Compact Flash Card Reader

Many people that do not have an electronic brain and have just bought a new camera ask what a compact flash card reader is. It is a compact flash memory card. It has a solid state memory device that will hold data, even if you do not have power to it. Compact flash card reader will describe the physical format and the electrical interface format of the card. Inside the card are one or more memory chips and a memory controller.  A compact flash card reader comes in two different sizes.

One size is the Compact Flash type II – 36.4x42.8x5.0mm and the other one is the Compact Flash type I – 36.4x42.8x3mm. There is just the thickness of the card is different. Some cameras can only take type I cards. As with the Canon EOS DSLR is able to take both. The first compact flash reader card was either micro drives or high capacity cards. Even the high capacity cards today are type I; micro drives are type II.  They interface of type I compact flash card reader will supply up to 70mA to the card and type II interface will supply up to 500mA. The type II is needed if the card draws much power.

Years earlier in the compact flash reader card, the micro drives were higher in capacity than the solid state cards. And the cost per MB storage was lower. Most are equal today. Some claim there is no reason to by a micro drive anymore. As they are a bit larger and will draw more power than the compact flash reader card, they are not used much anymore. A compact flash card reader can go through the laundry and still come out with no damage, or at least a minimal amount of damage.

Speed of the compact flash card reader is the most important quality. It is how fast it can write and save the data. Mostly the speed in which the card can write is important since it will establish the maximum speed at which the camera will shoot under certain conditions.

The compact flash card reader has two types of memory cells. Multi Level Cell or MLC will store two bits in each cell. The other one is the Single Level Cell or SLC, which only can hold one bit in each cell.  SLC will use less power than MLC, but not much.

If a high capacity compact flash card reader is what you want for your camera, there are some advantages say over the micro drives. You will not have to keep changing cards when shooting. One caution, if the compact flash card reader should fail, you will lose about four GB worth of images or pictures. On a good note, this does not happen very often.

Photographers think about the size of memory to use. They would probably lose the same amount of data, but in smaller doses. And it would not happen in just one shoot. It is convenient though to have just one compact flash card reader and not have to change between cards. Prices will vary on the compact flash card reader, depending on the camera and what it is going to be used for. Just keep a lookout for good prices, getting one cheaply is not a good idea not unless it comes with a good rebate.