I just ordered a Coolpix 950 from Digital and Video and when I ordered they told me of some special offers from Nikon, ONe of which was on a "New high compression" (or something to that effect) 32Mb and 64Mb Compact Flash cards. Is there such a thing? The cost was $169 for 1-32Mb or $279 for 1-64Mb. I bought a 32Mb. Did I get taken? If not, what is the difference between this high compression card vs. a typical card?

John

-- John Shimkus (ranger@npcc.net), May 13, 1999

Answers

I think they meant a newer, higher CAPACITY, memory card. The memory capacity is just a measure of how much storage space there is on the card. The memory card doesn't typically have anything to do with compression, this function is performed by software in the camera that determines how the image will be compressed and stored on the memory card. You have some control over this process by selecting the level of compression on the camera's menus.

You may have erred, since getting 64MB of storage for $279 is a better deal than getting 32Mb for $169. The best way to compare is to divide the cost by the storage capacity. The lower cost per MB is the winner. Ex. $279/64 = $4.36/MB and $169/32 = $5.28/Mb, so the larger card is actually a better value for the price.

-- Gerald M. Payne (gmp@francorp.francomm.com), May 14, 1999.