Best Memory Card GoPro HERO (2018)

Like the GoPro HERO5 and HERO6, the GoPro HERO 2018 also has little quirks when it comes to finding the best memory cards. If you’ve owned other GoPro cameras, you’ll know not just any memory card works. The camera is picky and if you choose the wrong memory card you can run into issues with things like gimbal control, the battery continuously draining, or simply corrupted files. While GoPro is actively fixing any issue with firmware, it’s still a good idea to get the best memory card for your Hero 2018.

Follow this guide to help you find the best memory cards for the GoPro HERO (2018).

 

Best Memory Card GoPro HERO 2018

Before we get started looking at the recommended micro SD memory cards for the Hero 2018, did you know that the Hero 2018 is a GoPro Hero 5? It’s the exact same hardware with firmware that limits the camera’s capabilities. You can even hack the firmware to turn your Hero 2018 into a Hero 5 with special firmware. I won’t go into that, but that’s something worth googling.

Because the Hero 2018 is a Hero5, both cameras share the same memory card compatibility quirks and you’ll need to be selective.

Here are the recommended memory cards.

 

Recommended Memory Cards GoPro Hero 2018

GoPro Pro has released its chart to compatible memory cards for each camera model. However, the chart is a little limited so I’ve done further testing with other cards you may have access to that are not on that chart. 

Here are the top recommended cards. These are tested and work great. All cards in my list are not reported as having issues on GoPros site.

 

Can You Use a 128GB Memory Card In The HERO (2018)

Yes, a 128GB memory card does work in the Hero 2018. Make sure you get either a Lexar 1000x or a Sandisk Extreme Plus or you could have USB connection issues. I personally use a Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB and it has trouble communicating with my Karma Grip, but works fine otherwise.

 

GoPro HERO 2018 | Specs

Sensor Size: 1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
Megapixels: 10
1920 x 1440: 30/60 fps at 60Mb/s with H264 Codec.
1920 x 1080: 30/60 fps at 60 Mb/s with H264 Codec.

 

GoPro Micro SD Memory Speed Chart

I’ve tested all the micro SD cards with Windows 10 to give you a general performance list between brands and models. This isn’t entirely correct because different camera processors handle the different types of flash memory differently but it is correct for how Windows 10 reads and writes to each card.

I’ve marked a lot of cards ‘Maybe’ in this chart just to be on the safe side since I have had a few issues with various cards in older GoPros.

Memory card read/write speeds were determined using Crystal Disk on Windows 10.

Micro SD Memory Card	Read Speeds	Write Speeds	Does It Work?
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB U3	99.38 MB/s	90.33 MB/s	Maybe
Sandisk Extreme Plus 64GB U3	99.45 MB/s	89.85 MB/s	Yes
Sandisk Extreme 64GB U3	99.49 MB/s	70.29 MB/s	Yes
Sandisk Ultra C10 – Old Version U1	47.69 MB/s	36.23 MB/s	Maybe
Sandisk Ultra C10 – New Version	99.46 MB/s	79.64 MB/s	Maybe
Lexar 1000x 64GB U3 UHS-II	151.7 MB/s	53.18 MB/s	Yes
Lexar 633x 64GB U1	96.89 MB/s	33.29 MB/s	Yes
Lexar 300x 64GB U1	47.37 MB/s	31.17 MB/s	Maybe
Transcend Ultimate 633x 64GB U3	96.67 MB/s	79.62 MB/s	Yes
Transcend Premium 400x 64GB U1	96.87 MB/s	32.58 MB/s	Maybe
Transcend Premium 300x 64GB U1	96.88 MB/s	33.29 MB/s	Maybe
Transcend High Endurance	22.88 MB/s	21.84 MB/s	Maybe
PNY Pro Elite 64GB U3	98.44 MB/s	64.43 MB/s	Yes
PNY Elite U1	96.88 MB/s	41.18 MB/s	Yes
Samsung Pro+ 64GB U3	97.72 MB/s	87.23 MB/s	Yes
Samsung Pro 64GB U3	97.42 MB/s	79.51 MB/s	Yes
Samsung Pro Select 64GB U3	97.84 MB/s	86.80 MB/s	Yes
Samsung Evo+ 64GB U1	96.81 MB/s	28.31 MB/s	Maybe
Samsung Evo Select 64GB U1	97.65 MB/s	29.52 MB/s	Maybe
Samsung Evo 64GB U1	47.65 MB/s	26.48 MB/s	Maybe
Patriot 64GB U1	82.76 MB/s	14.92 MB/s	Maybe
Netac Pro 64GB U3	77.70 MB/s	49.70 MB/s	Yes

 

GoPro Hero | What’s Different?

 

Since the GoPro HERO 2018 is really a stripped-down HERO 5 but with a few differences. It has a 10-megapixel sensor and doesn’t shoot 4k. Instead, it can shoot 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1440 at 30 or 60fps. The bitrate remains about the same as the HERO 5 at 60Mb/s.

You should get the same video record times as the HERO 5, except won’t have 2.7k and 4k options.

The camera also features the same electric image stabilization as the Hero 5 (where it’s done by the image processor) and does not offer the in-body image stabilization IBIS of the Hero6. It looks like the Hero6 uses in-body image stabilization or optical image stabilization like the Sony action cameras. Based on the way it looks, it performs almost identically to other IBIS cameras, although I can’t find any documentation on this.

 

Best Memory Cards For GoPro HERO 2018 | Conclusions

The new GoPro Hero 2018 is by far the most compatible camera in terms of memory card compatibility. While the Hero 6 has a higher bitrate, demanding more from its cards, the Hero 2018 (in terms of specs) is a stripped-down Hero 5 but with all the improvements of firmware and hardware that GoPro has implemented into their cameras over the last three years.

The best memory card you can buy for the Hero 2018 I would say is the Sandisk Extreme Plus. You will have no issues with 64GB cards or 128GB cards and they are great to use in any device even your mirrorless or DSLR cameras with an adapter.