Best flash card/storage devices for digital cameras
An overview of the offerings

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There are few items in our lives that can match the enormous impact of pictures. Pictures preserve an image or situation in a fashion where the resulting picture can be forever kept in our lives. Photography has evolved our the ages, but the recent explosion in digital photography has taken to offering advanced photography capabilities with at a cheaper price and with a lot more ease than ‘traditional’ photography equipment.

Digital photography allows for a large number of images to be stored in a more compact space than ever before. Flash cards and other storage devices are an essential part of digital photography, and since 1988, those flash cards and storage devices have gotten smaller and smaller while the amount of data stored has gotten larger and larger. Flash cards and storage devices are like portable computer hard drives with the capability to be picked up and carried – some are even small enough to be attached to a key chain – and then used with the camera while on the move. Rather than loading a new film every 36 images, we can now take (literally) thousands of images, load them onto a laptop (or other) computer and then start again with thousands more. The potential is breathtaking.

Finding the best flash card and/or storage device for your digital camera will often depend on the make and model of the camera. Many manufacturers have proprietary storage devices for their digital cameras and commonly the more proprietary the flash card or storage device, the more expensive the device will actually be.

One type of popular storage device is manufactured by SanDisk. SanDisk offers compact flash (CF) memory devices perfect for digital photography. For instance, the SanDisk Ultra II Compact Flash 1GB card has a minimum sustainable write speed of up to 9MB per second and a read spear of up to 10MB per second. The small storage device is only 5.5mm thick, and is designed from the PCMCIA PC Card standard. The CF technology is usually reserved for portable storage devices with a larger capacity such as 1GB or 2GB. Currently, Jessops.com is offering this storage device for £29.99 (inc VAT); Cameras 2 U is offering the same for £17.99 (inc VAT).

Another popular type of popular storage device for digital photography is secure digital (SD) or a non-volatile memory card. SanDisk and Toshiba are both manufactures utilizing this technology perfect for portable devices. SD memory cards are capable of storing smaller amounts of data, and have been around for a long time. Capacities start at only 8MB and as of 2006 can go to a massive 8GB utilizing the SDHC technologies. SD technology has a lot of compatibilities making it a great choice for almost any digital camera. Currently, Jessops.com is offering a Jessops Secure Digital 512MB memory card for only £13.99 (inc VAT); and Cameras 2 U is offering the same capacity for as low as £6.39 (inc VAT). As is evident, SD technology is not as expensive as newer technologies.

Another type of popular memory devices for digital photography is the technology xD-Picture Cards. These xD-Picture Cards were developed by Fujifilm and Olympus specifically for use with digital cameras. The translation of xD is eXtreme Digital. Other brands such as SanDisk, Lexar, and Kodak have started using this specialized technology because it works great with images. The capacity limits, as of 2006, ranged from 16MB to 2GB. Currently, Jessops.com is offering a Fujifilm 512MB xD Picture Card for only £24.99 (inc VAT); Cameras 2 U is offering the same for £14.99 (inc VAT).

These small, portable hard drives are gaining in popularity from beyond what is simply used for digital photography. Nonetheless, these flash cards and storage devices are making it possible to take photography to a whole new level, and both amateur and professional users will find a use in them.

Which one is best? Personally, I like the flexibility offered by the SD Memory Cards. Why? These little wonders work for just about anything not only digital photography. However, for more specialised storage for a digital camera, the xD technology has quickly become a favourite among photographers. The answer for you may be of your own choosing, because choosing “the best” is a personal choice and depends on your own preferences and your digital camera.