Capture Every Moment and Get the Most Storage With the Best Memory Cards

Memory Cards: A Buying Guide

Data storage is essential for many people. Whether you’re a professional photographer or someone looking to increase their home security, it takes a lot to know which memory card is suitable for your needs. We’ve compiled a comprehensive buying guide to teach you all that you need to know about memory cards and how to buy them.

What Are Memory Cards Used for?

If you were a teen or adult in the 2000s, you would know how important memory cards were to all technological devices, especially mobile phones.

Although most memory cards today are used for professional and security cameras, they are still very popular. This is because memory cards act as a backup memory in some computers, tablets, and phones and are also needed in modern voice recorders and camera devices like GoPros and portable video devices.

Since many devices still use memory cards, they are very much still in demand. Especially if you are a photographer or videographer, picking the right card is essential to your work.

Factors to Consider

Picking the right memory card is crucial in a lot of situations. Here are some factors you need to consider when buying one for yourself:

Type of memory card

Memory cards are of different types, depending on where they are used. The most popular types are SD cards, SDHC cards, and SDXC cards, along with their micro derivatives. You can also find many devices making use of compact flash cards. Micro versions of popular cards can be turned into larger versions using accessories to increase their size for better fitting.

Storage

Another essential feature of any memory card is storage. Many standard sizes include 32GB and 64GB for short-term storage, with data often transferred to devices like a computer later. Professional and security cameras can also use cards ranging from 128GB to 1TB. The higher the storage, the longer you can go without having to clear out your card or get a new one. Keeping all your information in one place instead of in multiple memory cards is also good.

Compatibility

Before buying a memory card, check if it is compatible with your device. When checking for compatibility, look at the type of memory card, its size, and its intended purpose. Some cameras have preferred card brands that work well with their products, while some tablets and phones work better with other brands. If your card is not compatible with the device, it will not read or store any data.

Speed rating

The speed rating is a rather technical consideration that considers how fast data travels into and out of the memory card. This is important when the data needs to be written onto the card at very high speeds or when it needs to be read quickly by a device. Confirm with your device’s manual if it has a specifically required speed rating. If not, opting for a card with a higher rating is better.

Memory Cards vs. Cloud Storage

One of the recent most popular data and memory storage methods is cloud storage, which has taken over phone memory cards. Cloud storage has certain drawbacks, however, and is not as effective in many other cases. A memory card allows you to store data indefinitely and is not dependent on a password or internet connection. You can access your data anytime, anywhere, as long as you have a way of reading it. Cloud storage also typically lacks the transfer speed that memory cards provide, especially when it comes to large files unless you have an unusually fast internet connection.