Suspicious-looking SanDisk cards

[Thoreau]

I hope I'm just being paranoid, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to ask around and get some input on my situation.

I've been shooting with SanDisk CF cards since my first digital camera and have always had flawless performance from them. Yesterday I added to that with two new 4GB Ultra II CF cards from Costco (nice sale, about $40 each after coupon.) Anyway, the two new cards immediately struck me as odd due to the label on the front of them. Aside from not looking like my older 2GB models, the two new cards didn't even look the same as each other (both purchased at the same time last night from the same Costco location.)

Here's a link to illustrate what I'm seeing.
CF card collection

The first two cards are just my old ones from my canon S50, nothing special. The two middle cards are what I expected to see when I bought the new 4GB models. The 2GB cards match the pictures on the SanDisk site perfectly and have worked flawlessly for about a year now.

the bottom two cards are the ones bought at Costco last night. They format fine, and have the same type of lettering on the edge for the batch numbers, etc. I just don't want to take my gear out, shoot 4 gigs of photos, only to have the card crash and burn due to classic counterfeit quality and general crappiness.

Any thoughts, input, or sightings of these 'new' card designs would be very very much appreciated =)

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: Thoreau
I hope I'm just being paranoid, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to ask around and get some input on my situation.

I've been shooting with SanDisk CF cards since my first digital camera and have always had flawless performance from them. Yesterday I added to that with two new 4GB Ultra II CF cards from Costco (nice sale, about $40 each after coupon.) Anyway, the two new cards immediately struck me as odd due to the label on the front of them. Aside from not looking like my older 2GB models, the two new cards didn't even look the same as each other (both purchased at the same time last night from the same Costco location.)

Here's a link to illustrate what I'm seeing.
CF card collection

The first two cards are just my old ones from my canon S50, nothing special. The two middle cards are what I expected to see when I bought the new 4GB models. The 2GB cards match the pictures on the SanDisk site perfectly and have worked flawlessly for about a year now.

the bottom two cards are the ones bought at Costco last night. They format fine, and have the same type of lettering on the edge for the batch numbers, etc. I just don't want to take my gear out, shoot 4 gigs of photos, only to have the card crash and burn due to classic counterfeit quality and general crappiness.

Any thoughts, input, or sightings of these 'new' card designs would be very very much appreciated =)

call \ email san disk and see what they say

 

[Thoreau]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
call \ email san disk and see what they say

Email already sent to them. Just waiting on a response now. Me = impatient at times, hehe.

 

[Basso]

It's Sandisk's new design. Nothing to worry about.
http://forums.dpreview.com/for...=1023&message=25728719

 

[Thoreau]

Doh, don't know why i didn't check DPR. Definitely good news from the looks of it. You would think that in an industry plagued by counterfeiting SanDisk would make a point of having these new designs visible on their website. Oh well, so long as it's the real deal. I've always had the best of luck with SanDisk products, and it looks like that history won't be tarnished by fakes =)

 

[Thoreau]

Update: I did get a response from SanDisk via email. Instead of confirming or denying the authenticity of either of my cards, they asked me to email photos of the front and back of the cards to rma_support@sandisk.com. Email sent, so now I wait again =)

 

[Thoreau]

Final update:

Got the following back from SanDisk today.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting SanDisk. We have received your email with photos. The all black card is the 2007 card which was changed cosmeticly only. The red and silver and black one was manufactured in 2006. Everything is the
same only the look is different.

Best regards,
Segundo
Rma dept.

 

[Basso]

It's a bit odd that these 2007 cards are only starting to show up now (we're almost 2008!)