Memory Card Types
Introduction
A memory card is your film, and the bigger the memory card, the more pictures you can fit on it, but what type do you need? How large and how fast is the right one? Who makes the best brand for your camera?
These are all questions you have to answer before you start taking pictures with your digital camera.
The five main types of digital camera memory cards include, SD, xD, CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Memory Stick. That list might sound confusing, but it is usually rather easy to tell what type of memory card you need.
Before I go into the specifics of each type, regardless of the memory card type, the size is one of the most important factors these days. The memory card you get with the camera will probably be too small, and won’t even take the “normal” twenty-four images we are used to from our film cameras, unless you reduce the quality of the images. I recommend getting a one gigabyte card these days, as more and more digital cameras also allow for some limited movie capture mode, and being able to take more images is never a bad thing.
The prices of memory cards are also at a fairly low price, and so it is just easier to buy one or two larger sized cards than a few smaller ones that you might misplace.
If you can’t afford a full gigabyte for storage, than at least get a half-gigabyte (512MB) memory card.
Anything less and you start to get into not being able to hold enough high quality images, and that is really what you bought your digital camera for right?
Secure Digital – SD Cards
Some of the smallest and thinnest memory cards are the Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard memory and so they are usually seen in smaller digital cameras, PDA’s, cell phones, and MP3 players.
The only difference between the two memory types is that Secure Digital cards have a write-protect switch for added data security.
xD Cards
The first digital camera I had used xD Picture cards, they were introduced by Olympus and Fuji in 2002, and are the newest type of memory. Its tiny size of only 0.97” x 0.98” x 0.67” means it can fit into tiny cameras.
The xD Picture Card can also be used in any CompactFlash compatible camera with the available CompactFlash adapter.
Since it was developed and introduced by Olympus and Fuji, most current compact digital cameras from those manufacturers use the xD Picture Card media.
CompactFlash Cards
One of the most common types of digital camera memory is CompactFlash. More higher end digital cameras, and digital SLRs, are CompactFlash compatible.
There are two types of CompactFlash, just to confuse you even more. They are both physically different, thus some cameras can’t take both. There are Type I and Type II, and Type II is thicker. So check to make sure that if you buy a Type II that your camera can hold it. Type II CompactFlash is usually a higher capacity card, so if you are buying a 512MB or 1GB card, it is currently most likely that it is a Type II card.
One of the main reasons so many camera makers adopt the CompactFlash standard is that the cards have a controller chip that allows for higher transfer rates. Most cameras can’t take advantage of this, as they need to have large internal buffers. Most digital SLRs can take advantage of this though.
Inexpensive, easy to find, and work in a large variety of digital cameras, CompactFlash is one of the more desirable types of digital camera memory. The only complaint, it is a bit bigger than most other types, and so to save room, it seems like there has been a big shift towards other types of memory.
SmartMedia Cards
SmartMedia used to be one of the most common types of digital camera storage media. It was used in most Olympus and Fuji digital cameras until the introduction the xD Picture card, in 2002. SmartMedia is being phased out for newer memory types.
If you buy a camera that uses SmartMedia it might be a good idea to stock up on memory cards as they might not be available for too much longer.
Memory Stick
Sony developed the Memory Stick technology for their CyberShot digital cameras and other Sony electronic devices. You are unlikely to see their Memory Stick technology compatible with any other cameras other than Sony, so if you have a Sony, you probably need to buy a Memory Stick.
What Else?
Well, other than the size of the memory card, and the type, you also need to worry about its speed, and brand. Sometimes camera makers have it set up that you need to use their memory card, be it Olympus for an Olympus camera, to be able to use all of the features inside the camera. Usually this is just a recommendation, and you can use other companies memory cards just fine.
Sticking to brand names, SanDisk, Lexar, Kingston and other big brands is always your best bet. Not saying the memory you could get from a lesser known name won’t run as well, but the warranties and failure rates on brand name memory is less, though you do pay a little more for that piece of mind.
