Digital Camera Storage
By: Sandy Berger Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2005-04-15 00:00:00-04:00
Digital cameras do not use film. Instead they use a memory card to store the photographs. (These cards are also called media cards and/or storage cards). This is part of what makes digital photography so exciting. Unlike film, the memory card is a one-time purchase (one often comes with the camera). It can be used over and over. After you snap the pictures and transfer them to your computer, the memory card is ready to be used for new photos. In addition memory cards are more durable than film and they are not harmed by airport X-ray machines. There are about eight different types of memory cards in use by different cameras. It is good to know the type of memory card that your camera uses. Check the camera's documentation to determine the type used. See my tutorial on Media Card Basics for more information.
Also, most cameras come with a small memory card to get you started. You will probably want to purchase a higher capacity card for everyday use. The number of photos that will fit on a memory card depend not only on the capacity of the memory card, but also on the megapixels of the camera and the quality settings. For an idea of how many pictures a memory card will hold, see this Crucial.com chart. Higher megapixel cameras will need more room to store their photos. For example, given similar quality settings, my 2-megapixel camera can fit over 100 pictures on its 128MB media card. The new 5-megapixel camera that I am evaluating can hold only about 50 photos on the same size card. In general, a 128MB card will be adequate for most folks, but if you expect to take a lot of photos and your camera has a high pixel count, you will want to consider a 256MB or larger card. If you have a camera with a 4-megapixel or higher resolution, you may want to purchase a special card with a higher write speed, like the SanDisk Ultra cards. These cards are available from several manufacturers and can speed up the slight delay that occurs when you click the shutter and the picture is recorded to the card.
Another purchase that you might want to consider is a card reader. This is a small device that plugs into the USB port on your computer. Instead of attaching the camera to the computer to download the pictures, you remove the card from the camera and insert it into the card reader. The card reader appears in "My Computer" like a drive icon and you can simply copy, move, or drag and drop the images on the card to your computer. You can purchase a single-slot reader that reads only the type of card your camera uses or, if you have multiple cameras or devices that use different types of storage cards, you can purchase a multi-format card reader that will accommodate a number of different media card formats. When you use your camera to transfer the images to your computer it can be quite a drain on the camera's batteries. A card reader uses power from the computer, saving your camera's battery power.
To keep your memory card it tip-top shape you should never remove a card while the camera or the computer is reading or writing data to the card. Keep your camera's batteries charged and make sure that you check the battery power indicator if you think the battery power may be waning. Taking a picture when the battery power is very low can corrupt the images on the card. Also, if you use a card reader to transfer images, it is better to move the pictures to the computer before you try to delete or edit them. Deleting photos directly from the card can corrupt the card. If you carry extra cards, purchase a small carry case to protect the card during transit.
AARP does not recommend or endorse any of these products or web sites. Please be advised that there are other similar products and web sites available which were not reviewed and are not listed here.
Share
preview