The right memory card for SLR cameras
Unlike in the past, most digital SLR cameras now support SD memory cards. For a long time, this was not the case. It was not a matter of course. If you buy a used camera, you will find that there can also be other memory cards.
For example, there are
- Secure Digital Memory Card (currently in use)
- Sony Memory Stick*, which is also found in some newer models.
- the CompactFlash card* (used only on older models)
- the Multimedia Card* (only on rare occasions)
- The Smart Media Card* (which is also no longer in use)
- the xd-Picture-Card* (also uncommon)
Meanwhile, the Secure Digital Memory Card (SD card) is the most important memory in digital photography.
What to look for in SD cards for SLR cameras?
With its 24.032.02.1mm, the SD card is the most important memory card for SLR cameras. However, if you want to buy such a card, you should pay attention to the technical specifications and the type of this card. So there are normal SD cards and SDHC or SDXC cards, which are all externally very similar. The normal SD card has a storage capacity of up to 2 gigabytes. The high-capacity SDHC card can store up to 32 gigabytes. The Extended Capacity SDXC models, on the other hand, can store considerably more than 32 gigabytes. There are even models with up to 128 gigabytes in use. SDXC cards are relatively expensive.
Another problem is that many cameras do not support these cards. I can only advise you to look in the instruction manual of your SLR camera to make sure which SD card is supported. The friendly photo dealer on site will also be happy to help. On the other hand, today, all SLR cameras can cope with SDHC cards.
What else do I have to pay attention to with a memory card for a DSLR?
The write and read speed should be as high as possible. In particular, those who like to take continuous shots will find that many cameras slow down after the first 10 shots. The reason is the small buffer memory in the camera and the write speed of the memory card. For example, I use Class 10 types for an SDHC card. These can be at least 10 MB/sec. to write. In addition, the cards can quickly store large RAW files and also record Full HD videos. Again, I advise you to look at the instructions provided by the camera manufacturer. Unfortunately, some older DSLRs cannot handle Class 10 cards. For example, the Transcend Extreme-Speed SDHC 16GB Class 10 memory card can be recommended to read up to 20MB/s. The affordable SanDisk SDSDUN-016G-G46 UHS-I Ultra Class, 10 SDHC with 16GB of storage capacity, can read up to 40 MB/s.
Result
For SLR cameras, I can currently recommend the quite cheap SDHC memory cards in Class-10. The faster SDXC cards are unfortunately not yet supported by my DSLR. A tip, by the way: to avoid possible memory loss, I preferred to get two 16-gigabyte SDHCs rather than a large one with 32 gigabytes.
