Monday, February 1, 2010

Compatible Memory Cards For A Pentax Optio M50

The Optio M50 digital camera is manufactured by Pentax. The M50 has an SDHC Flash memory card slot. SDHC card slots are backwards compatible with SD cards, the predecessor to SDHC. Using an SD or SDHC card, you can store more pictures in memory at once and easily transfer them to your computer, provided you have an SD/SDHC memory card reader.


SD Cards


SD stands for Secure Digital. This small Flash memory card has a maximum capacity of 2 GB. Ensure you don't accidentally purchase a smaller MiniSD or MicroSD card, which won't fit into your Optio M50 without an adapter to make up for the size difference.


SDHC Cards


Secure Digital High Capacity cards have a higher capacity than standard SD cards. While the size varies between cards, the largest SDHC cards have 32 GB of storage space, much more than the 2 GB offered with SD cards. SDHC also comes in a Micro and Mini version, so ensure you purchase a standard SDHC card, the largest of the three.


Inserting the Card


The Pentax Optio M50's memory card slot is hidden under the same latch as the battery. Slide the lock on the bottom of the camera and release it to open the battery and card cover. Insert your SD or SDHC card into the slot with the label facing the same direction as the camera's lens. Insert the end with the golden contacts first and push the card in until it clicks into place. Close the battery and card cover and slide the lock to the closed position. To remove the card, simply press it farther into the slot until it clicks, then remove the card with your fingers.


Formatting


The Optio M50's manual suggests formatting an SD or SDHC card the first time you insert it into the camera. Doing so deletes any data already on the card and prepares it to work properly in the M50. Use the arrow buttons to select "Format" from the "Settings" menu. Select "Format" and press "OK" and wait while the camera formats the card.

Tags: SDHC card, memory card, battery card, battery card cover, card cover, card slot, cards have