Not sure which microSD card to buy? Capacity is not the only criterion. What is the use of a “capacious” drive if the write speed is only 2 Mb / s? Large files will be uploaded to it very slowly. The technology used and the frequency of the bus also matter. Browse MicroSD card ratings to choose from suitable characteristics and price.
The specifications of the SD drive are listed on it. But all the parameters with explanations on such a small device simply do not fit. Therefore, the information is given in an abbreviated form.
- Capacity/Memory. It is measured in Megabytes (“MB”), Gigabytes (“GB”) and Terabytes (“TB”). It depends on how many files will fit on the card. Now 16 GB media is popular. 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB. A card with a small capacity is marked "SD", with a high capacity - "SDHC", with an extended one - "SDXC".
- Recording speed. May be listed on the front of the drive.
- Class. On the MicroSD case, the parameter is indicated as a number inside the letter "C". For example, "Class 7" is 7 Mb/s, "Class 9" is 9 Mb/s. A multiplier may be specified instead of a class. To calculate the speed, multiply it by 0.15 and get the result in Megabits per second. Marking "x200" is 30 Mb / s, "x400" - 60 Mb / s.
- UHS-I. If the media has a designation in the form of the letter "U" with a number, then it is made using the "Ultra High Speed" technology. The maximum write speed in such cards reaches 104 Mb/s. The minimum depends on the model: U1 - 10 Mb / s, U3 - 30 Mb / s.
- UHS II. These drives have another row of contacts. It should also be on the SD-MicroSD adapter. The peak speed of the cards is 312 Mb/s. This the new kind MicroSD cards, so many devices do not support it.
- VSC. Technology - Video Speed Class. The designation is the letter "V".
- If there is a Roman numeral II on the case, then the UHS-II bus is used.
IMPORTANT. There can be several markings on one carrier: both “C”, and “U”, and “V”. The card will not continuously operate at the peak speeds that are specified in the specifications. These are the maximum possible values.
How to choose a card?
First, read the instructions for the device for which you are looking for a card. See what SD formats it supports. Often there are restrictions like "MicroSD up to 64 GB". This means that the gadget will not fit 128 GB media.
The choice of drive depends on the conditions in which you will use it. Which memory cards are best for a smartphone, camera, camcorder? Are there any priority features?
To shoot videos, you need high speed. Otherwise, the recording will slow down or even be interrupted. For HD video, it is recommended to use SD class 10 or higher. For 4K - U3. And if you decide to work with 8K, look for V60 or V90.
Such speeds are for professionals: operators, editors, filmmakers, bloggers. For "home shooting" V-cards are hardly suitable. And it's not even about the price. If you're into amateur videos, you won't need half of the drive's features. The same goes for car DVRs. But in action cameras, V-drives will come in handy.
For extreme sports(e.g. Go-Pro motorcycle racing or rock climbing) choose wearables that can handle such an active lifestyle. It will be a shame if the card fails and you lose valuable footage. The specifications say whether it is affected by temperature, sudden jumps, concussions or impacts. See also under what conditions the warranty expires.
If you want to take UHS-II for a phone, laptop or any other gadget, it must support this technology. That is - to read information from the second row of contacts. Otherwise, what's the point in them?
The best memory cards
It is impossible to say unequivocally which memory cards are worse or better. They are used for different purposes. One drive is suitable for the camera, the other for the phone, the third for storing information. Yes, users have different preferences. Browse through the rating that describes the pros and cons of various microSDs. So you can choose the right option.
Transcend
Transcend has several top-notch SD media. One of them is TS*USDHC10U1. This is a class 10 card made with UHS-1 technology. Available in 8, 16 and 32 GB options. Stable recording speed - 45 Mb / s. And a very high read speed - 90 Mb / s.
This card will work well in DVRs. Ideal for smartphones and tablets. You can watch HD video, listen to music, run applications and games. There will be no brakes or departures. The price of the drive is from 1200 rubles for 32 GB, 800 rubles for 16 GB and 500 rubles for 8 GB.
- These memory cards long term services.
- High reading speed.
- Good combination of price and quality. This is the best microSD storage you can buy for the price.
- There are practically no defective products.
- The maximum capacity is only 32 GB.
