SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB SDXC Memory Card up to 170MB/s, UHS-1, Class 10, U3, V30, Black

Product Information

The difference in write speeds is also apparent in the speed rating of each SD card. The Ultra has a U1 (UHS Class 1) speed rating, pertaining to the 10 MB/s write speed. The Extreme and Extreme Pro both have U3 (UHS Class 3) and the additional V30 (UHS Video speed class 30) rating, which means that it can sustain a video capture rate of 30 MB/s. What do they have in common? This SD card's write speeds can reach 260MB/s, which should handle sequential burst mode and RAW shooting effortlessly. If you like to capture some footage alongside photos, the card's got you covered, too. It boasts a U3 rating, allowing you to shoot 4K video. However, even the higher capacity offerings – such as this CompactFlash 800x series – are hardly expensive for what’s on offer. Capacities run from a standard 32GB up to 256GB. Specification is also impressive for a budget card, with read speeds of up to 120MB/s and write speeds of 60 MB/s, although actual performance, of course, is affected by camera hardware and software. Durable and reliable, there’s even a built-in error-correcting code to detect and correct any transfer errors. CFexpress Type B If you’re shooting raw files you want a card that can handle sequential bursts of the highest quality imagery, as well as a capacity that allows for sufficient storage to avoid having to swap cards every five minutes.

While CFast cards look similar in size and shape to CompactFlash cards, they're not compatible (so don't try to jam one in your old DSLR!). This new-generation high-speed memory card format will be found in professional stills and video cameras. Just from this table alone, it’s easy to glean the difference between the three SD card types. Based on read and write speeds alone, the Extreme Pro is the most appropriate for highly demanding use. Photography and filmmaking are two of the most obvious examples of these, especially if you tend to capture 4K videos or use the burst photography feature of your camera.The Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3 is a belter that delivers whether you're shooting raw files or high-resolution video. While the 64GB maximum capacity (the alternative being 32GB) may appear a little modest at first compared with other options here, the performance is anything but, with blisteringly swift read and write times of 285MB/s and 180 MB/s respectively. All three SD cards use the UHS-I bus type, which indicates the type of interface between the card and the device. This also has implications on the maximum read and write speeds that can be supported through the interface. The read and write speeds of all three cards are well below the maximum value. Most devices still use the UHS-I bus type primarily because UHS-II SD cards are still prohibitively expensive. Robustness

Actual transfer speeds under our testing churned out a write speed of 33MB/s and read speed of 82MB/s; not too bad, but the write speed is close to the minimum V30 classification on the label, so that's worth bearing that in mind if write speeds are important to your work. Taiwanese company Transcend is another long-term player in the memory card market – and still makes many low-capacity cards, meaning they’re accessible to those on a tight budget. One thing to be wary of is buying an SD card rated for read and write speeds that are not supported by your device. For instance, mid-range DSLR cameras typically have write speeds in the range of 100 to 110 MB/s. If you had this type of camera, then getting a UHS-II SD card that supports write speeds of up to 150 MB/s would be unnecessary and ultimately a waste of money. Final thoughts CompactFlash used to be the preferred format for higher-end DSLRs. However, with the improved performance of SDHC and SDXC cards (and the introduction of newer memory card formats as well), this memory card format is growing more rare.It is not just cameras that use microSD cards, of course. And one of the most popular devices to use this memory type at the moment is undoubtedly the Nintendo Switch handheld console, and its baby brother the Nintendo Switch Lite. The slot in memory is not only great for expanding the number of games you carry, but also for taking screenshots and videos of your victories and adventures. One of the most obvious ways to differentiate between memory cards is how much storage they have. A 16GB card might be fine for an afternoon wandering around your local wildlife reserve, but videographers looking to shoot all day could get frustrated with having to constantly swap over cards.

SD cards have been around for a long time and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to be outdated soon. Even modern devices like drones and handheld gimbal cameras still use SD cards, mostly because of how wonderfully compact and lightweight they are. They’re also hot-swappable, which means you don’t need to be limited by some built-in storage system.Up to 200MB/s read speeds, engineered with proprietary technology to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, require compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds. Write speed up to 140MB/s. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. X = 150KB/sec. [64-128GB] Up to 200MB/s read speed. Write speed up to 90MB/s. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. X = 150KB/sec. [32GB] Up to 100MB/s read speed. Write speed up to 90MB/s. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. X = 150KB/sec. Rated UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) 2, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-I card lets you capture sequential burst mode shots without missing a beat. The fact that Extreme Pro SD cards can go up to 1 TB capacity is a nice bonus as well, as it means that you wouldn’t have to buy as many spare SD cards. This might even turn out cheaper if you’re buying in bulk.

The Transcend did superbly in its speed tests, excelling the claimed write speed (180MB/s) with a whopping 224MB/s, but falling slightly short on the read speed with 224MB/s. Overall, that makes this card an impressive buy at a reasonable cost. This card is ideal for high resolution, rapid-fire stills photography and 8K video, with 4K and HD video being recorded comfortably, too. As an evolution of the XQD format, CFexpress is one of the best memory card formats around. However, it's currently only available with a limited number of high end cameras (mostly from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic). However, it's worth noting that the release of the Sony A7S III brought a somewhat confusing split into two different variants of CFexpress cards. Up until this point, all CFexpress-compatible cameras used CFexpress Type B cards (yes, 'B' does come before 'A' in this case!). Meanwhile, CFexpress Type A cards are smaller and slower. Crucially, Type B and Type A cards aren't interchangeable, so a camera such as the Nikon Z7 won't be able to accept a CFexpress Type A card.

How does a microSD card work?

As you can see, the jump from one model to the next best one is minimal at around 7 to 8 dollars. This is a fairly small difference unless you’re looking to buy five to ten SD cards at the same time. microSDHC and microSDXC cards will offer a similar performance to their larger SDHC and SDXC siblings. However, they're around a third of the size and can be used in the best camera phones and best action cameras. With shot speeds up to 140MB/s 6 the card is perfect for capturing the action as it happens, without missing a beat. But what's the use of a 1TB memory card if everything reads and writes slowly? Speed should be your next criterion for choosing a memory card. For photographers, write speeds are very important as they determine how fast you can shoot, especially in burst mode. Looking at their relative specs, the cost of an Extreme Pro SD card is quite easy to justify. It’s at least 20% faster than the Extreme and around twice as fast as the Ultra. If you plan to use these SD cards for professional photography and filmmaking, then the Extreme Pro is tough to beat. The Extreme Pro is considered by many to be one of the best SD cards for high-level photography work whether it’s by DSLR cameras, drones, handheld gimbals, or 360 cameras.