There are currently
seven different types of memory cards, also known as flash cards after the type of memory they
use, made for use with digital
cameras, with some more popular than others. There is also another type
of storage used, Microdrive, which as its name suggests is a
miniature hard drive, which although popular in early digital camera
days when memory card capacities were low, seems today to have
almost disappeared, as with early
memory card formats.
The various
types are listed below. As an
integral part of the digital camera system, they have a vital role
to play, indeed digital cameras are useless without them, so choosing a camera without paying close attention to the
type of card it uses, can often lead to disappointment.
There
are various points
to be aware of and these are discussed further on
Compactflash:
[CF] - current.
This was one of the first types of
memory card made and is still the most popular to date, although now being
replaced in most digicams and some consumer level DSLR's by SD/MM cards. There are two
versions, Type1[one] and Type11[two]. Type11's were introduced
originally to enable higher capacities and are thicker, however even
Type1's are now available in capacities up to 4Gb and beyond.
Originated
by SanDisk they are now sold under many different brand names.
Not all cameras support type 11's so beware. They are the
preferred card of choice for many and standard fitment in many Digital
SLR's, especially as high performance versions, enabling fast
transfer rates, are now made. The
latest versions now offer very high capacities to suit the high
pixel counts of many newer cameras. 8Gb and 16Gb cards have been
announced recently.
Not
all cameras can support high capacity cards over 2Gb. Older cameras
need a firmware update from the camera maker, if they have released
one. So beware when purchasing an older secondhand camera using CF.
Microdrive:
[MD] - now obsolete (we
think)
This is, as its name implies, a
miniature hard drive, just like that used in a computer, and was
invented by IBM. It is the same size and uses the same interface as
a Type11 Compactflash card. It requires more power to operate than
flash cards and not all cameras can accept it. Originally made with
a capacity of 340mb [considered huge at the time when memory cards
were 32/64/128mb], there are now
512mb,1Gb, 2Gb and 4Gb versions. As with all hard drives, they must
be treated with respect and not subjected to sudden shocks or
dropped. Such damage is fatal. Now largely redundant as a design
due to their vulnerability and the high capacity of current
flashcards we aren't sure
as to whether Microdrives are still manufactured, Hitachi
taking over
production of hard drives from IBM some time age, and before the IBM
computer division was sold to Lenovo.
Smartmedia:
[SM] - now obsolete
The second original type of card,
these were used in cameras made by Olympus and Fuji. At one time the
second most popular type, with a maximum capacity of 128mb, these
cards have now been superceded by the smaller xD picture
card, which new Olympus and Fuji cameras are now designed to
accept. When buying a secondhand digital camera using Smartmedia be
careful. The design meant that the camera controlled the
maximum capacity of the cards that could be used in them,
which is some cases seem very low these days. Often just 64mb
or 128mb. These cards weren't brilliant in use, the main
problem being the connection design, which caused many issues
and lead to them being replaced. As far as we are aware they
are not available new anymore.
Secure Digital:
[SD] - still current
These are a new smaller card destined
to be a replacement for Compactflash, and to be a common standard,
enabling smaller cameras to be made. They offer additional security
and are designed for use with copyrighted music in mp3 players,
personal information in PDA's and mobile phones, as well as digital
cameras. Now available in sizes up to several Gb, they are rapidly
replacing Compactflash in a wide range of digital cameras.
Secure
Digital High Capacity : [SDHC] -
current
These are a new
high capacity version of SD which used the FAT16 format and
had a maximum capacity of 2Gb. SDHC uses FAT32 to overcome
this. Only cameras that are SDHC compatible can use these
cards. Recently new high capacity cards - up to 8Gb have been
announced - with fast transfer rates.
Multimedia:
[MM] - still current - but
uncommon
These are identical to Secure Digital
in most respects, the difference being they don't have the built in
security features of the former, and are thus slightly cheaper and
less restrictive in their use. In reality these cards seem to have disappeared
from the marketplace given the rise in popularity and availability
of SD cards.
Memory Stick:
[MS] - still current
Designed by Sony and used exclusively
in cameras made by them, Memory stick slots are often to be found in
Sony's laptop computers. As with Smartmedia, maximum capacity
limitations has led to new variants, Memory Stick Duo and Memory
Stick Pro. As with other types, older cameras cannot accept the
newer cards. Some Sony cameras, and their DSLR's, use CF cards.
xD picture card: [xD] -
still current
The new standard card for
many Fuji and
Olympus cameras, a replacement for Smartmedia. They are the smallest
of all cards currently made. Many Olympus and Fuji cameras use this
format alongside CF.
