Sony Memory Sticks

[InEssex]

I have just purchased a Sony digital camera, one of the small ones. Its a dsc-p150 or something close to that. It came with a 32mb memory stick, but unfortunatly this will only store about nine pictures at 7.2M pixels. I have decided that I will need to buy a 1GB or 2GB memory stick to store the amount of photos I need to take, but I am a bit confused buy the various sticks available. Ive seen; duo, pro, megaic gate, pro duo, etc etc. Can anyone give me some simple advice on which I would be best off with?

Steve

[size13]

It's gunna cost ya

www.dabs.com/uk/Search2/Product+Details.htm?quicklinx=3GFL&searchphrase=memory%20stick%20pro

[luca brazzi]

Firstly, don't buy the Sony stuff....don't need to pay the premium.

The good stuff to get and at great prices, is SanDisk and Lexar.

Get the price printed out from warehouseexpress.com, then get Jessops to price match it...no probs.

Forget about the duo stuff....this is what you should be looking at: Memory Stick Pro (Pro allows you to capture high quality video - I guess because it has much faster write times)

www.warehouseexpress.com/photo/flashcards/sanshop.html#mspro
(1Gb - £149.99) - Reasonable price.

Lexar - 1Gb Memory Stick Pro £349.99

Or look on Ebay, under Buy it Now! (I did):
Eg:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18870&item=3845822337&rd=1

£87.95 + 6.95 p+p

Excellent price. No brainer really.

Let us know how you get on.

LB

[RobDickinson]

Dont know about Memory sticks but Sandisk has totaly failed to impress me with their CF cards in general, Lexar are good tho.

[luca brazzi]

RobDickinson said:

Dont know about Memory sticks but Sandisk has totaly failed to impress me with their CF cards in general, Lexar are good tho.

Failed to impress in what way?

Do you mean they take ages to read/write? I've got an Ultra II and a Lexar 40x, both wait for the Canon.

In the Sony (I've got the DCSP120), the card is way more capable than the camera in xfer speeds.

LB

[InEssex]

Luca, I see you mention video, but I'm only interested in still images, so does the same still apply?

Steve

[JonRB]

A genuine Sony 1Gb Memory Stick PRO is £248 inc VAT at the Staff Shop here at Sony.

Unfortunately I am not a member of staff and today is my last day on site anyway.

Still, useful price comparison, eh?

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 15th October 11:13

[stin hambo]

I might have to invest in a 1gb Pro stick for my laptop as I want to store a bit of stuff on there including video!

PS. Does anyone know the read and write transfer speeds of the Memory Stick Pro?

>> Edited by stin hambo on Friday 15th October 11:16

[luca brazzi]

From some website link:

The Pro version uses the same mechanical interface and fits in the very same slot. Capacities start at 256 MB and include 512 MB and 1 GB. Write speed has been slightly increased to 15 Mbit/sec (1.8 MB/sec) and the theoretical transfer speed reaches 160 Mbps (20 MByte/sec read) for optimized devices. Sony's MagicGate technology is always used for access control (IP protection) in MSPro media. By all means, the main gain should be in the capacity and a little bit of write speed and greater improvements in read speed.


LB

[beano500]

luca brazzi said:

Gabble, gibble, gobble

I must be getting old, I used to understand technology

Then they made the wheel round - it's been downhill all the way since then.

So - all "Memory Sticks" fit where Memory Sticks should fit, right?

Then there's the "Duo" and the "Pro"

The Pro is a Good Thing To Have - because it's blindingly fast technology as opposed to averagely fast technology.

What's the "Duo"?

As usual "Sony" branded is brilliant AND expensive. Other manufacturers - well we all have different opinions and they're cheaper.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Now have I got that right?

