8 best memory cards

Memory cards have been around for a very long time. The first copies could contain 8-16 MB of information - then it seemed to be quite enough. Well, now on the shelves of stores you can easily find cards, the volume of which reaches 128 and even 256 GB. But with the increased volumes, the reliability of many copies has deteriorated significantly. Now it’s harder and harder to find a card in the store that would work stably for several years in a row. If you do not want to be trapped, then we recommend that you familiarize yourself with today's material. It examines the ideal memory cards of various form factors that have served their customers for years.

Memory card which company to buy

Kingston

The American company Kingston Technology was born relatively recently - in 1987. In the early years of its existence, she was engaged in the development of new memory modules SIMM. Later, the company became one of the most famous manufacturers of operational and permanent memory. In particular, SSD-drives, USB-flash drives and Kingston memory cards can be found on the counters of stores without any difficulty. All of them are pleased with almost complete compliance with the specified speed standard, as well as a long service life.

Samsung

It’s hard to believe, but now it’s Samsung that is most active in the development of high-speed memory cards. In the next few years, it is South Korean cards that will be the fastest. This is confirmed by the fact that Samsung flagship smartphones with built-in memory are fine - in terms of speed, it leaves behind similar components created by other manufacturers. And the newest memory cards will use similar technology, thanks to which their speed characteristics will be on the same level. However, it should be noted that Samsung products are far from affordable for everyone.

SanDisk

Another American company engaged in the production of solid-state memory. Her cards and flash cards are considered the most durable. At the same time, this enterprise tries not to forget about not the most common memory card formats. In particular, they still produce cards designed for the PlayStation Portable and some other Sony electronics. It should be noted that SanDisk is not an independent company - now it is owned by Western Digital, a well-known hard drive manufacturer.

Sony

The Japanese company Sony is trying to be at the forefront of electronic technology. She immediately began to produce cameras when they became digital. Her game consoles were the first to offer to abandon cartridges. Well, Sony memory cards are distinguished by high reliability and compatibility with the overwhelming majority of electronic devices. You can only regret that the Japanese make a decent markup for their brand, in connection with which Sony cards are sold much more expensive than the products of specialized companies.

Transcend

Like many manufacturers mentioned today, Transcend Information was founded in the late 1980s. Its headquarters is located in the Republic of China Taipei. For some time this company specialized in creating digital players and other multimedia devices. But now it has focused on the production of memory cards and devices designed to read them - the so-called card readers. The products of this company are different sane price tag, good speed performance and decent durability.

Top memory card rating

In today's rating, based on Russian and foreign reviews, the following are taken into account:

• Memory Card Form Factor;
• Existing volumes;
• Presence in the kit adapter;
• Speed ​​reading information;
• Speed ​​recording information;
• The speed class to which the series of cards formally belongs;
• Owner complaints;
• Average price in Russian retail.

Best CompactFlash Memory Card

Silicon Power 400X Professional Compact Flash Card

Memory cards in this form factor are most often used in professional SLR cameras. And such a technique is capable of wonders, processing huge amounts of data in a short time. That is why the creators of the above-mentioned card tried to endow their creation with superb high-speed characteristics. This is the main distinguishing feature of this series of cards.

Advantages:

• High reliability;
• Volumes - from 4 to 128 GB;
• The speed of transmission and reception of data should suit anyone.

Disadvantages:

• This product is specific, not available in every electronics store;
• High price.

Reviews for Silicon Power 400X Professional show that people are confused only by the cost of this product. For the 64 GB version, the manufacturer asks for about 4,000 rubles! But there's nothing to be done about this; many CompactFlash cards have such a high price tag. Otherwise, this line of cards has no significant drawbacks. Any of its cards is able to serve the photographer for many years, pleasing with its reliability.

Best Memory Stick Format

Sandisk Memory Stick PRO Duo

The cards of this format were originally invented by the Japanese Sony. This world-famous company and now produces quite a decent amount of them. However, the products of the Japanese are not pleased with their price tag, in connection with which, other things being equal, it is better to purchase Sandisk Memory Stick PRO Duo. Products from this line are a bit cheaper, delighting with similar speed indicators.

Advantages:

• Memory sizes range from 2 to 32 GB;
• Speed ​​performance is enough for any Sony device;
• With reliability, everything is in order.

Disadvantages:

• The cost is still at the lowest;
• The 32-gigabyte version may not be determined by some PSPs.

Reviews for Sandisk Memory Stick PRO Duo show that you need to be careful with purchasing a memory card from this series. It is possible that your PlayStation Portable does not want to recognize it. But there are no such problems when using the card together with a camera or a video camera. As for the speed parameters, they all strictly comply with all standards implemented by Sony.

Top SDHC Memory Cards

SanDisk Extreme SDHC UHS Class 3 60MB / s

The clear leader of our selection today. For relatively little money, this product provides an incredibly high speed. Reading data here can occur at speeds up to 60 Mb / s!

Advantages:

• There is an option with both 16 and 32 GB of memory;
• Very high speed parameters;
• Buyers almost do not face breakdowns;
• The cost is not scary.

Disadvantages:

• Not detected.

Reviews for SanDisk Extreme SDHC UHS Class 3 show that the Americans managed to create the perfect product. He squeezes out all the juice from the SDHC format. Such a card can be used in cameras, camcorders, game consoles and any other suitable devices.

The manufacturer claims that the data on his card is written at a speed of 40 MB / s. But buyers note that many specimens show an even higher speed (up to 54 Mb / s).

SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS Class 1 95MB / s

Already a little more expensive memory card from the same American manufacturer. It has an even higher speed of saving and reading data. This allows you to install such a card in a 4K camcorder or professional video camera without any concern.

Advantages:

• Write speed can reach 75 Mb / s;
• Incredibly high reading speed;
• There are options with a capacity of 8 to 32 GB;
• Very long service life;
• Annual subscription for special software as a gift.

Disadvantages:

• Price tag will not please everyone.

Together with this memory card, the customer receives an annual subscription to a special program, necessary for data recovery. However, this does not apply to all copies of the cards.And the reviews on SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS Class 1 show that the manufacturer is a little cunning about the recording speed. The package is about 90 MB / s, but tests show that the speed almost never exceeds 70 MB / s. But this parameter is more than enough for almost any electronic device.

Best SDXC Memory Card

Transcend TS * SDXC10U1

This memory card can easily be distinguished from its competitors, which contributes to the blue color and bright label. The maximum manufacturer offers a card with a capacity of 128 GB, which in most cases is quite enough. As for the speed characteristics, they should suit even the owners of video cameras capable of shooting in 4K resolution.

Advantages:

• Many will call the price tag optimal;
• Long warranty period;
• There are options of 64 and 128 GB;
• The recording speed is about 70 MB / s.

Disadvantages:

• Problems with some SLR cameras.

Reviews on Transcend TS * SDXC10U1 indicate that owners of full-frame SLR cameras should consider buying a more expensive memory card.

The fact is that the cards in this series can cause certain problems during long-term video shooting (we are talking about using a DSLR). But other users will definitely appreciate the low cost of the product, as well as its durability.

Best microSD memory cards

Transcend TS * USDHC10U1

This memory card belongs to the microSDHC format. This suggests that its volume can not exceed 32 GB. Not much, but a certain category of owners of smartphones and tablets is quite enough. It is important that the cards in this series have virtually no marriage, as well as delight with very high speed properties.

Advantages:

• The company's product range includes cards from 8 to 32 GB;
• A SD adapter is included;
• Very long service life;
• Maximum speed properties.

Disadvantages:

• The maximum amount does not suit everyone.

Reviews of Transcend TS * USDHC10U1 indicate that this is one of the fastest microSD memory cards. At least in its price segment. The remaining cards are either slower or much more expensive.

Products from the Transcend TS * USDHC10U1 series can be used in mobile devices to watch movies, listen to music and perform other usual activities.

SanDisk Extreme microSDXC Class 10 UHS Class 3 60MB / s

A good memory card for those who do not require unusually high speeds from such a product. In particular, the card should suit the owners of low-end smartphones and mid-range devices who are not capable of 4K video. The manufacturer writes on the package that the write speed is 40 Mb / s - practice shows that these words are very close to the truth.

Advantages:

• The package has an SD adapter;
• Buyers practically do not encounter breakdowns;
• Very solid, albeit not a record speed characteristics.

Disadvantages:

• There is a 128 GB version;
• The price is dropping very slowly;
• Not suitable for devices that shoot video in very high resolution.

SanDisk Extreme microSDXC Class 10 UHS Class 3 reviews show that this memory card is not worth buying if you are going to use it in conjunction with GoPro 4 Black. The fact is that you may experience overheating of the product, which is why shooting in 4K or 2.7K resolution will be impossible. If you do not indulge in such high-quality video, then using this 64-gigabyte card will not cause any problems.

Kingston SDCA3

And this is an ideal option for owners of the newest action cameras capable of video shooting in 4K resolution. The speed characteristics here are such that no problems will arise either after one minute, or after ten minutes, or after half an hour of video recording. If you shoot very often and in large quantities, then we recommend you to get a 128 GB card, even if its cost frightens you a little.

Advantages:

• The write speed is able to reach 80 Mb / s;
• Reading speed - at the level of 90 MB / s;
• The assortment contains cards from 16 to 128 GB;
• Additionally, the buyer will receive an SD adapter

Disadvantages:

• It is very expensive.

Reviews on Kingston SDCA3 indicate that this product exactly corresponds to the stated company specifications. Included with the card comes an adapter that allows you to use it even in a SLR camera or an amateur camcorder. If it were not for the high cost of the product, then it would be possible to recommend a similar card to absolutely all owners of portable electronics.

Which memory card to choose

1. Some time ago, the number of memory card form factors was unusually high. But now the situation has changed. Many electronics manufacturers have realized that it is better to use slots for the more common microSD and SD cards, rather than forcing the customer to look for rare Memory Stick Pro Duo or CompactFlash drives. However, if you still come across a technique that supports just such memory cards, then we recommend that you buy a SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo or Silicon Power 400X Professional Compact Flash Card, respectively.

2. All modern smartphones and tablets are able to interact only with a microSD memory card with a minimum size. However, the card requirements for such devices may vary. If you have a cheap device, it will not be able to shoot video in very high resolution, in connection with which its requirements for the drive will be lower. In this case, you may well consider purchasing the appropriate cards from Transcend or SanDisk. But the owners of top-end devices and action cameras GoPro Hero4 must buy something faster - for example, the acquisition of Kingston SDCA3 is an excellent option.

3. As for cameras and camcorders, they often require the installation of an SD memory card. It all depends on what kind of memory you need. Do you often take videos? Then it would be nice to consider buying a Transcend TS * SDXC10U1 with a capacity of 64 or even 128 GB. Well, less capacious products from SanDisk will suit those who are engaged only in photographing.