Top Rated SD Cards Optimal for Digital Photography Equipment

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• We’ve reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best SD cards for cameras.

A great camera needs a great SD card . Whether you’re looking for a lot of storage, the highest speeds, or simply a good value to save some money, we’ve found the best SD cards out there.

UPDATE: 03/20/2024

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best SD cards for cameras.

Transcend 32 GB Uhs-II Class 3 V90 SDHC Flash Memory Card

Best Budget SD Card For Cameras
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SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card

Best SD Card for Cameras Under $25
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SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II

Best High Capacity SD Card for Cameras
$300 at Amazon

Kingston 128GB microSDXC Canvas React Plus Micro SD Card

Best Micro SD Card For Cameras
See at amazon

What to Look For With an SD Card in 2024

Whether you’re a casual hobbyist, vlogger, or professional photographer, you need a reliable memory card in your camera. But with all the classifications, numbers, and speed ratings, it’s difficult to tell what’s good from what’s just alright.

When shopping for an SD or microSD card for your camera, speed classifications are particularly important. They’ll let you know how fast your camera can write data to the card, how many files it can take, and how fast you can shoot. There are four speed classifications to consider when buying an SD card: read/write speed, speed class, UHS speed class, and video speed class.

Read/write speeds are probably the easiest to find on an SD card’s packaging. “Read” speed is how fast the card can transfer data to the computer when you plug it in, while “write” speed is how quickly the card can record data when you’re shooting photos and video. Pay attention to write speed—it’ll determine how fast you can shoot still images in quick bursts, and the quality of video you can record to the card without lag.

For casual photographers, a minimum of 30 MB/s should be fine. If you’re shooting fast action or 4K video, you’ll want a card with a write speed of at least 90 MB/s. Some of the cards on this list get write speeds of over 200 MB/s.

An SD card’s speed class will be shown on the front of the card in a circle and will be a number anywhere from 2 to 10. Speed class is the minimum speed in MB/s that a card can transfer data. Class 10 (10 MB/s) is the fastest as of this writing.

However, the UHS speed class is different and will be displayed as a number inside a symbol that looks like the letter “U.” UHS stands for Ultra High Speed, a standard of data transfer that SD cards use. U1 has a minimum speed of 10 MB/s, while U3 has a minimum rate of 30 MB/s. U3 cards get their increased speed from additional pins that let them send higher quantities of data simultaneously.

Video speed class is displayed as a number next to the letter V. As of this writing, SD card video speed classes include V6, V10, V30, V60, and V90, with V90 being the fastest. V6 will let you record standard-definition video, while you’ll want to look for a V90 card for the more heavy-duty formats like 4K and 8K video.

Another factor to consider is durability. Many manufacturers make their cards resistant to dust, moisture, x-rays, and more to help protect your data in a variety of conditions. Cheaper memory cards will likely be easier to snap and offer less protection than more expensive options. This won’t be something most photographers have to worry about, but if you’re a photojournalist shooting in rugged terrain, you might want to invest in a sturdier card.

Counterfeit SD cards can be a big problem, especially since they can look so much like the real thing online. A listing might say it’s for a 64GB card, and an 8GB one will show up instead. If you’re buying through Amazon or another reputable retailer, avoid third-party sellers. All of our recommendations will be at reputable stores, but make sure they’re being sold by the retailer itself before you buy.

With those parameters in mind, let’s jump into this list of some of the best SD cards for cameras on the market right now.

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Best SD Card for Cameras Overall: Lexar Professional 2000x

Lexar

The Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II offers faster performance than comparable cards from the competition for less money. Lexar is a reliable brand in digital memory, so you can be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

You can score the 64GB size for under $100, and it’s fast. A U3, UHS-II, and V90 rating coupled with a high projected write speed means this card is fast enough for professional photo and video work.

The Lexar Professional cards don’t have a metal housing, but are built to withstand some harsh conditions, including temperatures of down to -13, according to the company. If something happens, though, the cards are covered by a limited lifetime warranty.

The 64GB size offers enough memory that you won’t have to change it out very often unless you shoot a lot of 8K videos. But if you think you’ll need the extra memory, these SD cards come in capacities of up to 256GB .

If you’re getting into pro photography or videography, this card will serve all your needs.

Best SD Card For Cameras Overall

Lexar 64GB Professional 2000x UHS-II SDXC

Lexar offers pro-level speed and performance for a very affordable price.

Best Budget SD Card for Cameras: Transcend V90 UHS-II

Transcend

The Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3 card gives you performance comparable to SanDisk and Lexar for a great price—around $50 for the 64GB size. If you need speed but your budget is very tight, this card is worth a look.

Maxed-out speed ratings and a respectable write speed of 180 MB/s make this a solid card for someone just starting out who needs fast memory. The Transcend card also has most of the protections you’d expect from a good memory card built-in, including static and shock protection.

