"What You MUST Know To Get
The Right Digital Camera"

What Size Memory Card Do I Need? And What Type Of Memory Card Is Best?

These days, memory cards come in many sizes, from a miniscule 8 megs to multiple gigabytes. But how much of a difference does it make? Is there a best size?

The truth is, it doesn't make much difference to your camera, but it does to you.

You could lose a great shot if you press the shutter and find out your memory card is full! If you don't have another card handy, you'll either have to delete some of the shots you already took, or pack up your camera for the day. Either way, you lose out.

If you have several smaller cards that keep filling up, you'll have to stop and change them every 10 or 20 shots, and that can really be an inconvenience. Then again, you don't need a 1-gigabyte card that you'll n ever fill up, especially if you have a 1 or 2-megapixel camera.

So the answer to what size memory card you need is...

Enough for your picture-taking needs, taking into consideration the size of your card and the amount of compression and resolution you prefer to use.

What size should that be?

Well, if you have a a 2-megapixel camera, 128MB is usually enough. For a 3 or 4-megapixel camera, a 128MB or 256MB memory card is usually plenty.

The new multiple gigabyte memory cards hold tons. But most people don't really need a 4GB memory card unless they're travelling for weeks (and many cameras don't support them).

Here's a rough guideline of how many pictures a flash memory card can hold:

• A 128MB flash memory card can store about 21-41 large, uncompressed images or up to 100 small, compressed images

• A 256MB card will store about twice that.

• A 1GB card has room for nearly 4 times as much as a 256MB card, and should provide enough space for a several week long trip.

• A 4GB card has tons of room and is usually used in digital cameras with the capacity to take huge files. Don't rush out and buy one, 4GB cards are not compatible with many cameras. Check first.

And remember, you can get additional memory cards. If you fill one up, just take it out and replace it with another. You might even like having a couple of different sizes, so you can choose the size according to the amount of pictures you're going to be taking that day.

There are several other ingenious permanent storage methods discussed in "Master Your Digital Camera in Four Easy Steps."

But size isn't the only consideration. Many people want to know if the type of memory card makes a difference. Which leads us to question number 6:

What Type Of Memory Card Is Best?

Actually, most of them are quite good. The most common in the U.S. is the Compact Flash. It's small, durable, and holds a lot. I use Compact Flash and love it! But other types of cards are becoming popular, such as SmartMedia (SM), Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MM), and the Memory Stick.

And the best one is... the type that goes into your camera. Each camera manufacturer creates a camera models that will work with only one type of memory card. You can't use a Compact Flash card one day, and switch to a SD card the next in the same camera. You'd have to purchase a different camera to use a different memory card.

Some cards work with several different electronic appliances. You might be able to use the same card in your digital camera, your laptop, and your mp3 player.

For example, the Sony Memory Stick is interchangeable with some of Sony's digital cameras and many of Sony's electronic products. But that doesn't mean that it's better or worse than any of the other Flash memory devices — it's just more convenient for Sony owners. Other storage cards are beginning to cross brand lines.

Should You Purchase A Digital Camera Based On The Memory Card It Uses?

While there are some advantages and disadvantages to Flash memory cards, unless you have a very specific requirement, they all do the job.

About the only caution I would have is getting a camera that uses floppy disks. Floppys aren't nearly as durable as Flash memory cards or CDs. And although they are making floppys that hold more these days, their capacity still can't be compared to Flash memory cards.

There are some memory cards that are super durable — you can drop them 10 floors, freeze them, heat them - and they survive it all. But most of us aren't that hard on our memory cards. Standard memory cards are durable enough for average use — just keep them out of extreme heat.

I would say it's better to get a camera that has the megapixels and the features you need... and whatever memory card that goes with it will be fine, whether it's a Compact Flash, a SmartMedia card, a Memory Stick, a SecureDigital or MultiMedia card or something else. Don't make the memory card the primary deciding factor in choosing your camera.

Some cameras record directly onto a CD — and that works well, too. CD's are definitely larger than memory cards and require bulkier cameras. They also record slower than Flash memory. So if you want a smaller, faster camera, you might want to choose a camera with Flash memory. But CDs do work great for storage and are very durable.