Compact Flash and Smart Media - What's the Difference?

[bilalhmd]

I know this may be a dumb question, but what is the difference between the 2 types of cards? Is one type better than the other? Can they be interchanged in equipment (i.e. cameras). I would guess that they can not be interchanged, but it does not hurt to ask.

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[amgkid]

they're just different types of flash memory. cameras either take compact flash I and/or II OR smartmedia, not both i don't think. smartmedia is smaller, it's like a wafer. compact flash has a cartridge thing to enclose it but it's still small. i think compact flash is cheaper and used more so if you're going to get a camera, you'd probably want compactflash.

 

[SUOrangeman]

C|Net did a roundup of flash media types last week. You may be able to dig it up somewhere. As you can imagine, no flash memory technology is physically compatible with another.

Although I own two SmartMedia devices, I have a feeling that CompactFlash is getting all the attention these days. CF currently maxes out at a higher volume (256MB vs. 128MB), and thus may have a better volume/$ ratio. I don't think there are any PDAs that currently accept SM out-of-the-box (boo from me! ). MP3 players, at least older ones) tended to use SM. Digital cameras vary widely.

I'd think about the devices you see yourself using in the the future and go with the format that supports the most of the devices.

-SUO

 

[dcdomain]

In addition, most compact flash devices are compatible with the IBM Microdrive. So you can get up to a gig worth of storage.

 

[thermite88]

You can find this information at Steve's Digicams and much more.

Here is the Memory Card Page.

<< CompactFlash cards contain both memory chips and a controller. Any digicam that uses CompactFlash cards can use ANY size CF card with no compatibilty problems or upgrades required. CF cards operate at either 3v or 5v and are interchangeable.

Note that there are Type I (original) and Type II (thicker) CF cards. Cameras with Type I slots cannot use Type II cards.

CompactFlash Type I cards range from 8MB all the way up to 512MB now and just recently Pretec announced a 640MB size card.

Physically smaller than a book of matches and about as thick as a credit card, SmartMedia cards have no controller, they are simply memory that has been laminated on a plastic card. The controller has to be built into the camera and this causes incompatibilities with cameras made before 2001 and the new, higher capacity 64MB and 128MB size cards. >>