The Internet, for all its greatness and huge collection of information, is not without its faults. For example, the Internet has yet to produce a full and comprehensive list of digital cameras, their compatible lenses and memory cards. But maybe this is a blessing. In digging through the digital goldmine for information about your camera, you may learn a few things you didn't expect, such as how SD cards are widely (if not universally) compatible.
About SD Cards
SD cards -- short for secure digital memory cards -- come in many shapes and sizes. The standard SD card, which includes SD, SDHC and SDXC categories, is used in most digital cameras. These cards are physically large when compared with the other two types of SD cards -- miniSD and microSD -- which are generally not used in digital cameras. SD cards store up to 2 GB of information; SDHC (high-capacity) cards store anywhere from 4 GB to 32 GB; and SDXC (extended capacity) cards store from 32 GB up to 2 TB.
Your Camera
All camera manufacturers list the required memory types on the product specifications sheet and in the manual, but if you have neither of these, don't worry -- you can still find out which kind of SD card your camera takes. Open the memory card cover and look inside. It may be difficult to see, but the type of memory will be written beside the tiny slot where the SD card goes.
HC and XC Compatibility
Now here's where you may run into compatibility problems. Not all cameras designed to use SD cards are compatible with the newer versions of the cards. When in doubt, check with your camera's manufacturer to get authoritative information. Keep the receipt for your memory card in case you need to exchange it. Cameras designed for SDXC cards are backward-compatible with SDHC and SD cards. Similarly, SDHC products are backward-compatible with SD cards. The reverse of this isn't always true.
SD Card Speeds
Look closely at your SD cards, in particular SDHC and SDXC, and you'll notice a speed class printed on the front with a number in a semicircle. SD cards are divided into four speed categories, as of March 2011: two, four, six and 10. Your camera's manual will specifically state which speed class your device is. There's a definite advantage to buying cards that match your device's speed. High-end DSLR cameras can shoot continuously, but that's not much use if the memory card is too slow to respond. Again, the speed class varies, but use this as a general rule: Class two is good for compact digital cameras without continuous shooting modes. Class four is needed for continuous (or burst) shooting or MPEG-2 video functions. Class six is required for high-megapixel burst shooting. And class 10 is a must for 1,080p HD video recording.
Tags: digital cameras, cards store, memory card, speed class, backward-compatible with, burst shooting, memory cards