refurbished SDHC cards

[rpcrowe]

I never realized that there are refurbished SDHC cards available. I noticed a refurb SanDisk Ultra PLUS SDHC 16gb Class 10 48mb/s card on eBay for $7.95 USD including U.S.A. shipping.

I buy all of my cameras refurbished so I decided to take a chance on this card...

[Manfred M]

I'd suggest counterfeit is more likely than refurbished. Get some cards that did not pass on quality or get cards rated for lower speeds and relabel them with higher ratings. If the price looks too good to be true....

I few years ago, the predominant view was that 80% of the cards on eBay were counterfeits; I suppose that number hasn't changed much. I'd love to know how a memory card can be refurbished....

[Shadowman]

I'd be less hesitant if it were purchased through Amazon, however even when listed as used or refurbished I'll check a little about the sellers history before making the purchase. My one refurbished purchase was for an inkjet printer last year, had only one instance of trouble but it was more likely the generic cartridges than the printer.

[tao2]

Hi Richard,

ah know Sandisk sell refurb cards and ah think a couple of others. They sell them themselves or sell tae 3rd. party vendors with a Sandisk assurance of quality (ah should say a Sandisk assurance that the card is in working order). Also cameras sold with memory cards, which are returned are also sold on tae 3rd. party vendors. All the vendors do, is what QC does in normal card production. Ensure there no damaged pins, that the card is completely formatted, replace the labeling,(if damaged), ensure the file system is uncorrupted.

If yer saving $10/15, it's probably worth a pop (ye get 2 for 1). Mind you, if they're selling a 10gb card for $7/8, why not pay the other $2/3 for peace of mind?

[rpcrowe]

I thought that I might try it just out of curiosity... Additionally, I suspected that if a counterfeit card was being sold, that it would not be labeled "refurbished".

I purchased all my other cards either from Adorama or B&H in New York City along with a few from a Calumet brick and mortar store near my home (I do miss that store). The only "bad" cards I ever experienced were two Kingston CF cards purchased new (at two different times) from Fry's Electronics. I no longer purchase that brand...

The SD card is for my new Canon SX50 HD camera that is coming shortly. I purchased that camera from Canon as a refurbished item to have a small camera that I can used for shooting record pictures of the adoptive parents of my rescue dogs and to shoot videos of those dogs.

I thought that it might be neat to shoot with a refurb camera, a refurb 270EXii flash and a refurb SD card...

I have been wanting a small camera but, wanted something a bit more sophisticated than just a P&S like the tiny Canon my wife uses....

[Mark von Kanel]

Thing is with a refurb camera, you know if it isnt working when your shooting, with a refurb card you might not know until you try to upload, wouldnt be worth the small saving to me... but thats just me....

[chrisletts]

Thing is with a refurb camera, you know if it isnt working when your shooting, with a refurb card you might not know until you try to upload, wouldnt be worth the small saving to me... but thats just me....

Exactly so - it's not worth saving a few pounds by risking losing your photos. Save up and buy some good ones !

[Black Pearl]

As a memory card is a long term investment why save a few quid and take a risk? Yes a genuine one from a reputable retailer will cost significantly more but once bought thats it, you use it for years and years to come so the cost becomes irrelevant.

The 16GB SanDisk Extreme CF card and the same in SDHC format I use in the D300s were purchased when I got the camera. Thats camera has clocked over 50k of images and they have never dropped a single file.

Were they expensive - not hideously so but they weren't cheap.
Could I have bought cheaper - yes there were other brands and speeds available.
Would they still be working - probably though the SD card has gone through a 40°c cycle with Persil Bio and is still going strong.
Do I think the cost was worth it - yes as it was a one off cost and they have never missed a beat.


Take the cost of your gear, the cost of a weekend away including overnight stays, fuel, your time and all the other costs associated with a great photographic experience and weigh that against the card you saved a few $£'s on going wrong ad ruining all the images.

[shreds]

The question is........just how do you 'refurbish' a SDHC card?

No moving parts that could wear out, unless it is suggested that the contacts are replaced? But would this be economic to do?

You cant lubricate it?

Put a shiny new label on it?

Answers written on a new SDHC card please.......

I would rather buy "secondhand" film (Yes, you can buy brand new 'secondhand' film).

[DanK]

I agree with Shreds--how would you 'refurbish' an SD card?

I buy only top brands and only from an authorized dealer. Over the long run, as Black Pearl noted, they are not expensive. The one sitting in one of my cameras now, a SanDisk Extreme CF card, I purchased 6 years ago for a different camera. It's just not worth it to me to gamble on a card failure to save a few bucks. To each his or her own.