Jon Sienkiewicz

Things were tough during the Stone Age. No camera bags; no photo backpacks, either. Some citizens were so starved for visual stimulation that they resorted to painting stick figures on the walls inside their caves. Others just bided their time, waiting to evolve.

If your digital camera is fairly new, odds are it stores images on SD cards. SD stands for Secure Digital but it may seem more like Strange & Discombulationg because of the permutations that abound. This primer will school you on all you need to know about this efficient and progressive format, and help you make better purchasing decisions when it’s time to buy more cards.

The year is 2068 and the Dystopian Party has defeated the less conservative Cacotopian Caucus and all Americans are now permitted to own one and only one camera. You have five minutes to choose your system. When time is up, all of the gear you own that is not directly useable by your choice—and all of your other cameras—will be tossed straight into a cosmic wood chipper and shredded into impalpable dust. Which camera do you pick?

What can you buy for $29? A quick Google search suggested charcoal-based tooth whitener, a pair of crappy slippers and a few other bits of future garage sale fodder. I already have slippers, so I checked out a few major camera retailers to see what sort of camera bags are available for less than 30 smackers.