar as it is "paired" with Nikon in SA (same distributors)

Good to know about an alternative though - thanks for sharing.

[Bjørn J]

I recently had to recover data from two Sandisk cards, one CF and one SD.  The fault was entirely mine, as the data was already on my computer (don't ask).

I still had the cards, but they had been formatted in camera several times since I had transferred the lost data.  I downloaded RescuePro from Sandisk, and over the course of a few hours it recovered all the lost images, which I then transferred back to my computer (and immediately backed up!).  A few days later I had an email from Sandisk asking me if RP had worked.  I replied positively and received a personal response.

So I am feeling warm about the company at the moment.

Anthony, did you find a free, working version?
Some days ago i tried to download Sandisk Rescue Pro, but all I found was a demo version that only showed a preview of the files that could be recovered - if you purchased the program!
(Lexar have always offered free, fully functional rescue software.)

[Anthony]

Bjørn, sadly, I had to pay for the program.  I did hunt around for free recovery programs.  I found a few, but they were all so restrictive that I had to pay up in the end.  I had paid money for the event which produced the lost photos, so I decided that the RescuePro fee was a minor extra cost of the event.  And it did do an excellent job.

[Frank Fremerey]

I found a Linux Program that boots up a whole linux system from the CD, then opens the SD write only for rescue and writes the contents to a disk of your choice. Was quite able. I will write here as soon as I have the name of the program.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

This IS a solution. But as far as I remember the software I was using on UBUNTU live system even hat a GUI...

[Gary]

I had a problem, long ago, with Lexar. When I called Lexar they basically laughed at me. I've been using SanDisk ever since and none have failed me. Presently, I'm using SanDisk UHS II (280 MB/s) in my Fuji's. But I do own three Samsung's, a frig, a dishwasher and most recently a Tv. 

[Frank Fremerey]

Yesterday my Intel SSD died on me.


I get a third Samsung 850pro as replacement

[Gary]

Yesterday my Intel SSD died on me.


I get a third Samsung 850pro as replacement

My Samsung replace a Vizio.

[Frank Fremerey]

After another 2.5 years I have more good news and bad:

1) I had more SanDisk cards fail on me, I still have to find one SanDisk 64GB card that does not die on me. The older Cards Ultra / Extreme up to 32GB CF & DS are still doing very fine. I will never buy SanDisk again

2) All of my Samsung cards, and I have plenty, are still very very reliable and fast.

3) All of the shops in my hometown unlisted Samsung cards due to their very unfriendly brick & mortar retail policy: they do not accept any returns, even of cards that came dead on arrival. Source: Shop managers. I buy the cards at amazon now.

I just bought another one, a SUPERBARGAIN! 128GB and very very fast: https://www.amazon.de/Samsung-Speicherkarte-Adapter-Frustfreie-Verpackung/dp/B06XFX9N84

The old "Pro+" is as fast as the new "Evo Plus U3". Both are labelled to read 90 MB/s, which is 90*10^6 Byte/s or 86 *2^20 Byte/s, depending on your labelling preference (ISO or "traditional").

Measured performance is: 83,7*2^20 B/s read and 64*2^20 B/s write

NOTE: This is average over the whole card, masured with the tool H2testw programmed by my former colleagues at c't magazine.

Reliable Source IMO:  https://www.amazon.de/gp/customer-reviews/R13FXNURMKCX2Q/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B06XFX9N84

FAR ABOVE THE PAY GRADE! Comare this to real world SanDisk cards: slower or much more expensive.


NOTE: There are older Series called "EVO" and "Evo+" ... these are the ones you do not want to buy! You want the "Evo Plus" (written "Plus" not Symbol "+"). The older cards are much slower and only write 20 or 30 MB/s respectively. The modern cards have the number "3" written inside the U-Symbol.

real world write performance is  higher with big files than average synthetic:
or lower with small files: