Many old compact digital cameras require an SD card following the original SDSC standard. If your compact digital camera was released before 2006, it is worth checking which SD standard it supports before purchasing a card.
What's the difference? SD, SDHC, and SDXC explained.
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SD (SDSC) — The original standard, with a maximum capacity of 2GB. Most digital cameras made before 2006 support only this format. If your camera shows a "Memory Card Error" with a larger card, this is likely why.
- SDHC — Introduced in 2006, supporting 4GB to 32GB. Cameras from roughly 2006–2012 typically use this standard. SDHC cards are not compatible with older SD-only cameras.
- SDXC — The modern standard, from 64GB and above. Compatible only with cameras and devices that explicitly support SDXC.
Compatibility works in one direction: a newer camera can usually read older cards, but an older camera cannot read newer-standard cards.
Popular cameras that require a 2GB SD (SDSC) card:
- Canon PowerShot A410, A520, A620, A640, IXUS 50, IXUS 60
- Nikon Coolpix L11, Coolpix 2100, Coolpix 3200
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1, DSC-W5, DSC-P series
- Olympus FE series (early models), C-series
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX1, DMC-FX7