Don’t let their “pro” and “platinum” names confuse you, as sometimes one companies “pro” line is not even as good as the basic line of another company. Always look for the fastest transfer speed rating. A camera with 80x will be able to write the image to the memory card much faster than a camera with a 32x rating, meaning a faster cycle time for more pictures. You might not notice much of a difference when taking pictures, but being able to move through pictures on your camera, transferring them off the camera, and cycle times are all effected by memory card speed.
So my final advice, buy a brand name memory card, that works with the type of camera you have, get it as large and as fast as you can afford, and you should be able to enjoy your camera that much more.
VistaQuest Keychain Camera
If you really want to show off how digital beats film, you don’t make a camera that looks like a film based camera, you show off the versatility of the technology. Like the VistaQuest Keychain Camera.
It takes a three megapixel still image as well as 640×480 video all contained within a small 2.5 inch frame. It has some internal storage, but accepts SD cards, also it uses AAA batteries.
Retailing for $69.95 USD starting at the end of this week.
Olympus Woodcam
There is something that just makes me laugh, watching technology be shoved inside a wooden frame. I have seen people put their computers in wood, and putting wood on or in cars used to be very popular as well, a trend that seems to be coming back lately, but a digital camera in wood? Well, that’s interesting to see.
I am used to the metal finish of my digital camera, but there is something more warm, more earthy about the Olympus Woodcam.
The wood that Olympus used is Japanese cypress, other than that no details are known about the camera. Other than the occasional splinter, I’d love to have one of these as more of a conversational piece than a daily used digital camera, no matter the specifications. Check out the full Olympus line at Digital Camera HQ, and no, they don’t list the woodcam yet.
Disney Digital Cameras for Kids
Many children have seen the change to digital, and want to join in the fun, but with the high cost of a decent digital camera, they don’t seem like good childhood playthings. Disney has stepped in to provide a solution: cheap digital cameras for kids.
The Disney Pix line of digital cameras, camcorders and peripherals made especially for kids and teens. The products have been designed by Disney in collaboration with the manufacturer, Digital Blue, maker of digital devices and software for the youth market.
Ranging in price from $20 to $80, each digital camera is colorful and the outer design is based on a particular theme – your child can choose among Disney Chrome, High School Musical, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Little Mermaid, Disney Princess and Tinker Bell themes. Included in the package is Disney’s proprietary photo editing software, which they can use to customize their photos to include Disney characters, stamps, frames etc.
The specs range, but the “high-end” camera, the Disney Pix Max, will cost you $79.99 USD and has a 3 megapixel resolution, a 1.5” color LCD screen, a 4x digital zoom. It also has an expandable memory card slot, built-in auto flash and TV out.
The cameras should be out on the market now, but it has been said that it is still a little difficult to find.
Firmware Update Pentax *ist Digital SLRs
If you own any Pentax *ist DL, DL2, DS, DS2, you can get a firmware update that will allow you to use SDHC cards. SDHC cards are high capacity SD cards that will allow capacities of 4GB or greater.
Pentax has also announced that they are planning to release a similar update for the K110D which will be released on September 14.
Check out the Firmware Update at Pentax Japan’s Website
Top Cameras on Flickr
Flagrantdisregard.com has a running list of the top digital cameras being used on Flickr. The list goes by model and brand. For instance, this week of August 21st, the top ten are as follows:
- NIKON D50
- NIKON D70
- Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
- Canon EOS 20D
- Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
- NIKON D70s
- Sony CYBERSHOT
- Canon PowerShot S2 IS
- Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
- NIKON D200
This list is generated not by camera sales, surveys or other market data, but from the EXIF information found on the actual photos uploaded on Flickr. It’s a good list in that the ones on top are those that have a vote of confidence among users, judging from the actual ownership and usage.
Of course, the data may be skewed, since some users might unknowingly be stripping off EXIF data from their photos before uploading to Flickr (say, if the photos were resized using an editor that didn’t save the EXIF along with the resized image). Also, notice that Sony cameras are marked by “CYBERSHOT,” and not by exact model–likely, photos were taken with phone-cams.
