How to Spot Fake Memory Cards (CF and SD)

[Space]

Good information on How to Spot Fake Memory Cards (CF and SD) from the below website.


http://www.digisniper.com/2006/09/12/how-to-spot-fake-memory-cards-cf-and-sd/

Purpose
As fake memory cards have now proliferated throughout the marketplace, it is important to be able to spot a fake. This page includes methods to spot fakes, and examples of fake cards.

Why should you care?

Inferior quality card - you’re not getting what you paid for
No warranty - when the card fails, you’re out of luck
Fake cards sometimes have invalid partition sizes, making it likely to fail
It will drive costs of genuine cards up

Spotting a fake
Unfortunately there is no software which will test the card, and ensure that it’s genuine. You must manually scrutinise your card, (both visually and by testing it’s performance), to get some idea of it’s genuinity.

Presentation quality and differences

First thing to look for is poorly printed labels and material; most fake cards have slight differences from the real deal. Most manufacturers have a page where you can download high resolution pictures of their cards. Below is a list of manufacturer image page links:

Sandisk
Sony
Olympus

 

[Dream Merchant]

Thanks for sharing that Space.

Good reference, but I've noticed slight variations in different batches of Sandisk cards, but basically, they all display very good quality in their presentation.

I think if we're talking about high quality fakes, it would be almost impossible to tell.

 

[synapseman]

I guess one of the telling signs is the price. If you're promised a price that is too cheap to be true, watch out!

 

[giantcanopy]

I guess one of the telling signs is the price. If you're promised a price that is too cheap to be true, watch out!

:bsmilie: but if they charge ard the same price ?

Good read! I would think most of the time ppl will not be aware of it until the product fails abit too badly on them.

 

[synapseman]

:bsmilie: but if they charge ard the same price ?

Good read! I would think most of the time ppl will not be aware of it until the product fails abit too badly on them.

Well, if they are all out to cheat people, it would be hard to tell.

And also, sometimes even genuine brand ones can fail, while the "cheong" one gives no problems. :dunno:

 

[brianop87]

Just save your money and buy the genuine one, all electronics goods have an opportunity to fails or broken, that is what the warranty for...

Because I just bought some CF cards (Extreme IV 8GB) and I have found that is fake..

Here is the different that I found from the FAKE and GENUINE ONE

GENUINE SANDISK 4GB DUCATI & EXTREME II 2GB

AND THE FAKE ONE :devil:

THE DIFFERENCE :
1. The difference is on the serial number place and the font used...the serial number in genuine CF always placed around the corner and a bit down in every Sandisk CF...
2. The Genuine have ellipse sticker cut around the corner, but the fake have a square cut and there is a bubble air around the middle of the CF
3. The Genuine plastic container is very solid rather than the fake one which is thinner :angry:
4. Extreme IV supposed to be gold colored....but this one is silver.

As I have done some testing on these three CF, by trying to delete 10 Raw Image ,shoot in 1/4000 on 400D
Ducati 4GB = When files deleted the bar smoothly moving to end
Extreme II 2GB = When files deleted the bar smoothly moving to end but a bit slower
FAKE Extreme IV 8GB = When files deleted the bar is like stopping about 2 times then continue to move until the end

Hope what I write here can help you realize what CF card you have bought is fake or genuine.. Never feel sorry for yourself if you found it is fake, but tell your friend to be more careful when buying thing in interesting cheap price below normal price in store.

 

[Octarine]

I got notice about faked USB sticks which affect various brands and vendors. It seems to be a whole batch of chips which got manipulated and then sold again to various producers of USB sticks. I would be very surprised if such chips are not also used to fake any other type of memory cards.
These manipulated chips are used for USB sticks of 2,4 and 8GB capacity. But in reality they only have 1 GB capacity. All operating systems will report the stated capacity. Also, writing beyond 1GB doesn't show any problems. The problem starts once you try to read files again. Suddenly a lot of errors occur and the data are lost. The reason is: once the real capacity of 1GB is reached the controller starts to write again at the beginning of the memory area, overwriting all existing data. But the files are still reported at existing to the OS, so when you try to access them it ends up in a lot or error messages and chaos.
The only chance to recognize those cards and USB sticks is to fill them up with data up to the maximum capacity. Then read the content and compare with original data. Best is a comparison bit by bit.

 

[yamcake]

are we protected under the law under such circumstances?
i just feel this kind of cheating shouldnt be around in SG..
its ok they sell it as OEM or some chiong brand.. but not like that to cheat people

 

[syl]

My Colourspace Hyperdrive can tell you the make of card that it is reading. However it cannot tell you the speed of the card. I use my camera to shoot and then use a stopwatch to time how long it takes to download the camera's buffer. On a Sandisk Extreme 4, my 1D Mk. 3 takes less than 30 secs. to download 29 raw images onto the card whilst it takes almost 60 secs, to download the same load onto a fake card. FWIW!

