My understanding is that the memory is baked onto/into the original processing chip. The chip does the processing to decode the original camera sensors into your raw or jpeg image. This is all fast because it is local, onboard the chip. After the picture file is built, it resides on the chip and can be shipped off to the SD or CF card. It takes longer to write this information to the external memory than to the internal stuff on the chip.
But before the computer chip inside your camera does any writing, it should recharge the sensor because you might want to take another picture. And if you do want another picture, then it should decode that information and write it to the chip's internal memory. This is a fast write, but it takes priority over dumping that prior picture to the slower SD/CF card memory. If you hold the shutter release down long enough, you will fill up the internal memory so you cannot take any more pictures until the slower write to the SD/CF card is accomplished and memory space is freed up. The internal memory on the chip is microscopic, in layers of silicone only a few molecules thick. The only way to get more memory on the computer chip is to build more into it during original fabrication of the chips. Of course, you could do this, but maybe Pentax thought that 6-7-8 pictures in a row were enough for most users and that adding more memory onboard the chip would increase costs prohibitively. And then comes Moore's Law, the cost of a memory/process in chip will fall in half every X months. The next camera built X months later will be able to afford twice as much horsepower (& memory) as that old Pentax thing you are using. Let me get down off my soapbox and shut up now... Regards, Bob S. On 1/15/06, John Francis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sun, Jan 15, 2006 at 08:40:51PM -0500, Glen wrote: > > At 12:34 PM 1/15/2006, P. J. Alling wrote: > > > > >If it were designed that way, I doubt it could be done to an existing > > >camera without major surgery, and resulting disfigurement. > > > > > >Jens Bladt wrote: > > > > > >>I agree, actually - it would be very usefull. Wouldn't it be possible to > > >>add > > >>a larger buffer to an existing camera?? > > >>Like a "power grip" or booster! > > >>Regards > > >>Jens > > > > > > Yeah, there's a thought. Let the camera be designed with a user-accessible > > module containing the buffer memory, and let the end user be able to > > upgrade the buffer memory at a later date. People upgrade the memory in > > their computers, why not in their cameras? > > Memory upgrades never run faster than the original. Nor is it possible > to expand memory beyond the system limitations of the memory bus. > I doubt if it's even theoretically possible to increase the memory > capacity, let alone the write speed, without replacing so much of > the original electronics it would be easier to replace the camera. > >
