The only thing you need to pay attention to as far as memory cards for digital cameras are concerned is whether it will physically fit in your camera or not.

There is absolutely no significant advantage from one card format to the next. All that matters is that it can physically be connected to the camera you have.

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Question:
Why have a memory card at all?

Answer:

1. The internal memory on most digital cameras is quite small; you may only get 25 to 50 shots at most. A memory card can hold hundreds (sometimes thousands) of shots at full resolution.
2. A memory card can be physically removed and plugged into a media reader for photo retrieval. The internal memory of a digital camera cannot.
3. You can purchase multiple memory cards for even more digital storage (i.e. more photos). The internal memory of a digital camera cannot be removed.

When shopping for a digital camera, the specifications will state up front what card format it uses. This is sometimes referred to as flash memory.

The formats are as follows (at the time of this writing):

• Compact Flash (CF)
• Memory Stick (MS)
• Memory Stick Duo (MS Duo)
• Memory Stick Micro (M2)
• Memory Stick Pro (MS Pro)
• Memory Stick Pro Duo (MS Pro Duo)
• Micro SDHC
• MicroSD
• Mini SDHC
• MiniSD
• Multimedia Micro (MMC)
• Multimedia Plus (MMC plus)
• Multimedia Mobile (MMC mobile)
• SD Duo (SD + USB)
• SD Plus USB
• SDHC Plus USB
• Secure Digital (SD)
• Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
• xD-Picture

To note: You do not need to memorize any of these. All you need to know is which one your digital camera uses. This will be stated on the package your digital camera comes in. In addition, web sites that sell digital cameras (such as BHphoto.com) will also state the card format.

Important tip: You may want to check to see if flash memory in your card format is readily available near where you live. You can visit your local department store, go to the camera section and see what’s available for card formats. If your format is listed, you’re in good shape. If it is not, see if it’s available on-line. If you have difficulty finding your specific card format, you may want to consider another brand of digital camera.

Formats which are readily available almost anywhere:

• CF
• MicroSD / MiniSD
• MMC
• xD

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