 

[hazmee]

are we protected under the law under such circumstances?
i just feel this kind of cheating shouldnt be around in SG..
its ok they sell it as OEM or some chiong brand.. but not like that to cheat people

Hi,

Just for your information, OEM and chiong brand (also known as fake) are totally two different things. OEM is exactly the same as the retail/original version but minus the warranty or packaging to cut down on cost. Chiong / Fake goods try to imitate / copy the original with poor workmanship. Though the fake goods might work just like the original, it is definitely not right to say it is ok to sell fake goods as OEM.

A good example would be:
Z bought a fake Prada bag in Bangkok for S$50 bucks. Z came back to SG and sold the bag to Y for S$500. Z claims that this is direct from manufacturer and it is OEM. Z says shops are selling for S$1000 so Y is getting a hefty 50% discount. My question to you is, fair deal or not? Again, I leave it up to you to decide. Buyer's beware.

Some say its ok to buy fake goods while others feel it is against their principle. However, it is entirely up to you to decide what is best but at least get the facts right first. Hope no offense taken. Cheers!

Additional reading about OEM vs Retail here: http://compreviews.about.com/od/general/a/OEM.htm and http://shopper.cnet.com/4002-5_9-5127786.html

 

[Octarine]

are we protected under the law under such circumstances?
i just feel this kind of cheating shouldnt be around in SG..
its ok they sell it as OEM or some chiong brand.. but not like that to cheat people

Best is to protect yourself, don't expect protection from others. This is what "Buyers beware!" means. Best protection is knowledge, common sense and a proper balancing between risk (of being cheated with fake stuff), price (nobody has something to offer "foc") and convenience (of shopping in Internet or driving to the small shop at the other end of SG).
As other people have already pointed out: it's worth paying attention to (small) details. This could be the design of the item, prints, logos etc. but also the description. When people offer CF cards with "40MB/sec" and "PIO Mode 6" then there is something wrong. (PIO Mode 6 is standardized at 25MB/sec. - that is the theoretical maximum which is never reached in real life.) In addition, there are numerous pages in Internet with reviews and tests about the real performance of various CF cards when used in cameras. Those test show figures far below the rates advertised. That doesn't mean anything bad about the cards or the vendor, it simply shows that there is more than one factor defining the final performance. Knowledge is the best defense against fraud, counterfeited stuff and marketing claims. Something to read:
Rob Galbraith: CF/SD Performance Database
Bob Atkins: Compact Flash, SD and SDHC Memory Cards

And finally the question "Do I really need this card?"

 

[deklan]

seems like alot of you got fake cards eh, haha...
the original ones and the fakes looks almost identical, should pay extra attention when purchasing next time.
and i think the safest bet is, dont be so kiasu and hunt for sooooooo "good" deals.

 

[wildstallion]

This is a good link!

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/FAKE-SanDisk-Extreme-Compact-Flash-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001456526?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:2

 

[Jason Ho]

I have made this thread a sticky.

 

[hazmee]

E.g of a fake Sandisk CF card. The top two are counterfeit while the one below is original.

Pay close attention to the typeface for "8.0GB". They are both inconsistent. Check out the "Extreme" logo. One is with (R) and the other is TM. The ESP logo is different in size. Check out the inconsistency of the Sandisk logo. You can spot more if you look closely. The card on the bottom is bought from a recognised retailer and an original Sandisk product with lifetime warranty.

This is taken directly from Sandisk's website:

See if the black borders, curved silver corners matches. If they don't they are probably fake.




Back of CF card

Take notice of the "CE" and the trash bin logo. Other tell tale signs is the word "CompactFlashTM" which is different too. Fake e-Bay cards do not have serial numbers.

 

[ywh]

The TRASH BIN at the back of the cards are not a tell-tale sign. I bought a 8gb Extreme III yesterday and there was a bin behind. Called VM just now and they told me to register it and if it could be registered, then it is a genuine card. I just registered online and everything went smoothly, the serial was recognised.

I also in front of me: Ultra 2 1gb, Ultra 2 4gb, Extreme 3 4gb. All are from either Cathay or Lords and all have the trash bin logo.

Thus the best thing I would (as rec by VM) would be to try to register the product and see whether it is accepted.

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Guess the Safest Way for me (as I am NEW) is to buy from a Reputable Seller here (who only sells Genuine ) - but where should I go? - - can please recommend me?

Thanks - Eric

 

[ywh]

Eric,

http://www.vector-magnetics.com/index.html

The box must have the sticker as mentioned in the link above. Click dealers and you will find the authorised shops. Retain the receipt as well.

 

[smallaperture]

Eric,

http://www.vector-magnetics.com/index.html

The box must have the sticker as mentioned in the link above. Click dealers and you will find the authorised shops. Retain the receipt as well.

Here is a pic of the Vector Magnetics sticker.

 

[dRebelXT]

so complicated..
must buy in big big shops..