The fastest sd memory cards. Everything you wanted to know about SD memory cards, but were afraid to ask

Digital cameras provide a large number of advantages compared to their film counterparts. One of these advantages is the number of pictures that can be taken without changing the media. You don’t have to limit yourself and take as many photographs as you like.

But, in order to take photographs without worrying about anything, you need to choose the right memory card for your camera. Now the majority popular models cameras use Secure Digital or simply SD memory cards. IN this material we will tell you how to choose an SD memory card.

SD memory card form factors

SD memory cards can have three various sizes, which are designated as follows:

• MicroSD– Cards intended for use in phones, smartphones, tablets, and other compact devices.
• MiniSD- these are cards with slightly larger sizes than . They are used in mp3 players and other portable equipment. On this moment popularity of this type There are very few cards. In most cases, MicroSD cards or full SD cards are used.
• SD- these are cards largest size. They are used in cameras, video cameras, video recorders and other relatively large portable equipment. Many modern computers and laptops are equipped with the ability to read SD memory cards.

SD card form factors

All three SD memory card form factors are fully compatible. There are adapters that allow you to use MicroSD cards in devices designed to work with large SD cards.

MicroSD to SD adapter

But, you should not buy a MicroSD card and use it through an adapter if your device (camera, video camera) supports large SD cards. As a rule, MicroSD cards are much slower than full-fledged SD cards. And those MicroSD cards that work really fast are much more expensive than full-fledged SD cards.

Generation of SD memory cards

There are four generations of SD memory cards:

• SD 1.0- from 8 MB to 2 GB
• SD 1.1- up to 4 GB
• SDHC- up to 32 GB
• SDXC- up to 2 TB

They differ in volume, but at the same time remain backward compatible. This means that an SD 1.0 card can be installed in an SDXC card reader, but not vice versa.

SDXC memory card

Majority modern devices Support SDHC memory cards. Most SD cards sold are also of the SDHC generation. Therefore, most likely, you will have to deal with this type of memory card. But recently, the first devices with SDXC support have begun to appear. In the future, SDXC memory cards will completely replace SDHC cards.

SD memory card speed

The speed of SD memory cards is indicated as a multiplier or as a class.

On the memory card, the multiplier may be indicated as 13x, 26x, 32x, 40x, etc. A 1x multiplier equals 150 KB/s. The most basic memory cards have a speed of 6x or 900 KB/s, the most advanced cards are designated as 633x and have speeds up to 95000 KB/s.

The second way to indicate the speed of SD memory cards is by classes:

• SD Class 2 - write speed of at least 2 MB/s, which corresponds to a 13x multiplier;
• SD Class 4 - (write speed of at least 4 MB/s, which corresponds to a 26x multiplier;
• SD Class 6 - (write speed of at least 6 MB/s, which corresponds to a 40x multiplier;
• SD Class 10 - (write speed of at least 10 MB/s, which corresponds to a 66x multiplier;
• SD Class 16 - (write speed of at least 16 MB/s, which corresponds to a 106x multiplier;

SD Class 16 memory card

The speed of the memory card affects the speed of recording footage, as well as the speed of copying files from the memory card to the computer.

For example, recording a Full HD video stream requires a write speed of 3 MB/sec, which is equivalent to a Class 4 memory card. If you use a slower card, you will have problems shooting. However, in some cases, the video stream speed can reach 6 MB/s. Therefore, it is better to buy memory cards from Class 6 and higher.

In addition, there is a UHS specification, which also regulates the speed of memory cards. The UHS-I standard requires a data transfer speed of at least 50 MB/s (up to 104 MB/s), the UHS-II standard requires at least 156 MB/s (up to 312 MB/s).

Memory cards are universal storage devices intended for use on various devices– smartphones, tablets, media players, cameras, video cameras, GPS navigators, video recorders and similar equipment that supports working with data. Being universal in terms of working with a wide range of various equipment SD drives, however, differ between themselves. What is their difference?

Three SD card formats

There are quite a few types of SD cards, depending on certain characteristics; the main differences are determined by their format. And those today there are three- SD, SDHC and SDXC.

SD– this and Name type of storage medium, and the name of the highest format. Abbreviation of the first two words of the full name " Secure Digital Memory Card"(which means reliable digital maps) formed the basis for the names of all generations of carriers of this species. Some of the generations added to their names identifying letters-additions. Generations that have undergone radical modernization have formed the three standards that exist today.