SanDisk UHS-3
Now let's turn our attention to SanDisk products. For example, on Extreme MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS Class 3. Its write speed - 40 Mb / s - is not suitable for filming in 4K. Reading speed also does not break records - it is about 60 Mb / s. So why is it one of the best MicroSD cards out there? As the name suggests, it uses UHS-3 technology. At the same time, its maximum capacity is 64 GB. Such indicators are quite enough for smartphones, tablets and laptops of the middle price category. With video in FullHD resolution, this SD card will definitely cope.
However, the drive itself is quite expensive - from 3000 rubles for 64 GB. And it is better not to connect it to the GoPro 4 Black camera. In it, the MicroSD will get very hot. But if you do not shoot in 2.7K and 4K, then there will be no problems.
- 64 GB options available.
- Very low chance of breakage.
- Good speed performance. Although it is not suitable for action cameras and professional equipment.
- Price.
- Do not use this card in devices that shoot 4K resolution.
- Doesn't work well with GoPro 4 Black camera.
Another member of the SanDisk family is the Extreme Plus UHS-I U3. And here he has speed indicators that can be envied: writing - 90 Mb / s, reading - 95 Mb / s. The maximum volume is 128 GB. There is support for 4K. This is a great option for video equipment. When enrolling in high resolution there will be no freezes or crashes. The price of the product is from 2000 rubles for 32 GB, 5000 rubles for 64 GB and 8000 rubles for 128 GB. With such characteristics, it is quite acceptable.
The manufacturer's website indicates that the card is suitable for extreme conditions. You can shoot videos in the mountains or hiking. Even if your camera or smartphone breaks down, the drive will keep your files.
- There are models for 128 GB.
- High speed. You can record 4K without any problems.
- Such indicators will be useful only in a professional video camera. For regular phone or tablet they will be useless.
The first thing you should pay attention to in the SanDisk Ultra is the capacity. In such a small card fits as much as 200 gigabytes. On it you can download several seasons of the series or movies in HD. Music lovers will like it - after all, 10,000 music tracks will "fit" on it.
The drive is made according to the UHS-1 standard. Reading speed - 90 Mb / s. You can watch movies on the screen of your tablet or laptop - there will be no breaks or loss of quality. The write speed is about 40 Mb/s. Shooting in 4K resolution, of course, will not work. But for "home" use, it is suitable.
The price of the product is from 5000 rubles.
- 200 gigabyte memory.
- High reading speed.
- The recording speed does not allow for high-definition filming.
Kingston is enough famous brand. The company provides a lifetime warranty on all of its products. So the acquired Kingston UHS-I U3 is unlikely to ever fail. It is suitable for video and photo equipment, game consoles, action cameras. The SD card has an impressive read-write speed of 95 and 90 Mb/s.
This model has affordable price. The line has drives with a capacity of 32 and 64 GB. They can be purchased for 800 and 2000 rubles, respectively. But the 128 GB option is expensive - about 5,000 rubles.
Another representative of "high-speed" cards is Kingston SDCA3. It is unlikely to be used in smartphones, as its characteristics are more suitable for professional equipment. Write - 80 Mb / s, read - 90 Mb / s.
Of course, the drive can be purchased for phones. But it is expensive - 1500 rubles for 32 GB, 2500 rubles for 64 GB and 5000 rubles for 128 GB.
And here is Kingston for mobile phones. The SDCA10 has an average write speed of 45 Mb/s. But for smartphone cameras, it is ideal. Even if the device shoots in HD. But the reading speed on high level- 90 Mb/s. Recording a video in 4K will not work, but watching it is fine.
The price of the card is quite high for such parameters: 1300 rubles for 32 GB and 2500 rubles for 64 GB.
Conclusion
These are the best microSD memory cards on the market. this moment. They have advantages and disadvantages. These drives are used in different areas activities. Therefore, one product is unlikely to suit everyone at once. And technology doesn't stand still. Someday there will be carriers with higher rates.
