Olympus E300 write speed test




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Conclusions




Test procedure

This is a a survey of the Olympus E300 write speeds to different memory cards. The tests were made according to the following way:
  1. The camera was set to the Sequential shooting mode.
  2. Four RAWs were shot (that is until the buffer fills). Each RAW has a size of 13797 KB.
  3. The time the camera takes to write the four RAWs to the memory card was mesured. More specifically the time since the shutter was pressed and when all RAWs were written.



Detailed results


Card brand and type
Card
speed
rating
Size
(MB)
Write
time
(s)
Write
speed
(MB/s)
Firmware
Comments
Who
Dane-elec

512
15.0
3.6

1/4000 s exposure time
P. C.
Sandisk Ultra II

512
11.1
4.9

Kingston
10x
256
29.9
1.8

E-300 set to manual focus and manual exposure 125/f8. Time taken from pressing the shutter at the start of 4 shots continuous mode, until the red light went out. Each card tested four times, and average time calculated from the fastest three.
Most interesting is the comparison between 1 and 2 where we have the same brand, but the 1GB card writes 20% slower than the 256MB.
P.J.
Kingston
10x
1GB
36.7
1.5

PQI
18x
256
38.7
1.4

Olympus xD+MACF-10 adapter

64
59.9
0.9

Lexar
4x (?)
1GB
11
4.9

S-AF, ESP, Auto ISO and WB, sequential shooting mode, no flash.
Comment: this Lexar card is nominally 4x, in reality however it is much faster
H.H.
Sandisk

256
11
4.9

The San Disk site doesn't have the speed rating on the page for the compact flash cards, but the card I have is about 2.5 years old, since it says copyright 02 SanDisk on the back. I am timing from the time the shutter button is fully pressed, through taking four sequential shots, to the time that the red light goes off.
Sandisk Ultra III Extreme

1GB
6
9.0
v1.2
Shutter Priority (1/4000) S-AF Iso 100 WB Auto 
J.H.
Sandisk Ultra II

512
11
4.9
v1.2
Kingston Pro

512
11
4.9
v1.2
PNY

128
24
2.2
v1.2
Viking

128
38
1.4
v1.2
Apacer

512
14
3.8

Time from starting pressing to red light off
W.H.
Lexar WA

512
17
3.2


M.R
Lexar WA

1GB
11
4.9

M.R
Lexar 4x
1GB
35
1.5

average in 5 sets

Lexar
40x
256
12
4.5

Kingston Elite Pro High Speed

512
10
5.4



Kingston Elite Pro

1GB
11.5
4.7


B.C
Lexar
4x
256
36.8
1.5


Sandisk (sdcfb. prod year 2003)
1GB
23
2.4



Sandisk extreme III

2GB
5.8
9.3

Tested our E-300 with zuiko 14-45, "M" Mode, 1/4000 shutter speed, sequential shooting mode, 4 frames. Measuring started by pressing the shutter from half-down to full-down until the red writing indicator led got out. Time measured with polar accurex plus pulse watch.
txe
Sandisk Ultra II CF

1GB
10.4
5.3
v1.2
E-300 was set to manual focus and manual exposure 125/f8. Time taken from pressing the shutter at the start of 5 shots continuous mode, until the red light went out. Each card tested five times, and average time calculated from all five. Both cards formatted first, Ultra II in E-300, xD in C-370, because manual says it has to be formatted in xD camera.
H.N.
MACF + Olympus xD

512
41.6
1.3
v1.2
Adata
120x
4GB
7.3
7.5








Sorted by speed

Card brand and type
Card
speed
rating
Size
(MB)
Write
time
(s)
Write
speed
(MB/s)
Firmware
Sandisk extreme III

2GB
5.8
9.3
Sandisk Ultra III Extreme
1GB 6 9 v1.2
Kingston Elite Pro High Speed
512 10 5.4
Kingston Pro
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Lexar 4x (?) 1GB 11 4.9
Lexar WA
1GB 11 4.9
Sandisk
256 11 4.9
Sandisk Ultra II
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Sandisk UltraII
512 11.1 4.9
Kingston Elite Pro
1GB 11.5 4.7
Lexar 40x 256 12 4.5
Apacer
512 14 3.8
Dane-elec
512 15 3.6
Lexar WA
512 17 3.2
Sandisk (sdcfb. prod year 2003)
1GB 23 2.4
PNY
128 24 2.2 v1.2
Kingston 10x 256 29.9 1.8
Kingston 10x 1GB 36.7 1.5
Lexar 4x 256 36.8 1.5
Lexar 4x 1GB 35 1.5
PQI 18x 256 38.7 1.4
Viking
128 38 1.4 v1.2
Olympus xD+MACF-10 adapter
64 59.9 0.9






Sorted by brand

Card brand and type Card
speed
rating
Size
(MB)
Write
time
(s)
Write
speed
(MB/s)
Firmware
Apacer
512 14 3.8
Dane-elec
512 15 3.6
Kingston 10x 256 29.9 1.8
Kingston 10x 1GB 36.7 1.5
Kingston Elite Pro
1GB 11.5 4.7
Kingston Elite Pro High Speed
512 10 5.4
Kingston Pro
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Lexar 40x 256 12 4.5
Lexar 4x 256 36.8 1.5
Lexar 4x (?) 1GB 11 4.9
Lexar 4x 1GB 35 1.5
Lexar WA
512 17 3.2
Lexar WA
1GB 11 4.9
Olympus xD+MACF-10 adapter
64 59.9 0.9
PNY
128 24 2.2 v1.2
PQI 18x 256 38.7 1.4
Sandisk
256 11 4.9
Sandisk (sdcfb. prod year 2003)
1GB 23 2.4

Sandisk Ultra II
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Sandisk Ultra III Extreme
1GB 6 9 v1.2
Sandisk extreme III

2GB
5.8
9.3
Sandisk UltraII
512 11.1 4.9
Viking
128 38 1.4 v1.2






Sorted by size

Card brand and type
Card
speed
rating
Size
(MB)
Write
time
(s)
Write
speed
(MB/s)
Firmware
Olympus xD+MACF-10 adapter
64 59.9 0.9
PNY
128 24 2.2 v1.2
Viking
128 38 1.4 v1.2
Kingston 10x 256 29.9 1.8
Lexar 40x 256 12 4.5
Lexar 4x 256 36.8 1.5
PQI 18x 256 38.7 1.4
Sandisk
256 11 4.9
Apacer
512 14 3.8
Dane-elec
512 15 3.6
Kingston Elite Pro High Speed
512 10 5.4
Kingston Pro
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Lexar WA
512 17 3.2
Sandisk Ultra II
512 11 4.9 v1.2
Sandisk UltraII
512 11.1 4.9
Kingston 10x 1GB 36.7 1.5
Kingston Elite Pro
1GB 11.5 4.7
Lexar 4x (?) 1GB 11 4.9
Lexar 4x 1GB 35 1.5
Lexar WA
1GB 11 4.9
Sandisk (sdcfb. prod year 2003)
1GB 23 2.4

Sandisk Ultra III Extreme
1GB 6 9 v1.2
Sandisk extreme III

2GB
5.8
9.3



Copyright (c) 2005 Alfred Molon