Memory Cards for Digital Cameras |
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Last Updated: December 28, 2007
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| Compact Flash | Secure Digital | Memory Stick Pro Duo | xD Picture Card |
| popular with SLRs | popular with point and shoot | Sony only | Fuji and Olympus only |
| read speed: up to 11MB/sec | read speed: up to 10MB/sec | read speed: 4.5MB/sec | read speed: 4MB/sec |
| write speed: up to 9MB/sec | write speed: up to 10MB/sec | write speed: 4.5MB/sec | write speed: 2.5MB/sec |
| $30 for 2GB | $29 for 2GB | $30 for 2GB | $41 for 2GB |
| Format | Card Size(GB) | Brand Name / Model | Price | $/GB | Min Read(MB/s) | Min Write(MB/s) |
| Compact Flash | 1 | SanDisk | $23 | $23 | ||
| Compact Flash | 1 | SanDisk Ultra II | $24 | $24 | 10 | 9 |
| Compact Flash | 1 | SanDisk Extreme III | $30 | $30 | 20 | 20 |
| Compact Flash | 2 | Lexar Professional Series 133X | $51 | $26 | 19 | 19 |
| Compact Flash | 2 | SanDisk | $32 | $16 | ||
| Compact Flash | 2 | SanDisk Ultra II | $30 | $15 | 10 | 9 |
| Compact Flash | 2 | SanDisk Extreme III | $45 | $28 | 20 | 20 |
| Compact Flash | 2 | SanDisk Extreme IV | $65 | $33 | <40 | <40 |
| Compact Flash | 4 | Kingston Ultimate 133X | $87 | $22 | 19 | 19 |
| Compact Flash | 4 | Lexar Professional Series 133X | $84 | $21 | 19 | 19 |
| Compact Flash | 4 | SanDisk | $52 | $13 | ||
| Compact Flash | 4 | SanDisk Ultra II | $60 | $15 | 10 | 9 |
| Compact Flash | 4 | SanDisk Extreme III | $78 | $20 | 20 | 20 |
| Compact Flash | 4 | SanDisk Extreme IV | $99 | $25 | <40 | <40 |
| Compact Flash | 8 | Kingston Ultimate 133X | $159 | $20 | 19 | 19 |
| Compact Flash | 8 | Lexar Professional Series 133X | $139 | $18 | 19 | 19 |
| Compact Flash | 8 | SanDisk Ultra II | $123 | $15 | 10 | 9 |
| Compact Flash | 8 | SanDisk Extreme III | $129 | $16 | 20 | 20 |
| Compact Flash | 8 | SanDisk Extreme IV | $180 | $23 | <40 | <40 |
| Compact Flash | 16 | SanDisk Extreme III | $250 | $16 | 20 | 20 |
| Secure Digital | 1 | SanDisk | $13 | $13 | ||
| Secure Digital | 1 | SanDisk Ultra II | $20 | $20 | 10 | 9 |
| Secure Digital | 1 | SanDisk Extreme III | $23 | $23 | 20 | 20 |
| Secure Digital | 2 | SanDisk | $18 | $9 | ||
| Secure Digital | 2 | SanDisk Ultra II | $27 | $14 | 10 | 9 |
| Secure Digital | 2 | SanDisk Extreme III | $40 | $20 | 20 | 20 |
| Secure Digital | 4 | SanDisk Ultra II | $69 | $17 | 10 | 9 |
| Secure Digital | 4 | SanDisk Extreme III | $85 | $21 | 20 | 20 |
Speed Matters
The most important thing is to buy a memory card that is big enough to hold all of your photos until you can transfer them to a computer. The second most important thing is to have a fast memory card. Not only can you transfer photos from the card to the computer faster, but you can also view photos on your camera faster as well. It's really noticeable when scrolling through 20 photos on the camera until you get to the one you want. The fastest cards are the SanDisk Ultra, SanDisk Extreme, and Lexar Professional memory cards. I take thousands of photos each year and spending an extra $10 has been more than worth it for me in terms of saved time.
Memory Card Reader
Instead of using your camera to transfer photos from your memory card to your computer, use a memory card reader instead. It transfers photos from a digital camera to the computer much faster than connecting the camera to the computer. Each of the four memory slots appears as a new drive letter in Windows Explorer. This makes it easy to copy photos or other files from the memory card to the hard drive, the hard drive to the memory card, or memory card to memory card. It's also a convenient way to swap photos with friends that have different kinds of memory cards.
