If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
CF, Smart Media and Mutlimedia cards -- Advice needed
I recently got a digital camera with a CF card. It occurs to me that a
CF card could also serve as a backup device if I had a card reader/writer. It would replace my Sony USB memory stick that I now use to keep my most important data backed up on. Anyway, I wonder if a Multimedia Card or a Smart Card would better serve as a backup/transporter device than a CF card. Of course that assumes I got an appropriate reader/writer. I think I have seen readers that will handle all three. An external USB HD is not in the cards (pun intended) right now. Any advice or comments on this will be appreciated. Thank you. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 11:02:54 -0500, "Jack Gillis"
wrote: I recently got a digital camera with a CF card. It occurs to me that a CF card could also serve as a backup device if I had a card reader/writer. It would replace my Sony USB memory stick that I now use to keep my most important data backed up on. Anyway, I wonder if a Multimedia Card or a Smart Card would better serve as a backup/transporter device than a CF card. CF is larger but those with metal casing (plate) are also more rugged. Their pin-connectors are also more reliable. Their larger size allows greater capacity (but of course at disproportionately higher prices most often). Whether this matters in your application/use/transport, I know not, it would be an individual decision based on your unique needs. There is no gain in Multimedia card or smart card though. Multimedia are spec'd to be slower than Secure Digital (SD), the ideal card for moderate (1GB or less) that's smaller but more fragile would be Secure Digital. Add to this that it's price/capacity is good. Secure Digital (or miniSD for smaller mobile devices) does seem to the the more popular standard at the moment, such a card would be more versatile... except that you already have the CF camera. CF also can be used in ATA mode when connected to an inexpensive (~$15-30) circuit board, allowing access as an emulated HDD or even running an operating system (if one keeps in mind the limited write-cycles of flash memory, it's not good to use flash for a swapfile/pagefile or other similar hi frequency write scenarios). Only CF allows this ATA mode, SD/MMC/etc do not... though given enough adapters it might be possible. Of course that assumes I got an appropriate reader/writer. I think I have seen readers that will handle all three. An external USB HD is not in the cards (pun intended) right now. yes the typical $15 external or $20 internal USB2 adapters are easily found. DO get USB2, USB1.1 is far too slow for modern high capacity flash cards. If it were me, I'd go with CF since you already have the camera, unless of course you also have other devices that take a different flash format. For example an MP3 player that uses SD, or some newer mobile phones should support miniSD if they don't already. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
"kony" wrote in message ... On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 11:02:54 -0500, "Jack Gillis" wrote: snip ---- CF is larger but those with metal casing (plate) are also more rugged. Their pin-connectors are also more reliable. Their larger size allows greater capacity (but of course at disproportionately higher prices most often). Yes, that is very important to me and CF it will be if for no other reason than that. Thank you very much. snip----- |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|