This SD card doesn’t have the most rugged form factor, but for the price, it is hard to beat.

Best Budget SD Card For Cameras

Transcend 32 GB Uhs-II Class 3 V90 SDHC Flash Memory Card

A powerful SD card for photographers on a budget, the V90 can stand toe-to-toe with more expensive options.

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Best SD Card for Cameras Under $25: SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB UHS-I

Relied on by photographers for years, SanDisk’s Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC UHS-I card may not be the fastest or the highest capacity memory card, but they’re a solid all-rounder for entry-level or enthusiast photographers.

The UHS-I rating might put some people off, as it’ll write more slowly than cards with a UHS-II rating—a minimum of 10 MB/s versus 30 MB/s. But it’ll work just fine if you’re using an older camera not built for UHS-II, like the Nikon D750 .

A V30 video speed means you can record 1080p HD footage without a problem, though 4K might give you some lag. Moderate burst shooting should also be fine with a real-world write speed of around 84.5 MB/s, according to Wirecutter ‘s benchmark test. Honestly, you can’t beat this level of performance for under $25.

Best SD Card for Cameras Under $25

SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card

SanDisk offers a workhorse SD memory card that will keep up with whatever you throw at it.

See at amazon

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Best High Capacity SD Card for Cameras: SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II

SanDisk

If you’re serious about your photography and videography, consider an SD card with 1TB of storage. The SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Memory Card is a fast, high-capacity card designed for professionals. You’ll likely never miss a shot because of pausing and switching cards, and with its high read and write speeds, you’ll also spend much less time transferring your files and waiting on buffering.

You’ll be able to store around 11 hours of 6K/24 or 4K/60 video before needing to transfer. If you’re more of a stills photographer, you can keep over 20,000 24MP RAW images. With read speeds of up to 280MB/s, you can transfer an hour of detailed 6K video in around six and a half minutes, while it will take just a few minutes to move up to 1,000 still images.

The card also has a write speed of up to 150MB/s, allowing you to take continuous bursts of action and stunning time-lapses without buffering or delays. You also get reliable video performance with its V60 class, ensuring video write speeds don’t fall below 60MB/s.

If your device doesn’t support UHS-II/V60, you can still use this card, which will default to your device’s standard. However, the SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card will save you money and do the same job.

The SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO UHS-II isn’t only extreme by name. It is built for harsh environments with protection against water and humidity, searing and freezing temperatures, drops and shocks, as well as security against magnets and x-rays. However, should you encounter trouble, it does have a lifetime warranty, and you have a RescuePRO Deluxe free download to recover any accidentally lost photos and videos.

Best High Capacity SD Card for Cameras

SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II

The SanDisk 1TB Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II is a fast, high-capacity SD card for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

$300 at Amazon See at Walmart

Best Micro SD Card for Cameras: Kingston Canvas React Plus

Kingston

Kingston’s 128GB microSDXC Canvas React Plus gives you good performance in a (very) small package with decently high storage capacity. If you’re into drone photography and videography, this card will likely become a staple of your kit.

Its UHS-II and V90 speed class ratings mean it can handle heavier work, so 4K and even 8K video recording shouldn’t be a problem. This makes the Canvas React Plus a good choice for content creators who need to turn out a lot of high-quality video with devices that take microSD cards.

The included SD card adapter lets you use this card in a larger camera like a DSLR , but drones and action cameras are where you’ll probably get the most out of it.

The card also comes packaged with a USB adapter that lets you connect to your computer to offload images and video. Older USB connections might be slower to read the files, but reviewers say this card is plenty fast on newer USB 3 and 3.1 ports when used with the included reader.

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Kingston 128GB microSDXC Canvas React Plus Micro SD Card

Need a microSD for your camera? Kingston has a high-storage, high-speed card that’s great for content creators.

See at amazon

FAQ

How do you format an SD card for a camera?

The best way to format your SD card is generally on the camera itself. See our guide onsafely formatting SD cards for your camera for a full walkthrough.

How do I transfer photos from an SD card?

Perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to transfer photos from an SD card to a Mac or Windows PC is with anSD card reader . However, you can also wirelessly transfer photos to your smartphone or computer using an app likeSnapBridge for Nikon orFUJIFILM Camera Remote .

Does formatting an SD card wipe it?

Yes,formatting your SD card will wipe its memory . Be sure you have backups of the photos you want before going through with the formatting process.

What does the ‘SD’ in SD card stand for?

Coined by theSD Association , “SD” stands for “Secure Digital.”

How do I transfer data from an SD card?

One of the easiest ways to transfer data to a computer or another SD card is with anSD card reader . Connect the SD card, copy its contents to a folder on your desktop or in yourcloud storage service , then connect the new SD card and paste the files to it. You can also use third-party apps like Files To SD Card or USB Drive for Android.