Further, you will notice that the D-SLRs dominate the list. Perhaps this is due to the sheer volume that photo enthusiasts (amateur photographers and professionals) upload on their sites, which sometimes serve as their portfolios. They’re likely the ones to have Pro accounts, too, which gives them unlimited upload capability. Casual users, on the other hand, might not be uploading so frequently, and would probably have free, limited accounts.
Still, it’s a good representation of the actual market share of the various brands, with the top ten ranked as follows:
- Canon
- Nikon
- Sony
- FujiFilm
- Kodak
- Olympus
- Casio
- Sony Ericsson
- Nokia
- Panasonic
Notice that cellphone manufacturers Nokia and SonyEricsson are included in the list.
Photodoto has a graphical representation of this ranking here.
Nikon Coolpix P1 WiFi Vulnerable to Attacks
It has been all the rage lately for companies to slap WiFi enabled image transfers into their digital cameras, but Nikon’s Coolpix P1 which was introduced last year could also open up your PC to a whole range of attacks as people use the camera as a way of doing denial of servce attacks, infected JPGs and executables, not to mention being able to snag your images.
The real bad news is that Nikon does not have an easy fix for this problem other than recomending that you not install the included WiFi software, thus removing the ability for the camera to transfer the images wirelessly. Back to memory cards I guess…
via Engadget
Adobe LightRoom Beta for Windows
Considered one of the best RAW photo editing applications, Adobe LightRoom has been a Mac only application up until recently. Now Windows users have their own beta of LightRoom online for people to download for free to test.
“A significant number of professional photographers operate on the Windows platform, and Adobe Lightroom beta is designed to support their workflow needs,” said Kevin Connor, senior director of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe. “We have over 3,000 beta testers actively participating in our Lightroom beta for Macintosh forums and we’re looking forward to extending this invaluable dialogue to the Windows community. Cross-platform support gives us the unique opportunity to incorporate feedback from the entire photographic community, ensuring that everyone can participate in the beta process.”
Check out the Windows Beta.
Adobe buys RawShooter engine
Adobe Systems Incorporated recently announced that it has acquired Pixmantec ApS’ technology assets which include digital imaging software that can help provide an advanced worflow management and processing capabilities for RAW digital camera files. The acquisition strengthens Adobe’s leadership position in raw processing. The exact terms of the acquisition have not yet been disclosed.
“With high quality digital cameras now within reach of every photographer, customers are gravitating to raw file formats that allow them to get more control over final results,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. “By combining Pixmantec’s raw processing technology and expertise with our own, we’re continuing to deliver on the promise that even your existing raw files can be processed with increasing quality as our software technology evolves.”
Adobe plans to integrate Pixmantec raw processing technologies into Lightroom and wherever customers will be working with raw files.
In preparation for this integration, the Pixmantec RawShooter Premium product is being discontinued, though the free RawShooter Essentials product will continue to be available until the Lightroom public beta program is completed.
DALSA 111 Megapixel CCD Sensor
Getting to the 10 megapixel mark was a big deal to many consumers and companies alike, but it has been greatly overshadowed by DALSA Corp. They are the first company to break the 100 megapixel barrier, with a new CCS sensor that offers 111.5 megapixels in a sensor around 4 inches on each side.
The chip was made for the Astrometry Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The device will assist USNO in the determination of the positions and motions of stars, solar system objects and the establishment of celestial reference frames.
“As with past custom image sensor projects, I’m very satisfied with the versatility and capability of DALSA Semiconductor’s foundry to collaborate on new process enhancements and to manufacture challenging custom CCD image sensor products such as this,” commented STA President, Richard Bredthauer.
“I’m very pleased that we were able to deliver, ahead of schedule, this custom CCD image sensor to our long time DALSA foundry customer, STA,” added Ralf Brooks, President of DALSA Semiconductor. “Completing this challenging, yet successful, project once again illustrates our strong process technology portfolio and our ability to work closely with our customers to create truly unique products.”
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