FujiFilm intros 2GB xD-Picture Card

2GB might not seem like all that much compared to 8GB CompactFlash cards and 4GB SDHC cards, but for anyone confined to the tiny xD-Picture Card format, it must seem like virtually unlimited storage. That's cause FujiFilm's new 2GB xD-Picture Card fully doubles the capacity of current xD cards, letting users store a previously unheard of 1,640 5-megapixel photos or 58-minutes of 320 x 240 video. It also promises "quick reading and writing speeds," but FujiFilm doesn't specify exactly how quick. Of course, now that xD's starting to nip at the heels of its bigger memory card rivals, we can only guess that they're gonna hit us with 10 or 12GB cards soon, making our xD-using friends feel even more insecure about their chosen format.

[Ken @ Aug 8th 2006 6:27PM]

I bought a Fuji F30. I love the camera but HATE the XD format. It's inconvenient (several of my existing card readers don't accept it), it's expensive (compared to CF and SD), and up until this 2 gig came out, limited to 1 gig...oh and it seems slow too.

Memory is memory, what's to love about the format? I just wish they would have gone with SD in the camera.

/end whine

lol

[Tony Franco @ Aug 8th 2006 6:32PM]

This is good news. There is this guy that I work with that obsessively takes pictures of his feet. He has to take and save two every minute and they have to be hi-res digital. Otherwise he starts groaning and hitting his face against his hands. Like ten years ago, it was a huge problem because the storage capacities on the cameras was so bad. He could barely get through the day. Now he can live his life almost normally because the better tech. Thank you Fujifilm!

[max @ Aug 8th 2006 6:39PM]

wtf tony.... lmao

[Bill @ Aug 8th 2006 6:55PM]

I've never had a problem with xD except its physical size. It'd be ok if it was intended to be an internal upgrade like RAM on a PC but as a removable media it's hard to handle.

They won't satisfied until it's microscopic and easily blows away with the larger dust particles on your fingertips.

Otherwise xD is about speed.

[Jeff @ Aug 8th 2006 7:23PM]

xD picture card sucks. Can't even use it in any other device except two manufacturers' cameras.

SD rules!

[I,Robot @ Aug 8th 2006 9:11PM]

I own a Fujifilm camera. I LOVE that camera, and I’m paying the price for that huge 3” screen, by having to put up with Fuji’s bullsh_t. Like; practically nothing coming in the damn box but the camera, the charger being in two pieces and BIGGER than the camera, or having to buy everything else separately at $50 bucks or more. But, that’s what I agreed to when I bought the camera – so that’s that.

xD fast? I don’t see it. The camera is fast, but Fuji could have just as easily made a SD card fit in there. I don’t see how xD is any different than any other card format. It’s just more annoying, for all the reasons mentioned above by “Ken”.

Fujifilm is just trying to follow Sony’s lead, down the road of, “let’s see how many new and different memory card formats we can come up with, just to piss people off”. It’s not cute Fuji – Stop it!

[David @ Aug 8th 2006 9:41PM]

Theres some problems with xD format. First, in a way its just a different formfactor of smart media. Second, you have the stupid bits that tell a camera not to allow panorama mode on some cards. Then you have the overprice. xD cards are actually simpler than sd or cf cards cause they are just a nAND flash, no mcu to handshake etc. raw nand flash. why arnt they cheaper? cause fuji & olympus like rolling in the $, and they are running lower volumes of xD cards. AFAIK, all xD cards are made in the same factory, doesn't matter what brand you buy, even sandisk, pny, or whoever is selling them, they are still just fujifilm cards in someone elses package.

[tekdroid @ Aug 8th 2006 10:26PM]

xD is the downside to buying Olympus and Fuji cams. But still, it's priced far better than what it used to be in the earlier days (relative to the competition). But then, it could only get better, right...but the price difference was huge compared to the other formats a couple of years ago.

I only have more hate for Sony's Memory Stick format(s). SmartMedia (also backed by Olympus and Fuji) wasn't very smart; it maxed out at 128MB. Looks like xD is being a bit slow with storage improvements, too.

[esoterica @ Aug 8th 2006 10:51PM]

On top of all the other problems with xD (incompatible, limited capacity, slow, expensive), there are no fewer than 3 different types of SD (regular, "M" and "H") that aren't necessarily compatible with each other or the same cameras (there's a whole table over at Fuji's website telling you which type of card can be used in which camera).

Wake up, Fuji, xD is a nightmare, consumers hate it, and not only are there myriad disadvantages, but there is NOT ONE SINGLE ADVANTAGE to it. Admit you're wrong and drop it post haste before you lose any more face (and customers).

[Totalfixation @ Aug 9th 2006 12:16AM]

When they announced the XD format they said the max capacity for XD would be 8GB. I was holy Sh** thats crazy, but 8gb looks like nothing now. SD can go up to 27GB, so i dont understand why they even bother with a XD media. Also like to say, i regret buying the smart media format too.

[Nimajus @ Aug 9th 2006 12:32AM]

Well I think that the information about 10 or 12Gb xD cards is true. First of all because xD picture cards are limited to 516, and 1Gb or 2Gb are basically 2x512 or 4x512 cards stiched together. This causes slower read/write speeds as well as incompatability issues. Newer 1Gb or 2Gb cards are thus incompatible with earlier Fuji Cameras, and many memory card readers.

This is a big problem for xD cards, however being Fuji camera user myself I don't see a terribly big problem. Just buy the card and keep it in the camera. The price is a bit steep. It's not too bad, but having SD cards would be so much better.

Anyways just wanted to point that out, if anyone cares.

P.S. This is my understanding on xD cards from research and personal usage, the information might not be 100% correct as I am not xD card specialist.

[Psxp @ Aug 9th 2006 10:06AM]

I have the Olympus 720 SW Shock and Waterproof Camera.. great camera.. sh!t that it used xD ! agh!
I hate xD! Great camera though :)

[navstar @ Aug 9th 2006 11:19PM]

xD seems very very slow compared to SD. It seems like it takes 3x as long to download similarly sized files from my card over USB 2.0.

[Matt @ Aug 11th 2006 10:57PM]

"xD seems very very slow compared to SD"
100% agree! SD and CF are way better than xD

[justin.johnson3 @ Nov 13th 2006 7:26PM]

I have a Fuji camera and I can't say that I particularly like the camera but I really don't like the card. Unfortunately I took a trip to China and bought a 512MB card which is enough that I'm not ready to just go get a new camera and ditch the xD card.

[CLee @ Jun 14th 2007 5:08PM]

I have Finepix and use xD, Original 250MB was not read. So, bought 1 GB. months later, again it was not read. I tried third one. It was not read again after a month. Is this xD card problem or camera problem? Anyone has same experience? let me know. Thanks [e-mail]

[Philip Myers @ Jan 3rd 2008 8:44PM]

Absolutely!!!!!!!!have the 16MB 256mb 512mb 1GB 2GB cards.
after about six months and two erasings of the card,it quit working.The 2gb will not read into my Sony VRD-MC3 dvd burner.Which by the way i bought just for the xd card feature.Now im screwed totally!

[kate @ Aug 2nd 2007 8:04PM]

I have a Fuji 5100 camera which is a great camera and i,m very happy with it,since I bought a new PC with vista I cant download anything as I cant find a card reader that reads the xD card and vista doesn,t recognise the camera so I,m stuck Please will somebody help me

[bill @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:08PM]

use SanDisk ImageMate 5 in 1 USB card reader.
about $25

it works fine and saves using camera batteries.

[James Ng @ Aug 25th 2008 2:44AM]

I have a Fuji S700 camera. When I first put the XD card in, it never prompted me to format it. However, after I had taken 500 pictures and took the XD card out to see in my computer, the camera did not recognize my XD card any more. It prompted the message "Card not initialized". Now my 500 pictures are lost and I was told that there was a software I could download onto my computer to retrieve these lost pictures from my XD card. Is this true? Can someone comment on this?

Thanks.