Digital photography has really exploded in recent years, and is now the industry standard for professional photographers and hobbyists alike. There are all sorts of reasons for this, from the quality of the results, the relative affordability of the cameras and the range of shooting options that can be stuffed into stylish, compact devices.
Arguably, however, the biggest reason for the rise of digital photography, is the ease with which photographs can be developed, exchanged among friends, copied and enjoyed, all within a few seconds and a few mouse-clicks. This is in part thanks to the use of memory cards, which make storing large numbers of photographs and then transferring them conveniently between devices possible.
If you wish to get into digital photography, then along with a digital camera you’re probably going to need a memory card, which nowadays come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, each offering their own advantages and disadvantages.
Your camera will have a limited internal memory. This can vary in size and will allow you to store a certain number of photographs on your device, which can then be transferred to your computer. The problem with internal memory is that it can be very limited. It used to be the case that internal memory reduced the need to buy “expensive” memory cards, however nowadays memory and SD cards have plummeted in price, so internal memory becomes less important.
There are a couple of types of memory card that are common with cameras: SDHC and SD cards:
SD Cards
SD cards are the most common format used by cameras nowadays, and this because they have been around longer than alternatives. Although the technology is relatively old, they can still house reasonable amounts of data and are therefore perfectly suited for use with a camera. They also offer several advantages over alternatives.
Most obviously, as the technology is older, they can be much cheaper than counterparts, and 1GB card can cost less than £10. This will allow you to store hundreds of photographs, so may be all you need if you’re a keen enthusiast. Also, as they have been on the scene longer, they have increased compatibility over counterparts and pretty much all modern digital cameras will have an SD card slot.
SDHC Cards
SDHC is the alternative, and is the newer of the two technologies. As it is newer you will need to check whether older devices carry the appropriate slot. They can also be more expensive than SD cards, however, as you might expect they offer other advantages.
Most notably, they can afford much larger capacities, and although they are relatively small, can house varying amounts of data, such as 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. You do get a lot of bang for your buck with an SDHC, and they are the ideal medium for uses requiring more space from their memory card.
The moral of the story is don’t worry over your cameras memory card. They are cheaper than they have ever been, and will offer adequate space for all of your photographs. Without memory cards, digital cameras wouldn’t be nearly as convenient.
