Storage Cards

- For convenience you should have at least one large storage capacity card.
- You may not have a choice of the type of card as you will probably choose your camera based on the features of the camera. However, there are different types of card available in each category, so it is worth knowing which is fastest so that when you buy a larger memory card you buy a fast card of the appropriate type.
- The faster the better as the transfer time to save a file will influence how long you have to wait to save a file and how long it takes to download from the card to your computer.
- The larger the better as you can then save many images with the highest quality settings.

Compact Flash

- The most common in cameras
- usually Type I
- Available as Compact Flash, Compact Flash Ultra II and Compact Flash Extreme III
- Slowest is standard Compact Flash, Ultra is much faster and Extreme is faster again.

Memory Stick

- Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO (Larger form-factor cards)
- Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo (Smaller form factor cards originally designed for mobile phones)
- The PRO versions have faster file transfers.
- Designed by SONY for SONY devices so they tend to be more expensive.

Microdrive

- Tiny hard drives originally designed by IBM to fit a Compact Flash Type II slot, later sold by Hitachi.
- Very-large capacity drives available at less cost than solid state cards of similar very-large capacity.
- High transfer rates.
- May be sensitive to shock, but why would you drop your camera anyway?

SecureDigital

- SecureDigital and SecureDigital Ultra II.
- Small form-factor.
- Fast transfer cards.
- Low energy consumption.

xD-Picture Card

- Developed by Fujifilm.
- Very compact form-factor.
- Large capacity cards.
- Targeted at ultra-compact cameras.
- Not widely used as yet.

What about batteries?

There will usually be a battery and battery charger supplied with your camera. So, if you buy a second battery, you can have one battery charging while you are using one battery in your camera,

The brand of the second battery you buy doesn’t matter as long as it is of the same capacity or better as the one that was supplied with the camera. Any brand sold by a respectable camera store should be suitable for your camera. It is very important that you have a second battery that can be charged while you are using the camera. You should always make sure you have the second battery with you so that you can put it in the camera when the first battery goes flat. Then you will be able to continue to take photographs