Speed Up Photo Taking

digital-storage/index.html">camera-storage/index.html">Digital memory cards -- compact flash card, SD card or Memory Stick -- all have speed ratings. The higher the rating, the faster a digital camera writes images to the card. This can be useful when shooting sports or other action activities where you want to take multiple photos quickly or shoot high-res videos.

High-speed cards are designated with ratings such as 24X, 40X, 80X and more. They can also have terms like "ultra" and "pro" in their branding.

Not all digital cameras benefit from a high-speed memory card. If you're thinking that a high-speed card will speed up your photo taking, it may. But you need to know the speed rating for your camera. Don't buy a card with a higher speed rating than your camera or you will be wasting your money.

Check the camera manual, or contact the manufacturer, to determine the maximum speed card your camera takes.