Imagine a device having power-free storage with extraordinary re-recording ability; welcome to the world of compact flash memory cards or what can also be known as CF drives. Compact Flash is in fact a mass storage device which can be utilized in portable electronic devices like digital cameras, mobile phones, music players, video game consoles, handheld devices, PC card slots (PCMCIA) and other electronic items. Compact Flash has come a long way, to give you an idea the latest sizes of compact flash drives are comparable to matchboxes with some weighing in as low as at 11.4 grams.
Memory Stick, Microdrive, CompactFlash, Secure Digital, xDPicture are some of the most common types of storage devices which are being used today. However, Compact flash memory cards were introduced in 1994 by the SanDisk Company and have now become a trendy storage medium for digital cameras. Nowadays its physical format is being used for an array of other devices apart from digital cameras. But, its association with digital cameras is long lasting. Digital cameras which have an internal storage capacity of 16 to 32 MB offers a limited amount of data storage, but if you need to capture thousands of high resolution images there arises the need for compact flash memory cards. Storage cards are an invaluable and constructive accessories that is a must for modern data storage.
CFM Cards is designed to be a resilient and durable source of storage to "in the field" photographic experts. There are two key subdivisions of CFM Cards, viz., Type I (3.3 mm thick) and Type II (5 mm thick). The CF Type II slot is utilized by Microdrives or solid state drives. The compact flash memory cards are lightweight, slim and drink typically only 5% of the the power source making them highly favorable for travel.
The CFM Cards come with varying speeds, the faster the storage transfer rate - the better the speed. Like a 40x speed is better than a 24x while an 80x speed is better than 40x. As always with higher speeds comes higher costs. Most high speed ranges are considered "Pro series" ranges; often used by professional photographers. One should note; memory cards are also used directly in a PC as an ATA(IDE) or PCMCIA storage device along with a passive adapter or a reader.
Buying tips: Compact Flash Memory Cards [http://www.comnauts.com/collections/compact-flash-memory-cards]
- Check for speed and data transfer rates, don't unnecessarily spend money on a high speed card when you'll never utilize its true power.
- After purchasing the device don't forget to see whether the device is working perfectly and has the same capacity that has been stated on the box/cover.
- Keep the manufacturers' warranty on the memory cards with its original receipt, some manufacturers offer long warranties.
- Don't forget to read the manufacturer's manual to see the type and capacity of your compact flash memory card.
- Purchase CF memory card with twice the capacity of your old storage device so as to fulfil your needs well into the future.
- Buy a good brand with good support.
