Storage Types for Digital Cameras

Unlike the 35mm film camera which differed only in the number of shots and manufacturers, different digital cameras use different storage media. This is usually the case for different camera manufacturers as some brands prefer to have a proprietary storage medium for their cameras.

Aside from the different types of storage media, they also differ in the amount of memory they can handle. Today’s cameras eat up more memory which is why bigger memory is the order of the day especially for professionals.

Here are some of the most popular storage media used by digital cameras today:

1. Compact flash – this is perhaps the most common storage device for digital cameras, especially high-end ones like digital SLRs. Compact flash memory comes in two flavors: Type I and II. Most cameras accept Type I although the Type II varieties have a higher capacity.

2. Memory Stick – this is a proprietary storage media produced and developed by Sony not only for their digital cameras but also on their other products. Early Memory Sticks were able to store only up to 256MB although Sony has already come up with the Memory Stick Pro which has capacities up to 1GB.

3. Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMedia Cards – are yet other varieties of storage media. Aside from digital cameras, they can also be used on a host of devices such as mobile phones. These varieties are the smallest among storage media especially when the micro SD memory was introduced to the public. The SD card and the MMC (MultiMedia Card) are basically the same except for the fact that SD cards have a write-protect switch to protect the data that is stored inside.