SD- this format released back in 2000 and today obsolete: it is not capable of storing even average amounts of information, and also has low speed their reading and writing. The first generation of these cards (SD 1.0) could store up to 2 GB information. Such drives are rarely found today, except perhaps on the secondary market or as a stale product on trading platforms working with large wholesale. Second generation (SD 1.1) increased the capacity indicator up to 4 GB.

SDHC is the next generation. Appeared in 2006, its main differences from its predecessor are capacity up to 32 GB And high speed when working with data.

SDXC appeared in 2009, its capacity is from 64 GB to 2 TB. He has the highest class speed data recording.

Format differences

Two main differences memory card standards - different limits storage volume information and nuances regarding compatibility with each other. In terms of compatibility, the general laws of evolution can be traced: the new can understand the old, but the old is not capable of perceiving the new. Old SD format incompatible with modern SDHC and SDXC, while the latter can run on old devices with SD support. SDXC in turn compatible with its predecessor SDHC, but the latter does not support its successor.

SDXC vulnerable in terms of the consequences of formatting. Formatting such a card on a device not intended to work with it may lead to its malfunctions. In this regard, the predecessor of SDHC is more stable.

SDHC and SDXC have different presets file systems: the first ones are formatted by manufacturers in FAT32, the second - in exFAT. That's why when connecting to a computer based on older versions Windows devices With memory cards of the latest standard, their contents will not be displayed in the system explorer without first installing a special driver.

Of course, many people know about memory cards. Some may even be surprised why an article about them is needed at all. However, not all so simple. Among my friends there are many people who don’t really know anything about memory cards. And yet they do not live in a hut in the forest, eating fir cones. They quite actively use the Internet, mobile phones, and sometimes even communicators and tablets. Therefore, I consider it necessary to first talk about what memory cards are. And then I will move on to consider their varieties, classes, brands.

What is this - a memory card?

A memory card is a small and rather thick plate with a built-in flash memory module. This module is non-volatile, that is, information on the memory card is saved even when it is removed from any device. Information on the memory card can be deleted, overwritten, and so on. The service life of a memory card is very long - tens of years. The information on some cards can be protected in certain ways.

Types of memory cards

There is a whole bunch various types memory cards. I will only talk about the most common ones.

SD (Secure Digital). Perhaps the most popular type. Used in many cameras, video cameras, tablets, old players, communicators and pocket computers. It has a low price. Sold in almost all communication stores, computer stores, many markets, kiosks... Maximum volume - 4GB.

SDHC. All SD memory cards larger than 4GB (and many 4GB ones) are called SDHC (their maximum capacity is 32GB). This format is characterized by faster operating speed (data exchange, data recording) than SD. It is preferable, of course, to purchase SDHC cards, but keep in mind that some older devices may not work with them.

SDXC. A new standard that is not yet widely used. SDXC cards have a very large capacity - up to 2 terabytes (that's 2048GB!) and very high speed data recording. They are still expensive and are not on sale very often. Moreover, very few devices still support this format.

MiniSD. Similar to SD, but noticeably smaller. These days it is practically no longer used; miniSD has been replaced by the microSD format. Buying miniSD is now problematic, and they are expensive due to their rarity.

MicroSD (TransFlash). It probably currently ranks second in popularity after SD/SDHC, but in the near future it has every chance of becoming the most popular memory card format. Differs from SD in very small sizes; microSD cards are even smaller than miniSD. This is both a plus and a minus: on the one hand, with the advent of microSD it became possible to reduce the size of devices; on the other hand, such a miniature card is easy to lose. Prices for microSD cards are almost identical to prices for SD cards.

MicroSDHC. microSD memory cards larger than 4GB (and many 4GB) are called microSDHC (their maximum capacity is 32GB). This format has a faster operating speed (data exchange) than microSD. It is preferable, of course, to purchase microSDHC cards, but keep in mind that some older devices may not work with them.

Memory Stick. Memory card format developed by by Sony; is closed. The speed of operation (writing/reading data) is high; maximum volume - 16GB. There are both large cards Memory Stick and small ones - Memory Stick micro (M1, M2). Memory Stick is distinguished by its high price (in my opinion, clearly overpriced). Used in Sony devices, Sony Ericsson. It is often found on sale, almost everywhere.

