[Alex Ethridge]

I am considering purchasing a digital video camera and have a question about flash memory. One model of the camera I'm considering has flash memory capability. I questioned a sales person about this and she told me the flash memory is for still images only and cannot be used for moving pictures--that all moving pictures could be recorded to tape only.

Is this true of all consumer-grade digital video cameras or not?

[kiwiguy]

I believe so.

I have a digital (still) camera, that also takes movies.
I can take up to 30 minutes of video on flash memory. (1 GB compact flash) but there are limitations. Only about 30 second bursts (at 640x480, 30 fps) before the camera has to pause to allow the memory to save the image file.

While flash memory comes in several speeds, it would take a high bandwidth to continuously save to flash ram at resolutions that video cameras use today. We will get there, but I dont think consumer grade is affordable yet.