Digital Camera Memory Cards

A digital camera accessory you should purchase is a spare memory card. Most cameras are sold with a 'starter' memory card that is usually a low capacity card that's enough to take a few sample photos on, but not enough for day-to-day use.

What is a memory card?

A memory card is the little removable piece of plastic that your camera uses to store your photos. Memory cards come in different sizes and names such as Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Smart Media (SM) and xD.

Running out of memory on your card is a little like running out of film in a traditional camera. Rather than purchasing a new film to take more shots though, you move your images to your computer or a CD and re-use the same memory card.

Purchasing extra memory cards is a good idea is you're on a vacation and want to ensure you can store all your photos. Fortunately, prices of memory cards have come down dramatically in recent times.

Purchasing - what do I need to know?

There are two pieces of information you need to know when purchasing a new memory card. What type of card your camera takes, and how large a memory card you wish to buy.

What memory card type does my camera use?

The simplest way to find out the type of memory card your camera uses, is to take your existing card out of the camera and look on it for one of the types listed above. If you're still not sure, take your existing card into the camera store and ask the staff for a new card with the same type as what you have.

The size of memory card you purchase will depend on your photography needs as well as your budget. Memory cards come in sizes between 16 Megabytes (and will fit between 4 and 32 images depending on your camera capabilities and image quality) and 4 Gigabytes (4,000 megabytes - store thousands of images on one of these cards).

My advice is to purchase the largest sized card you can afford. This will allow you to take as many pictures as possible before needing to transfer to a computer or CD. On my last holiday, I took along 1 Gigabyte of memory card storage allowing me to take about 500 images without needing to take my computer along with me to download the images to.

Memory Card Speed

Another feature to keep in the back of your mind when purchasing a new memory card is the card's speed. The faster your memory card speed, the faster your camera can write it's image to the card, and the quicker you can take another photo. The actual speed will be the LOWEST of either your camera's fastest transfer speed (see your camera's manual) and the memory card's speed. If your camera can transfer at 40X speed, but your memory card can only handle 12X, 12X will be the actual transfer speed. Note that some cameras ignore the card's speed and write as fast as possible all the time.

How many memory cards do I need?

I recommend you have at least two memory cards for your camera. The professionals usually carry 4-6 memory cards and when they run out of memory on one they swap to the next, but unless you're taking LOTS of photos, that's overkill. With two cards, you can normally work with one but you have a spare just in case you run out of the first, or you go on a long vacation and need to store more images than you normally would.

Microdrives

A recent invention that's gaining a lot of popularity is the Microdrive. These are for the Type II Compact Flash cards, and instead of memory inside the card, there's a tiny hard drive. Their advantage is they can store an enormous amount of data (over 6 Gigabytes), but the problem is they are a little more expensive than a traditional memory card, and can take longer to save your image. They also aren't as shock resistant as standard cards.

Care of cards

Memory cards, although they seem to be small and flimsy, can be quite robust. I've dropped one of my cards in a glass of coke and it has survived - although I don't recommend you do this! It will also depend on the brand of card you purchase. More expensive cards tend to withstand more pounding. Most memory cards will withstand a small amount of misuse, but like any electronic components, take good care of them and they will serve you well.

Other Memory Card Tips

- If you transfer lots of images to your computer, purchase a card reader. These will allow you to transfer the images to your computer at a much faster rate than using your camera's connection.

- Contrary to popular opinion, airport x-ray machines will not damage your camera's memory cards. If you're really worried, remove them from your bag and ask the screeners to inspect manually.

- Turn off your camera when inserting or removing memory cards. Taking the memory card out while the camera is writing to the card could wreck both your card and camera.

David Peterson has a great love of photography and has created a series of free tips at http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/ to help digital photography users everywhere take better photos.

---

The Naked Truth on Shooting Nudes

There are major obstacles to overcome to get into nude photography, not least of which is the need to practise technique. By its very nature there has to be at least one subject,... Read More

Everybody is Fixing Their House or Apartment Up These Days. Use That Digital Camera to Capture

That's right, you go through all the trouble of making your house or apartment nicer by hauling yourself off to the local fix it yourself store or hiring some professionals to come in... Read More

Travel and Scenic Photography 101

When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000... Read More

Tiny Cameras, Big Pictures and Make Your Photos Great!