CompactFlash. An obsolete format previously widely used in PDAs. CompactFlash cards are very large in size compared to SD cards. Currently used by only a few users. The main advantages are very high data recording speed. The maximum volume is 256GB.

SmartMedia. This is a format that has fallen into disuse. It is almost impossible to buy SmartMedia cards, and their maximum capacity is only 128 MB.

MMC. Also an outdated format, which was previously a competitor to SD. It differs from SD by being slightly thinner and more economical. MMC cards can be inserted into SD slots of devices (but an SD card cannot be inserted into an MMC slot!). MMC cards are now rarely found on sale.

xD. Format developed by Olympus and Fujifilm; It is now slowly falling out of use. xD cards have very high prices; Only Olympus and Fujifilm devices work with them. Compared to SD cards, xD is perhaps only worse - for example, the maximum capacity of xD is only 2GB.

Memory card slots

If a device allows the use of memory cards, then it is said to have a memory card slot. A slot is a hole (slotted) where a memory card is inserted. (Of course, this is not a simple slot, but a special one: special contacts are connected to it, with the help of which information is read from the cards). One device may have slots for different types of memory cards, but usually there is only one slot. And in most modern devices - for microSD.

Memory card adapters

As you learned from the above material, memory cards can be divided into two types (according to size): large and small. The most popular large cards are SD and Memory Stick. The most popular small ones: microSD and Memory Stick Micro. It can be said that the technology of SD and microSD is, generally speaking, the same, the only difference is in size and some details. That is why it is possible to use so-called adapters (some call them “shirts”).

An adapter is a device that looks exactly like a large memory card, but in reality it is a kind of miniature box. You can insert a small memory card (for example, microSD) into it, and after that the adapter itself will turn into a full-size memory card (for example, SD). The small card in the adapter can be used with a device that only supports large cards. Classic example- insert a microSD card from your phone into a camera that supports SD cards.

All this provides versatility, the ability to quickly and conveniently transfer data from one device to another without the help of a computer. This is why it is better to buy a microSD card - you can always use it with a device that supports SD cards. But the opposite is impossible: the size of the SD card cannot be reduced in any way!

It is worth noting that adapters are usually sold complete with small cards. But even if the adapter is not included in the kit, you can buy it additionally - the issue price is usually no more than 100 rubles. It is not necessary to buy an adapter from the same company that produced the small memory card: the differences between adapters of the same format from different manufacturers No.

SDHC/microSDHC memory card classes

On the packaging (and often on the cards themselves) with SDHC/microSDHC cards you can read information about the so-called card class. It is designated by a number (number). The higher the number, the faster the card's operating speed (data writing and reading speed). Usually, the higher the power consumption of the card and, of course, its price. Here is a list of these classes:

• class 2 - data recording speed of at least 2Mb/s
• class 4 - data recording speed of at least 4Mb/s
• class 6 - data recording speed of at least 6Mb/s
• class 10 - data writing speed of at least 10Mb/s
• class 16 - data recording speed of at least 16Mb/s

SDHC cards “without a class” are also available for sale - data recording speeds on them usually do not exceed 1Mb/s. Cards with even higher write speeds (more than high class), but I don’t see the point in buying them - the price is high and the benefits are questionable.

For cameras and video cameras, it is advisable to buy memory cards of at least class 4 (although, in principle, class 2 and even “classless” cards are sufficient for amateur photography). To record video in high resolution A class 6-10 and higher card is desirable. For readers and phones, even the most ordinary cards “without a class” are quite enough.

Memory card capacity

Many people have a question: what capacity memory card should they buy? The answer, in general, is simple - you need to proceed from your own needs. I hope that the following list will help identify them, which shows how much memory different types of files occupy:

• Documents DOC, XLS - usually within 1MB
• Electronic book (FB2, EPUB, TXT, MOBI) - usually within 1MB
• Photo 8-10 megapixels excellent quality- usually within 3MB
• 5MP photo of good quality - within 1MB
• Song 3 minutes in average quality - about 3MB
• Song 3 minutes in good quality- about 6MB
• Film in more or less decent quality - about 500MB or more
• Film in good quality - usually 1GB or more

