Home > Accessories > Essential Accessories > Memory card capacity
Memory card capacity
The question is often asked, "what size memory card should I buy?" The answer depends on the megapixel count of your digital camera and how many photos you take at given time.
As a rule of thumb, the following size memory card is a recommended minimum:
Three megapixels - 128 MB card or higher
Four megapixels - 256 MB card or higher
Five megapixels - 512 MB or higher
Six megapixels - One Gigabyte card or higher
Eight megapixels + - Two Gigabyte card or higher
The actual number of images you get on a memory card varies with camera model. and resolution and compression settings. Even the number of colors captured affects the file size of images.
If you shoot a lot of video, get a larger card than indicated, or more than one card.
A few small or one large memory card?
With the prices of memory cards coming down, many digital photographers have at least two cards, not only for the extra capacity but for security. If you lose a card, or if it becomes corrupted, you have another on hand.
