Steve'sDigicams

joy · Dec 28, 2002, 12:36 AM

I read somewhere on CNET.com that "Smartmedia is on its way out." What does that mean? Is Smartmedia becoming a thing of the past?? Should I take that into serious consideration before buying a camera?

steve6 · Dec 28, 2002, 6:18 AM

It's on its way out but will be several years before it disappears. I believe Olympus and Fuji have pledged to support it for some time yet.

Having said all that, I personally wouldn't buy a brand new camera with SM only. I bought the Oly 730 which handles SM and the new XD card.

voxmagna · Dec 28, 2002, 6:54 AM

It should soon be possible to buy buckets of SM cheap, so that can be an advantage, as long as you buy at the right time. As steve6 says, it will be supported and who knows what other format will come along in the meantime. I'm afraid with digicams, future improvements and new models mean a cam today will not be a cam for life!

The card format you choose, should also allow for putting more higher res. pics or movie on the card, so having CF/XD and even microdrive as an option is something to look for.

gibsonpd3620 · Dec 28, 2002, 7:07 AM

I would not eliminate a camera because it only used smart media. Smart media will be available for many years. Current cameras that can only use smart media make up a significant part of the camera market. The new camera market, within the next 24 months, will be at 7 to 10 mp for consumer cameras. Storage media will need to be in the gb range.

Mike_PEAT · Dec 28, 2002, 8:17 AM

And it's been written that xD cards have a theoretical limit of 8 gig, vs. SM's limit of 128 megs...that's why SM is on the way out.

joy · Dec 28, 2002, 8:04 PM

Thanks for the help! I didn't know that SM could only have up to 128 megs... I was looking at a couple Olympus cameras and they only support Smartmedia cards. Thanks again!

jsmeeker · Dec 30, 2002, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joy

Thanks for the help! I didn't know that SM could only have up to 128 megs... I was looking at a couple Olympus cameras and they only support Smartmedia cards. Thanks again!

If they are 2.0 MP pixel cameras, a 128 MB SM card will give you lots of shots. But as others point out, SM is essentially a fully mature product. Don't expect any more developments in that type.

voxmagna · Dec 30, 2002, 6:33 AM

Picking up jsmeeker's point: If your chosen cam uses SM only and offers uncompressed modes and movie, you might be right to be put off. But usually, you find the cam will be too slow to fully use its uncompressed modes anyway.

A cam sold with the intention of uncompressed or large file Fine quality JPEG and movie use will take account of the 128Mb limit and more than likely offer alternative media options.

So why not regard the cam, its performance and media as a single functional item?

A better question to ask is "I'm about to spend a small fortune on large xD cards (not yet available), will I really be able to find alternative cams in the future to carry on with my present cards, -and will they be so small in these future cams, I wonder why I worried about it?"

gibsonpd3620 · Dec 30, 2002, 6:43 AM

Joy

The Olympus C5050 uses the xd card, compact flash, and sm.
The Olympus C50 uses the xd card
The Olympus C730 uses the xd card and smart media.

I have the olympus c4040 with a 128 mb sm. I can shoot 130 pics with the camera at the HQ mode.

Mike_PEAT · Dec 30, 2002, 11:25 AM

Although for some the media it uses is important, I find it less important to me than the actual camera features itself (feel, weight, picture quality, ease of use, etc.).

I've owned three digital cameras over the years, and each uses a different type of memory card (compact flash, MMC, smart media)...and for each camera the type of media, and whether it was compatible with the media I already owned was a non-issue, if the camera was the right camera for me.

Already you're seeing cameras that use SM also using xD...would have been nice if you could pop in xD in your current SM camera. If it's a camera you really like, buy it...but if it's SM only look for sales and buy extra memory...I'll be buying more SM cards soon for my C-700.

Dec 28, 2002, 12:36 AM	#1
joy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 24	Smartmedia I read somewhere on CNET.com that "Smartmedia is on its way out." What does that mean? Is Smartmedia becoming a thing of the past?? Should I take that into serious consideration before buying a camera?

Dec 28, 2002, 8:04 PM	#6
joy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 24	THANK YOU Thanks for the help! I didn't know that SM could only have up to 128 megs... I was looking at a couple Olympus cameras and they only support Smartmedia cards. Thanks again!

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Dec 28, 2002, 6:18 AM	#2
steve6 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,050	It's on its way out but will be several years before it disappears. I believe Olympus and Fuji have pledged to support it for some time yet. Having said all that, I personally wouldn't buy a brand new camera with SM only. I bought the Oly 730 which handles SM and the new XD card.

Dec 28, 2002, 6:54 AM	#3
voxmagna Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,162	It should soon be possible to buy buckets of SM cheap, so that can be an advantage, as long as you buy at the right time. As steve6 says, it will be supported and who knows what other format will come along in the meantime. I'm afraid with digicams, future improvements and new models mean a cam today will not be a cam for life! The card format you choose, should also allow for putting more higher res. pics or movie on the card, so having CF/XD and even microdrive as an option is something to look for.

Dec 28, 2002, 7:07 AM	#4
gibsonpd3620 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 3,585	I would not eliminate a camera because it only used smart media. Smart media will be available for many years. Current cameras that can only use smart media make up a significant part of the camera market. The new camera market, within the next 24 months, will be at 7 to 10 mp for consumer cameras. Storage media will need to be in the gb range.

Dec 28, 2002, 8:17 AM	#5
Mike_PEAT Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,910	And it's been written that xD cards have a theoretical limit of 8 gig, vs. SM's limit of 128 megs...that's why SM is on the way out.

Dec 30, 2002, 6:33 AM	#8
voxmagna Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,162	Picking up jsmeeker's point: If your chosen cam uses SM only and offers uncompressed modes and movie, you might be right to be put off. But usually, you find the cam will be too slow to fully use its uncompressed modes anyway. A cam sold with the intention of uncompressed or large file Fine quality JPEG and movie use will take account of the 128Mb limit and more than likely offer alternative media options. So why not regard the cam, its performance and media as a single functional item? A better question to ask is "I'm about to spend a small fortune on large xD cards (not yet available), will I really be able to find alternative cams in the future to carry on with my present cards, -and will they be so small in these future cams, I wonder why I worried about it?"

Dec 30, 2002, 6:43 AM	#9
gibsonpd3620 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 3,585	Joy The Olympus C5050 uses the xd card, compact flash, and sm. The Olympus C50 uses the xd card The Olympus C730 uses the xd card and smart media. I have the olympus c4040 with a 128 mb sm. I can shoot 130 pics with the camera at the HQ mode.

Dec 30, 2002, 11:25 AM	#10
Mike_PEAT Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,910	Although for some the media it uses is important, I find it less important to me than the actual camera features itself (feel, weight, picture quality, ease of use, etc.). I've owned three digital cameras over the years, and each uses a different type of memory card (compact flash, MMC, smart media)...and for each camera the type of media, and whether it was compatible with the media I already owned was a non-issue, if the camera was the right camera for me. Already you're seeing cameras that use SM also using xD...would have been nice if you could pop in xD in your current SM camera. If it's a camera you really like, buy it...but if it's SM only look for sales and buy extra memory...I'll be buying more SM cards soon for my C-700.