I also give you another list that indicates what size cards it makes sense to buy based on what device you are purchasing them for:

• For a reader (reader) - 4GB is enough
• For a phone - 4GB is enough
• For a communicator (smartphone) - better than 8GB, or even 16GB
• For a tablet - 16GB is better, if you like to watch movies - 32GB
• For a camera - 4GB (if you take only photos and not very many), 8-16GB (if you take a lot of photos and occasionally video)
• For a video camera or camera that shoots video in good quality - 16GB, or better yet 32GB

Card readers

Memory cards are primarily intended for use in portable devices- digital cameras, players, phones, tablets. But if desired, they can be connected to both laptops and desktop computers. To do this, you need a small device called a cardreader. Some (usually quite expensive) laptops and desktops already have a card reader built-in; for others, you need to buy a separate device, its cost ranges from 150 to 700 rubles (in very rare cases higher).

Card readers are connected to the USB port of a computer/laptop. First you need to insert the card into the card reader, then connect it to the computer. A removable disk will be displayed in Explorer - this is the memory card; You can work with this removable disk as with a regular flash drive. At the end of the work, you need to remove the card reader from the USB port (after “safely disconnecting” the device), and then remove the memory card from the card reader. Such a simple mechanic.

Perhaps more popular are card readers designed to work with only one type of memory card - for example, SD. They are distinguished by their low price and compact size. Card readers for microSD cards, by the way, are very small, and they can be used like regular flash drives - to do this, just insert a microSD card into the card reader. Of course, you can use SD, xD, and so on card readers as a flash drive, but their size is noticeably larger.

Nowadays, so-called universal card readers are also common. You can use memory cards of almost all formats with them: SD, microSD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick micro and so on. They are, of course, larger than regular “mono” card readers, and are somewhat more expensive. But personally, I recommend purchasing a universal card reader - after all, you can use any cards with it.

Some features of memory cards

Perhaps, memory cards have only one drawback: they are quite power-hungry. This means that a device in which a memory card is not inserted will work longer without recharging than its counterpart with a memory card in use. However, the difference in operating time is usually small, and I would not call this minus significant.

Another feature of memory cards is open (in the vast majority of cases) contacts. Accordingly, you need to be quite careful, try not to damage these contacts (not scratch, for example), and not allow dust and dirt to accumulate on them.

Another feature of memory cards is that some models of the same type may not be compatible with specific electronic devices. In practice, this means that the SD card may simply refuse to work with your reader, phone or tablet: the problem here, as a rule, lies in some minor flaws software devices. This feature must be kept in mind, and when purchasing a memory card for a device, you must check its compatibility with this device. Otherwise you may be disappointed.

Manufacturers and brands of memory cards

Many electronics manufacturers produce memory cards. Perhaps the most famous are SanDisk and Transcend. They produce cards in a variety of formats and grades; the prices for SanDisk and Transcend products are quite high. At the same time, SanDisk (and Transcend) cards, for example, do not work with some devices - it is not known who should be blamed here, but the fact remains a fact, and you should not think that high price automatically guarantees absolute compatibility. But in general, the cards from SanDisk and Transcend are very high quality.

Kingston and Apacer memory cards have a lower price. Their compatibility is also not absolute, but I can say that Kingston cards (according to my subjective feelings) are compatible with more devices than SanDisk. In general, Kingston is a certain golden mean, Excellent value for money and quality. Apacer cards are usually a little worse in quality, and their level of compatibility is lower, but their price is even more modest.

Of course, memory cards are also produced by other manufacturers: Toshiba, Samsung, Silicon Power, A-Data and so on. The list is very long, I see no reason to list it in its entirety. In any case, all of the above manufacturers produce enough quality products, which you can buy without fear (but - preferably - with testing on a specific device).

By purchasing a smartphone or Tablet PC, you immediately have a desire to try working in a variety of interesting applications, download cool game and much more. But to open an application for a smartphone or other device, you must first download and install it. And for this, of course, you will need a certain space in the 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 the right memory card that is not expensive and at the same time high-quality. We will also find out what classes of memory cards there are and what characteristics you should pay attention to when purchasing. This or that gadget supports specific types of equipment - if you buy another one, 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, MultiMedia Card (MMC) was used. Then they were replaced by SD memory cards. Their physical dimensions are the same, however, they are made to perfection different technologies. SD has a controller and has a security area that will not allow someone to “climb” into the system unnoticed. There is also a special switch installed that can block the ability to delete information (switched manually).

