When you take photos, are you a shutterbug that snaps everything in sight, or do you prefer to set up each shot to make it perfect? This pretty much makes up the wide range of professional and amateur photographer alike, but it also tells you everything you need to know about what kind of memory you need for your digital camera. The memory of your digital camera is where the photos will be stored until you upload them onto your computer, so it’s best to determine how much memory you’ll need for any given photo session. Whether it’s an extended vacation in Europe or snapshots at a backyard barbecue, you want a memory stick that will hold all the photos you feel like taking.

So, how much memory do you really need? Well, that depends on several different factors including the type of camera you’re using. The ‘type’ will be determined by the number of megapixels your camera has, which determines the size of the photo. Without getting too technical, all you need to know is that the fewer mega pixels your camera has the smaller your photos will be, which means you will be able to fit more photos in your camera’s memory. The number of megapixels your camera has will help you determine what size memory sticks you should purchase.

Digital cameras with a high number of mega pixels take larger photos, which require a memory stick with enough storage to hold larger photos. Don’t be fooled into thinking a higher number of mega pixels means a better quality photo, it only means a larger photo. Although you should always err on the side of caution and purchase larger memory sticks, the resolution and camera type will help you determine how much memory you need. You should purchase at least a 1GB memory card, which will give you from 120 to 900 photos, depending on how many mega pixels your camera has.

The so-called camera experts will usually encourage you to buy the largest memory cards on the market, which are usually the most expensive. While large memory cards eliminate the possibility of running out of space before your photo session has ended, they are also costly and perhaps unnecessary if you don’t take a large amount of photos at one time. Just as important as getting what you need, is making sure you aren’t paying for things you don’t. Large memory sticks aren’t necessary unless you take hundreds of photos before uploading them to your computer or making photo prints.

Digital photos can be extremely large with high resolution photos, which also should be factored in when purchasing a memory card. Large photos use more storage so a bigger memory card will allow you to store a larger number of photos. More mega pixels do spell larger photos, but they also spell more computer storage and a much longer upload time. If you just email photos and share them on the internet, there’s no need to spend an outrageous sum of money for a memory card that uses more space than you need.