SD Memory Cards Speed Comparisons | 57 Tested

Memory card brands don’t always list the real-world speeds of the cards on their packaging or cards. To find the best SD memory cards, we’ll look at some benchmarks to see the real USB read and write speeds and how they perform with various cameras. SD Memory Card Benchmarks

USB performance tests were conducted using the AJA System Test to benchmark a UHS-II Prograde USB-C memory card reader connected to a Windows 11 machine with USB 3.2 2×2.

The results can be organized by speed or class. Remember that real-world speeds might differ based on the specific reader or computer used when testing your SD memory cards. Even a bad or incorrect cable can influence the speeds.

You’ll notice some UHS-I SD cards now advertise as being able to hit 200MB/s write speeds, but this is only true for the latest readers with the supported hardware.

SD memory Card Speed Comparisons

It’s important to distinguish between microSD memory cards and standard-sized SD memory cards. While you can use microSD memory cards in a standard SD card slot with an adapter, you cannot use full-size SD cards with microSD card devices.

Memory Card Types And Performance

What Do All The Numbers And Letters On Memory Cards Mean?

• SDHC indicates that a card will use the 32-bit Fat32 file structure. This can have some performance limitations. Some new Speed Classes, like V30 and V60, aren’t available on these Fat32 cards. Also, you’ll see a file size limit of around 4GB.
• SDXC indicates that the card will be 64-bit using the exFat file structure. This means you get all the technology memory cards have to offer, including the V30 and V60 speed classes and larger file sizes.
• Class 10 is an older designation that is still put on memory cards. There used to be other classes written on memory cards; typically, it would be a number inside a circle. Now, every card is pretty much Class 10, and new Speed Classes have come around, like U1 / U3 and V30 / V60, etc. So it’s all getting a little cluttered. Class 10 will give you a minimum guaranteed write speed of 10MB/s.
• U1 / U3 are speed classes like Class 10 that indicate the minimum write speed a card is capable of. U1 is 10MB/s, and U3 is 30MB/s. Typically, you’ll want the U3 cards if you’re shooting high-bitrate video. Some cameras, like Sony’s, won’t let you use their advanced video codecs without a U3 memory card.
• V30 / V60 / V90 This is the latest speed class. Like Class 10 and U1 / U3, it concerns guaranteed minimum write speeds. V30 = 30MB/s, V60 = 60MB/s, and so forth.
• UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards are built completely differently. UHS-II memory cards are the fastest type of SD memory card, and this is due to having a second set of pins that give them dual lanes to read and write data to and from. This potentially makes these memory cards twice as fast when used in UHS-II devices.

Memory Card Benchmarks By Camera Brand

Want to know which memory card best suits your camera? Check out these guides, where I’ve worked through most camera brands, testing the popular SD cards in different camera bodies.

Canon Cameras

Today, Canon cameras use SD Memory cards up to the V90 speed class or CFexpress Type-B cards. Older cameras use CF memory cards, so check this guide to see what cards are best for your Canon camera.

List Of All Canon RF Cameras

Sony Cameras

Low write speeds have traditionally limited memory cards for older Sony cameras. For instance, most of Sony’s older cameras can typically only write up to 30MB/s on memory cards.

However, newer models such as the A9II and A7rIV now provide enhanced performance with CFexpress Type-A speeds.

Sony has done something that no other brand does: They allow you to use a CFexpress Type-A or SD card in the same slot. Not all cameras have this capability, so check your camera in this guide.

List Of All Sony Cameras

Fujifilm Cameras

Fujifilm cameras have traditionally only accepted SD memory cards, but today, they take both CFexpress Type-B and SD memory cards.

List Of All Fujifilm Cameras

Leica Cameras

Nikon Cameras

Older Nikon cameras used CF memory cards as well as SD cards. Eventually, they switched to XQD cards, and today, most of their cameras use SD cards or CFexpress Type-B cards, sometimes both.

List Of All Nikon Z Cameras

Panasonic Cameras

Memory cards for Panasonic cameras have shown varying performance levels depending on the model. On the older micro four-thirds cameras, there was typically a 35MB/s bottleneck bus speed or twice that when running UHS-II cards. However, newer models such as the GH6 and the full-frame system have seen improved performance with UHS-II and UHS-I memory cards and are beginning to include support for CFexpress Type-B cards.

List of All Panasonic Cameras, L Mount and M43

Olympus Cameras

Memory cards for Olympus cameras can vary widely in terms of read and write speeds. Older models are likelier to have bus speed bottlenecks that may limit memory card performance. However, more recent models tend to be much faster, and the differences become apparent when using higher-end, high-speed cards.

Pentax Cameras

When using a Pentax camera such as the K-1, one should use high-speed memory cards compatible with the device. While most memory cards will work with the camera, their write speeds can be limited due to a bus speed bottleneck at approximately 30MB/s-40MB/s. Therefore, it is best to check both your camera and the card’s specifications to ensure optimal performance!

Ricoh Cameras

UHS-I cards are the best option when considering memory cards for your Ricoh camera. Ricoh GRIII has performed great using the newest cards, guaranteeing a successful photography experience.

Sigma Cameras

Sigma has made few cameras and has only used SD memory cards. I’ve benchmarked the Sigma Fp to see how each card performs.

GoPro Action Cameras

Older GoPro Hero 5 cameras had problems with certain memory cards. Fortunately, newer GoPro models have better hardware, and most issues have been resolved. Meanwhile, models like DJI Osmo Action and Osmo Pocket are known for their good memory card performance even when shooting at higher bitrates.

Be sure to check out this guide for the various cameras before buying a card. Each GoPro camera has a different capacity specification, and your card size might be limited.

Check out this guide on the List of All GoPro Cameras.

DJI Cameras and Drones

DJI cameras and drones have good memory card compatibility and solid firmware. You won’t usually have problems with the different memory cards out there. Most DJI products take microSD cards and sometimes SD cards, so be sure to check out these individual guides.

Micro SD Memory Cards For SmartPhones

Several brands of micro SD cards were tested in these smartphones to find out which offers the best performance. The surprising results show a huge difference in performance among different memory cards. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a modern Samsung smartphone with a micro SD card slot, you won’t be able to find one anymore.

Potential Memory Card Problems

Memory Card Not Working

There are several reasons a memory card may not work, and I’ll list a few that I’ve seen or have personally dealt with.

1. Bad Memory Card – Not all memory cards are created equal, and you may occasionally find yourself with a bad one. At the same time, most brands offer warranties of 10 years or a lifetime. If you get stuck with a defective card, you can usually send it back to the manufacturer and try a new one instead.

2. Brand Incompatibility – Memory card brand instability can cause trouble when using different cameras. Certain camera brands, like Sony, may not be compatible with Samsung memory cards for video recording, and Canon states that some of its cameras do not often support Sony cards. To avoid these problems, switch to a different brand of cards, such as Sandisk, Lexar, or Delkin. These cards tend to work better with most cameras.

3. Mislabeled Sizes – It’s happened a few times over the years when a brand labels its cards wrong. I once had a Delkin card labeled as 650GB, but it was a 1TB card. This is a good problem to have, but be careful, as it could go the other way. You should generally test the size of your cards when you buy them to confirm they match the labeled specs.

4. Memory Card Is Slow – Is your memory card slow? If so, it might be defective or even counterfeit! It is best to purchase memory cards from a trusted source such as BHphoto, Amazon, or Adorama instead of buying on eBay. This ensures that you are getting an authentic product, not a fake one.