Digital cameras are revolutionizing the world of home and
professional photography, but they are married to memory cards
just as traditional cameras are married to film. Making the best
use of memory cards can have a very big impact on your enjoyment
of digital photography. Choosing the right memory card for the
job can be as important as choosing the right film for a traditional
camera.
If you are new to digital cameras, the digital camera memory
cards are the most important parts of any digital camera, without
which they may not work at all. So if you are handling a digital
camera or planning a purchase, you must know more about the memory
cards used in these cameras.
Something many new digital camera owners find counter-intuitive
is that bigger is not always better with a digital memory card.
The actual response speed of your digital camera can depend greatly
on the memory card it is using. The speed that your camera writes
new pictures to the digital memory card is partially dependant
on the transfer speed of the digital camera but is also dependant
on factors in the memory card itself. Memory cards that have
“buffers” can take the data into a faster type of memory
and then transfer the data from there to the slower “flash
memory” which provides the main storage of almost all digital
camera memory cards. Some digital camera provide their own buffer
memory to allow you to take your next picture while the previous
picture is being transferred to the memory card.
When you delete an image from the memory card of your digital
camera, the flash memory is “reconfigured” because
of special issues having to do with how this memory stores data.
Normally this is an issue that you don't have to worry about
at all. However, if you have a very large memory card and delete
an image, you may experience a several minute delay while “house
cleaning” is performed on the memory card. Because of this,
do not delete images while you are taking pictures. Instead wait
until you are at home, your hotel or in the car before reviewing
your pictures and deleting the ones you don't want. Smaller cards
take less time for this “house cleaning” so many experienced
digital camera owners will choose to have more than one medium
sized memory card instead of one very large one.
Now the question arises-how many memory cards are enough for
your camera? On an average basis, you must have at least two
memory cards for your digital camera. That is, if you are using
it in a normal and average fashion.
Most professional photographers choose to carry about four
to six memory cards. This helps them shoot smoothly and constantly.
If they run out of memory, they just take the loaded card out
and insert the fresh one. Because memory cards can malfunction
(just like traditional film canisters, but not as often), you
should choose to have at least two memory cards at all times.
By having at least two cards, you can work with one and keep
the other in reserve for emergency. Having at least one extra
memory card for your digital camera will also ensure that you
have the backup protection needed if you run out of space on
your first card or in the possible event of the first card malfunctioning.
The next important issue is how to take proper care of these
memory cards. The memory cards may seem like some small and fragile
piece of technology, but they are actually fairly sturdy. The
flash memory is encased in a stiff plastic shell which can withstand
normal wear and handling. At one end of the memory card is either
a set of little holes or copper strips. These are the sensitive
part of the card. Any voltage source or a large jolt of static
could corrupt the memory and probably cause permanent damage
to the card. When the card is not in your camera, it is best
to keep it stored in a protective case or in your camera case.
Putting it in your pocket could cause a short (from your keys
perhaps) or dirty the electrical contracts. There have been instances
where the users have misbehaved greatly with them and the memory
cards have yet survived and continued to function correctly.
But, this does not mean that one should not care for them.
When it is time to transfer your data from the memory card
to your PC, it is best to have a memory card reader, or have
a PC with a built-in reader. The data cables provided with most
digital cameras are very slow compared to the speed of a “direct
reader” and it is often easier to review, copy and delete
images from a memory card when using a reader instead of through
the data cable connection.
When traveling, X-Rays have never been shown to corrupt the
data on, or damage, a digital camera memory card. The memory
card is also not magnetic in nature so the motors in the X-Ray
machine's conveyor belt should not be able to cause any harm
either.
Armed with knowledge comes the power to benefit from that
knowledge. If you have learned something new about digital memory
cards, hopefully you will benefit by enjoying your digital camera
more and finding more opportunities to take great pictures.
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About The Author
Dave Saunders is a nutritional educator and published author.
He enjoys writing on his many hobbies and passions. You can find
other news and articles on digital cameras at http://www.aboutdigitalcameras.net.
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This article was posted on October 03, 2005