What’s the Best SD Card for Me? |
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With terms like SDHC, SDXC, micro-SD, GB, and UHS being thrown around, finding the right SD card can be quite a headache. In this Buyer’s Guide, we answer some of the most important memory-card-related questions to help you out! If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us. What is it? | Compatibility | GB | SDSC / HC / XC | Speed | SD / micro-SD | Transferring Data | More 1. What’s an SD-Card?Most people have heard of SD cards, but wonder what these cards are exactly. Are SD cards the same as memory cards? The answer is that various kinds of memory cards exist, and that the SD card is by far the most popular of them all. SD cards, short for Secure Digital, are used to store digital information in the form of photos, videos, documents, apps and music. Numerous devices, including digital cameras, tablets, smartphones, recorders, navigation systems, dash cams, GoPros and laptops, all often feature a built-in SD-card reader. With some of these devices, the use of an SD may be required, whereas in other cases an SD card can be used to expand the total memory capacity of the device. Also, don’t confuse an SD card with the sim card of your phone; the latter is used to connect to the mobile network.
2. Is Every SD-Card Compatible with Every Device?While we’d love to say ‘yes’, that wouldn’t be entirely true. But we can put you at ease here! A limited-capacity or standard-speed SD card will generally work with most modern devices. Still, there are a number of things to consider before you buy an SD card. Read on to find out more.
3. How Much Storage Capacity (GBs) Should My SD-Card Have?To answer this question, it’s important to know how large the files are that you work with. Then, you can decide how many gigabytes (GBs) you need depending on your use. It is advisable to go with more capacity than you currently need so that you won’t have to buy a second card six months later. A good quality MP3 (320 kbps) weighs in at roughly 2.5 MBs per minute, while CD-quality recordings at 16-bit/44.1 kHz made using a recorder can get as big as 10 MB per recorded minute. With multi-track recordings, the number multiplies a few more times even. Videos captured in HD quality also take up more than 100 MB per minute of footage, while the average modern smartphone photo is 3 MB and the average professional-grade photo can easily hit 20 MB. Documents and such are usually very small files, so if those are all you have to carry, a 16GB or 8GB card might suffice. Example: Say you’d like to store a collection of MP3s on a 16GB SD-card. One MP3 is 2.5 MB per minute, meaning you could theoretically store 16,000 / 2.5 = 6,400 minutes of audio on the card. That’s over 100 hours worth of MP3s. SD Cards with <16 GB Storage Capacity
4. What’s the Difference Between SD, SDSC, SDHC and SDXC?Usually, the manufacturer, website or manual will simply tell you if your device is compatible with SD cards, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s only compatible with models that don’t have an SC, HD or XC suffix. In reality, however, ‘SD’ is simply the general name, while the various other terms refer to a card’s maximum storage capacity. This can be important when picking the right memory card for you, because devices may support a specified maximum SD card storage capacity. SDSC are the first generation SD cards, which came with a maximum capacity of 2 GB. Soon after, the SDHC cards were released, which allowed us to store up to 32 GB. Finally, SDXC cards were launched, which offer up to 2 TBs (terabytes) of storage. In short, if you look up the maximum supported storage capacity of your device first, you won’t have to pay so much attention to things like SC, HC and XC. See Question 3 for more information about storage capacity. SD Cards with <16 GB Storage Capacity
5. How Important is the Speed-Class of an SD-Card?That depends on what you’ll be using it for. For the occasional snapshot, you won’t need an ultra-fast card, since you probably won’t mind the extra second it takes to store the picture on the card. But if you’re a film-maker, or if you use burst-mode to take a bunch of photos in a row, transfer speeds start to become more important. The same goes for when you want to make 8-track recordings; in which case the manufacturer of your multi-track recorder will probably have included the minimum recommended speed in the manual or on their website. Also, to be a little more prepared for the future, it’s a good idea to go with a faster card. Tip: It’s a good idea to go with a faster SD card, even if your device doesn’t actually need the extra speed. Say you’re a photographer. While the extra speed won’t matter when you take the shot, it will help to transfer the photo to your computer at a much faster pace. Please note: It may sound confusing, but Class 10 means the same guaranteed minimum speed as UHS-I Class 1. SD Cards: Class 4
6. Do I Need an SD, Micro-SD or Mini-SD Card?Since the devices we use have only been getting smaller and smaller during the past few decades, it was only logical that SD cards were supposed to get smaller as well. As such, the difference between the three types of SD cards only comes down to physical measurements. SD and microSD cards are by far the most widely used sizes. Next to the SD-card slot on your device, there’s usually an indication explaining which size card the reader is compatible with. Sometimes, micro-SD cards come with a little adapter, which can be used to make the card compatible with standard-sized SD card readers. If your device has a standard SD card reader, make sure that your micro-SD card comes including such an adapter. Standard SD Cards
7. How Do I Transfer Data from an SD-Card to My Computer?
Links & More Information All SD Cards BlogsWhat’s the Best USB Stick for DJs? And is it an SD Card?
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