Finding the Right Memory Card for Your Digital Camera

Find the right memory card for your camera can be confusing - we simplify the process for you.

Are you looking for a memory card for your new camera? Don’t have a clue about what to buy or how not to get ripped off? We’ve got some simple tips to educate you and save you a lot of trouble and money. Here are the important points to consider:

1) Compatibility -  There is no universal memory card to fit all digital cameras – not yet, anyway. Based on internal politics, design considerations and financial reasons, individual camera manufacturers typically adopt a particular style of Flash Memory card for their cameras. Some manufacturers will even split their alliances – one type of memory card for professional-level cameras, and another type of memory card for consumer level cameras. When buying a new Flash Memory card, remember which camera you have and the type of card it requires. Some camera snobs (like your humble writer) will even selectively buy a digital camera based on the type of Flash Memory card they prefer to use!

The most common types of Flash Memory cards are: 

Compact Flash, or CF – Roughly the size of a silver dollar (though not round), the CF card is one of the earliest types of Flash Memory cards and is most often used in professional or semi-pro digital cameras. Storage capacity is currently available as high as 16GB.

Secure Digital, or SD - Roughly the size of a postage stamp, the SD Card is available in a wide range of storage capacities. It’s inexpensive, durable and amazingly lightweight. 16GB cards are available as of this writing.

Memory Stick or Memory Stick Pro - About the size of a small stick of gum, the Memory Stick is meant for Sony Digital cameras. Memory Stick cards can presently hold up to 8GB.

XD-Picture, or XD Card - Typically found in Fuji and Olympus cameras, the XD Card is about 40% smaller than the SD card. These cards currently max out at 2GB.

2) Stick to Name Brands - Buying a name brand memory card can sometimes cost an extra few dollars, but along with the name comes a trustworthy company, a good warranty, a generous exchange policy and a reputation for stability – something that’s much more critical than it sounds. 

3) Need for Speed - Not all Flash Memory cards are created equal. Some are terribly slow and others are turbo charged for high-end digital photography. True high-speed Flash Memory cards will have their speed ratings prominently displayed, whether on the card itself, the product packaging or both. You’ll see ratings like 80X, 133X, 266X, or perhaps 8MB/second, 20MB/second or 40MB/second. If you don’t see this number, inquire with a sales rep. If they don’t know or if the manufacturer hides this info, don’t buy the card. Look for a card that has at least a 9MB/second or 60X rating. Why is this speed important? If you’re taking numerous photos in succession, you don’t want the camera to stop taking photos so it can slooowwly save the images to the memory card. As digital cameras improve day by day, the photos they take get larger and larger. With a low-speed memory card, even taking a single photo could slow your camera down and you could potentially miss a lot of good shots. Also, when retrieving your photos and moving them from your camera to a computer, the faster the card is, the less time you’ll spend waiting for the transfer to complete. Why spend an hour pulling images from the memory card when it could be done in 15 minutes or less?

4) Storage Capacity - As mentioned previously, Flash Memory cards come in a wide variety of sizes. The higher the storage capacity, the more photographs you can shoot and keep on the memory card. There are many factors that affect how many photos you can store on a single card – how many "megapixels" the camera is rated for, whether you’ve selected highest-quality photo settings or if you’ve set your camera to take slightly smaller photos. For example, an 8 megapixel Canon point-and-shoot camera can fit around 2,200 high-quality photos on an 8GB Secure Digital card. By this standard, even a 1GB memory card could hold up to 275 high quality photos. A whopping 16GB card could hold nearly 4,400 pics! That’s a lot!

5) Buy Online - We’ve all seen the Flash Memory cards "on sale" at major retail stores and even specialized camera shops across America. Sales associates will push those cards on unsuspecting shoppers, knowing that their profit margins are sky-high. Unless you have gold bullion coming out your pores, you’ll probably appreciate saving a bundle of hard-earned cash. With a little patience and an online order, you can usually save between 50% and 70% on your purchase and get the same (or better) product. Or spend the same dollar amount and get double or triple the storage capacity. As an example, the 8GB SD card mentioned in #3 above costs about $179 "on sale" at Best Buy. It costs about $65 through the beloved newegg.com online store. That’s a $114 difference for the very same card, with the same warranty, same specifications, etc.!

Summary

Do a little research before you buy a Flash Memory card. Avoid impulse or peer-pressure purchases in retail stores whenever possible. Making an educated and economical purchase is really quite easy and can net you a much better product than you may have expected.