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A Dummies Guide to buying Memory Cards

Welcome to memOracle.com!  Looking for a simple guide to determine which secure digital (SD )memory card you need?  You have arrived at the right place!    The first place to check is of course the manual for your device, or the manufacturers website which should guide you, however sometimes the terms used are confusing.

 The main things that you need to determine are:
 
 *Format
 
 *Specification
 
*Speed Class
 
 *Capacity
 
 
The format of the card is a definition of what type of card it is. For example SD cards are standard. micro or mini.
 Adaptors are available between different sizes, but if you want to ensure reliability of use, keep it simple!
 
 You then need to determine the specification of the card you require, which is either SD, SDHC or SDXC.
This is explained in greater detail on the top menu in the SD Card section. Secure Digital  (SD)was the original specification released in 2000. Secure digital high capacity (SDHC) followed in 2006 and finally Secure digital extended capacity (SDXC) in 2009. These cards are not interchangable, though devices which are designed for SDHC cards usually support SD cards, unfortunately not the other way around. If you have an older device, pre 2006, be careful to clarify this before purchase.
 
 
 In determining the Speed Class, the most important part is the write speed. This is the speed that the card allows to be written to. For use in HD  high speed photography or film making the higher speed cards are desirable, as there is large file size to transfer quickly. This becomes less important for standard definition images or general storage.
The read speed of a card is generally less important and is the speed that data can be taken off the card.
the smaller SD cards are generally unclassified but determining the write speed is the important detail, if it is too slow then it will effect the quality of your images if used for video or high speed photography, even on a mobile phone.
 
For SDHC cards the minimum write speeds are:
 
  • Class 2: 16 Mbit/s (2 MB/s)
  • Class 4: 32 Mbit/s (4 MB/s)
  • Class 6: 48 Mbit/s (6 MB/s)
  • Class 10: 80 Mbit/s (10 MB/s)
    •  
    The new UHS 1 speed class is upto 104 MB/S !
     
     
    Generally speaking to ensure reliability and to allow for the card losing speed due to fragmentation over time, a class speed of C10 for HD FilmMaking is desirable and C6 for HD photography.
    C4 is perfectly adequete for general use in mp3 players,pda's, mobile phones etc.
    But do check your manual or manufacturers website to be sure!
      
     
    The capacity of the card is basically its memory size, how much data you can store on it.
    The table below can be used as a guide to determine what you may need.
    along with speed class, capacity it is the main determining factor of cost, but better to buy a smaller card of the right speed than a bigger card which is too slow for your needs!
      
     
    Good luck in your purchase!
      
     
     
     

     

     

    SD card capacity guide

     

    *values are a guide and an approximation

    SD card speed classification guide

    *TIP OF THE DAY*     A higher speed card is a good investment!

    Over time, normal fragmentation will decrease the write speed of any card.            
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