In the not so distant past, memory storage meant reaching for a five and a quarter inch floppy disc for the computer. Cameras used film, and the idea of storing pictures directly from them to a card or disc was unheard of.

However, in a relatively short amount of time, technology has changed immensely. We no longer need to buy rolls of film and have the pictures developed. Now, we can enjoy the instant gratification of pictures saved on a tiny card and then transferred directly to the computer. The most common type of memory card is the secure digital or SD. Not only is it used for taking pictures, but can also work as a flash drive, storing any type of data from a computer in portable form.

Because so many people depend on SD cards, they are available in a variety of different types, capacities, and models. It's no longer as simple as just going to the store and buying a memory card. In fact, it can be a little confusing when you don't know what you are looking for.

How Will You Be Using the Card

The first thing you need to do is consider how you will be using the secure digital card. If you have a standard point and shoot camera, then a moderate to small card will serve just fine. You don't have to worry about high capacity or high-speed storage.

However, if your camera is a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or you plan on storing high amounts of data like videos, then you do need to choose a larger capacity card. Remember that it is always best to buy a bigger card than you think you will need simply so you won't run out of space at the worst possible time.

Knowing the Terms

When you shop for SD cards, you will run across a few different terms that can be a little confusing. You may wonder what they mean and how important they are to you. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with those terms so you know what you are actually shopping for:

SDHC

This refers to a secure digital high capacity card.

microSD

A much smaller version of the standard SD card, this model is often used in smartphones and can be used as a standard model with an adapter.

Extreme or Ultra

Some memory cards are designed to save faster for quicker use and they will use these types of terms.

Eye-Fi

This memory card can work as a mobile wi-fi so that you can directly transfer pictures from the camera to the computer wirelessly. This feature will only work with compatible cameras.

SDXC

This stands for Secure Digital eXtended Capacity. This basically refers to the same feature as the SDHC.

Extreme Pro

This type of card is designed to offer high capacity and high speeds so that it will work best for professional photographers.

Choosing Capacity

The main feature you need to consider when choosing your SD cards is capacity. You need to make sure you have enough storage space whenever you need to use the card. If you are a photographer, running out of room during a photo shoot can be detrimental. If you are using the memory card for storage, then you likely need extra space without having to delete anything.

You can choose from a variety of different storage options, but it may help to know a few different guidelines.

• 286 or 512 MB memory cards are fairly small and best suited for point and shoot cameras.
• 5 GB and above memory cards are better options for high-quality images or large file storage.
• You absolutely need HC cards if you plan on storing HD video or pictures.

Speeds

The speed of the SD card refers to how fast it can write data. A slower speed card will take more room between pictures and can take more time to save files from the computer. These speeds are broken up into classes to help you understand your options a little better.

• Class 1 will write at 1 Mbytes per second.
• Class 4 will write at 4 Mbytes per second.
• Class 5 will write at 5 Mbytes per second.
• Class 10 will write at 10 Mbytes per second.

You can locate the speed class right on the memory card. It will be surrounded by an arrow that makes a circle.

How Much to Pay

Memory cards can vary so much in price that you simply cannot put even a small range of what you should expect. The speed, storage capacity, and other features of the card will affect cost. Additionally, you can pay different prices when you choose popular brands like SanDisk, Kingston, and Lexar.