Digital Camera Photography - CompactFlash or SmartMedia Memory?

Home :[ Digital Camera Zoom ][ Resolution ][Memory ][ Batteries ]

*Don't Forget the Memory!*
	Small and inexpensive, flash memory cards continue to rise in popularity. They are considered a must by the vast majority of digital camera owners, allowing them to store and access images with ease. Best of all, they don't require batteries and, even when your camera is turned off, they don't lose images. Plus, they consume little power and won't cause a major drain on the life of your digital camera battery.
	Extra Digital Memory Think of it as digital film. Most cameras come with a smaller memory card that limits the number of images you can take on high resolution. Using a larger digital memory card will give you far more space to store your shots. Shop for compact flash and smart media.

*CompactFlash or SmartMedia?*
	CompactFlash At-A-Glance:
	Storage capacities up to 128MB
	No battery required to retain data indefinitely
	Small, matchbook-size design
	No moving parts ensures a greater level of data protection
	Support both 3.3V and 5V operation and can be interchanged between the two
	Boast a 2,000Gs operating shock rating, equivalent to a 10-ft. drop

	SmartMedia At-A-Glance:
	Storage capacities up to 64MB
	Smaller in size than CompactFlash media
	3.3V and 5V versions are NOT interchangeable
	Not all capacities are supported by all digital cameras - make sure you check!
	Supports the use of a floppy disk adapter for transferring photos from camera to PC

	What storage medium your camera uses may also determine how easily you can transfer images to your PC. The great majority of today's cameras accommodate tiny solid-state storage cards of the CompactFlash or SmartMedia variety. How much storage space you'll need depends partly on the resolution of the images you'll be capturing. Most of today's cameras come with 4MB or 8MB cards, but you can buy CompactFlash cards that hold as much of 96MB of information. Currently, SmartMedia cards are available in capacities as large as 16MB. Sony's Mavica cameras have won fans by storing images to standard 3.5-inch floppies. The obvious downside to this approach is the maximum 1.44MB capacity of each disk, though floppies certainly cost little enough to allow you to carry plenty of spares.

REMEMBER!
Currently, the vast majority of digital cameras do not support multiple types of memory cards. Once you have a sizable investment in memory cards, you may be locked into using only those cameras that support your chosen format.

And We Need Memory Because...?
Whether you're climbing Mount Everest or having a blast at a family reunion, keeping extra memory cards on hand is always a good idea. You'd be surprised how fast they fill up. Different aspects can affect how many images a particular card can hold, including resolution level and image size.

8MB card image capacity: CompactFlash or SmartMedia
640x480	1024x768	1280x960	1600x1200	2048x1536
120	60	40	24	10

*Image capacities are estimates and may vary on different digital camera models based on compression and image size.


*Transferring Your Photos to Your PC*

SmartMedia FlashPath adapters
	Read SmartMedia cards in the 3.5" drive of your Windows 95 or higher PC
	Relatively affordable
	Derive power from its dedicated battery, thus prolonging your camera's battery life

	Adapters that allow a standard 3.5-inch drive to read SmartMedia cards are now widely available, and other adapters that plug into a parallel port or a PC Card slot can read CompactFlash or SmartMedia cards. These card readers are the fastest, most efficient, and most convenient way to transfer files from the camera to your system.

	CompactFlash card & SmartMedia card readers
	Offer impressively quick download times
	Connect easily, either through your PC's available parallel or USB port (remember to make sure your PC has a USB port before purchasing a USB-enabled card reader)
	Pull power from your PC, eliminating an unnecessary drain on your camera battery

	To transfer images to your PC with most digital cameras, you connect an included interface cable to your system's nine-pin serial port. An increasing number of cameras are using a USB interface either as a replacement to a serial-port interface or as an additional interface. Either approach should work well if your system has the appropriate port, but USB's advantages make it a better choice over the long haul. These advantages include faster transfer speeds, support for hot-plugging components, and the ability to provide power to the component through the interface. The FireWire interface should also be available on an increasing number of cameras in time. This interface offers roughly the same advantages as USB but allows faster data transfers still.

Last modified: November 12, 2006