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The $20 Koutech IO-RCM620 internal card reader works with "virtually all flash media in the market now." It fits into an empty 3.5" drive bay on a desktop computer and plugs directly into the motherboard. It also includes a replaceable black faceplate. Buy it online. Read reviews from owners at NewEgg.com (almost 70 reviews, 5/5 stars). |
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The $65 SanDisk Extreme FireWire Reader is the fastest card reader/writer for Compact Flash cards. It requires a Firewire 800 to reach full speed, but will work with Firewire 400. Buy it online. |
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The $30 Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter fits in a 34mm ExpressCard slot and reads SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, MS Duo, MS Pro Duo, and MS Pro HG Duo cards without an adapter. Other small cards require an adapter that is sold separately. This does not support Compact Flash. Buy it online. |
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The $25 i-rocks IR-8100-SL portable card reader works with 12 different kinds of memory cards, has a built in 3 port USB 2.0 hub, includes a USB cable, and includes an external power pack to make it a powered USB hub. Other colors are available. Buy it online. Read reviews from owners at NewEgg.com (over 20 reviews, 5/5 stars). |
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The $20 Aluratek AUCR200 portable card reader works with most of the smaller memory cards like SD, micro SD and Memory Stick, but not SDHC, xD Picture Card, or Compact Flash. Buy it at online. Read reviews from owners at NewEgg.com (5 reviews, 5/5 stars). |
Recovery Software
On rare occasions, the memory card may malfunction and you won't be able to recover the photos on the card. ImageRecall 3 earned an Editor's Choice Award from PC Magazine (May 2005) for the best photo recovery software. Search and Recover 4 earned the same award in November 2004. There are other programs like Photorecovery, Digital Picture Recovery, and PhotoRescue 3. It will show you a thumbnail sized picture of the photos it can recover in the demo mode. To recover the full file, the programs cost either $30 or $40. It's a good idea to download at least one of these ready in case you ever need it.
Number of Photos per Memory Card
Here is a table showing the approximate number of photos your digital camera can hold based on the capacity of the memory card. For example, an 8 megapixel camera takes photos that are 24MB each when saved as a TIFF file format (8 megapixels × 3 colors of red, green, blue). With a 512MB memory card, the camera can hold 21 pictures (512MB / 24MB per photo). If the photos are saves as a JPEG file that is 1/6 the size of a TIFF file, then the photos are 4MB each (24MB / 6). In the table below, those files are shown as "JPEG 6:1."
| Number of Photos a Memory Card Can Hold | ||||||||||||
| Memory Card Size | ||||||||||||
| Mega- | File | File Size | MB | GB | ||||||||
| pixels | Format | (MB) | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| 12 | JPEG 6:1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 |
| 12 | JPEG 4:1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 | 113 | 227 | 455 | 910 | 1820 |
| 12 | RAW 3:1 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 |
| 12 | TIFF | 36 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 | 113 | 227 | 455 |
| 10 | JPEG 6:1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 51 | 102 | 204 | 409 | 819 | 1638 | 3276 |
| 10 | JPEG 4:1 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 68 | 136 | 273 | 546 | 1092 | 2184 |
| 10 | RAW 3:1 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 51 | 102 | 204 | 409 | 819 | 1638 |
| 10 | TIFF | 30 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 68 | 136 | 273 | 546 |
| 8 | JPEG 6:1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 1024 | 2048 | 4096 |
| 8 | JPEG 4:1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 |
| 8 | RAW 3:1 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 1024 | 2048 |
| 8 | TIFF | 24 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 |
| 7 | JPEG 6:1 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 73 | 146 | 292 | 585 | 1170 | 2340 | 4681 |
| 7 | JPEG 4:1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 96 | 193 | 386 | 772 | 1545 | 3091 |
| 7 | RAW 3:1 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 73 | 146 | 292 | 585 | 1170 | 2340 |
| 7 | TIFF | 21 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 97 | 195 | 390 | 780 |
| 6 | JPEG 6:1 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 | 5461 |
| 6 | JPEG 4:1 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 | 113 | 227 | 455 | 910 | 1820 | 3640 |
| 6 | RAW 3:1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 |
| 6 | TIFF | 18 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 | 113 | 227 | 455 | 910 |
| 5 | JPEG 6:1 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 51 | 102 | 204 | 409 | 819 | 1638 | 3276 | 6553 |
| 5 | JPEG 4:1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 33 | 67 | 134 | 269 | 538 | 1077 | 2155 | 4311 |
| 5 | RAW 3:1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 51 | 102 | 204 | 409 | 819 | 1638 | 3276 |
| 5 | TIFF | 15 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 68 | 136 | 273 | 546 | 1092 |
| 4 | JPEG 6:1 | 2 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 1024 | 2048 | 4096 | 8192 |
| 4 | JPEG 4:1 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 | 5461 |
| 4 | RAW 3:1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 | 1024 | 2048 | 4096 |
| 4 | TIFF | 12 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 |
| 3 | JPEG 6:1 | 1.5 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 | 5461 | 10922 |
| 3 | JPEG 4:1 | 2.3 | 13 | 27 | 55 | 111 | 222 | 445 | 890 | 1780 | 3561 | 7123 |
| 3 | RAW 3:1 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 170 | 341 | 682 | 1365 | 2730 | 5461 |
| 3 | TIFF | 9 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 | 113 | 227 | 455 | 910 | 1820 |
6:1, 4:1 and 3:1 compression means the photo is 1/6, 1/4 and 1/3 the size of a TIFF file. A TIFF file is not compressed.