Memory Cards

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Mike Farley
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Memory Cards

Postby Mike Farley » Mon 24 Aug 2020, 09:19

Back in the day, when digital was first becoming a "thing", most camera manufacturers opted to use Compact Flash cards. CF is a flawed concept, as it relies of the card being exactly aligned with pins inside the camera 's or reader's slot. Get it wrong and the pins would be bent, rendering the device unusable. I wrecked a few card readers that way, never a camera fortunately. The tales I heard of those who managed that feat were faced with considerable expense as the CF slot was invariably an integral part of the motherboard which had to be replaced in its entirety. Presumably it kept production costs down, but for the consumer it could mean an uneconomic repair.

A few manufacturers, e.g. Sony and Olympus, attempted to go their own way with costly proprietary card formats which they hoped would become de facto standards. They didn't and customers lost out by being forced to invest in technology which ended up in a cul de sac. Instead, Compact Flash gradually gave way to SD which had flat electrical contacts on the edge of the card. Even someone whose hands consist of all thumbs and no fingers could go wrong with that. It is a situation which has existed for a good few years with high levels of compatibility but now enforced change is resulting in competing formats. A new camera purchase could well mean a new card format and at present the costs are high. True, the new card typess are fast but that is mainly a requirement for higher resolution video. For stills photography, an inexpensive UHS-I card is usually adequate.

SD is becoming an obsolete format, yet it is unclear which of the new card types will come to dominate. If at all. Or will consumers again be faced with needing the gift of clairvoyance when buying a new camera?

https://www.dpreview.com/opinion/360046 ... -bad-thing
Regards

Mike Farley
(Visit my website and blog - www.mikefarley.net)

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