Fastest Memory type?

[BB Gun]

After two years of taking pics with my trusty Canon A40 Powershot 2 MP camera, I'm getting a bit put off by some of its limitations and abilities.

Before I upgrade, I was wondering which type of Memory is fastest? One of the annoying things with this digital is the wait while it writes to memory.

Is it
Compact Flash?
Secure Digitial?
Memory Stick?
MMC?
XD?
SmartMedia?

Or is it more a function of the camera? And the more on-board memory it has, the better off I am?

Thanks,

BB

 

[eXacto]

Memory speed helps a lot up to a point, after which it's generally always dependent on the interface of the camera it's used in. Faster memory usually helps most in reviewing images on the camera and gives a huge increase in transfers when using a card reader connect to a PC.

I would go with Compact Flash because it's the most common format and most good cameras use it. It's also very fast, faster than just about any camera can utilize.

 

[BB Gun]

Thanks xacto.

If compact flash is the fastest, that's good, 'cause I have 256 MB invested in it for my current A40.

BB

 

[agentzero9]

Theoretically CF is not the fastest. But in reality it is the fastest.


Why you ask? Because all DSLRs use CF.

Thus the weakest link (so far) has been the camera, not the memory type.

 

[eXacto]

just don't buy a CF microdrive

 

[Joves]

just don't buy a CF microdrive

I will agree with you there. Besides look at some of the newer CF cards. Getting 4 gigs is great. BB your camera wont get any faster , much like mine, it takes a second to write it in.

 

[FLECOM]

actually most pros will tell you its better to have multiple large cf cards rather than one huge cf cards...

simple reason...

eggs... meet one basket...

 

[eXacto]

actually most pros will tell you its better to have multiple large cf cards rather than one huge cf cards...

simple reason...

eggs... meet one basket...

I completely agree with that, which is why I bought 2 512mb cards. Not to mention it was also cheaper than buying a single 1gb card.

 

[DatHak512]

ok, first, why is a microdrive a bad idea? is it just not reliable? (sorry if that's a newb question, but i was sorta/kinda looking to get a 2.2GB microdrive a while ago.) (that was before i got a $200 trafic ticket )

second of all.. i've had my Cannon PS A40 for i dunno... three or four years now maybe, and i love it. sure, it's not the best in the world anymore, but it's pretty good for just to keep in the car. (i can do that now cause i JUST got a digial rebel .... wow that camera rocks so hard. i love it.) were you planning on upgrading to another pointandshoot or were you thinking of a DSLR?

 

[eXacto]

ok, first, why is a microdrive a bad idea? is it just not reliable?

That's exactly right: it's not as reliable. Not only that, they are generally slower in access times and usually slow down camera startup times. A microdrive is a mini hard drive with moving parts wheras a CF card is completely solid state.

 

[BB Gun]

DatHak,

Well, I just got through my oldest daughter's 8th grade graduation, and the pics are horribly grainy because the church and auditorium are so dimly lit. We do a lot of church related stuff, and with the light in there so bad, it makes it tough to get good pics. I also wanted to be better able to take "far" pics - like of my other daughter on the far side of the soccer field.

It also seems to be taking longer and longer to expose and focus a shot lately. And writing seems to be getting slower - or I'm just getting more impatient. Additionally, if I accidentally try to take another pic while the camera is writing, it locks up the AF system, (half-button press does not expose/focus the shot) and I have to change the mode dial to wake it up again. Just gets annoying.

Was hoping to find a camera with more resolution (3-4) more optical zoom (4-8) and better low light capability, with a more flexible flash system. But it sounds like I am kinda stuck with saving for a DSLR for all of that?

I was <edit>originally</edit>thinking along the lines of something like these:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-111-119&depa=0
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-120-119&depa=0
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-122-016&depa=0
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-126-013&depa=0 (though this looks like its got rather restricted aperature settings)
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-111-120&depa=0
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-111-132&depa=0

A bit high, but still "thinkable" for my price range:
http://www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com/products/product_detail.asp?Inventory=2357&Show=D

<edit>So even these won't give me what I want, and I still need a DSLR?</edit>

BB

 

[BB Gun]

w00t!

I'm a Limp Gawd!

BB

 

[bracky]

I have a 2.2 gig magicstor microdrive in my gps system and am happy with it. Surely not as durable as a solid state device but they do the trick reliably.

 

[Stereodude]

SD cards are the fastest for reading (some can push 20meg/sec). I don't know what cards are the fastest for writing. Generally you're limited by the camera.

 

[misan-thrope]

My A80 takes fine and dandy low-light pics, and i can set it up so that with flash, it can take 1-2 pics a sec with little to no lag between pressing the shutter and it taking pics. Just get some nice NiMH.

 

[GuruX]

I know Canon offers a new camera that has 10x optical zoom and 3.2-megapixel resolution -- complete with image stabilization (something I REALLY wish my Olympus C-740 had). I believe it's called the Canon Powershot IS S1.