Memory in a Flash

Flash memory is very useful stuff. It holds the pictures, songs and videos in your camera or portable device. It stores your files on your thumb drive. The best part is, it’s non-volatile, which means it doesn’t need a constant flow of electricity like the RAM in your computer. There are dozens of varieties of flash memory, and I’m not going to describe each of them here, I’m just going to focus on the three most popular.

SD

SD memory, created by memory manufacturer SanDisk, is probably the most common form of flash memory available. The initials stand for Secure Digital, not SanDisk, though. It’s inexpensive, it’s widely available, and it comes in several sizes, including mini and micro, which are more compact forms that fit well into smaller devices like cell phones, which are constantly looking for ways to reduce size.

The original specification for SD cards only worked up to sizes of 2GB. A whole new specification called SDHC, the HC standing for High Capacity expands the amount of memory that SD cards can hold beyond 2GB. Devices created before the new specification was finalized will not be able to use the newer cards. So, be sure your device has SDHC stamped on it, not just SD before you buy a card bigger than 2GB, or you may be disappointed. However, the specification has been in place for several years, so devices that won’t handle the new stuff are getting more and more rare.

Compact Flash

Compact Flash is generally limited to high-end Digital SLR cameras. You don’t find it elsewhere very often. Compact Flash is much larger and heavier in physical size, but it has a significant advantage over SD in speed and capacity, which is why it is popular among high-end camera manufacturers. Just like SD is coming out with new specifications to allow for more memory and speed, CF is also developing new specifications which will allow for better performance. So, it’s important to know what revision number (1.0, 2.0, etc) your camera will handle so you don’t wind up buying a card that won’t work with your camera.

Memory Stick

Sony really likes to be original. They usually wind up doing their own thing and no one else joins in. Memory Stick is a format that only works with Sony devices. It’s the only other format that has any real traction in the marketplace, but no one else seems to be interested in using it. It has gone through several revisions from MS to MS Pro, which offer higher capacity, better speed and smaller size, just like SD and CF.

Shopping around

Finding the right memory for your camera isn’t that hard unless you’re buying memory for old equipment. If your camera is more than 2 years old and you’re buying the largest capacity card you can find, it’s generally a good idea to pull out the manual for your device and compare the specifications it will take with what you’re buying. Either that, or make sure you understand the store’s return policy.