Help me photograph Israel without changing memory cards every five seconds!

June 6, 2009 5:36 PM

I need a new Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo for my cameras, but have no idea where the best place to buy any more is. Also any particular size recommendations or is bigger better?

In preparation for this summer's trip, I need more memory cards for my Sony digital cameras. I'm looking for the Pro Duo My google-fu is good and I know about Google shopping but being unfamiliar with most of the stores, I don't know which are reputable. I've had bad experiences in the past with unknown websites and don't want to get caught with a non functioning memory card while away, though I know that's a risk with electronics as things can be lemons.

The last two times I needed memory cards I:
a) asked a friend who worked at Sony who got it with her discount (she no longer works there)
b) needed it "now" because I was using my camera and realised I didn't have the memory card so I walked into the local BestBuy.

I have some time (trip is mid-July) and have no issue with ordering online, but I don't know where to start. Is there a particular online vendor you know to be reputable? Any you suggest staying away from?

Also - any thoughts on how big is too big? I'll either be bringing my laptop or have access to my mom's so I'm not looking to store the whole trip on there - I'm a shutter bug - but I also don't want to be flipping memory cards constantly i.e. at Petra. Cameras are 5.0 and 7.2 megapixels, but I don't tend to take fine quality photos. When I do, they're the exception for a few photos.

NB: yes I know, there are newer and better cameras out there and Sony media is not ideal. Mine are 4 and 2 years old, respectively, but they suit my purposes fine and I don't have the budget for a new camera at this time so it is what it is.

As always, thanks for all your help.

posted by TravellingCari to technology (8 comments total)

Hrm. Tried to post an answer but it didn't post. Anyway...

NewEgg has always been reputable for me. Here's their listing of Memory Stick Pro Duo cards. My suggestion is to buy the largest card your budget will allow.
posted by littlerobothead at 5:48 PM on June 6

You should also check for compatibility, some older cameras won't work the larger Memory Sticks.

I found that out too late :-(
posted by bobo123 at 5:57 PM on June 6

ya newegg is legit
posted by patnok at 5:57 PM on June 6

Seconding NewEgg. Also Buy.com. Look on dealnews.com, too.

To make your memory cards go further, if your cameras shoot over 5 megapixels, change the settings so that they are only using 5 megapixels per picture. You won't have any need for the higher resolution unless you're making really huge prints or cropping out very small portions of photos.
posted by Dec One at 6:00 PM on June 6

Thank all- I wasn't aware of the compatability issue, so thanks for that heads up! I know my older camera originally took the longer card (forget what it's called but it's about double the size of the Pro Duo) but with the adapter that comes with the ProDuo, it takes both. I'll make sure both work with the larger memory cards and then go from there to see what fits in the budget.

Thanks also for the tip on settings - it's what I do most times because like you said, I'm not trying to use these as billboards. Biggest are 8x10 and that's rare. The ones I have printed at 8x10 on standard setting are beyond fine.
posted by TravellingCari at 6:30 PM on June 6

Woah, before you go off and pay for over-priced Sony memory formats, be sure to cost up something like this Memory Stick Pro Duo adapter and some microSD-HC cards.

A quick search on NewEgg shows that the cheapest 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo is by Sandisk at $36.99. The cheapest branded microSD-HC (that i've heard of) is Kingston at $17.75. Including the one off payment of $1.16 for the converter, that means my suggestion will save you over half the price of buying the Memory Stick Pro Duo!

I have two 8GB microSD-HC cards and one adapter for my PSP - they work just as good as the real thing and saved myself a total of $38.80. Not to be sniffed at, especially since the price of microSD-HC is coming down faster than any of Sony's formats.
posted by mr_silver at 10:18 AM on June 7

Thanks mr_silver, I saw some non-Sony branded things in my searches but I wasn't sure if they were guaranteed compatible. I have one or two (one that I can find, one that I might be abole to) of those because my neweer camera takes the half-size cards where the older old took the old long memory sticks. I'm forever juggling because I lost the USB adapter for the old camera so I take the memory card from the old camera into the new one to connect to my computer.

I realised that taking pictures with my older camera (which I tend to do, it's got a far better zoom. 12xoptical than the point and shoot I bought in Australia when I got caught w.o camera at a wedding) I can hold about 1200 on the 2 gig so I may jut need one more memory card rather than the several that I thought. Either way, good to know that microSD seems to work with the adapter I have. Maybe I'll walk into a brick&mortar sore to see the size, and then buy online.
posted by TravellingCari at 8:32 PM on June 7

For those following along at home, I ended up on eBay. Had to get a memory card for my Blackberry as well and the seller had all three items I needed. Received all and in good working order, and significantly cheaper than any of the sites.

Thanks All!
posted by TravellingCari at 5:02 PM on June 24