Comments
The type of memory
card a camera uses can
play vital role in how well, or badly, a camera may perform,
and how easy it is to transfer images for long term storage. All the
different types of cards have their good and bad points, but there
are some that have stood the test of time better than others. As a
general rule the two most common card formats are CF and
SD/SDHC. If you see cheap/bargain price digital cameras for
sale be aware this might be because they use a less common or
obsolete card format which is difficult or more costly to
obtain.
One
point that should be made is that although it is not terribly
common, memory cards can and do corrupt and fail, and it is for this
reason that many digital camera users prefer to use a number of
smaller cards on which to store the images they are taking, rather
than one large one. Some even swap the cards about as they shoot, so
that should a card fail, not all images, nor all those from one
particular scene or event, are lost. To lose some images would be
bad enough, to lose all would be, for a professional, a
disaster. Microdrives are also known to fail, and must be
treated with care and respect. Although the current versions are now
apparently much better than the original versions in this
respect, the high capacity of current flashcards means the
need for them no longer really exists.
To prevent the chance of a card
corrupting, care should be taken when inserting one, and you should
never try removing one whilst the camera is writing to it. Not only
will the images being written be lost, but it will almost certainly
corrupt the card as well, rendering it unusable. It may well also
damage the camera's electronics. Indeed it is best to make
sure the camera is turned off before inserting and removing
memory cards.
Although all cards of any particular
type are made to set standards, cards from different sources have
sometimes been found not to work with particular camera makes or
models. It is therefore recommended that you take care when buying new memory cards for a camera, and if you can, take the camera along
and make sure that the cards will work in it.
Card
Readers
All cameras come with the software
and cables needed to connect the camera to a computer, usually via
USB, and to download the images, to view, print and save them.
However, this uses the camera's batteries, and many consider a
better, quicker, and more convenient method is to use a card reader.
This is a device that is connected to the computer, again mainly via
USB, and by inserting a card into it you can download the
images directly into a folder of your choice.
Card readers that read just a single
card type have been in use for many years, and if you have, or
expect to use, only one type then they are a good buy. They are
available for most types, although those for the popular cards, are
the easiest to obtain, as well as being the cheapest.
Illustrated below on the left is a
Compactflash card reader, from SanDisk, able to read both versions
of card. This means it can also read Microdrives. On the right is a multi-card reader
from Dazzle*. It can read all card types currently on the market,
with the exception of xD, which were introduced after it was made.
If you have a number of different types of card, or think that you
may use a different type in the future, then a multi-card reader is
worth considering, especially as they aren't much dearer than single
type readers.
Memory card readers
SanDisk
Dazzle*
Many computers also now come fitted
with integral card readers. Some are only for specific types, whilst
others are multi-readers. Most Sony products for example, have
Memory-stick readers incorporated into them. There are also adapters
allowing cards to be used in Laptop's PC's card slots. As well as
adapters to suit Laptop PCMCIA card slots adapters are now
available for the new 'Express card' slot which is it's
replacement.
However, whilst it is useful to be
able to read a number of different cards, the best policy is really
to try and stick to one type of card. Being able to use all
the memory cards you own, in whichever camera you chose, is a
definite advantage. Not only is it more cost effective, because you
don't usually need so many, it also gives you a measure of
protection against them becoming redundant.
Fast
cards - 10x,40x,100x etc - transfer rates. UDMA.
This
is mainly in reference to Compactflash and SD/SDHC cards. Many
cards are able to give higher information transfer rates, usually written on the
card as 4x, 10x, 40x etc, referring to the speed increase over
a 'standard' card. With the newer digital cameras with high Megapixel
sensors there is a need to ensure that you use the fastest
cards available in order to achieve reasonable read/write
rates. This is especially true of the professional DSLR's with
high frame per second rates, they need to be able to write
images to the memory card at very fast rates. This rate is
also applicable to the speed with which images can be
downloaded from the card to the computer. The
latest card standard to arrive is UDMA. This enables the
fastest transfer rates to date.
To
enable fast transfer rates the interface between the memory
card and the computer must be capable of coping with the flow
of information. So it must match the card requirements or the
rates promised won't materialize. If you only have a USB1.1
card reader then fast rates won't happen whatever the speed of
the card. You need at least USB2. The latest spec cards, those
UDMA enabled, need a UDMA reader to reach the rates they are
capable of.
