Formatting a memory card can improve reading and writing speeds of your Canon digital camera. If you are experiencing sluggish write speeds with unexpectedly long delays between pictures, you ...

Your camera probably isn't equipped to read cards larger than 32 gigabytes. The larger cards fall ­under the SDXC standard, while cards between 4 and 32 GB follow the older SDHC standard.

This means if you have an 8 GB memory card, you can store 160 RAW photos or 1,600 JPG files. My advice is to buy new cards when you buy a new camera if your cards are more than 2 years old.

Secure Digital (SD) – Roughly the size of a postage stamp, the SD Card is a mainstay of the camera industry, spanning entry-level to professional models.