{"id":76146,"date":"2021-12-17T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=76146"},"modified":"2021-12-09T11:33:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T16:33:49","slug":"memory-card-buying-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/memory-card-buying-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Memory Card Buying Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do digital cameras<\/a>, camcorders<\/a>, smartphones, 3D printers, and game consoles have in common? Memory cards! Many of our electronic devices either require or support at least one form of memory card.<\/p>\n

With dozens of options on the market in various speeds, capacities, and formats, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed and confused if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re looking for. This handy memory card buying guide will give you all the tools you need to help you make the right choice.<\/p>\n

Types of Memory Cards<\/h2>\n

There are many different formats on the market, but the most common types found in consumer electronics are SD cards, Micro SD cards, Compact Flash, and Compact Flash Express (CF Express) cards. The type of card you\u2019re looking for depends entirely on the device you\u2019ll use it with.<\/p>\n

SD Cards<\/h2>\n

SD cards<\/a> are often found in entry and mid-tier DSLR cameras<\/a> and digital camcorders. They are available in various capacities with varying transfer speeds. Consult your device\u2019s manual to determine the maximum capacity SD card that it can support. Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards can support up to 32GB of storage, while Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) cards top out at 2TB.<\/p>\n

The Class of Card Denotes the Maximum Transfer Speed<\/h3>\n

\"SanDisk<\/p>\n

Officially, Ultra High Speed (UHS) Class 1 cards can support read and write speeds of up to 104MB\/s. In reality, UHS-1 cards can transfer data much faster than their specification allows. The following SDXC cards all support read speeds up towards of 120MB\/s:<\/p>\n