The
Compact Flash card is a smaller version of the Type I PCMCIA card, the original version of which is
almost obsolete. As one could
infer from the name, it uses
flash memory. Compact Flash is currently the most
popular form of removable
memory for
digital cameras. It's also widely used in PDA's.
The size specificatons are as follows:
Length 1.433 in (36.4 mm)
Width 1.685 in (42.8 mm)
Height 0.130 in (3.30 mm)
Weight 0.36 oz (10.2 g)
Compact Flash cards typically have more space than their memory stick contemporaries and definitely more than
Smart Media cards. SmartMedia cards are also
wafer thin and easy to break, whereas you can toss a Compact Flash card out of a two-story
window onto pavement, and it will usually continue to
function. I've left one in my
pocket more than once on laundry day, and it came out of the
washer/
dryer still functioning.
Currently, the leading developers of CF cards are
SanDisk and
Lexar Media. SanDisk focuses on producing cards for storage, whereas
Lexar Media cards are optimized for
digital cameras, with a
binary writing style which works faster and allows for less write time between pictures.
Lexar Media also recently
introduced and
licensed USB enabled compact flash cards, which come loaded with all the USB
interface technology in the card. They are packaged with a cord to connect the card to any
USB slot.
specification info found at: http://www.lexarmedia.com/products/usb_cf_main.html