MMC/SD Memory Card Question

[flynverted]

Recently ordered a new Kodak 7950 digital camera Link .
But unfortunately it doesn't come with a memory card.
Talked to the guys at the local camera shop, and they tell me there are 3 different speeds of SD/MMC cards in addition to size of memeory on the cards. Of course the faster ones with more memory are more expensive, so that's the one they're trying to sell me.
What I'm wondering is if anyone is familiar with this type of memory card and are the "Faster" cards really that much faster, and are they worth the extra $$$$?
All I really need is something suitable for taking portrait shots and nature/weather shots, so I don't really need "Rapid Fire" capabilities from the high speed cards.

TIA
nverted

[SyllogismCheck]

I can't really tell the difference in speed between the 'standard' and 'high speed' SD cards. There may be a little, in so much as that the camera seems to display the preview almost instaneously with a high speed card rather than after a fraction of a second with a standard card, but you have to be actually watching the LCD quite deliberately to spot it. As you say you don't intend on doing lots of burst mode photography, I really wouldn't pay much of a premium for a high speed card. Although the price gap is narrowing quickly so it may be worth considering if it only involves an couple of extra $$s or so.

In terms of capacity, I advise against paying top dollar for the biggest 2 gig cards. You pay more per megabyte in the first place and they may give up the ghost or get lost just the same. Here in the UK, I can buy 512MB, 'semi-fast' (I forget the read and write speeds, but they're somewhere between standard and fast), Toshiba manufactured cards for about £13 or so. Similar quality 1GB cards come for roughly the same £ per MB ratio at almost £30. Then the price jumps to £85 or more for 2GB, which is why I don't bother.
Unless you're planning marathon trips involving epic photography sessions, 1GB will hold as many pictures as you're likely to want or need to take before you can get to a PC anyway.

[Conan the Librarian]

Unless you into "burst" shooting (and I doubt the Kodak would do that well) then a standard card will do the bizz. Faster cards come into their own when taking series shots, as the time to write the file from the camera to the card is where you want the speed.

Conan

[flynverted]

Originally Posted by SyllogismCheck

I can't really tell the difference in speed between the 'standard' and 'high speed' SD cards.

Thanks, mate, that's what I wanted to know. Guy at the camera shop said it was "Significant", but of course he wants me to spend more $$$ in his store. Reckon I'll go with a slow or medium 512 to start with. That should do for what I need.