Peter, I don't claim any particular technical background (science yes, engineering no), but I have read several sources which say that the SmartMedia card requires controller circuits built into the host device. Thus, a camera such as the smaller capacity Olympus, designed for SmartMedia, can use a card only up to a certain maximum capacity, limited by the camera's own controller. A camera that uses a compact flash card sees every card, no matter what the capacity, as an ordinary disk drive. A CF card, which has the controller circuitry on the card, can theoretically go to any capacity, and the camera will accommodate it.
Judging by the prices of equivalent capacity SmartMedia or CF, it appears that SmartMedia is a little cheaper, but in the end, it offers less versatility. It also may not be quite as sturdy physically as the CF, which has a stiff plastic case and protected contacts.
Art |
