# Mastering Change Data Capture (CDC)

> In this session, Zach dives into Change Data Capture (CDC) and explored why Snowflake is so popular among SQL users for its ease of use and ability to handle big data efficiently. He discusses the differences between Snowflake and Databricks, emphasizing that each serves different user needs—analys…

- Web page: https://www.dataexpert.io/lesson/masteringchangedatacapturecdc-jan2026
- Program: [Winter 2026 Analytics Engineering Camp](https://www.dataexpert.io/program/winter-2026-snowflake-boot-camp)
- Access: Requires enrollment in Winter 2026 Analytics Engineering Camp
- Length: 49 min video
- Skills: SQL, ETL/ELT, Data Warehousing, Snowflake
- Academy: DataExpert.io Academy

## About this lesson

In this session, Zach dives into Change Data Capture (CDC) and explored why Snowflake is so popular among SQL users for its ease of use and ability to handle big data efficiently. He discusses the differences between Snowflake and Databricks, emphasizing that each serves different user needs—analysts versus engineers. He also highlights the importance of Merge operations and when they can be beneficial or problematic. He also covers various methods for implementing CDC, including read streams and database triggers.

## Navigation

- Previous lesson: [Growth Accounting Lab](https://www.dataexpert.io/lesson/growthaccountinglab-jan2026.md)
- Next lesson: [Change Data Capture Lab](https://www.dataexpert.io/lesson/changedatacapturelab-jan2026.md)