Most compact digital cameras will use a memory card to store photos and videos. There are a variety of memory cards on the market and your digital camera will have a slot for a particular format to store digital photos and video on. Some compact digital cameras will come with a small amount of memory built in which will allow you to store a few good quality photos. This limits the number of photos that you can take and the photos must be transferred to your PC or a storage device before you can take any more photos.
It is therefore wise to invest in a higher capacity memory card when you buy your camera. Memory cards allow you to store your photos indefinitely and since they are becoming more and more inexpensive you don't necessarily need to download your photos to a PC or another storage device.
When deciding how much memory you will require, you should take into consideration the resolution of the photos you intend to take (higher megapixel images take up more memory space), the number photos you need to take before transferring the images and whether you intend to store video (again videos take up a lot more space).
It is always a good idea to carry spare memory cards in case you run out of memory or for some unforeseen reason your memory card stops working. After all you do not want to risk losing that precious photo or miss an opportunity to take a good picture.
Memory cards come in a variety of formats and it is always wise to check what type is compatible with your camera, since not all manufacturers' and models' support the same memory card types.
SD (Secure Digital) memory cards are by far the most popular type of memory card on the market today. SD is a durable and robust storage format meaning your photos are far more secure. SD cards are also used in a number of other devices, namely camcorders, PDA's, mobile phones. It is easy to transfer data from SD cards to the PC or another storage device and you can view pictures via a DVD recorder or TV which have an SD card reader built-in.
Other memory formats used in digital cameras include:
- Memory Stick - Used in all Sony Digital Cameras
- xD - Used by Fuji & Olympus
- CF - Used in many DSLR Cameras
- SD - Canon, Panasonic, Casio & many more