How to win the memory card wars (Minolta SD-CF1 CompactFlash Card Adapter)

Member Name: kingseany

Product:	Minolta SD-CF1 CompactFlash Card Adapter
Date:	10/06/05 (3994 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Use 2 different formats in one camera, Direct printing from SD on CF printer

Disadvantages: Cost

If like me, you've got a variety of cameras, using different memory cards, you sometimes wish there was only one format. Why? Because then you can just buy a load of cards all of the same sort, and they'd work in all the cameras. The Minolta SD-CF1 is an adapter for those with a whole load of SD (Secure Digital) type cards, who also have a CF (Compact Flash) compatible camera too. Why should I need to buy a 512Mb CF for my Minolta, when I have a perfectly good 512Mb SD card for my brand new Megxon? Well with this device, I won't of course.

Although it's made by Minolta, and Minolta themselves only advertise it as compatible with certain cameras in their own range, it will in fact work with a variety of other CF cameras, including Canon and Nikon.

It's very simple. You take your adapter, slot the SD card into it, then slot the whole thing into your Compact Flash compatible camera. The SD card sits nicely in the adapter, so that the whole thing is just the size of a standard CF type 1 card. There may be compatibility issues. Cameras which could only before read a 512Mb CF card, cannot magically read a 1Gb SD card. The card may still work, but with not all the capacity. Cameras that can of course read a 1Gb CF card, can now also read and write a 1Gb SD card seamlessly.

So are there any more advantages? Well typically SD cards are faster in operation, so in theory you should expect to get SD performance in your CF camera, up to 30% faster in some cases.

Another potential reason you'd buy this is to enable you to put your SD cards into a CF compatible printer, for direct printing capability. If you own a laptop, and require SD card reading capability, use a PCMCIA Type I CF type PC card adapters with this and you'll be able to do this with ease.

Cheapest price I could find in the UK was £43.42 inc VAT from www.techstore.co.uk. Whilst this may seem on the expensive side, if you can appreciate the benefits decribed above, it'll save you money in the long run, and can make your digital experience somewhat easier. Also check Ebay for potential savings.

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