So, what types of memory cards are there and how to choose them? There are three types of SD:

• Standard SD measures 32 by 24 by 2.1 mm.
• miniSD is a little smaller - 21.5 by 20 by 1.4 mm.
• The smallest is microSD – 11 by 15 by 1 mm.

Using 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 by class. Let's figure out what a memory card class is and what does this parameter affect? So, it determines at what speed data is written. To put it in slightly different language, the higher it is, the sooner you can record data and play large video or audio recordings without loss of quality.

To help a potential buyer understand the capabilities of flash drives, the SD card association classifies them according to SD Speed ​​Class - what is it? Speed ​​characteristics: on drives, the speed is indicated based on a certain multiplier, where 1 is 150 kb/sec.

Memory cards can be manufactured in the following varieties:

• Class 2;
• Class 4;
• Class 6;
• Class 10;
• Class 16.

When selecting a memory card for a DVR or other device, you must Special attention pay attention to 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 recording information, but its reading.

The type will be of no small importance for those who like to watch movies with HD resolution, the difference between them is noticeable. The higher it is, the more stable the data flows 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 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 the maximum capacity your device can support. It is also recommended to pay attention to the type:

• Regular SD cards can have a capacity of no more than 4 GB;
• SDHC – up to 32 GB;
• SDXC – up to 2 TB;
• SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I - maximum available quantity.

The larger the memory card, the better - since you can save on it more information. For example, a capacity of 8 GB is enough for a thousand songs in mp3 format or 21 minutes of video recording with Full HD resolution.

Read and write speed

The speed of reading and loading information onto the card depends on its class and type.

Different 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 (the difference from the previous one is only in a larger volume);
• SDXC – 25 Mb/s;
• SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I - very high speed (UHS I architecture - 50 Mb/s, UHS II architecture - 156 Mb/s or 312 Mb/s).

How to determine the class of a memory card based on information exchange speed? Class characteristics:

• Class 2 – no less than 2 Mb/s;
• Class 4 – no less than 4 Mb/sec;
• Class 6 – no less than 6 Mb/sec;
• Class 10 – no less than 10 Mb/sec;
• Class 16 – no less than 16 Mb/sec.

Selecting an SD card

Despite huge assortment memory cards, it’s not difficult to figure out which one is better. The main thing is in which device the drive will be used. Standard SD format cards are most often inserted into camcorders and digital cameras. It is necessary to highlight 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 a mobile phone or tablet, then you should look at miniSD and microSD. Despite their miniature size, these varieties are characterized by the same speed and capacity as a full-fledged SD, and differ only in an increased price.

When choosing a memory card, you also need to take into account the fact that 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 you have a special adapter, which is almost always included with the purchase.

As for the card's capacity, it all depends on what files you plan to store on it, and in what volume. One of the most important characteristics when selected, the speed at which it can receive and store data is considered. For example, recording burst photos or video files in Full HD format on slow card doesn't seem real. 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 was said earlier, a good memory card has a high class, and in our time it should at least be “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 know about other important parameters that need to be taken into account when choosing a memory card. Cells are provided to save all data on a flash drive. During repeated formatting and rewriting of information, these cells can “wear out”; modern drives are designed for 10,000-1,000,000 cycles of data rewriting. 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, changes in temperature conditions.

Conclusion

Choosing a high-quality memory card is not difficult. The main thing is to first study their main varieties, classes of memory cards and criteria to which you should pay especially 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 that the flash drive should satisfy.

Each owner digital camera or a smartphone with a camera, sooner or later he thinks about buying a memory card. Even if the device already has several gigabytes of built-in memory, to save photos and videos you will need a large-capacity flash drive with high writing speed. It may seem that all cards are the same, but there are many pitfalls in this topic. We will tell you how to choose best map memory.

MEMORY CARD TYPE

There are several types of memory cards on the market today. The one listed 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 (ultra-high-capacity cards). Cameras released 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 - 512 GB.

Some professional cameras, as well as cameras from previous years, widely use CF (Compact Flash) flash drives. Today they are not much superior in their characteristics to other types, but they are the leaders in recording volume and speed. However, before purchasing a fast CF memory card, make sure that your camera can support such high data transfer speeds. In particular, there must be support for the UDMA (direct memory access) function on the camera side.

