Hi John, thank you so much for this. You’re the very first and only person to give a super thanks and it means a lot. This will be framed and referred back to when I tell people about my RUclips journey! You’ve made my day!
Your spoken English is impeccable. I find the information in this video very clear and easy to understand. Makes it easy for me to decide and choose the right card for my usage. Kudos
Thank you. I really enjoyed watching and I learned a lot from your video. Amazing presentation skills. Very clear and to the point with nothing unnecessary and at the same time easy and enjoyable to watch Those are all marks of great intelligence.
Great video! A couple of points though - You will only get the sepcified speeds if you are writing a large continuous file. If you are sending lots of small images (for example) it will slow things down. Many micro sd adaptors get hot. This can lead to thermal throtling where writing may even stop completely until things cool down.
WOW! Thank you for this highly informative and concise explanation of SD cards. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. I just subscribed to your channel based on this one exceptional video. Thank you, thank you.
There is another thing than just video. There're a several cameras out there, that have smaller internal buffers. These cameras mostly come with UHS-II. So if you're using a V60 or V90 card, the buffer gets more or less uninteresting, as the V90 cards are that fast that buffer clears instantaneously.
I just found out about the V60 and V90 cards. I needed to record some high-speed video, at 120 and 240fps @ 4K and 1080p, and during my pre-event setups, my Sony a6700 proudly announced that it needs a V60 card, in order to select my desired settings! I placed a next-day Amazon order for two cards, and the event was a success!
Thanks for sharing. Yes, I think for SIMPLE video work, the type I do (1080p / 24fps) a V30 is more than enough, but I am not doing anything very demanding. V60 sounds like a nice option for you without having to dig deep to buy a V90.
V90 for my Canon R7. Kingston gave me a good price per mb. Thanks for the clarification as this has got out of control now. Too many symbols, shapes and sizes
Verry useful information. I will go through my cards & segregate them depending on what device they will work the best on. This explanation will also help me from buying "the latest, greatest" when it won't give me any better performance than what I already am using.
Absolutely! I actually did the same after educating myself on SD cards. I was using a card that was way beyond my photographic requirements, so I put it in my other camera which I use for video as this makes more sense. I really appreciate the comment, it's what makes making these videos worthwhile, as well as knowing there are people who are going to save money or just use the appropriate card after watching this, so thank you!
Thank you so Much, Kind Sir! I Loved the fact that you gave me all i needed to know about Memory Cards, i mean all from the names to their history. Thank you. I See now that what I actually require is just a v30 card and not a v90 like some people were pushing for.
Very informative indeed. Could you make one on cards for 4K dashcams. Quite a few cards, don't work in 4k dashcams, despite them being Endurance cards and V30
Well done, succinct yet thorough enough. There are two additional aspects of SD card choice: GB/dollar and risk of loss. Really large capacity cards often cost more per GB, and if you lose one or one gets corrupted, you've probably lost not only more money but more files. Most of my cameras are at least ten years old with a less than 20 megapixel sensor, giving me the advantage of making just about any modern SD card fast enough. I shoot mostly stills on these low megapixel cameras, so I use mostly 32GB cards. I have two or three larger cards for capturing video, but that's pretty rare in my world.
Yes, cards do become more expensive per GB once you reach a certain capacity, same for hard drives. And you make a great point about corrupt cards. I remember for important events I always had TWO cards, filled one half way and then swapped to another card, just in case one broke, I would still have some photos. Of course, more expensive cameras have twin card slots with redundancy if you want it set that way, but that's really more for professionals who risk big financial loss if anything happened to the photos.
When I bought my camera a couple years ago I also got a kit of accessories including a 64GB SD card. It works fine for my needs but I do notice it's very slow at copying the files over b to my computer. After shooting one 20 minute RUclips video it can take over an hour to transfer the files before I can start editing.
An hour seems unacceptable. It only takes a few second for me. The speed will be the slower of the card and the card reader in your computer. Is it an old computer? And what is the speed rating of the card?
This is very helpful as I have been considering options for a trip I am planning in the fall. Now I know that what I have (a Lexar Professional 1667X 128GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Card) is perfectly adequate for my needs All I really need is one or two more similar cards. Thank you for taking the trouble to do the research and for then presenting it so clearly. xièxiè.
I actually have a Lexar 1667X 128GB as well. It's actually too good for my Leica Q2 still photos so I have switched it to use in my Sony ZV-1 for creating the RUclips videos such as this one.
@@StreetPhotographyChina I do a lot of landscapes but also bird photography, shooting short bursts of 20 frames per second with a Canon R5, so this card is perfect for me; no need for the much more expensive CFexpress card I was considering. Thank you again, you saved me a lot of money.
Very well explained video! Also, beside cameras writing in 100Mbps and having a V30 card is more than double the speed the camera needs for video, it might help when shooting burst photos. But again, depending on the camera, the SD reader inside the camera could be way slower and might not write on the card as fast as the card can. There are some tests on the internet with tens of RAW files and the time needed with different cards to write to them which leads to the actual speed the camera can write on the card. For a Sony A6400 the camera can write at ~45MB/s on the card because when tested with faster cards the time needed to write the same amount of RAW files is the same and stabilizes. This is another thing to keep in mind, if you're not shooting with the latest high-end camera and shooting burst photos yet again that speed over a V30 is not needed. Plus, there are cheap and reliable cards like Kingston Select Plus 128GB (lesser capacity is slower at writing) that can write at 85MB/s so... A great and cheap choice for most users.
Thanks for sharing. Yes, that's a key point and the source of common mistakes. You're speed is always limited by the weakest link in the chain, so if your SD card has a super fast write speed but your camera or card reader has a slower speed, the slower speed is what you will get. I actually bought the Sony Tough V90, not knowing at the time what the different specs meant. I now know any V30 would be more than enough for my use (still photos, rarely use burst mode) and my newest SD card only cost me around $20.
I'll simplify this further - if you own a Sony A7SIII, FX3, FX30, FX6, A74, ZVE1, A91/11, A1 or any of Sony's 10bit cameras shooting video then the minimum card is a V90 SD card if you want to record 10bit 4K which is the only way to get the most out of these cameras. The only V90 SD cards I've used are the Sony tough and the Kingston 128GB which has been surprisingly good, though definitely not as rugged as the Sony's. You can get away with lesser cards in 8 bit but why risk it? If you want to record 100/120 fps in all I then you'll need a CF Express Type A card (only for cameras that support that format - the dual slot models). The Angelbird AVPro 1TB card has been good for me so far but I've only been using it 6 months. Sony is more expensive but a safer bet. My kit is an A7S3, FX3 and A74 for stills/3rd cam.
That is very informative and has demystified those ridiculous markings that are very unclear. Like all products, there should be a standard that helps the consumer make the right choice
Thanks for commenting. I think the confusing standards are largely due to the history and evolution of SD cards, but it certainly would be great if they could find a way to unify all the different standards. I wonder if maybe they don't want to because I am certain many people mistakenly purchase cards that are far in excess of what they need in terms of technical specification. So they make more money!
Some amazing appreciative comments here which really made me happy after the work I put into researching this video. I'm so grateful to those of you who took the time to leave a comment and I hope it has help some of you choose the right SD card for your needs without paying more than you need to. The summary chart created by the SD Card Association that I briefly showed in the video can be found here: www.sdcard.org/developers/sd-standard-overview/speed-class/
2:00 🤔 you're describing the formatting not the hardware (card) the FAT32 format is limited to 4GB per file just reformat the card into exFAT for larger than 4GB files
Yes, that's correct. I thought about going into detail about exFAT and FAT32, but I am aware many viewers are not too technical and I tried to keep things simple (and avoid an overly long video length). Thanks for clarifying though.
Sir, Your videos are as always very informative. Can you make a video on which camera model needs which SD card. The prize should be reasonable so that new up coming photographers can keep two three extra cards. The camera makers like Sony, Canon suggest cards which are extreme and general in nature thus too expensive.
Many thanks for the kind comments. I think your idea is great, although there are a lot of cameras out there. I do think you're right that the camera manufacturers may not always provide the best advice regarding the best card to buy, but to be fair, it also depends a bit on your usage. For example, my Leica Q2 can shoot video, but I have never used it for video.
That was a very useful presentation, thank you. However, I have never found in the camera specs which speed the camera can use. I only found information about support for UHS I or UHS II. Nothing about Mbps. Perhaps a Leica from Germany is an exception.
All camera manufacturers publish the speed in the technical specifications, but you sometimes need to spend time to find them. I am using the Sony ZV-1 for all my RUclips videos and on the website I can see under the RECORDING section it says "XAVC S 4K: 30p 100 M" which means at 4K 30p it writes at 100 M, so I know a V30 is more than enough. Which camera are you using? Perhaps I can try to find it for you. Here is the Sony ZV-1 spec page: www.sony.com/electronics/support/compact-cameras-zv-series/zv-1/specifications
Hi I found this program very useful, would it be possible to get a link to the chart you used at the end?? would like to print it out.I also, subscribed to all
Thanks for commenting and subscribing. As you requested, I have added a link to the page on the SD Association's website that has that helpful summary chart. Please do let me know if you have any problems, I can also email it if needed.
I'm brand new to camera's and photography/videography. I currently have a 256 Pro Plus V30 with read speeds of 180, and write speeds of 130. I have been taking photos and video with it. I think it's enough for me at the moment, but I plan on doing more video recording in the future. My camera has 2 card slots so I can have 1 slot be just for photographs, and the other card slot be for videos. I'm considering getting a 256 GB card that is a V60 and has significantly higher read/write speeds than my current card. I know there are "better" cards out there, but I don't feel like paying close to $200 for a card.
If not shooting video you really do not need a very high spec card with high write speeds. Your camera is not that high in megapixels either compared to my 45MP Leica Q2. I would imagine a simple SanDisk 128GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30 like this one for $20 would be fine amzn.to/3RlgyTM (affiliate link)
@StreetPhotographyChina thank you, it does help. I did a recent shoot, I had this memory card that seemed generic, and photos looked good on camera, but after I downloaded them several seemed kinda off. 128 extreme seems like the best choice.
I run several security cameras and dash cams. It was only in the last year or so that I realised that for this type of photography, a high endurance card is needed. You don't mention this in your video.
Yes indeed, surveillance devices are continuously written to so the usage patterns are completely different to cameras for photography. Even hard drives have to be specially designed for this purpose.
Thank for your video, very informative, I use 2 Lexar V60 1800x of 512GB each, in my Canon R7. I shoot Wildlife photography in long bursts and videos in 4K60fps so speed is essencial. I want to buy V90 but is so expensive in present time here in Brazil that I only had buy a V60 with a lot of sacrifice.
Thank you for the kind comments. Are you finding the V60 not fast enough? Certainly your video and photo styles are more demanding than mine. I shoot street portraits and probably need one frame per hour, lol. I think even 2 512gb V60 probably isn’t that cheap. Where can I see your photos? I would love to take a look.
8 sounds like a lot. Are you sure there wasn’t any issue with one of the devices causing damage to the cards? I’ve never had any fail in 20 years. I still have old ones but they’re just too small to store anything now.
I use a normal U3 V30 Card and have done for years . I'm more interested in video than photo. I have a Panasonic S5ii and shoot 6K 10bit 420 at 24fps and have zero issues. My shoots are full day shoots and the cards I have never let me down. Hope this is useful.
Thanks, that's exactly the point. Most people won't need a V60 or V90 but probably don't realize it and have paid way more than they need to. Glad you're not one of them. Appreciate the comment.
@@StreetPhotographyChina I remember back in the day when the GH4 was announced. I watched a review of it by Philip Bloom and it was a concern at the time that the 4K thing would require an expensive super fast card. He didn't know at the time either. But luckily we never did. I don't shoot in RAW, so maybe then it's different but I don't feel I need to. I think RAW shooting is over rated. Just my opinion. Happy shooting. 😊😊
How do I find out what the write speed is for my camera? I’ve tried finding it on the manufacturer’s web site, I’ve even emailed them and could not get that information. I have an OM Digital systems OM-1 mark II. Any suggestions?
The write speeds are always in the specs but you do need to know what to look for. There's never one write speed it depends on the mode / resolution. I found this on DP Review which lists all the specs. It looks like the camera writes at 202Mbps at some 4K settings (eg 4096 x 2160 @ 60p / 202 Mbps), so a V30 would be fine. It is UHS-II compatible so you can also use UHS-II cards. I am sure the specs are also on the manufacturer's website as that's usually where review sites get the information. Hope this helps, but let me know if you need more. Here's the link: www.dpreview.com/reviews/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-initial-review/2
All the specs are on the OM Systems website. Just look under "Movie Recording System" it lists all the speeds in Mbps (Megabits per second): explore.omsystem.com/us/en/om-1-mark-ii
THANK YOU! I never take videos and when I was looking for those specs I couldn’t find them as they are not listed in the photo section and I never looked in the video section. I bought some V90 cards and tested them against V60 and there was no difference. With the OM-1 I often shoot bursts of 100-200 images RAW&JPG at a time. It can take quite a while, over a minute, for the buffer to clear. But now I know using V90 cards won’t make that happen any faster. Thank you.
I'm happy I was able to help and this is exactly the point I was hoping to make - so many people are buying cards that are beyond the capabilities of their cameras and therefore wasting money. If I am able to help people save this unnecessary cost, my mission is accomplished!
Maybe they need to come up with a logarithmic notation to accommodate the breakneck speeds at which technology exponentially grows. Otherwise, we'll keep getting obsolete notations and marketing icons crammed into tiny nano-SD cards one day
You make a great point, even 1667X is kind of ridiculous to still print on an SD card in 2024. Soon there won't be any room on the cards for any more symbols!
The Fastest SD Cards are way behind the better CFExpress Cards, which makes Cameras with both Slots(like the Nikon Z8 for example) severely Hobbled for Video, even extended Bursts of Still Photography
Yes, CFexpress cards are higher spec and generally faster. Great for those that need that kind of speed, although I don't come close to that requirement even shooting 4K / 24 fps on my Sony ZV-1
@@StreetPhotographyChina I had a Nikon D850(45mp) and it did the CFExpress and SD card thing. With the CFEpress card, it never bottlenecked the Buffer, but the SD Card(Fastest Card at the Card at the time in 2021) would cause the Camera to choke once the Buffer filled, and it was only doing 9 fps. My Z9(45mp) has 2 CFE slots, and I can shoot 15+ fps Raw, all day and the Buffer never fills up
So other then speed whats the actual diffeence between SDXC/SDUC and a CFexpreess type A? Type A is the same format as an SD card so whats actually different about it?
CFexpress is actually NOT the same physical form as SD cards - type A is smaller and thicker, so they are not interchangeable, although some cameras I believe have combo slots that can accept both sizes of card. CFexpress is generally faster and more expensive and more suited to professionals or people with very high requirements in terms of write speeds. The Sony A7SIII (which delivers write speeds of 700MB/sec) and Canon R5 both have CFexpress card slots. My Leica Q2 only takes SD cards, but there's no reason to use faster CFexpress cards in that camera anyway.
V in the specs means it's optimised for video. I expect to want to make photos for up to a week, when I go away on a trip. I am away of those descriptions, by criteria are size and price. Minimum 128 GB, x2 if my camera takes two memory cards. The other factors tend to fall into place. I buy larger if the price doesn't scare me. I have been shooting for timelapses, 1000 image limit scares me. Conversion bits to bytes isn't so simple Back in the day when people talked to computers from a great distance, they used something like a typewriter attached to a modem and then the public telephone network. You type the letter A, the terminal starts making signals. First a start bit or two. Then the encoding of the letter A and a parity bit. Then a stop bit or two. So we have seven bits of data and up to five bits of signalling and error detection. That is where the distinction between bits/sec and bytes/sec arose. Parity isn't a very good for detecting errors and improvements I am going to lump together as error correction and control arose. Various forms of ECC are used in computer buses, storage,, communication. I don't think anyone widens the data bus any more, but there are calculations that produce some kind of checksum that can be used to detect many and correct some errors. sha512 is an example of an error-detecting calculation. It has to be transmitted along with the data. I assume ten bits to the byte, not eight.
There are 8 bits in a byte not 10. This is due to the way computers process information in binary where a switch can be in one of two states - on or off. If you want to understand this better there’s a lot of information easily accessible on the internet regarding the evolution of computers since the 1960s. We learned about binary in high school. It’s a base 2 rather than base 10 system and computers have always worked on this system not base 10. So two is represented by 10 and 3 is 11 and 4 is 100 etc.
You don't need a video to figure this out. Ignore all the icons and look at write & read speeds. And it's really only write speed, which affects the camera. Read speed will be comparable and not really an issue because no one really sits there timing how long it takes to download the images to the computer. If the card doesn't list write speed, don't buy it for photography and video. Done and done.
That's a good point, I think they will have more demand for burst mode shooting compared to the typical street photographer and that might require a faster card.
I've recently started using older model cameras when taking photos and find that a 32GB card is perfect for my needs as they are easily affordable and can hold between Around 5000 to 10000 photos taken at a setting of 12 mp depending on the image quality that is chosen and is the maximum card size that cameras from 2010 could take but is now the Smallest card that is sold in most places but when using older cameras you can fall for a trap because some of them used xD cards and not SD cards as they were proprietary cards used by Fuji film and Olympus and are hard and costly to get and weather in the future SD cards will also become a trap because they will end up being replaced by some other type of card
Yes, that is a major issue with older cameras. Sony had their own memory stick that looked like a stick of chewing gum, but they've abandoned that format already. I actually have a 32 MEGABYTE (not GB) card still. Can't imagine what I used it for previously. A good illustration of Moore's law.
You oversimplified the speed a bit. While the card may state a certain write speed it is not the most important thing. The most important thing is the sustained write speed. What is the minimum speed the card can write as it fills up. To complicate this some card manufacturers will often quote the burst speed for write as there is a faster portion of memory on the card but once that buffer fills up the card slows down. This is why camera manufacturers will often spec a much higher speed card than the actual media speed. For example 10 bit 4K All I @ 50fps even though the data rate is technically within a Sony SD tough @ 299MB/S write speed the camera will not record to one - it wants a faster CF express type A card. For two reasons - writing to cards has overhead and error correction that mean you can get unpredictable dips in speed and also a safety margin to ensure no corrupt files and Sony's reputation.
I bought a 2TB SD card V30 [3] A11 (10) XC for just $4.5 before these capacities are even available by known SD card makers. Though 1TB in it is not avail, still it is 1TB. Slow like hell High Endurance Pro. The guy who sold it disappeared from online stores...
It is dependent on the write speed of the camera which should be listed in the specification. For example if it’s maximum write speed is 130Mbps then a V30 would be all you need since the camera cannot write fast enough to justify a V60 or V90 card.
Do you mean the Canon Rebel T3? That's a relatively old, low spec camera so I would imagine any V30 would be fast enough, certainly no need for a V60 or V90 as it doesn't have 4K capability.
@@StreetPhotographyChina Actually, there is such a system. Each chip has a finite number of times data can be written over. Just as rechargeable batteries have a finite number charging cycles, until the batteries no longer can take a charge, memory chips have a similarly finite limit to the write and read cycles.
Jokes on you I bought the most EXPENSIVE card I could find. 🤟😅 haha Jokes aside Im not planning on rebuying, so for me, its worth it. Especially for the times I do video. For instance, I dont do long videos, but when I do make the occasional videoclip, I pick very demanding settings. So I went for 128gb. A modest storage, but just fine for me, since I backup fairly often. I have a extra, slower SD card if I need more space, especially for still-shooting. Remember, a faster SD card reduces buffer time. I could have probably gone with something a step slower, just barely enough for 4K (according to the manufacturer, canon). That said, with my main SD card, I would much rather overshoot than undershoot of what I need. It would be a waste if my SD card couldnt satisfactory fulfill my needs because I took the bare minimum. Just my opinion, anyway Also your video is rather informative, quite nice. 👍
Absolutely, you don't want to get the bare minimum if it means sometimes having issues, I think the main point is not to also go too far the other way and for example, get a V90 for taking still photos of old people. Thanks for commenting and sharing. I really appreciate it.
I have a Canon R5 that I use to record videos sometimes but it's main purpose is for photography. I record only at 4K @ 60 fps and I use a CFExpress card and an SD card at V90. Both cards work perfectly. You don't really need to record at 8K since the camera can overheat at a faster rate. 4K is just right. Most of my videos are recorded on a GoPro 11 since it's a lot lighter to carry around and far more stable when moving around and at 4K @ 60 fps at V30 256 GB, works just as well also with no hiccups on the video.
The answers are easy to find using ChatGPT eg: What is the best speed of SD card for use with Olympus E P-5 ? The best speed of SD card for use with the Olympus E-P5 depends on what you plan to do with the camera, but generally speaking, a **UHS-I U3 (Ultra High Speed Class 1, Speed Class 3)** card would be ideal. Here's why: ### **1. **General Photography:**** - **Class 10 or UHS-I U1** cards are typically sufficient for standard photography and Full HD video recording. They offer minimum write speeds of 10 MB/s. ### **2. **Continuous Shooting and Burst Mode:**** - **UHS-I U3** cards are recommended for faster burst shooting, as they offer minimum write speeds of 30 MB/s, which helps in handling large RAW files and continuous shooting without slowing down. ### **3. **Video Recording:**** - **UHS-I U3** cards are also ideal if you plan to record Full HD videos (1080p). They ensure smooth recording with no interruptions due to write speed limitations. ### **Summary:** For general use, a **Class 10** card might be adequate. However, to ensure the best performance, especially for burst photography and video recording, go with a **UHS-I U3** SD card. This speed class provides a good balance of performance and cost, ensuring that your camera operates smoothly without bottlenecking. Brands like SanDisk, Lexar, and Kingston offer reliable UHS-I U3 cards that would work well with the Olympus E-P5.
Maximum file size is related to the file system, not to the media itself and you can format any disk with any file system you want. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system
Thanks!
Hi John, thank you so much for this. You’re the very first and only person to give a super thanks and it means a lot. This will be framed and referred back to when I tell people about my RUclips journey! You’ve made my day!
Your spoken English is impeccable. I find the information in this video very clear and easy to understand. Makes it easy for me to decide and choose the right card for my usage. Kudos
Thank you. I really enjoyed watching and I learned a lot from your video.
Amazing presentation skills. Very clear and to the point with nothing unnecessary and at the same time easy and enjoyable to watch
Those are all marks of great intelligence.
Great video! A couple of points though - You will only get the sepcified speeds if you are writing a large continuous file. If you are sending lots of small images (for example) it will slow things down. Many micro sd adaptors get hot. This can lead to thermal throtling where writing may even stop completely until things cool down.
WOW! Thank you for this highly informative and concise explanation of SD cards. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. I just subscribed to your channel based on this one exceptional video. Thank you, thank you.
Glad it was helpful and THANK YOU so much for the subscription. Please do let me know if you have any ideas for future videos.
There is another thing than just video. There're a several cameras out there, that have smaller internal buffers. These cameras mostly come with UHS-II. So if you're using a V60 or V90 card, the buffer gets more or less uninteresting, as the V90 cards are that fast that buffer clears instantaneously.
Thanks for commenting. Yes, I think cameras with small buffers can benefit from faster cards.
I just found out about the V60 and V90 cards. I needed to record some high-speed video, at 120 and 240fps @ 4K and 1080p, and during my pre-event setups, my Sony a6700 proudly announced that it needs a V60 card, in order to select my desired settings! I placed a next-day Amazon order for two cards, and the event was a success!
Thanks for sharing. Yes, I think for SIMPLE video work, the type I do (1080p / 24fps) a V30 is more than enough, but I am not doing anything very demanding. V60 sounds like a nice option for you without having to dig deep to buy a V90.
My Sony as6000 writes to XAVC video but I’ve tried multiple cards that don’t work. I’m thinking based on what you said the V60 might work
@@johnpwrites What does Sony recommend?
Loads of useful information.... I need to watch this again. Thanks for the insight
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting.
Great well researched and clearly explained. Absolutely crazy disorganized inconsistent nomenclature.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment.
finally, someone explained all of these ! this video needs to go viral!
I wish! Thanks for commenting, much appreciated.
Thanks for this. Very useful. I checked all my cards and was pleased to see that have not bought any cards in excess of my needs
Thanks for the comment, although seems like you were already on the right track, lol.
SDHC can be format into exfat to enable record file larger than 4Gb
Very informative. I was not aware of much of the information presented. Thank you very much!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting.
V90 for my Canon R7. Kingston gave me a good price per mb. Thanks for the clarification as this has got out of control now. Too many symbols, shapes and sizes
Thanks for sharing, yes, the classifications have become very complicated so I am happy you found the video helpful.
Verry useful information. I will go through my cards & segregate them depending on what device they will work the best on. This explanation will also help me from buying "the latest, greatest" when it won't give me any better performance than what I already am using.
Absolutely! I actually did the same after educating myself on SD cards. I was using a card that was way beyond my photographic requirements, so I put it in my other camera which I use for video as this makes more sense. I really appreciate the comment, it's what makes making these videos worthwhile, as well as knowing there are people who are going to save money or just use the appropriate card after watching this, so thank you!
Your video is the best I've watched by far, very easy to understand and extremely informative, thank you very much.
You're very welcome! Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
Thank you for clearly explaining the SD cards
Glad it was helpful and many thanks for commenting.
Thank you for the clear explanation of SD cards. Very informative.
Glad you liked it. Let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to cover next and thanks for commenting.
You gained a sub! I began using 2Mb smart media cards in 1999 and it’s been a journey. Your vid explained it all perfectly.
Thank you. Your comment is more appreciated after the last person said this video put him to sleep! So glad you found it helpful.
Thank you so Much, Kind Sir!
I Loved the fact that you gave me all i needed to know about Memory Cards, i mean all from the names to their history. Thank you.
I See now that what I actually require is just a v30 card and not a v90 like some people were pushing for.
I bought an old notebook computer off eBay last year, and it had a whopping 4mb SD card with it!!!
That's probably an antique you should donate it to a museum!
@@StreetPhotographyChina Haha, absolutely, do you know how small they actually went?
Very informative indeed. Could you make one on cards for 4K dashcams. Quite a few cards, don't work in 4k dashcams, despite them being Endurance cards and V30
Excellent video - well researched, well presented and very useful
Thank you, appreciate the feedback.
Well done, succinct yet thorough enough. There are two additional aspects of SD card choice: GB/dollar and risk of loss. Really large capacity cards often cost more per GB, and if you lose one or one gets corrupted, you've probably lost not only more money but more files. Most of my cameras are at least ten years old with a less than 20 megapixel sensor, giving me the advantage of making just about any modern SD card fast enough. I shoot mostly stills on these low megapixel cameras, so I use mostly 32GB cards. I have two or three larger cards for capturing video, but that's pretty rare in my world.
Yes, cards do become more expensive per GB once you reach a certain capacity, same for hard drives. And you make a great point about corrupt cards. I remember for important events I always had TWO cards, filled one half way and then swapped to another card, just in case one broke, I would still have some photos. Of course, more expensive cameras have twin card slots with redundancy if you want it set that way, but that's really more for professionals who risk big financial loss if anything happened to the photos.
Great explanation, thanks for simplifying and explaining so well!
Thank you for the kind comment.
Thank you so much for clarifying this subject which is so confusing to so many of us. 😊
You are so welcome! Appreciate the comment.
When I bought my camera a couple years ago I also got a kit of accessories including a 64GB SD card. It works fine for my needs but I do notice it's very slow at copying the files over b to my computer. After shooting one 20 minute RUclips video it can take over an hour to transfer the files before I can start editing.
An hour seems unacceptable. It only takes a few second for me. The speed will be the slower of the card and the card reader in your computer. Is it an old computer? And what is the speed rating of the card?
Thank you very much for the explanation and clarifying! all the best!
Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the feedback.
This is very helpful as I have been considering options for a trip I am planning in the fall. Now I know that what I have (a Lexar Professional 1667X 128GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Card) is perfectly adequate for my needs All I really need is one or two more similar cards. Thank you for taking the trouble to do the research and for then presenting it so clearly. xièxiè.
I actually have a Lexar 1667X 128GB as well. It's actually too good for my Leica Q2 still photos so I have switched it to use in my Sony ZV-1 for creating the RUclips videos such as this one.
@@StreetPhotographyChina I do a lot of landscapes but also bird photography, shooting short bursts of 20 frames per second with a Canon R5, so this card is perfect for me; no need for the much more expensive CFexpress card I was considering. Thank you again, you saved me a lot of money.
Thank You so much. Your video explanation was very easy to understand. Well done 👍.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting.
Concise and well presented; congratulations.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a comment.
Very well explained video! Also, beside cameras writing in 100Mbps and having a V30 card is more than double the speed the camera needs for video, it might help when shooting burst photos. But again, depending on the camera, the SD reader inside the camera could be way slower and might not write on the card as fast as the card can. There are some tests on the internet with tens of RAW files and the time needed with different cards to write to them which leads to the actual speed the camera can write on the card. For a Sony A6400 the camera can write at ~45MB/s on the card because when tested with faster cards the time needed to write the same amount of RAW files is the same and stabilizes. This is another thing to keep in mind, if you're not shooting with the latest high-end camera and shooting burst photos yet again that speed over a V30 is not needed. Plus, there are cheap and reliable cards like Kingston Select Plus 128GB (lesser capacity is slower at writing) that can write at 85MB/s so... A great and cheap choice for most users.
Thanks for sharing. Yes, that's a key point and the source of common mistakes. You're speed is always limited by the weakest link in the chain, so if your SD card has a super fast write speed but your camera or card reader has a slower speed, the slower speed is what you will get. I actually bought the Sony Tough V90, not knowing at the time what the different specs meant. I now know any V30 would be more than enough for my use (still photos, rarely use burst mode) and my newest SD card only cost me around $20.
Great stuff! I had no idea SD cards were so complicated! Compactflash next?
Thanks for watching. Compact Flash is more or less obsolete so I probably won't be doing a video on that.
After watching this clip, I understand the choice to buy. After being confused for a long time.
Thanks for commenting, glad you found it helpful.
I'll simplify this further - if you own a Sony A7SIII, FX3, FX30, FX6, A74, ZVE1, A91/11, A1 or any of Sony's 10bit cameras shooting video then the minimum card is a V90 SD card if you want to record 10bit 4K which is the only way to get the most out of these cameras. The only V90 SD cards I've used are the Sony tough and the Kingston 128GB which has been surprisingly good, though definitely not as rugged as the Sony's. You can get away with lesser cards in 8 bit but why risk it? If you want to record 100/120 fps in all I then you'll need a CF Express Type A card (only for cameras that support that format - the dual slot models). The Angelbird AVPro 1TB card has been good for me so far but I've only been using it 6 months. Sony is more expensive but a safer bet. My kit is an A7S3, FX3 and A74 for stills/3rd cam.
with a sony A74 camera 10bit 4k 60fps, can i use a v60 SD card ?? i would like to save some money on cards if its not a problem. thanks.
That's such a good and informative. Thank you for explaining
You are so welcome! Thanks for leaving the comment, much appreciated.
Good Information, this will really help me in selecting a suitable card for my Camera.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment as well. Much appreciated.
So well explained. You have the talent to make this easy to understand..
Many thanks, appreciate the kind feedback.
Thank you for sharing your simple explanation of SD cards. It was informative and brilliantly done.
Hi Stephen, thanks for the kind comment, after a few bizarrely cruel comments recently, it was great to get something a bit more appreciative!
That is very informative and has demystified those ridiculous markings that are very unclear. Like all products, there should be a standard that helps the consumer make the right choice
Thanks for commenting. I think the confusing standards are largely due to the history and evolution of SD cards, but it certainly would be great if they could find a way to unify all the different standards. I wonder if maybe they don't want to because I am certain many people mistakenly purchase cards that are far in excess of what they need in terms of technical specification. So they make more money!
Some amazing appreciative comments here which really made me happy after the work I put into researching this video. I'm so grateful to those of you who took the time to leave a comment and I hope it has help some of you choose the right SD card for your needs without paying more than you need to. The summary chart created by the SD Card Association that I briefly showed in the video can be found here: www.sdcard.org/developers/sd-standard-overview/speed-class/
Thank you for this clear explanation.
Glad it was helpful, thanks for commenting.
2:00 🤔 you're describing the formatting not the hardware (card)
the FAT32 format is limited to 4GB per file
just reformat the card into exFAT for larger than 4GB files
Yes, that's correct. I thought about going into detail about exFAT and FAT32, but I am aware many viewers are not too technical and I tried to keep things simple (and avoid an overly long video length). Thanks for clarifying though.
Greetings. Thanks for your very nicely presented and informative video, Man.
My pleasure! Thanks for commenting.
Great video, clear, understandable and well made. Gave you a sub sir. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. Really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
@@StreetPhotographyChina your welcome sir
Sir,
Your videos are as always very informative. Can you make a video on which camera model needs which SD card. The prize should be reasonable so that new up coming photographers can keep two three extra cards. The camera makers like Sony, Canon suggest cards which are extreme and general in nature thus too expensive.
Many thanks for the kind comments. I think your idea is great, although there are a lot of cameras out there. I do think you're right that the camera manufacturers may not always provide the best advice regarding the best card to buy, but to be fair, it also depends a bit on your usage. For example, my Leica Q2 can shoot video, but I have never used it for video.
Thanks! Very useful and complete information!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.
Great video, well explained.
Thank you! Appreciate the comment.
That was a very useful presentation, thank you. However, I have never found in the camera specs which speed the camera can use. I only found information about support for UHS I or UHS II. Nothing about Mbps. Perhaps a Leica from Germany is an exception.
All camera manufacturers publish the speed in the technical specifications, but you sometimes need to spend time to find them. I am using the Sony ZV-1 for all my RUclips videos and on the website I can see under the RECORDING section it says "XAVC S 4K: 30p 100 M" which means at 4K 30p it writes at 100 M, so I know a V30 is more than enough. Which camera are you using? Perhaps I can try to find it for you. Here is the Sony ZV-1 spec page: www.sony.com/electronics/support/compact-cameras-zv-series/zv-1/specifications
I had similar problems with Olympus SD specs. So I asked ChatGPT and got answers immediately.
Awesome educational video. Thanks for the effort.
Glad you liked it! Appreciate the comment.
Hi I found this program very useful, would it be possible to get a link to the chart you used at the end?? would like to print it out.I also, subscribed to all
Thanks for commenting and subscribing. As you requested, I have added a link to the page on the SD Association's website that has that helpful summary chart. Please do let me know if you have any problems, I can also email it if needed.
I'm brand new to camera's and photography/videography. I currently have a 256 Pro Plus V30 with read speeds of 180, and write speeds of 130. I have been taking photos and video with it. I think it's enough for me at the moment, but I plan on doing more video recording in the future. My camera has 2 card slots so I can have 1 slot be just for photographs, and the other card slot be for videos. I'm considering getting a 256 GB card that is a V60 and has significantly higher read/write speeds than my current card. I know there are "better" cards out there, but I don't feel like paying close to $200 for a card.
It sounds like V60 is the most you would need currently so I agree you could ignore V90s for now which are more expensive.
Cannon Rebel SL3- family Portraits, what 128 card should I get?
If not shooting video you really do not need a very high spec card with high write speeds. Your camera is not that high in megapixels either compared to my 45MP Leica Q2. I would imagine a simple SanDisk 128GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30 like this one for $20 would be fine amzn.to/3RlgyTM (affiliate link)
@StreetPhotographyChina thank you, it does help. I did a recent shoot, I had this memory card that seemed generic, and photos looked good on camera, but after I downloaded them several seemed kinda off. 128 extreme seems like the best choice.
I run several security cameras and dash cams. It was only in the last year or so that I realised that for this type of photography, a high endurance card is needed. You don't mention this in your video.
Yes indeed, surveillance devices are continuously written to so the usage patterns are completely different to cameras for photography. Even hard drives have to be specially designed for this purpose.
Thanks for very helpful information.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment.
Great video. Thank you.
Glad you liked it! Appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Thanks for making this video!
My pleasure! Appreciate the comment.
Supers video, nice and clear explanation thanks
Glad you liked it and thanks for commenting.
Thank for your video, very informative, I use 2 Lexar V60 1800x of 512GB each, in my Canon R7.
I shoot Wildlife photography in long bursts and videos in 4K60fps so speed is essencial.
I want to buy V90 but is so expensive in present time here in Brazil that I only had buy a V60 with a lot of sacrifice.
Thank you for the kind comments. Are you finding the V60 not fast enough? Certainly your video and photo styles are more demanding than mine. I shoot street portraits and probably need one frame per hour, lol. I think even 2 512gb V60 probably isn’t that cheap. Where can I see your photos? I would love to take a look.
I had 8 Sandisks fail in one year, that was 2010-ish. My 16GB SanDisk Ultra flashdrive is the best ever, though.
8 sounds like a lot. Are you sure there wasn’t any issue with one of the devices causing damage to the cards? I’ve never had any fail in 20 years. I still have old ones but they’re just too small to store anything now.
excellent video, well explained.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the comment.
Nice summary!
Thanks, appreciate it.
Well done ! Thank you.
Thank you too!
thank you very much!
You're welcome!
I use a normal U3 V30 Card and have done for years . I'm more interested in video than photo. I have a Panasonic S5ii and shoot 6K 10bit 420 at 24fps and have zero issues. My shoots are full day shoots and the cards I have never let me down. Hope this is useful.