Buying a smartphone or Tablet PC, immediately there is a desire to try to work in a variety of interesting applications, download cool game and much more. But in order to open an application for a smartphone or other device, you must first download and install it. And this, of course, requires certain place in internal memory. Music, movies, documents and other files - all this is stored on the device's resources and sometimes takes up too much space on the built-in storage. You can expand the volume using an SD card. But not all of us know how to choose a good memory card that is not expensive and at the same time of high quality. We will also find out what classes of memory cards are and what characteristics you should pay attention to when buying. This or that gadget supports specific types of equipment - if you buy another, then it simply will not work. In addition, you also need to know how much volume your smartphone or tablet supports - this is of great importance.
Types of SD cards by form factor
Previously used MultiMedia Card (MMC). Then they were replaced by SD memory cards. Their physical dimensions are the same, however, they are made according to perfect different technologies. SD has a controller and has a protective area that will not allow someone to "climb" into the system unnoticed. A special switch is also installed, which can block the possibility of deleting information (switched manually).
So, what are the types of memory cards and how to choose them? There are three types of SD in total:
- The standard SD measures 32mm by 24mm by 2.1mm.
- miniSD is slightly smaller - 21.5 by 20 by 1.4 mm.
- The smallest is microSD - 11 by 15 by 1 mm.
With the help of special adapters designed for this, any of the presented cards can be inserted into any slot that supports SD drives.
What are the classes of memory cards
Among other things, drives differ in classes. Let's see what a memory card class is and what does this parameter affect? So, it determines how fast the data is written. Speaking in a slightly different language, the higher it is, the sooner you can record data, play large video or audio recordings without losing quality.
In order for a potential buyer to navigate the capabilities of flash drives, the SD card association classifies them according to the SD Speed Class - what is it? Speed signs: on drives, the speed is indicated based on a certain multiplier, where 1 is 150 kb / s.
Memory cards can be made in the following varieties:
- class 2;
- class 4;
- class 6;
- class 10;
- class 16.
When choosing a memory card for a DVR or other device, you need to Special attention set this parameter. Among other things, you need to choose a drive only from a reputable manufacturer. The fact is that many companies indicate a classification that does not correspond to speed indicators. Or it will mean not the speed of writing information, but its reading.
Type will be of no small importance for those who like to watch movies with HD resolution, the difference between them is palpable. The higher, the more stable the data streams will be and there will be no slowdowns. In the documentation for the device where this or that card will be used, you should carefully read the information about the minimum speed for playing HD video.
In general, flash drives with the 10th grade are considered the most popular and in demand. The speed of reading and writing information is at the most optimal level and can reach more than 10 Mb / s, which is good news.
Memory card capacity
Before buying a memory card, you should check what is the maximum volume that your device can withstand. It is also recommended to pay attention to the type:
- Regular SD cards can have a maximum capacity of 4 GB;
- SDHC - up to 32 GB;
- SDXC - up to 2 TB;
- SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I is the maximum number available.
The larger the memory card, the better - as it can store more information. For example, 8 GB is enough for a thousand mp3 songs or 21 minutes of Full HD video.
Read and write speed
The speed of reading and loading information on the card depends on its class and type.
Various types of memory cards have different speed data exchange. What does a specific characteristic mean:
- SD - 12.5 Mb / s;
- SDHC - 12.5 Mb / s (difference from the previous one only in a larger volume);
- SDXC - 25 Mb / s;
- SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I - very high speed (UHS I architecture - 50 Mbps, UHS II architecture - 156 Mbps or 312 Mbps).
How to determine the class of a memory card by the speed of information exchange? Class characteristics:
- Class 2 - not less than 2 Mb / s;
- Class 4 - not less than 4 Mb / s;
- Class 6 - not less than 6 Mb / s;
- Class 10 - not less than 10 Mb / s;
- Class 16 - not less than 16 Mb / s.
Choose SD card
In spite of huge assortment memory cards, figuring out which one is better is not difficult at all. The main thing is in which device the drive will be used. Standard SD cards are most commonly used in camcorders and digital cameras. It is necessary to single out two modifications of SD cards: SDHC and SDXC, which are characterized by increased capacity(32 GB - 2 TB). If you need a flash drive for your mobile phone or tablet, then you should look at miniSD and microSD. Despite their miniature size, these varieties differ in the same speed and capacity as a full-fledged SD, but differ only in an increased price.