[size13]

stin hambo said:

I might have to invest in a 1gb Pro stick for my laptop as I want to store a bit of stuff on there including video! PS. Does anyone know the read and write transfer speeds of the Memory Stick Pro? >> Edited by stin hambo on Friday 15th October 11:16

You'd be better getting a USB Pen Drive if your laptop has usb ports.
www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=135093

[size13]

beano500 said:

luca brazzi said: Gabble, gibble, gobble I must be getting old, I used to understand technology Then they made the wheel round - it's been downhill all the way since then. So - all "Memory Sticks" fit where Memory Sticks should fit, right? Then there's the "Duo" and the "Pro" The Pro is a Good Thing To Have - because it's blindingly fast technology as opposed to averagely fast technology. What's the "Duo"? As usual "Sony" branded is brilliant AND expensive. Other manufacturers - well we all have different opinions and they're cheaper. You pays your money and takes your choice. Now have I got that right?

Duo won't fint without an adapter - they're a different size. My video capera takes duo, but I need the adapter to make it fit my card reader

[RobDickinson]

luca brazzi said:

RobDickinson said: Dont know about Memory sticks but Sandisk has totaly failed to impress me with their CF cards in general, Lexar are good tho. Failed to impress in what way? Do you mean they take ages to read/write? I've got an Ultra II and a Lexar 40x, both wait for the Canon. In the Sony (I've got the DCSP120), the card is way more capable than the camera in xfer speeds. LB

Well for my camera (Minolta A2) they always test significantly slower than some of the competition - tho it (the A2) doenst take advantage of fast cards anyhow. Not that I shoot quick either...

[shadytree]

I have a Sony DCR-HC30 Handycam. So if I'm reading this correctly, the current memory slot uses Sony Duo Sticks, should be able to accomodate a 'pro'stick using the adapter ?
Is that correct ?

If so hitting eBay forthwith

More memory than you can shake a pro stick at

>> Edited by shadytree on Friday 15th October 11:58

[JonRB]

My understanding of, say, a 256Mb "duo" is that it is two 128Mb cards in one with a little switch. You use it in a camera that can address a maximum of 128Mb so you don't have to carry an easily mislaid 128Mb stick around with you.

As for laptop storage, get a USB keyfob instead. A 1Gb USB 2.0 keyfob is £57 ex VAT at Novatech and can trasfer at 480Mbps (ie. USB 2.0 speeds).

[size13]

shadytree said:

I have a Sony DCR-HC30 Handycam. So if I'm reading this correctly, the current memory slot uses Sony Duo Sticks, should be able to accomodate a 'pro'stick using the adapter ? Is that correct ? If so hitting eBay forthwith More memory than you can shake a pro stick at >> Edited by shadytree on Friday 15th October 11:58

No, you need the adapter to make a duo stick the same as a pro stick

I have a DCR-HC40 - it also take a duo.
So in essense a duo slot needs a duo card, a pro slot can take a duo card with the adapter

>> Edited by size13 on Friday 15th October 12:05

[luca brazzi]

MS Pro is the same physical size as standard memory stick (regardless of manufacturer).

Duo is physically small in dimensions, so they can fit into smaller devices. To use a duo card in a full size slot, you need to buy an adaptor, into which you put the duo card, then slot the whole thing into the camera (or whatever).

Personally I'd steer clear of the duos, and get the Pro card. IMHO of course.

LB

[shadytree]

size13 said:

[quote=shadytree]I have a Sony DCR-HC30 Handycam. So if I'm reading this correctly, the current memory slot uses Sony Duo Sticks, should be able to accomodate a 'pro'stick using the adapter ? Is that correct ? No, you need the adapter to make a duo stick the same as a pro stick I have a DCR-HC40

That's what i meant , with the adapter (which comes with the camera) it should fit ?

>> Edited by shadytree on Friday 15th October 12:05

[size13]

JonRB: No

More info here...

www.memorystick.com/en/ms/variety.html

[JonRB]

Oh, sorry. I think I'm getting confused in that case.

There is definitely some kind of 256Mb memory stick that is 2 x 128Mb. I'm sure it's called "duo" or "dual" or something.