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 volume is 128 GB, minimum - 64 GB. It's comparative new format, which is supported by several professional cameras. But it is already clear that due to its 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 regular SD cards, their smaller 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 speed nor capacity. They can also be used in cameras with a standard SD slot via an adapter. The maximum microSD memory capacity is 200 GB per SanDisk models Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I. You can read more about microSD memory cards on the pages of our magazine.

MEMORY CARD STANDARD UHS-I and UHS-II

Today, memory cards of the UHS-II standard are being actively introduced. Fujifilm X-T1, Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II already work with them. The file writing speed reaches 250 MB/s, and the reading speed is 280 MB/s. Such high indicators allow us to realize all possibilities modern technology. Externally, flash drives of the old and new standards are no different, but this is only from the front side. On back side UHS-II cards have contacts arranged in two rows. But most importantly, UHS-II is backward compatible: they can be used in photo and video cameras that do not support this standard. It is obvious that the future is theirs.

Some photographic equipment manufacturers 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 for use own types Flash drives have either a separate or combined slot.

WHAT CAPACITY OF MEMORY CARD SHOULD I CHOOSE?

The capacity of the memory card determines how many pictures or minutes of video you can record. Naturally, more capacious cards are more expensive. 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 find image resolutions of more than 40 million pixels! The average number of pixels is 24 million. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II records video with a bitrate of 800 Mbps. One forty-second video from this camera takes about 5 GB! And the higher the resolution of the photo and video, the more space on the flash drive will be required.

The size of the file directly depends on the number of details stored in it, that is, on its quality. If you shoot photos in RAW+JPEG format, the size of one photo can be more than 100 MB! Now there is an ultra-high-resolution 4K video format, where one minute can take up the volume of an average amateur photo shoot.

There is practically no point in purchasing memory cards with a capacity of less than 16 GB today. If you plan to actively take photographs and shoot some video, we recommend memory cards with a capacity of 16 and 32 GB. At the same time, you shouldn’t shoot all the material on one card; it’s better to split the session into several flash drives. The point is not so much that memory cards are unreliable (they are very reliable), but that we can lose them. When shooting video, the memory card capacity 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 you can record on memory cards of different sizes.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM WRITE AND READ SPEED?

Many people 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, it will not be possible to record Full HD on a slow card - the recording will constantly be interrupted. If you shoot a series of frames with a slow flash drive, the camera may freeze for a long time while recording it. We once had to wait as long as three minutes for a series of images from a 42-megapixel camera to be recorded on a Class 10 card. High-speed photography at over 10 frames per second is no longer surprising, and 4K and 360° video formats have raised the bar for recording speeds to new heights. So how can you tell 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. Essentially, this is the write speed in megabytes per second: class 2 - 2 MB/s, class 6 - 6 MB/s. The tenth class means that the 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 read and write (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 THE SPEED CLASS OF A MEMORY CARD?

If you plan to shoot video in Full HD format, then memory cards of at least speed class 6 are suitable for you, and better yet, speed class 10 or higher. The same cards are suitable for everyday photography. For serial shooting, it is better to choose faster flash drives - about 45 MB/s. This will allow you to photograph in short, continuous bursts. With slow flash drives, you risk missing an interesting shot while your camera records previous shots.

Shooting moving objects places even greater demands on speed: you have to shoot almost continuously in bursts. And here the ideal speed of a memory card is already 80 MB/s and higher.

Finally, for professionals who shoot long bursts, the fastest flash drives with speeds of 90 MB/s are a must. Recording speed - key moment, and you shouldn’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 recording speed. By choosing a memory card with a high write speed, you will definitely not experience problems with reading 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. At least once, the photographer will definitely drop it, leave it on the table under the scorching sun, in a photo bag in severe frost, or even worse - pour water on it! What can we say about traveling: at the airport, luggage will definitely be x-rayed. We recommend choosing memory cards that are protected from all of the above negative influences.

WHICH MEMORY CARD MANUFACTURER SHOULD I 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 value high performance. Below are recommendations regarding different types devices.

The following memory card models are ideal for digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses: 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.

For professional video shooting: 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.

The following memory cards are ideal for action cameras: 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.