When choosing a memory card, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that their modern formats may not be compatible with outdated devices. It is worth noting that if the gadget contains a slot for a large SD flash drive, then you can use the most ordinary microSD provided that there is a special adapter that almost always comes with the purchase.
As for the capacity of the card, it all depends on what files you plan to store on it, and in what volume. One of the most important characteristics when choosing is the speed with which it can receive and store data. For example, recording burst photos or Full HD video files on a slow card is not feasible. When playing videos, the video will “slow down” all the time. To understand how to find out the speed? You need to pay attention to the special marking - class. As mentioned earlier, a good memory card has a high class, and in our time it should be at least “10” for comfortable work without delays in writing and reading.
Additional information
If you are the owner of a mobile device or other gadgets, then you should be aware of other significant parameters that you need to take into account when choosing a memory card. To store all the data on the flash drive, cells are provided. In the course of repeated formatting and rewriting of information, cell data can “wear out” modern drives are designed for 10,000-1,000,000 data rewriting cycles. As practice shows, this figure can be much less. It depends on the conditions of use of the flash drive, its resistance to influences, etc. Thus, a high-quality card must be resistant to mechanical damage, high humidity, and temperature changes.
Conclusion
Choosing a quality memory card is not difficult. The main thing is to first study their main varieties, classes of memory cards and criteria that you should pay special attention to. close attention. First of all, you need to start from the device for which the drive is intended. You also need to decide on your needs, which the flash drive must satisfy.
Please note that the latest memory card formats may not work with older devices. For example, if a mobile phone supports the microSD format, then high-speed microSDXC may not work with it (to clarify the issue, you need to look at the phone's documentation).
In a device with a slot for a large SD card, if necessary, you can use microSD with a special adapter. Most manufacturers offer such an adapter bundled with the card.
Memory
The size of the memory card determines how many photos, music, videos and other information the user can record and store. For example, an 8GB card can hold approximately 1,400 6MP photos or 21 minutes of Full HD video or 1,000 songs.
Recording speed
The most important characteristic memory cards - the speed at which the card is able to receive and write information. You won't be able to record Full HD video or burst photos on a slow card. The video recording will be interrupted and "slow down", and the camera will not be able to quickly record all the frames. So, for HD video you will need a memory card with a recording speed of 4 Mb / s, for Full HD - or 10 Mb / s. For burst shooting, 3D video, shooting, and saving photos in RAW format, the write speed of the card must be at least 10 Mbps. For 2K and 4K video, a card with a speed of 30 Mbps or more is required.
MicroSD cards have a standard classification of write speed classes - from Class 4 (4 Mb/s speed) to Class 10 (10 Mb/s). Higher speed cards are labeled UHS with other speed classifications, in this case it is better to focus not on the class, but on the speed indicator, which is usually indicated on the card itself or on the packaging. CF cards also use their own speed markings. Recording speed can be measured in hundreds of MB. For example, a card with a data exchange rate of 1000x can achieve a write speed of 150 Mb / s (150 kb / s is taken as 1x).
Other characteristics
Information on a memory card is stored in cells that “wear out” in the process of repeated overwriting and formatting. On average, at modern maps memory resource is from 10,000 to 1,000,000 rewrite cycles. But in real world this indicator can be significantly lower - it depends on the operating conditions and many other factors, for example, on the resistance of the card to the impact external environment. Therefore, when choosing a card, it will be useful to pay attention to such characteristics as moisture resistance, heat resistance, shock resistance, etc.
Reference article based on the expertise of the author.
Every owner digital camera or a smartphone with a camera sooner or later thinks about buying a memory card. Even if the device already has several gigabytes of internal memory, you will need a large flash drive with a high recording speed to save photos and videos. It may seem that all cards are the same, but there are a lot of pitfalls in this topic. We will tell you how to choose the best memory card.
MEMORY CARD TYPE
There are several types of memory cards on the market today. The one indicated in the description of your device will suit you. For example, most cameras today are compatible with SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, which have two subtypes: SDHC (high capacity cards) and SDXC (extra high capacity cards). Cameras manufactured several years ago may not be compatible with SDXC memory cards, and models digital cameras, released before 2006 - with SDHC.
The maximum capacity for SDHC is 64 GB, and for SDXC it is 512 GB.
