Pros & Cons of Different Memory Cards

Say your camera supports both CFexpress™ Type B AND SD – which do you choose? You may be thinking, “A memory card is a memory card, they’re all the same.” Actually, not all memory cards are the same. In fact, they can be very different from one another – in form factor, capacity and speed. In this article, we will break down the pros and cons of today’s memory cards and how they factor into how well one’s camera performs, so that you can make an informed purchasing decision.

SECURE DIGITAL (SD)

PROS:

  • Supported in All DSLRs & Mirrorless Cameras
  • High-Capacity (Up to 1TB)
  • Max Read Speeds up to 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speeds up to 300 MB/s
  • Minimum Sustained Write Speeds up to 90MB/s (UHS-II V90)
  • Affordable
  • Compact Size (32mm x 24mm)
  • Rugged Options Available (Delkin BLACK)

CONS:

  • Flimsy, Easy to Break (Plastic Case)
  • Limited Number of Read/Write Cycles

microSD

PROS:

  • Supported in Action Cameras, Drones, Trail Cameras & Phones
  • High-Capacity (Up to 1TB)
  • Max Read Speeds up to 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speeds up to 300 MB/s
  • Minimum Sustained Write Speeds up to 90MB/s (UHS-II V90)
  • Affordable
  • Extremely Compact Size (15mm x 11mm)
  • Compatible in SD Supported Devices (SD Adapter Required)

CONS:

  • Flimsy, Easy to Break (Plastic Case)
  • Limited Number of Read/Write Cycles

CFast 2.0

PROS:

  • Supported in Cinema Cameras
  • High-Capacity (Up to 512GB)
  • Max Read Speeds up to 600 MB/s
  • Max Write Speeds up to 600 MB/s
  • Durable (Metal Casing)
  • Size (42.8mm x 36.4mm x 3.9mm)

CONS:

  • Limited Number of Camera Hosts
  • Expensive

CFexpress™ Type A

PROS:

  • Supported in Sony Cinema Cameras
  • High-Capacity (Up to 160GB)
  • Max Read Speeds up to 1 GB/s
  • Max Write Speeds up to 1 GB/s
  • Durable (Metal Casing)
  • Size (20mm x 28mm x 2.8mm)

CONS:

  • Overheating from High Speeds
  • Limited Number of Camera Hosts
  • Expensive

CFexpress™ Type B

PROS:

  • Supported in High-End Cinema Cameras
  • High-Capacity (Up to 2TB)
  • Max Read Speeds up to 2 GB/s
  • Max Write Speeds up to 2 GB/s
  • Durable (Metal Casing)
  • Size (38.5mm x 29.6mm x 3.8mm)

CONS:

  • Overheating from High Speeds
  • Limited Number of Camera Hosts
  • Expensive

Chris Chase