Is it true that flash memory used in memory cards wears out?
Yes. The memory cells that make up flash memory cards, used in nearly all digital cameras today, do indeed have a finite lifespan. Estimates vary from product to product, and manufacturers tend not to want to talk about it, but each cell can be erased and reused anywhere from 10,000 to a million times before internal insulators start wearing out and errors start creeping in. Does that matter? Well, for the average user, no. Even the low estimate – 10,000 times – is quite a few rounds of photography on a card. And better memory cards contain special controllers which evenly distribute which sections of a card are used in order to minimize wear. The finite lifespan might, however, be a factor for intensive use, particularly with older memory cards. Some card manufacturers promise replacement guarantees of 1 to 5 years, but of course getting a corrupt memory card replaced for free does little to resurrect any valuable photographs which may have been lost. Still, all things considered, fla