In some professional cameras, as well as in cameras of past years, CF (Compact Flash) type flash drives are widely used. Today, they are not much superior in their characteristics to other types, but they are the leaders in terms of volume and recording speed. However, before buying a fast CF memory card, make sure that your camera can provide such a high data transfer rate. In particular, there should be support for the UDMA (direct memory access) function from the camera.
There are also CFast 2.0 memory cards with ultra-high read (up to 515 MB/s) and write (up to 440 MB/s) speeds. Their maximum capacity is 128 GB, the minimum is 64 GB. It's comparatively new format, which is supported by several professional cameras. But it is already clear that due to the high speed characteristics it will be in demand in the future.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
In tablets and smartphones, where compactness is especially important, along with conventional SD cards, their reduced versions - microSD can be used. They are often used in action cameras and some pocket cameras. Today, microSD cards are in no way inferior to their full-size counterparts, neither in speed nor in volume. They can also be used in cameras with a standard SD slot via an adapter. The maximum microSD memory capacity is 200 GB for the SanDisk Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I model. You can read more about microSD memory cards on the pages of our magazine.
MEMORY CARD STANDARD UHS-I and UHS-II
Today, UHS-II memory cards are being actively introduced. Fujifilm X-T1, Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II are already working with them. The file write speed reaches 250 MB/s, and the read speed reaches 280 MB/s. Such high performance allows you to realize all the possibilities modern technology. Outwardly, flash drives of the old and new standards are no different, but this is only from the front side. On the reverse side UHS-II cards have two rows of contacts. But most importantly, UHS-II has backward compatibility: they can be used in cameras and camcorders that do not support this standard. Obviously, the future belongs to them.
Some manufacturers of photographic equipment have tried to introduce their own types of flash drives. But at the moment, almost all camera models are compatible with one of the types described above, and either a separate or a combined slot is provided to use your own types of flash drives.
WHAT CAPACITY OF MEMORY CARD TO CHOOSE?
The capacity of the memory card determines how many pictures or minutes of video you can record. Naturally, more capacious cards cost more. But we live in the age of multi-megapixel cameras and the coming era of 4K video. SLR cameras have crossed the 50 megapixel mark, and mirrorless cameras are already equipped with 42 megapixel sensors. And even in mobile phones you can meet the resolution of pictures more than 40 million pixels! The average number of pixels is 24 million. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II records video at 800 Mbps. One forty-second clip from this camera takes about 5 GB! And the higher the resolution of the image and video, the more space will be required on the flash drive.
The volume of the file directly depends on the amount of details stored in it, that is, on its quality. If you shoot photos in RAW+JPEG format, the size of a single shot can be over 100 MB! Now there is an ultra-high-definition 4K video format, where one minute can take up the volume of an average amateur photo shoot.
It makes little sense to buy memory cards with a capacity of less than 16 GB today. If you plan to actively photograph and shoot a little video, then we recommend memory cards with a capacity of 16 and 32 GB. At the same time, you should not shoot all the material on one card, it is better to split the session into several flash drives. It's not so much about the unreliability of memory cards (they are just very reliable), but that we can lose them. When shooting video, the size of the memory card should be selected so that it is enough for the entire shooting day. Below we provide a table for modern multi-megapixel cameras, which will allow you to roughly estimate how many pictures and minutes of video can be recorded on memory cards of different sizes.
| Memory capacity | Full HD H.264 video | Photo RAW+JPEG |
| 8 GB | 10 minutes | 80 photos |
| 16 GB | 21 minutes | 160 photos |
| 32 GB | 43 minutes | 320 photos |
| 64 GB | 1 hour 27 minutes | 650 photos |
| 128 GB | 2 hours 54 minutes | 1280 photos |
HOW TO DEFINE THE OPTIMAL WRITE AND READ SPEED?
Many do not pay attention to the speed of the memory card. But in vain, because it is more important than the volume, because it determines the scope of the flash drive. For example, you won't be able to record Full HD on a slow card - the recording will be constantly interrupted. If you take a series of shots with a slow flash drive, the camera may freeze for a long time while recording it. Once we had to wait a full three minutes for a series of shots from a 42-megapixel camera to be recorded on a Class 10 card. High-speed photography of more than 10 frames per second is no longer surprising, and 4K and 360° video formats have raised the bar for recording speed to new heights. So how to distinguish a fast memory card from a slow one and choose the best one for your device?
Previously, flash cards were divided into classes: 2, 4, 6 and 10. In fact, this is the write speed in megabytes per second: class 2 - 2 MB / s, class 6 - 6 MB / s. The tenth class implies that a flash drive can record pictures at a higher speed than 10 MB / s. Such fast flash drives, in addition to the letter C, are marked with the letter U with the number 1 or 3. The manufacturer always indicates on the card real speed reads and writes (for example, 45 MB / s), and on the right is the card class. The situation is similar with Compact Flash and microSD.
HOW TO CHOOSE A MEMORY CARD SPEED CLASS?
If you plan to shoot video in Full HD format, then memory cards of at least speed class 6, and preferably 10 or higher, are suitable for you. The same cards are suitable for everyday shooting. For continuous shooting, it is better to choose faster flash drives - about 45 MB / s. This will allow you to take pictures in short continuous bursts. With slow flash drives, you run the risk of missing an interesting shot while your camera is recording previous shots.
Shooting moving objects places even greater demands on speed: you have to shoot almost continuously in a series. And here the ideal speed of the memory card is already equal to 80 MB / s and higher.
Finally, for professionals shooting long bursts, the fastest flash drives with speeds from 90 MB / s are simply necessary. Recording speed is key, and don't skimp on it. A professional camera with a high-speed memory card is capable of shooting a continuous series of frames until the free space runs out.
Reading speed is less important for a camera. It is always higher than or equal to the write speed. By choosing a memory card with a high write speed, you will definitely not experience problems with read speed.
WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO?
As long as the memory card is inside the device, it is protected. But as soon as it is removed, it immediately becomes vulnerable. The photographer at least once, but he will definitely drop it, leave it on the table under the scorching sun, in a photo bag on severe frost or even worse - pour water! What can we say about travel: at the airport, luggage will definitely be illuminated with x-rays. We recommend choosing memory cards that are protected from all of the above negative effects.
WHICH MEMORY CARD MANUFACTURER TO CHOOSE?
Prophotos recommends SanDisk memory cards. With them, we have been testing all the cameras that come to our editorial office for many years, because we trust their reliability and appreciate high performance. The following are recommendations regarding different type devices.
For digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses, the following memory cards are ideal: SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II, SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC/SDXC UHS-II, SanDisk Extreme Plus SDHC/SDXC UHS- I, SanDisk Extreme microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash, SanDisk Extreme Plus microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash.
For amateur photo and video shooting, depending on the type of camera, the following are suitable: SanDisk Extreme Plus microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme Plus SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra PLUS microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra PLUS SDHC/SDXC, SanDisk Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra SDHC/SDXC, SanDisk microSD/microSDHC.
Professional Video Capture: SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC/SDXC UHS-II, SanDisk Extreme PRO Compact Flash, SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast2.0, SanDisk Extreme PLUS SDHC/SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme SDHC /SDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash.
Ideal for action cameras following cards Memory: SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II, SanDisk Extreme PLUS microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Extreme microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra PLUS microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I, SanDisk Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I.
For most people, microSD is just a form factor, but it really isn't. You can easily insert any microSD card into a standard slot, but not every one of them will work, since cards differ in many ways.
Format
There are three different SD formats in total, available in two form factors (SD and microSD):
- SD (microSD) - drives up to 2 GB, work with any equipment;
- SDHC (micro SDHC) - drives from 2 to 32 GB, work on devices with support for SDHC and SDXC;
- SDXC (microSDXC) - drives from 32 GB to 2 TB (currently maximum 512 GB), only work on SDXC-enabled devices.
As you can see, they are not backwards compatible. Memory cards of the new format will not work on old equipment.
Volume
Support for microSDXC declared by the manufacturer does not mean support for cards of this format with any capacity and depends on specific device. For example, HTC One M9 works with microSDXC, but officially only supports cards up to and including 128 GB.
Another one is associated with the volume of storage important point. All microSDXC cards use by default file system exFAT. Windows has been supporting it for over 10 years, it has appeared in OS X since version 10.6.5 (Snow Leopard), exFAT support has been implemented in Linux distributions, but out of the box it does not work everywhere.
