When travelling, capturing memories through photos and videos is one of the best ways to preserve your experiences. Whether exploring vibrant cities, hiking through nature, or relaxing on the beach, you rely on your camera or smartphone to document these moments. However, all those pictures and videos need a place to be stored, and that’s where the right memory card comes in.
Choosing the correct memory card is crucial because it ensures you have enough space, speed, and durability to keep your memories safe. Without the right memory card, you might miss out on capturing important moments or, worse, lose the ones you’ve already saved.
But how do you choose the best memory card for your needs? To choose the best memory card, you need to understand the technical information of the memory card. Let’s explore the technical side of memory cards in easy-to-understand terms.
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Storage capacity tells you how much data the card can hold. GB stands for gigabytes, and TB stands for terabytes. 1,000 GB equals 1 TB. The size includes storage for everything from photos and videos to documents and apps.
The bigger the number, the more photos, videos, or files you can save on the card.
In the image below, the Storage Capacity of each card in circled in red.
Imagine you’re on the last leg of your trip, visiting a stunning location, and your camera suddenly tells you it’s out of space. You might have to delete precious memories to make room for new ones. Having a memory card with enough storage capacity or having more than one memory card ensures that you can capture every moment of your journey without worrying about running out of space.
Choosing the right size memory card depends on your specific needs and how you plan to use your camera or device. Start by considering what type of content you’ll be capturing. For photos, the resolution of your camera is key. Higher-resolution images, especially in RAW format, take up more space. If you’re a casual photographer using a point-and-shoot camera, a 256 GB card may suffice.
However, suppose you’re using a DSLR or mirrorless camera and shooting in RAW or taking high-resolution images. In that case, you’ll want a 512 GB or 1 TB card. Video recording files are much larger, especially in HD, 4K, or 8K. Action cameras or drones that capture 4K or 8K video can quickly fill a memory card. For this, a 512 GB or 1 TB card is recommended.
Another factor to consider is whether you can back up your card to a laptop or cloud storage. If so, you may be able to use a smaller card, back up your photos and videos, and re-format the card to be used again.
The speed class of a memory card indicates the minimum speed at which data is written to the card, measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Higher numbers mean faster writing.
The higher the class number, the faster the memory card can save data when taking photos or recording videos.
Currently, there are three-speed class standards: Speed Class, UHS Speed Class (Ultra High Speed) and Video Speed Class:
Let’s compare each of the three categories in the table below:
You need a memory card that can keep up when you’re trying to capture fast-moving scenes, like a bustling market or an exciting adventure. A higher speed class means your camera or action camera can save photos and videos faster, reducing the time between shots. This ensures you don’t miss a moment.
This tells you how well the card handles apps and data on smartphones. A1 is good, and A2 is better. As these ratings relate to apps and data on smartphones, you will only see them on Micro SD cards, which are the memory cards used in smartphones.
If you’re using your memory card in a smartphone or tablet, especially to store and run apps, the A1 or A2 rating is important. It ensures that apps run smoothly and your device performs well, even when handling large amounts of data. This is particularly useful for travellers who rely on their phones for maps, keeping in touch with family and friends, and entertainment.
The image above shows that the A1 rating is on the card with the C10 and U1 ratings, but the A2 rating is on the card with the faster U3 and V30 ratings.
Bus Speed tells you how fast data can be transferred between the memory card and an external device such as a laptop. UHS-I is fast, UHS-II is faster, and UHS-III is the fastest.
Suppose you’re taking lots of high-resolution photos or videos. In that case, you’ll want to transfer them to your laptop or other storage devices quickly. A memory card with a higher bus speed, like UHS-II or UHS-III, allows for faster data transfers, saving you time and letting you back up your memories more efficiently.
In the image above, the first card is a UHS-II, while the second and third cards are UHS-I.
What It Means
Read/write speed indicates how quickly you can access (read) or save (write) files on the card. This is usually measured in MB/s.
A higher read/write speed is beneficial when you’re transferring large files, like video footage, to your computer or another storage device. It also means your camera can save photos and videos more quickly, allowing you to take more shots without delay. A high read/write speed memory card is a must for travellers who take lots of pictures or record videos.
In the image above, the first card has a read speed of 280 MB/s and a write speed of 150 MB/s. The second card, a micro-SD card, does not display a read/write speed. In that case you defer to the U3 and V30 on the card. The third card has only one speed listed. This is a read speed of 100 MB/s. However, the card does not specifically list a write speed, so you defer to the U3 on the card, which means a minimum of 30 MB/s.
For travel photography tips, head to our Take Better Travel Photos Page.
The memory card capacity tells you how much they can store. SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) and SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) refer to cards with larger storage.
SDHC cards range from 4 GB to 32 GB. These cards are suitable for everyday use, like casual photography or short video clips. They offer enough space for basic travel needs but will fill up quickly if you’re taking high-resolution photos or recording HD videos.
SDXC cards start at 64 GB and can go up to 2 TB. These cards are ideal for travellers who need more storage, especially if you’re using high-end cameras that shoot in RAW format and/or action cameras and drones that record video in 4K or 8K.
When travelling, having enough memory card capacity is essential to avoid the hassle of constantly managing storage. SDXC cards, with their higher capacity, are essential for extended trips or when you don’t have your laptop or backup options. They offer peace of mind, ensuring you can keep capturing your adventures without interruption.
In the image above, you can see that the first card with 256 GB and the second card with 512 GB storage capacity are SDXC cards, while the third card with 32 GB of storage capacity is an SDHC card.
For information on drones, head to our Drones and Travel Page.
So, which memory card/s is best for me? As storage capacity increases, the price of smaller capacity cards drops. So, when looking for a memory card, always check the price of the faster and bigger capacity cards. The price of those cards might surprise you.
The table below gives some ideas of the minimum you should consider when buying a memory card.
These are the basics when shopping for a memory card. The key is to match the card’s specs with what you need it for – like more photo storage or faster video recording speed.
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12 Responses
So many things to consider, I had no idea! Great post. I’ll be referring to this when I buy my next memory card.
It just takes a bit of getting used to. The main thing is to work out what you want to use the card for.
Very helpful as I’m looking to upgrade my camera and need to work out the best memory card, thanks!
Glad it can be of help Sonia
For us, the preferred choice is always to get a large capacity and fast memory card. But they are somewhat disposable and don’t last forever. So sometimes that becomes an expensive choice if we are not using it regularly. And we still then take backups in case of failure. This is a good guide to help people choose the right one.
Thanks Linda. I agree with the larger capacity being an expensive choice and I also worry about card failure. I have a number of 256 and 512GB cards and back them up every night.
This is great information and tips. I have to admit, I still use smaller capacity cards in both my DSLR and GoPro. I do, however, transfer to an external SSD daily and am looking at options for cloud storage as well to have a second back-up.
I tend to us 256 and 512GB cards and back up nightly.
This post is so timely especially as I ran out of memory on my micro SD card on my Insta360 camera today while trying to film footage on the water in Marina Del Rey, CA. I’m going to upgrade to the 512gb size. Nothing more frustrating than running out of space on a memory card!
I learnt the hard way too. I actually carry a number of 256 and 512 GB cards now so I always have spares.
I am always confused about memory cards when traveling. Thanks for explaining
Glad it has been useful.