Traveling with Memory Flashcards

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Traveling with Digital Media (Our Experience)
At this time we use Lexar 2GB/4GB/8GB Professional Series 133X CompactFlash Memory Cards to capture images from our Nikon D200 digital cameras. When on travel, all digital images are transferred to Epson P-5000 (80GB) and/or P-3000 (40GB) storage and viewer systems for safe keeping.

All of our digital media have passed through airport x-ray machines and metal detectors numerous times with no detectable problems. At present, we have never lost digital images, noticed any data alteration or ever had data corrupted after passing through security devices.

Integrity in Transportation of Imaging Products (ITIP)
The committee for Integrity in Transportation of Imaging Products was formed in 2000 to address concerns over damage to sensitized goods when inspected during travel or shipment. ITIP is the successor of the former Airport X-ray committee, which has been active since the 1970s studying the effects of airport X-ray inspection on photographic film.

• Digital Media Travel Advice - Press Release 2004
• IA3 Electronic Storage Media Test (pdf)

Advice from SanDisk about Flash Memory Cards
You can put full or empty flash cards in your checked or carry-on baggage with little risk of damage from airport scanners. The International Imaging Industry Association (IA3) conducted tests last year with security devices used in U.S. airports and found that no damage to the cards resulted with normal travel frequency. As an added precaution, SanDisk recommends that you take the cards out of ALL checked baggage and cameras, and put them in your carry-on before passing them through security devices.

Here's what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has to say
None of the security equipment - neither the machines used for checked baggage nor those used for carry-on baggage - will affect digital camera images or film that has already been processed - slides, videos, photo compact discs or picture memory cards. More....

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Helpful Ideas

Available Books, Music & Videos, Cameras
Travel Storage Systems

Higher Capacity Cards: Since the cost of memory cards are getting cheaper and the resolution of digital cameras are constantly increasing, it maybe an ideal time to consider upgrading your memory card. Doubling your previous capacities in a good starting point. If starting using 256 megabyte (MB) cards, move up to a 512MB or a one gigabyte (1GB) model. If you want sharper and larger format images, then you’ll need to set your camera at higher resolutions and this, in turn will consume more memory. Consider using a high-capacity, high-performance cards.

Faster Speed Cards: All flashcards are not the same. If you like to shoot fast moving objects, you have a better chance of capturing the specific moment from a faster speed memory card. For example, moving from a standard card to a high-performance card can provide up to three times faster writing speeds in many of the newer digital cameras that have fast internal processors. Remember, actual speeds depend on the image processing ability of your camera and the make of your existing flash card. Even if your camera is not fast or high-resolution, having the faster cards will be welcome treat when you ever decide to upgrade to a new camera in the future.

Recovering Deleted Images: Suppose you accidentally deleted a picture that you really wanted to keep. Or perhaps you've reformatted your card by accident and wiped out all of your images. They may look like they're gone from sight, but usually they remain stored on the card in unreachable memory locations. Some card manufactures (Lexar, SanDisk) may offer image recovery software (installed on your computer) to allow the recovery of so-called "lost" images by selecting "Full Recovery." If your card manufacture offers this type of software, get it and install it on your computer, because you never know if you may need it in the future.

Heat Issues: If you leave rolls of traditional analog film on the back seat of a closed, parked car during summer temperatures, you stand a good chance of ruining your film. Although it's advisable to keep flash cards at room temperature, SanDisk’s standard flash cards are designed to withstand relatively high temperatures – up to 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit – without loss of stored images. SanDisk's Extreme III cards are designed to operate in extreme temperature conditions at the limits of human physical endurance.

Avoid Low Battery Issues: Although no battery power is required to store pictures, it's important to have sufficient power when your camera is transferring captured images to your card. If the battery is too low, you could lose one or more images during the transfer, so it's a good practice to stock up on a spare recharged battery. Also, never remove a card while a camera is writing to it or while formatting the card in a camera.

Avoid Water: If you accidentally leave a card in a pants pocket and then wash the garment or drop the card in some other watery grave. Don't despair, because there have been some unconfirmed reports that if you let the card dry for a couple of days or carefully use a hairdryer with a non-heat blower, there's the possibility that the card may still function. We recommend testing a completely dry card first in a card-reader of a personal computer before trying it in your camera.

Backup Data: Always back up your images on a laptop, burn them to a CD or another storage medium. That way, if your card is lost or damaged, you will still have another set of images!!

One last thing, If you run out of memory and need to find a card or two early in the morning or late at night, head for a supermarket or drug store.

Glossary

CompactFlash (CF) - The CompactFlash (CF) card was developed by SanDisk in 1994 that uses flash memory to store data on a very small card. The CF card is the most widely used digital memory format and isused by most current digital cameras. CompactFlash cards are now available in sizes up to 8 Gigabytes, larger than any other currently-available format.

Memory Card - A memory card (sometimes called a flash memory card or a storage card) is a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable or remote computing devices. Most of the current products use flash memory, although other technologies are being developed. The CompactFlash (CF) card is an example of a memory card.

Flash Memory - Flash memory (sometimes called "flash RAM") is a type of constantly-powered nonvolatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks.

Nonvolatile Memory - Nonvolatile memory is a general term for all forms of solid state (no moving parts) memory that do not need to have their memory contents periodically refreshed.

Megabyte - A megabyte (MB) is a unit of data used to describe the size of digital images and the capacity of a digital memory card. Memory cards are available in sizes ranging from 8MB to 2 Gigabytes (a Gigabyte is the equivalent of 1,024MB). 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes; 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes

Megapixel - A measure of resolution that reflects the ability of a digital camera to record detail. The more megapixels a camera has, the more detail its images can contain and the more they can be enlarged without losing clarity.

Pro Series CP FlashCard Links

Lexar Professional Series CompactFlash Cards | Lexar Homepage
SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash cards | SanDisk Homepage
Kingston Pro CompactFlash Cards
Hoodman Pro CompactFlash Cards

Note: Always refer back to the manufacture or distributor for the most current information about these products.

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