SLC vs. MLC, MMC vs. SD

[Joseph Sinclair]

MMC cards can be used in SD slots, but not the other way around.  SD splits one of MMC's contacts to permit slightly more control over the card.  The spec also permits higher speeds than the MMC spec does.

The shot-to-shot speed is a combination of buffer memory, processing chip, and card speed.  If your Nikon is slower than it's specs, it's probably the card or your shooting style.  If it's specs are slow, it's probably the chip and/or limited buffer memory.

The Canon actually stores slightly more data under most conditions.  The S2IS has better optics and a better processing chip than the CoolPix 5600, so there's more image fidelity and the JPEG compression doesn't remove quite as much data (on the highest setting, of course).

The faster your card the better a Canon S2IS will do  There is no card on the market faster than the DiGiC II processing chip the S2IS uses, so the card speed is the primary throttle on camera performance.
Unfortunately most vendors are detailing their burst read rate, rather than sustained write speed, which is the critical value for cameras.  SanDisk Extreme II or Extreme III memory is currently the hands-down speed leader with write performance over 9MB/Sec.

The Use of SLC vs. MLC is a distraction.  MLC can be just as fast as SLC.  The real determinant of write speed is the in-card memory controller chip that determines how many memory blocks can be written to simultaneously, and how data is spread across blocks.

One of the things that will probably slow you down with any "prosumer" camera is the focus time, since they all can spend a lot of time seeking in auto-focus mode.  The picture will take a lot longer shot-to-shot if it has to refocus for each shot.  You should spend some time learning the different shooting modes of the camera to see which settings enable you to take more shots in less time under different conditions.  If you're primarily shooting indoors, for instance, the settings that will produce the best response are quite different from the settings you'd use outdoors.

der.hans wrote:
> Am 22. Jan, 2006 schwätzte FoulDragon at aol.com so:
> 
>> In a message dated 1/22/2006 12:26:18 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
>> PLUGd at LuftHans.com writes:
>>
>>> Can MMC and SD cards be used somewhat interchangably and you just
>>> lose the
>>> encryption option of SD?
>>
>>
>> I know SD SLOTS can generally accept MMC cards, but I don't think MMC
>> slots
>> will take SD cards; there are few devices which really need MMC cards
>> exclusively now.
> 
> 
> I'm trying to use the card in SD slots. I don't like or want to use the
> proprietary 'security', so I'd rather vote for MMC than SD. Then again,
> I'm only seeing a couple of MMC vendors at pricegrabber and those look
> like USB drives not MMC cards.
> 
> Guess my votes didn't count...
> 
>> What device are you trying to use a SD card on?
> 
> 
> Digital camera. Currenly a nikon coolpix 5600 that's way slower than it
> should be, I think. It usually takes several seconds before being able to
> take a second shot.
> 
> I'm contemplating purchasing a canon powershot S2, so I want to make sure
> whatever card I buy is appropriate for it as well.
> 
> The nikon is 5.1 megapixen and the canon is 5.0, so theoretically they're
> writing about the same amount of data, right?
> 
>> The "80x" is the data rate in CD-ROM drive speed, and 1x = 150kbps, so
>> 80x=12000kbps.
> 
> 
> Ah, there's a number I can manage, danke :).
> 
>> That's a peak rate, if your device won't go that fast, you won't see any
>> benefit.  A high-pixel digicam might actually crank data fast enough
>> to see a
>> difference, a mobile phone probably won't.
> 
> 
> Yeah, at this point I'm happy to get a card that's faster than the camera
> as I'm sure I'll be buying faster devices in the future :).
> 
>> You can likely get away with the cheapest good-quality card you can find.
>> I've got a noname 128M card in my digicam, has been perfectly fine for
>> almost a
>> year of moderate use.
> 
> 
> I've got a pair of 'normal' speed cards and I want to see if the card is
> the difference. In the next few weeks I will be at events where I want to
> be able to quickly take pictures, so I want to get a card now if it'll
> help.
> 
> Using 2500 mAh NiMH batteries, so that shouldn't be the issue, I'm told.
> Well, provided I'd properly listed what I have...
> 
> ciao,
> 
> der.hans
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss