It’s fun to buy a digital camera. Today’s cameras come with a host of special features and bonuses. You can use them to capture still images, of course, but you can also record short videos on many of today’s digital cameras. But the one piece of digital photography equipment that many pay very little attention to is the memory card in your digital camera.

This is not a surprise. Memory cards aren’t exactly fun. They’re not exactly sexy. But they are absolutely necessary.

Digital camera memory cards store the photo you take with your camera. These shots remain on the card until you delete them or send them to your computer for future printing.

The key is to make sure that your memory card has enough storage space for your needs. You don’t want to spend all your time sending photos to your computer because your memory card doesn’t have enough storage space. This takes away your valuable time taking pictures.

Here’s the first rule of thumb: expect to replace the card that originally shipped with your camera. Chances are good that this card has a low amount of memory storage. Manufacturers rarely provide high-quality memory cards with their digital cameras.

Next, plan to buy a digital memory card with at least 1 gigabyte of memory. This will allow most digital photographers more than enough storage space to save their photos. It’s hard to estimate how many photos you’ll be able to safely store on a 1 gigabyte card. Variables that affect this number include the type of camera you’re using, the way you save your photos, and the resolution of your photos.

However, in general, you can expect to store more than 100 photos if you are using a 1 gigabyte digital camera memory card with a standard digital camera.

This should be more than enough space to capture all the moments you need, whether you’re attending a college graduation, your daughter’s softball game, or your nephew’s first birthday party.

So don’t forget your digital camera’s memory card. It is one of the most important accessories you can buy.