Q&A: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About CompactFlash

I recently bought a Fuji FinePix s602. The manual says that the camera accepts SmartMedia, IBM Microdrive, and CompactFlash Type II. Is this "CompactFlash Type II" memory available? If so, where can I find it? I don't want to spend a ton on the Microdrive, so I'd like to try the CompactFlash Type II instead. Can you help?

--Liz Hedge, Charleston, South Carolina

Congratulations, Liz: You've got a great little camera. The FinePix s602 is one of a growing number of cameras that accept more than one kind of expansion memory. I like that since you can choose the cheapest format when you shop for a memory card, and you can even load two memory cards at once for twice the storage.

CompactFlash is one of the most popular formats around. These cards measure 1.65 inches by 1.42 inches and are quite rigid; they're not flexible like the paper-thin SmartMedia card that came with your s602.

They come two thicknesses, known as Type I and Type II. Type I CF cards are 3.3 mm thick, while Type II cards measure 5 mm. Why, you ask? Well, when the format was designed in the late 90s, it was easier to pack more memory into a thicker card--thus was born the two formats. But don't worry--if your camera accepts Type II cards, it'll also take Type I. In other words, you can step into any computer, office supply, or computer store and buy any CompactFlash card, and it'll work just fine. The best buys are almost always on the Internet. Searching PCWorld.com's Product Finder, I found a 128MB card for as little as $40. Prices fluctuate often, so check the site out for yourself.

As an aside, IBM's Microdrive is a tiny hard disk that conforms to the CompactFlash Type II form factor. But since Microdrives draw more power than ordinary CompactFlash memory, not all cameras can use them. Yours specifically states that it is Microdrive-compatible, so that's always an option if you ever want to go that route.

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