High speed UHS interface
I or II is added to the logo of a card with UHS support, depending on the version SDHC and SDXC cards can support the Ultra High Speed interface, which provides higher speeds (UHS-I up to 104 MB/s and UHS-II up to 312 MB/s) if the device has hardware support. UHS is backward compatible with earlier interfaces and can work with devices that do not support it, but at standard speed (up to 25 MB/s).
2. Speed
Luca Lorenzelli/shutterstock.com Classifying the write and read speed of microSD cards is as complex as their formats and compatibility. The specs allow you to describe the speed of cards in four ways, and since manufacturers use them all, there is a lot of confusion.
speed class
Macro speed class for ordinary cards is the number entered in latin letter C The Speed Class is the minimum write speed to the memory card in megabytes per second. There are four in total:
- Class 2- from 2 MB/s;
- Class 4- from 4 MB/s;
- Class 6- from 6 MB/s;
- Class 10- from 10 MB/s.
By analogy with the marking of conventional cards, the speed class of UHS cards fits into the Latin letter U Cards operating on the high-speed UHS bus have only two speed classes so far:
- Class 1 (U1)- from 10 MB/s;
- Class 3 (U3)- from 30 MB/s.
Since the designation of the speed class uses minimum value records, then theoretically a second-class card may well be faster than a fourth-class card. Although, if this is the case, the manufacturer will most likely prefer to state this fact more explicitly.
Max speed
The speed class is quite enough to compare cards when choosing, but some manufacturers also use it in the description top speed in MB / s, and more often not even the write speed (which is always lower), but the read speed.
Usually these are the results of synthetic tests in ideal conditions, which are unattainable in normal use. In practice, the speed depends on many factors, so you should not focus on this characteristic.
Speed multiplier
Another classification option is a speed multiplier, similar to the one used to indicate read and write speed. optical discs. There are more than ten of them, from 6x to 633x.
The 1x multiplier is 150 KB/s, which means that the simplest 6x cards have a speed of 900 KB/s. The fastest cards can have a multiplier of 633x, which is 95 MB/s.
3. Tasks
StepanPopov/shutterstock.com Choose the right card for specific tasks. The biggest and fastest is not always the best. For certain use cases, volume and speed may be excessive.
When buying a card for a smartphone, the volume plays big role than speed. The advantages of a large storage are obvious, but the advantages of a high transfer rate on a smartphone are almost not felt, since large files are rarely written and read there (unless you have a smartphone with 4K video support).
Cameras shooting HD and 4K video are a completely different matter: both speed and volume are equally important here. For 4K video, camera manufacturers recommend using UHS U3 cards, for HD - regular Class 10 or at least Class 6.
For photos, many professionals prefer to use several smaller cards to minimize the risk of losing all the pictures in force majeure. As for the speed, it all depends on the photo format. If you shoot in RAW, it makes sense to invest in microSDHC or microSDXC class UHS U1 and U3 - in this case, they will reveal themselves to the fullest.
4. Fakes
jcjgphotography/shutterstock.com No matter how trite it may sound, but to buy a fake under the guise original cards now it's easier than ever. A few years ago, SanDisk claimed that a third of the SanDisk memory cards on the market were counterfeit. It is unlikely that the situation has changed much since that time.
To avoid disappointment when buying, it is enough to be guided by common sense. Refrain from buying from untrustworthy sellers and beware of "original" cards that are priced well below the official price.
Attackers have learned how to counterfeit packaging so well that it can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish it from the original. With full confidence, it is possible to judge the authenticity of a particular card only after verification with the help of special utilities:
- h2testw- for Windows;
If you have already experienced the loss of important data due to a broken memory card for one reason or another, then when it comes to choosing, you will most likely prefer more expensive card famous brand than the available "noname".
In addition to greater reliability and safety of your data, with a branded card you will receive high speed and a guarantee (in some cases even a lifetime).
Now you know everything you need to know about SD cards. As you can see, there are many questions that you will have to answer before purchasing a card. Perhaps, best idea will have various cards for various needs. So you can use all the advantages of the equipment and not expose your budget to unnecessary costs.
