What are the differences between CompactFlash I and CompactFlash II Memory Cards?

II cards are faster, III cards are faster still. Unless you have a reasonable high-end SLR camera you don't need a II or a III card. Save the money and buy a higher capacity regular card.





If you have a dSLR camera buy at least a II, like the SanDisk Extreme, if you ever plan to shoot burst mode. You'll appreciate it.

What are the differences between CompactFlash I and CompactFlash II Memory Cards?
By and large, CFI cards are solid state cards and also they are physically thinner then CFII cards (e.g. the Hitachi(previously IBM) and Seagate Microdrives).





Performance wise I guess CFII is acceptable unless you compare with the Lexar 133x and Sandisk UltraII/Extreme III type of cards.





Price wise CFII tends to be cheaper per megabyte then CFI cards.





CFII Cards (specifically microdrives, not too sure if there are other types) have moving parts (a mini platter like a hard disc) so if you drop one, it's a good chance you'll need a replacement.





Also, check your camera manual. Some camera's don't accept CFII (e.g Olympus E10).

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