Discount Memory Cards: How Much Memory Space Does My Digital Camera Need

So you got yourself a new digital camera?? Well congratulations. That's a wonderful purchase. Next thing you know you'll buy digital picture frames for every room in your house, tagging your friends on Facebook, and keeping a photo-blog online.

But before you do that, you're going to need a memory card. The majority of digital cameras don't carry an adequate amount of memory space, and you'll need a memory card to be able to store the thousands upon thousands of digital pictures you'll be capturing

The only problem is, there are just SO many options when it comes to discount memory cards that it's nearly impossible to figure out which ones right for you. So this article will try to sort out some of the more confusing of details when it comes to digital camera memory cards.

Whether extraordinarily expensive or discount memory cards typically come in the following sizes: 2 GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB (GB stands for Gigabytes). The more gigabytes you have, the more storage space you have available.

(It's important to remember some camera's are limited to a specific memory capacity or speed of the card, and some cameras simply won't read a car greater than a certain amount. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of your cameras specific details and requirements.)

Now, 2 gigs might not sound like a lot. But the simple fact is that 2 GB discount memory cards can typically hold over 750 photos. Considering the old-school wind-and-click cameras held less than 40, that's nearly 20 times as many photos on a digital camera with the smallest of memory cards than you would on the typical disposable.

As the number of gigs doubles, so does the estimated number of photos allowable. A 4 gig memory card holds around 1,500 photos. An 8 gig memory card holds over 3,000 photos. A 16 gig memory card holds over 6,000, and a 32 gig's worth of memory can hold over 12,000.

(Most of these numbers are rough but accurate estimates, as memory space can be affected by the number of megapixels, the recording mode, and many other factors)

So if you see yourself taking a few hundred photos, then being able to go dump the shots on a computer or hard drive, then there's no reason to spend the dough on anything over 2 GB. After all, 700 pictures is a LOT of pictures.

However, if you're going on a long trip, or someplace where you won't have access to a computer or hard drive, it might be wise to get a card with more gigs. Any situation where your memory card is going to be your only means of digital photo storage for a extended period of time, it's important to make sure you have plenty of gigs.

However, when it comes to filming movies, a higher amount of gigs is more necessary. A 2 GB camera can only record about 20 minutes worth of film. While 700+ photos is a lot, twenty minutes recorded isn't. So if your intention is purely photo, we recommend you save your money and get 2 GB discount memory cards. However, if you're more interested in filming and recording live-action, it may be necessary to get something with a little bit more space memory space, that is.