memory card for sony cameras

Best SD cards for digital cameras iMore 2021

You need a high-quality SD card for today's best digital cameras. Whether you want a big card to hold vacation photos for a week, one that prioritizes read/write speed, or a budget-friendly model, we have you covered. Not all SD cards are created equal! Read on to learn about the best SD cards for digital cameras today.

Best for most cameras: SanDisk 512GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card
Best value: PNY 16GB Elite 2-pack
High-speed performance: Lexar Professional 256GB
Fastest card on the block: Sony M Series 64GB
Just right for vloggers: ProGrade Digital UHS-II 256GB
So much room: SAMSUNG EVO Select 512GB microSDXC
Not too big, not too little: Strontium Nitro 32GB
Best for video: Gigastone 256GB 2-pack
A big bargain: Micro Center 256GB Class 10

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Best for most cameras : SanDisk 512GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card

Staff Pick

Designed for stills and video shooting, the SanDisk Extreme PRO is fast enough to keep up with all of today's best action cameras and has enough space to hold a week's worth of shots. With a speed class rating of V30, this 512GB SDXC UHS-I memory card supports read speeds of 170 MB/s and write speeds of 90 MB/s.

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Best value : PNY 16GB Elite 2-pack

The PNY two-pack comes with double the room for half the price. This set includes two SD cards, each with the capacity to hold 16GBs of photos and video. Perfect for cameras and drones, this budget-friendly duo has max read speeds of 85 MB/s, and write speeds top out at 10 MP/s. It's plenty speedy enough for capturing Full HD video and big photo files and easily makes our list of one of the best SD cards for digital cameras.

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High-speed performance : Lexar Professional 256GB

The UHS-II technology in the Lexar Professional 256GB card gives you high-speed performance for action photography and full HD and 4K video. Perfect for mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and drones, this Class 10 card has read transfer speeds of 250MB/s so you can work less and play more.

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Fastest card on the block : Sony M Series 64GB

Today's professional camera bodies need a little more oomph under the hood. This 64GB offering from Sony's M Series is a UHS-II Class 10 that reads up to 260MB/s and writes up to 100MB/s. It's also waterproof and dustproof. When every second counts, this is the best micro SD card on the block.

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Just right for vloggers : ProGrade Digital UHS-II 256GB

Filmmakers, vloggers, and content curators need the speed and space of this 256GB V60 card from ProGrade Digital. It's lightning-fast, offering 130MB/s write speeds and 250MB/s read speeds, so it won't slow you down. When reliability and room are at the top of your wish list, go with ProGrade.

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So much room : SAMSUNG EVO Select 512GB microSDXC

Never worry about space again with the SAMSUNG EVO Select 512GB microSDXC memory card. Perfect for recording 4K UHD video or high-resolution photos, this model from SAMSUNG is fast and reliable. This is a Class 10 card that reads at 100MB/s and has write speeds of 90MB/s. Built to last, this SAMSUNG card is magnetic proof, waterproof, temperature proof, and X-ray proof.

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Not too big, not too little : Strontium Nitro 32GB

Don't fall into the trap of buying more room than you need. The strontium Nitro micro SD is a Class 10 card with 32GBs of room. That's just the right size for drones, action cameras, and stills cams. Plus, it has transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s, and it's waterproof, temperature proof, magnet proof, and X-Ray proof.

$13 at Amazon

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Best for video : Gigastone 256GB 2-pack

If you shoot in 4K or need max room for stills, grab this two-pack of cards from Gigastone. Read speeds are 100MB/s and write speeds are 60MB/s, and they're optimized for 4K video. Grab this deal if you record video on a DSLR, mirrorless, action, cam, video camera, or drone.

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A big bargain : Micro Center 256GB Class 10

If you want maximum space at a minimal price, throw the Micro Center 256GB micro SD in your card now. It's a Class 10 card with 80MB/s read speeds and 15MB/s write speeds. It's not the fastest card around, but it'll work great for landscape and portrait photographers.

The right SD card for your camera

Each camera has different memory card requirements, and although there's some overlap with digital cameras, it's best to check with your camera manufacturer before making big buys.

If you shoot in RAW, do action photography, or film video, our top pick is the SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB. This UHS-I card reads/writes fast and can handle a full weekend of shooting.

You'll score two cards for the price of one with the 16GB two-pack from PNY. These SD cards are compatible with DSLRs, video and action cams, mirrorless, and point-and-shoot cameras. For the money, this is the best deal going.

If you shoot professionally, go with the Sony M Series. Read speeds are crazy-fast at 260MB/s, and this card is waterproof and dustproof.

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