The path to picking a digital camera usually leads to a fork in the road. On one side is the small camera that's convenient to carry but doesn't take the sharpest pictures; on... Read More

How to Buy a Digital Camera

Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will suit your needs? To make things... Read More

Start a Photography Business from Home

Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills can set up a home business, marketing photography. You need only to convert a room of your house into an office, and then... Read More

Digital Film Processing is Really the Only Option for Truly Quality Prints

Digital photography has taken off like wildfire these days, primarily due to its ease and quality in its digital film processing. With a good digital camera, it's as though you're using the very... Read More

A Guide to Disposable Digital Cameras

Disposable Cameras (also called single-use cameras) first came on the market as film cameras. You would take the entire camera back where you bought it and they would crack it open, take out... Read More

A Guide to Underwater Camera Cases

If you are buying a new underwater camera or video camera, you will need an underwater camera case. And this case needs to be watertight, airtight, dustproof, crush resistant and designed to keep... Read More

Market Your Photography Business

Setting up your own photography business it easy, you don't need office space in can be done from your own home. However this is not the easiest type of business to market, especially... Read More

Photographs Everywhere, But Is It Really Art?

I once heard a lady say to a photographer that she would have bought his work if it had been a painting. She liked the image, but for whatever reason didn't consider the... Read More

How To Become A Digital Photography Pro

Being a professional digital photographer is a dream many people have but most lack the ambition to follow through. Still, you want to take the best digital pictures you can without forking over... Read More

How To Reduce Red Eye The Easy Way With Any Pro Or Point & Shot Camera

There is one simple technique any body can do to eliminate red eye. It can be done with any type of flash on any camera because red eye only happens when using flash.... Read More

How To Avoid Or Reduce Red-Eye

Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also... Read More

Getting The Right Digital Camera For You

There are really great advantages in digital photography:You can shoot till you dropTaking digital images on your camera has no implication other then you have captured the image. Then you can review each... Read More

Start Up a Travel Photography Business

Too many people have the idea that being paid to take photographs of exotic places is the ideal job. It may take years of effort to be paid by magazines such as the... Read More

Digital Camera Bags - Purchasing and Using

Some compact cameras are small enough to fit in your handbag or pocket, but I still recommend purchasing a camera case. It will save your camera from unnecessary wear and tear.What do you... Read More

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories

There are a large number of digital camera accessories available in the market today. Even though you might have invested a few hundred dollars in your digital camera (although they are getting cheaper... Read More

Photography - Rules of Composition

Composition is defined as the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. In photography that definition is very important in taking quality pictures. The following rules of composition should be... Read More

Traveling to Europe with Your Digital Camera?

The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will be taking your digital camera along for the journey. After all your vacations are far and few between and it is nice to... Read More

Is Film Better than Digital for Weddings?

As a professional wedding photographer I get this question asked more than anything else. Rarely will somebody ask me about my wedding photography education, awards, or professional memberships. I believe the root to... Read More

Digital SLR Camera versus a Compact Digital Camera

Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are excellent cameras that produce clearer, sharper and more colourful images than most point and shoot digital cameras available. With prices falling rapidly, they are now more... Read More

Digital Camera Auto Exposure and Auto Focus

The digital camera being a fantastic and technologically advanced device contains many different applications of its own. Many users of this fabulous device are unaware of quite a few of these functions which... Read More

Types of Digital Cameras

If you are in the market to purchase a digital camera, you have surely seen several different types of cameras. It isnt exactly clear what the differences between the types are, and it... Read More

Diffusion & Softening of Digital Photography Images

Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras to digital, I've discovered that the lens tools I once used so effectively on my cameras to soften, diffuse and vignette my images... Read More

How to Easily Start Up Your Own New Photography Business From Home

With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras, you do not even need the room for a dark room. You need only to have a personal computer and a photo-editing program.... Read More

Digital Camera Interpolation Explained

In a device such as a digital camera it is very important to understand the very basic aspects of the device so as to properly operate it and give it the due respect... Read More

Is Digital Photography Expensive?

Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this technological masterpiece is of course a precious and priced possession. And acquiring it also means that one time achievement feeling. Thus a person... Read More

Your Mobile Digital Darkroom ? Five Tools of the Trade

While digital photography offers you the ability to review photograph instantaneously, it also offers you the added convenience of editing photos on the fly as well.Enter the world of the mobile digital dark... Read More