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03/27/2005 12:27:39 PM · #1 |
Greetings...
I went to Best Buy the other night and spent a little time browsing the digital cameras they have on display. One of the first things I noticed was that very few of the current models of compact cameras will use compact flash cards. A huge majority of them are using xd and sd memory cards. Some of the larger models still accept compact flash, but not many. I suppose the size of the compact flash card makes it difficult for the manufacturers to make these tiny cameras. The next thing I noticed is that, on a per megabyte comparison, compact flash is cheaper than all the other memory card formats. At some point in time, compact flash prices will probably bottom out and it will become more difficult to find CF cards at the local retail shops. The first 1gb comact flash card I bought cost me just over $300. This was about 16 months ago. The same card can be bought today for $79. I haven't noticed if any of the new DSLR models use a format other than compact flash, but I don't recall hearing that any do. I guess the size of the memory card is not really relevant in a digital SLR due to the size of the camera. |
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03/27/2005 12:34:07 PM · #2 |
Is that just for the smaller, compact models though trying to make the best use of space? All the DSLR models all seem to be using CF cards both in current and planned models. So far it seems the CF cards hold the most memory too, up to 8GB now or so.
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03/27/2005 12:35:17 PM · #3 |
Pentax *ist Ds uses SD cards.
Message edited by author 2005-03-27 12:38:27. |
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03/27/2005 12:35:26 PM · #4 |
The Fuji S3 takes xD cards as well as CF.
The physical size of CF is a factor in compacts for sure. I would imagine some people will take those extra few millimeters into account when choosing a cam for the shirt pocket.
Does the opposite apply with DSLRs though? I find SD, xD and even smartmedia too fiddly - and I only have small hands. When I'm rushing to change a card I much prefer the solid feel of a CF card.
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03/27/2005 12:36:44 PM · #5 |
| Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II seems to take Compact Flash and SD. |
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03/27/2005 12:45:31 PM · #6 |
I haven't looked recently but as of about a year ago compact was considered the most durable and therefore most reliable, I never worry too much about accidently dropping a CF card or deforming it during handling but the when using the other types I would.
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03/27/2005 12:57:52 PM · #7 |
When I bought my Canon S1 its use of CF was one of the major factors -- they are old (stable/reliable) technology and cheaper. In anything but a subcompact camera the size is not a significant issue.
There's an old thread here with a link to some reliability comparisons for the six most common media. As I recall, they were all surprisingly durable, passing the typical "drop on the sidewalk" and "forget in the laundry" tests. However, I think only CF and SmartMedia survived the "nail to a tree" test. |
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03/30/2005 05:04:08 PM · #8 |
Canon EOS 1DS Mark II SD/CF
Canon EOS 1D Mark II SD/CF
Fujifilm S3 Pro XD/CF
Minolta Dynax 7D CF/SD
Pentax ist Ds SD
The rest of the Digital Slrs use Compact Flash. Interesting that 2 of Sony's cameras uses Memory Stick and Compact Flash. |
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03/30/2005 05:14:59 PM · #9 |
| With my old camera, I used to like that my 8 smart media cards fit in a case that would accomodate 2 compact flash cards, but now that I have a camera that uses compact flash I have to agree that the more solid feeling of the compact flash cards makes me give them a lot more respect and worry less about hurting them. The smart media cards were so small and flimsy that it made them difficult to change, perticularly in wind or other adverse conditions. I can hold onto the compact flash cards much more easily due to their slight increase in size. I'm glad the small cards allow small cameras to exist (I hope to one day invest in something tiny enough that I can keep it in my purse for those "you never know..." type occasions), but for my regular shooting, I'd be very bummed if larger, more solid cards got pushed out by the small ones. |
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03/30/2005 05:17:55 PM · #10 |
I bought my nikon coolpix 3100 mainly because it takes compact flash and it is still a very small camera. In fact it is probaly the smallest camera to take CF cards.
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03/30/2005 06:32:26 PM · #11 |
Realistically, CF is not a long term viable memory format for small consumer camerass. Consumers today want cameras that are small, packed with features (like video clips), and that act just like film cameras. CF is reliable, but not nearly as good with video, or rapid image transfer in small cameras. Note that I said small. dSLRs are a different beastie.
Clara |
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