Making the Most of Digital Camera Memory Cards

Digital cameras are revolutionizing the world of home and professional photography, but they are married to memory cards just as traditional cameras are married to film. Making the best use of memory cards can have a very big impact on your enjoyment of digital photography. Choosing the right memory card for the job can be as important as choosing the right film for a traditional camera.

If you are new to digital cameras, the digital camera memory cards are the most important parts of any digital camera, without which they may not work at all. So if you are handling a digital camera or planning a purchase, you must know more about the memory cards used in these cameras.

Something many new digital camera owners find counter-intuitive is that bigger is not always better with a digital memory card. The actual response speed of your digital camera can depend greatly on the memory card it is using. The speed that your camera writes new pictures to the digital memory card is partially dependant on the transfer speed of the digital camera but is also dependant on factors in the memory card itself. Memory cards that have “buffers” can take the data into a faster type of memory and then transfer the data from there to the slower “flash memory” which provides the main storage of almost all digital camera memory cards. Some digital camera provide their own buffer memory to allow you to take your next picture while the previous picture is being transferred to the memory card.

When you delete an image from the memory card of your digital camera, the flash memory is “reconfigured” because of special issues having to do with how this memory stores data. Normally this is an issue that you don't have to worry about at all. However, if you have a very large memory card and delete an image, you may experience a several minute delay while “house cleaning” is performed on the memory card. Because of this, do not delete images while you are taking pictures. Instead wait until you are at home, your hotel or in the car before reviewing your pictures and deleting the ones you don't want. Smaller cards take less time for this “house cleaning” so many experienced digital camera owners will choose to have more than one medium sized memory card instead of one very large one.

Now the question arises-how many memory cards are enough for your camera? On an average basis, you must have at least two memory cards for your digital camera. That is, if you are using it in a normal and average fashion.

Most professional photographers choose to carry about four to six memory cards. This helps them shoot smoothly and constantly. If they run out of memory, they just take the loaded card out and insert the fresh one. Because memory cards can malfunction (just like traditional film canisters, but not as often), you should choose to have at least two memory cards at all times. By having at least two cards, you can work with one and keep the other in reserve for emergency. Having at least one extra memory card for your digital camera will also ensure that you have the backup protection needed if you run out of space on your first card or in the possible event of the first card malfunctioning.

The next important issue is how to take proper care of these memory cards. The memory cards may seem like some small and fragile piece of technology, but they are actually fairly sturdy. The flash memory is encased in a stiff plastic shell which can withstand normal wear and handling. At one end of the memory card is either a set of little holes or copper strips. These are the sensitive part of the card. Any voltage source or a large jolt of static could corrupt the memory and probably cause permanent damage to the card. When the card is not in your camera, it is best to keep it stored in a protective case or in your camera case. Putting it in your pocket could cause a short (from your keys perhaps) or dirty the electrical contracts. There have been instances where the users have misbehaved greatly with them and the memory cards have yet survived and continued to function correctly. But, this does not mean that one should not care for them.
When it is time to transfer your data from the memory card to your PC, it is best to have a memory card reader, or have a PC with a built-in reader. The data cables provided with most digital cameras are very slow compared to the speed of a “direct reader” and it is often easier to review, copy and delete images from a memory card when using a reader instead of through the data cable connection.

When traveling, X-Rays have never been shown to corrupt the data on, or damage, a digital camera memory card. The memory card is also not magnetic in nature so the motors in the X-Ray machine's conveyor belt should not be able to cause any harm either.

Armed with knowledge comes the power to benefit from that knowledge. If you have learned something new about digital memory cards, hopefully you will benefit by enjoying your digital camera more and finding more opportunities to take great pictures.

About the Author

Dave Saunders is a nutritional educator and published author. He enjoys writing on his many hobbies and passions. You can find other news and articles on digital cameras at http://www.aboutdigitalcameras.net

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Digital Technology is making its presence felt not only in the printing industry but more imminent in the field of photography. Digital photography has taken photographing into a realm of infinite possibilities. Digital technology has also offered great diversity when it comes to colors of pictures that were not possible with the use of traditional photographing machinery.
Digital technology has also paved the way for express photography developing which only requires a minimum of 3 minutes to process pictures. This express picture development is great for rush picture requirements like personal id pictures as well as rush visa and passport photos. The best-suited camera used for express development is a digital camera.
The process of express development starts with the taking or the capturing of an image, which is a multi-process since it includes image display, as well as image printing by means of a computer and appropriate printer equipment. However, like any technology the digital technology is not without flaws, the use of an incompatible printer may have an adverse effect on the quality of the developed picture.
In terms of the digital camera to be use, it is important to correctly choose the camera’s resolution in order to produce high quality photographs. For passport and visa photos a digital camera with one mega-pixel resolution is the best choice. Such types of cameras also have automatic features that are designed to control the numerous photographic qualities involved in the process of taking pictures. Nevertheless, the photographer’s sensitivity when it comes to his or her subject must still exist since the automatic control of the digital camera won’t be able to choose from among the subject’s facial expression which is best to capture or decides on the clothing that would best reveal the subject’s features.
Camera-to-computer interface are well suited for those photography activities that require the use of an external memory card. The transferring of data is also much faster and offers confirmation of the storage of quality images stored in the computer. Likewise, it provides a room for retakes and the images are easily stored in the computer, which is a good thing since it will be much easier to choose from among the taken images the one that really stands out.
The computer also plays an important role in digital photography since it helps in storing and displaying of digital images taken with the digital camera. The computer also enables for the printing of the images in various digital printers. And since digital photography makes use of high-resolution images it is vital that the computer should have a sufficient memory space as well as ample storage capacities. Likewise, a computer should also have a high-speed interface to the camera and printer and a speedy but reliable CPU in order to provide efficient image processing.

About the Author

Jinky C. Mesias is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Business Management. She is at present an Associate Manager of a Life Insurance Corporation and a freelance writer.
For comments and suggestions regarding the article kindly visit Digital Color Printing Company

Focus Modes in Digital Cameras

While some of the least expensive digital cameras have only automatic focus, meaning the camera does all the work on bringing your subject into the best possible focus, most SLR digitals offer three different focus modes: manual, single auto focus and continuous auto focus. All three of these will be addressed here.
With manual focus, the camera stays out of the focus equation and you, the photographer, make all the decisions regarding this. This is done by setting different buttons or actually using an attached focusing ring that rotates on the camera lens. For those who like to have complete creative control of the finished product, this is the best focus mode.
In single auto focus mode, the camera automatically focuses when you press the shutter button either all the way down to shoot a photo or half way down to lock the focus. This mode is useful when shooting static objects.
In continuous auto focus the camera continuously focuses on the objects in the photo. In this mode the camera continuously corrects the focus as the objects distance from the camera changes. This mode is useful when you shoot photos of moving objects such as a race car during a race or airplanes during an air show. You can hold the shutter button half way down and continuously move the camera to follow the object. The camera will continuously keep the object in focus.
Like any other feature automatic and manual focus modes have their pros and cons. The first step to using them to your advantage is to understand how they work and what they were designed for. The next step is to experiment shoot photos using different focus modes and different types of objects and see how the camera behaves. Once you have done that you will be ready to instinctively use the best focus mode for each photo situation.

About the Author

John Ugoshowa. You are welcome to use this article on your website or
in your ezines
as long as you have a link back to
href="http://www.quickregister.net/partners/">http://www.quickregister.net/partners/
For more information on digital cameras see the digital cameras section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service
at:
href="http://www.quickregister.net/partners/">http://www.quickregister.net/partners/