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Digital Camera Memory - Faster Memory May Not Equal Faster Performance

SUMMARY: Why faster digital camera media won't always result in quicker photo reads and writes.

Nowadays, it's not enough that there are many different types of memory options for your camera such as CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Memory Sticks. Now, memory comes in different speeds. Some memory may claim to be 4x, 8x, 16x, or more.

It seems that faster memory cards may result in increased digital camera performance because photos should be written to and read/from memory quicker. However, realize that your digital camera must support the faster read/write mode of your memory card in order to take advantage of the speed increase. If your camera only supports 8x, then spending the extra money to get a 16x card may be worthless, unless you plan on soon purchasing a camera that supports the extra speed.

A faster memory card, however, may decrease the time it takes to transfer photos from the card to your computer. This is especially true if the memory is taken out of the card and placed in a memory card reader that is connected to your PC, or if your PC has a built-in media reader.