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Digital Camera Memory - CompactFlash Versus MicroDrives

SUMMARY: The pros and cons of buying a MicroDrive versus CompactFlash for your digital camera.

If you're looking for a lot of extra storage for your digital camera, if it supports CompactFlash Level II (most CompactFlash-supported digital cameras do nowadays), you may want to consider purchasing a MicroDrive. These devices, miniature hard drives, can have huge storage capacities, and their cost per megabyte is usually considerably less than CompactFlash cards, especially as the storage goes up.

However, there are cons to purchasing these devices. MicroDrives, though cheaper, are slower than CompactFlash cards, meaning you may have to wait an extra second or two after taking a photograph to save it to the device. Also, MicroDrives are very susceptible to shock damage, meaning that if you drop a MicroDrive, it may destroy files or render the drive completely unusable by damaging its small mechanical parts.

If you need the extra storage space, don't mind a small wait, and are careful with your digital camera memory, however, MicroDrives may be your answer.