Thanks, that's exactly the point. Most people won't need a V60 or V90 but probably don't realize it and have paid way more than they need to. Glad you're not one of them. Appreciate the comment.
@@StreetPhotographyChina I remember back in the day when the GH4 was announced. I watched a review of it by Philip Bloom and it was a concern at the time that the 4K thing would require an expensive super fast card. He didn't know at the time either. But luckily we never did. I don't shoot in RAW, so maybe then it's different but I don't feel I need to. I think RAW shooting is over rated. Just my opinion. Happy shooting. 😊😊
Excellent explanation.
Glad you liked it and thanks for commenting. Much appreciated.
This is the best explanation of SD cards that I have seen, Thank you.
Glad you liked it and thanks for commenting I really do appreciate the feedback which keeps me motivated to continue working on new videos.
How do I find out what the write speed is for my camera? I’ve tried finding it on the manufacturer’s web site, I’ve even emailed them and could not get that information. I have an OM Digital systems OM-1 mark II. Any suggestions?
The write speeds are always in the specs but you do need to know what to look for. There's never one write speed it depends on the mode / resolution. I found this on DP Review which lists all the specs. It looks like the camera writes at 202Mbps at some 4K settings (eg 4096 x 2160 @ 60p / 202 Mbps), so a V30 would be fine. It is UHS-II compatible so you can also use UHS-II cards. I am sure the specs are also on the manufacturer's website as that's usually where review sites get the information. Hope this helps, but let me know if you need more. Here's the link: www.dpreview.com/reviews/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-initial-review/2
All the specs are on the OM Systems website. Just look under "Movie Recording System" it lists all the speeds in Mbps (Megabits per second): explore.omsystem.com/us/en/om-1-mark-ii
THANK YOU! I never take videos and when I was looking for those specs I couldn’t find them as they are not listed in the photo section and I never looked in the video section. I bought some V90 cards and tested them against V60 and there was no difference. With the OM-1 I often shoot bursts of 100-200 images RAW&JPG at a time. It can take quite a while, over a minute, for the buffer to clear. But now I know using V90 cards won’t make that happen any faster. Thank you.
I'm happy I was able to help and this is exactly the point I was hoping to make - so many people are buying cards that are beyond the capabilities of their cameras and therefore wasting money. If I am able to help people save this unnecessary cost, my mission is accomplished!
I have that exact Lexar card except with 128GB 😂 I’ve always thought the 1667X was some sort of identification/model number 😂😂
Haha, that's hilarious. Well, now you know! Thanks for commenting and sharing.
Maybe they need to come up with a logarithmic notation to accommodate the breakneck speeds at which technology exponentially grows. Otherwise, we'll keep getting obsolete notations and marketing icons crammed into tiny nano-SD cards one day
You make a great point, even 1667X is kind of ridiculous to still print on an SD card in 2024. Soon there won't be any room on the cards for any more symbols!
The Fastest SD Cards are way behind the better CFExpress Cards, which makes Cameras with both Slots(like the Nikon Z8 for example) severely Hobbled for Video, even extended Bursts of Still Photography
Yes, CFexpress cards are higher spec and generally faster. Great for those that need that kind of speed, although I don't come close to that requirement even shooting 4K / 24 fps on my Sony ZV-1
@@StreetPhotographyChina
I had a Nikon D850(45mp) and it did the CFExpress and SD card thing. With the CFEpress card, it never bottlenecked the Buffer, but the SD Card(Fastest Card at the Card at the time in 2021) would cause the Camera to choke once the Buffer filled, and it was only doing 9 fps.
My Z9(45mp) has 2 CFE slots, and I can shoot 15+ fps Raw, all day and the Buffer never fills up
So other then speed whats the actual diffeence between SDXC/SDUC and a CFexpreess type A? Type A is the same format as an SD card so whats actually different about it?
CFexpress is actually NOT the same physical form as SD cards - type A is smaller and thicker, so they are not interchangeable, although some cameras I believe have combo slots that can accept both sizes of card. CFexpress is generally faster and more expensive and more suited to professionals or people with very high requirements in terms of write speeds. The Sony A7SIII (which delivers write speeds of 700MB/sec) and Canon R5 both have CFexpress card slots. My Leica Q2 only takes SD cards, but there's no reason to use faster CFexpress cards in that camera anyway.
Excellent. Thanks
You are welcome!
This was great thanks
Very welcome and thanks for commenting.
V in the specs means it's optimised for video.
I expect to want to make photos for up to a week, when I go away on a trip. I am away of those descriptions, by criteria are size and price. Minimum 128 GB, x2 if my camera takes two memory cards. The other factors tend to fall into place. I buy larger if the price doesn't scare me.
I have been shooting for timelapses, 1000 image limit scares me.
Conversion bits to bytes isn't so simple
Back in the day when people talked to computers from a great distance, they used something like a typewriter attached to a modem and then the public telephone network. You type the letter A, the terminal starts making signals. First a start bit or two. Then the encoding of the letter A and a parity bit. Then a stop bit or two. So we have seven bits of data and up to five bits of signalling and error detection.
That is where the distinction between bits/sec and bytes/sec arose.
Parity isn't a very good for detecting errors and improvements I am going to lump together as error correction and control arose. Various forms of ECC are used in computer buses, storage,, communication. I don't think anyone widens the data bus any more, but there are calculations that produce some kind of checksum that can be used to detect many and correct some errors. sha512 is an example of an error-detecting calculation. It has to be transmitted along with the data.
I assume ten bits to the byte, not eight.
There are 8 bits in a byte not 10. This is due to the way computers process information in binary where a switch can be in one of two states - on or off. If you want to understand this better there’s a lot of information easily accessible on the internet regarding the evolution of computers since the 1960s. We learned about binary in high school. It’s a base 2 rather than base 10 system and computers have always worked on this system not base 10. So two is represented by 10 and 3 is 11 and 4 is 100 etc.
You don't need a video to figure this out. Ignore all the icons and look at write & read speeds. And it's really only write speed, which affects the camera. Read speed will be comparable and not really an issue because no one really sits there timing how long it takes to download the images to the computer.
If the card doesn't list write speed, don't buy it for photography and video. Done and done.
I think that you should check the needs of most wildlife photographers....
That's a good point, I think they will have more demand for burst mode shooting compared to the typical street photographer and that might require a faster card.
Brilliant, thanks.
Glad you liked it! Appreciate the comment.
