# Broken ribs on my SD card



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The card is well used but the contacts are okay.
three of the ribs are no broken off and from what I read the card should still be readable ( just have a few last photos to retrieve )

But not showing up.

Any thoughts?

Also I need to replace the card.

Best deals around on 16 and 32s and who makes rugged cards???

thanks


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

I've had this problem in the past (with a Lexar card, FWIW). Eventually no camera or computer could read the card, but a USB card reader could. Once you've retrieved the photos, don't take any chances, retire the card permanently.

As for reliability, AFAIK the best thing you can do is buy the highest-grade name-brand cards (Sandisk, Lexar, etc.) you can afford from trustworthy retailers (major camera retailers like B&H, Henry's, Vistek, etc.) because fakes abound on eBay and other less-reliable outlets. It's a ridiculously easy item to counterfeit, so lots of people do it.

The cost should be low enough by now that you can treat a 16 or 32 GB card as a single-use item: fill it up, transfer photos as you go but never delete anything from the card except obvious mistakes, and then archive the card as a backup. I haven't started doing this, but am about to.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

SanDisk 32GB SDHC Memory Card Ultra Class 10 UHS-1 - 2 Pack B&H

Should come to less than $1/GB even with S&H. Just one example of a good deal, but I'm sure you can find equal or better. Waiting til Friday is probably a good idea too.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Turns out my reader in the Mac is pooched as the card is readable in the camera and other Macbook
looks okay from the the outside but no one home when putting in a card

What are the advantages of Ultra Class UHS-1 or is that just fluff
not a bad idea to use as an archive. May start that - means keeping track of the new cards but no biggie.
are 32s cheapest per GB as I'm thinking 16 is a lower risk


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

IMO the most important variable for reliability/risk is avoiding fakes. After that, size is not likely to matter much, especially now that 32GB is not a new, low-yield, exotic item. Not sure but I think your camera is SDXC compatible, so we could be talking about 256 vs. 128 vs. 64 instead. . As for price, capacity, bang for buck, I think you just need to shop around and figure out what works best for you. I tend to go for 32s because I prefer minimal swapping, and maybe I'll get a 64 or 128 one of these days. 

Don't know much about different classes and write speeds, but let's just say the more you shoot video, or bursts, the more important they become. But last time I compared a class 4 and class 10 (I think) I could detect no difference. The bottleneck appeared to be the camera's buffer.

Also, I would still retire a card whose outer casing is starting to fall apart. Not worth the risk of tiny bits of plastic getting jammed in a camera, or sudden failure.


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## dwp (Aug 12, 2003)

MacDoc said:


> Turns out my reader in the Mac is pooched as the card is readable in the camera and other Macbook
> looks okay from the the outside but no one home when putting in a card


Check the card slot on your Macbook. It might just need a cleaning. The card slot seems to attract quite a bit of dust and debris for some reason.


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