Thank you🙏🏽
You are so welcome
@@StreetPhotographyChina I’m shooting with a Sony a1 an 200-600mm files are great but large.😂
I've recently started using older model cameras when taking photos and find that a 32GB card is perfect for my needs as they are easily affordable and can hold between Around 5000 to 10000 photos taken at a setting of 12 mp depending on the image quality that is chosen and is the maximum card size that cameras from 2010 could take but is now the
Smallest card that is sold in most places but when using older cameras you can fall for a trap because some of them used xD cards and not SD cards as they were proprietary cards used by Fuji film and Olympus and are hard and costly to get and weather in the future SD cards will also become a trap because they will end up being replaced by some other type of card
Yes, that is a major issue with older cameras. Sony had their own memory stick that looked like a stick of chewing gum, but they've abandoned that format already. I actually have a 32 MEGABYTE (not GB) card still. Can't imagine what I used it for previously. A good illustration of Moore's law.
You oversimplified the speed a bit. While the card may state a certain write speed it is not the most important thing. The most important thing is the sustained write speed. What is the minimum speed the card can write as it fills up. To complicate this some card manufacturers will often quote the burst speed for write as there is a faster portion of memory on the card but once that buffer fills up the card slows down. This is why camera manufacturers will often spec a much higher speed card than the actual media speed. For example 10 bit 4K All I @ 50fps even though the data rate is technically within a Sony SD tough @ 299MB/S write speed the camera will not record to one - it wants a faster CF express type A card. For two reasons - writing to cards has overhead and error correction that mean you can get unpredictable dips in speed and also a safety margin to ensure no corrupt files and Sony's reputation.
I bought a 2TB SD card V30 [3] A11 (10) XC for just $4.5 before these capacities are even available by known SD card makers. Though 1TB in it is not avail, still it is 1TB. Slow like hell High Endurance Pro. The guy who sold it disappeared from online stores...
Sounds like a fake card. Sorry to hear that.
@@StreetPhotographyChina , like a back up card 1 TB for $4.5 is not that bad, ey?
I bought a 169.00 Chinese made Video camera, what SD cards will be the BEST for creating acceptable Videos?
It is dependent on the write speed of the camera which should be listed in the specification. For example if it’s maximum write speed is 130Mbps then a V30 would be all you need since the camera cannot write fast enough to justify a V60 or V90 card.
I use the Cannon Rebel 3 , doing more video capture , what should be the ideal SD card to use ? Suggestions appreciated!.
Do you mean the Canon Rebel T3? That's a relatively old, low spec camera so I would imagine any V30 would be fast enough, certainly no need for a V60 or V90 as it doesn't have 4K capability.
Sony Tough cards are the gold standard when only the best will do!
They are, but depending on your use it isn’t always necessary and lower spec cards can get the job done
Excellent
Thank you! Cheers!
Another important criteria is life span, how this is measured…
Unfortunately there is no system to classify lifespan of the card.
@@StreetPhotographyChina Actually, there is such a system. Each chip has a finite number of times data can be written over. Just as rechargeable batteries have a finite number charging cycles, until the batteries no longer can take a charge, memory chips have a similarly finite limit to the write and read cycles.
Jokes on you I bought the most EXPENSIVE card I could find.
🤟😅 haha
Jokes aside Im not planning on rebuying, so for me, its worth it. Especially for the times I do video. For instance, I dont do long videos, but when I do make the occasional videoclip, I pick very demanding settings.
So I went for 128gb. A modest storage, but just fine for me, since I backup fairly often. I have a extra, slower SD card if I need more space, especially for still-shooting.
Remember, a faster SD card reduces buffer time. I could have probably gone with something a step slower, just barely enough for 4K (according to the manufacturer, canon). That said, with my main SD card, I would much rather overshoot than undershoot of what I need. It would be a waste if my SD card couldnt satisfactory fulfill my needs because I took the bare minimum. Just my opinion, anyway
Also your video is rather informative, quite nice. 👍
Absolutely, you don't want to get the bare minimum if it means sometimes having issues, I think the main point is not to also go too far the other way and for example, get a V90 for taking still photos of old people. Thanks for commenting and sharing. I really appreciate it.
Who made you the authority?
👏🏾👍🏾🙏🏾 🏴🇸🇪🇹🇹
Not sure what that means, but thanks!
Something i really wanted to know but you are too boring. I fell asleep....
Thanks. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can come back whenever you have difficulty sleeping.
Stop the day drinking
It's all smoke and mirrors.
Thanks for your comment.
I have a Canon R5 that I use to record videos sometimes but it's main purpose is for photography. I record only at 4K @ 60 fps and I use a CFExpress card and an SD card at V90. Both cards work perfectly. You don't really need to record at 8K since the camera can overheat at a faster rate. 4K is just right. Most of my videos are recorded on a GoPro 11 since it's a lot lighter to carry around and far more stable when moving around and at 4K @ 60 fps at V30 256 GB, works just as well also with no hiccups on the video.
CFExpress and V90 might actually be more than you need, but if that's what you have already then great.
The answers are easy to find using ChatGPT eg:
What is the best speed of SD card for use with Olympus E P-5 ?
The best speed of SD card for use with the Olympus E-P5 depends on what you plan to do with the camera, but generally speaking, a **UHS-I U3 (Ultra High Speed Class 1, Speed Class 3)** card would be ideal. Here's why:
### **1. **General Photography:****
- **Class 10 or UHS-I U1** cards are typically sufficient for standard photography and Full HD video recording. They offer minimum write speeds of 10 MB/s.
### **2. **Continuous Shooting and Burst Mode:****
- **UHS-I U3** cards are recommended for faster burst shooting, as they offer minimum write speeds of 30 MB/s, which helps in handling large RAW files and continuous shooting without slowing down.
### **3. **Video Recording:****
- **UHS-I U3** cards are also ideal if you plan to record Full HD videos (1080p). They ensure smooth recording with no interruptions due to write speed limitations.
### **Summary:**
For general use, a **Class 10** card might be adequate. However, to ensure the best performance, especially for burst photography and video recording, go with a **UHS-I U3** SD card. This speed class provides a good balance of performance and cost, ensuring that your camera operates smoothly without bottlenecking.
Brands like SanDisk, Lexar, and Kingston offer reliable UHS-I U3 cards that would work well with the Olympus E-P5.
Maximum file size is related to the file system, not to the media itself and you can format any disk with any file system you want. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system
That’s a very good point, many thanks for highlighting this.