How can I tell which SD card is better for burst shooting?

Asked 2/20/2017

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2 answers

I’m comparing two SDHC cards from the same brand. Both are labeled Class 10, but one also says 90MB/s, has a U inside a 1, a Roman numeral I, and 600x. For burst photography, which markings matter most, and which card is likely to perform better?

sd-card write-speed storage burst-shooting memory-cards

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

2 Answers

Standard SD cards can be made with a max capacity of up to 2GB.
SDHC cards come in capacities ranging from “greater than 2GB” to 32GB.
SDXC cards range from “greater than 32GB” to 2TB.

SD cards are classified with numerical speed classes. At present, there are 4 non-UHS Speed Classes and 1 UHS Speed Class in use. These ratings are based on a minimum sustained data writing speed.

Class 2:  2MB/s minimum write speed
Class 4: 4MB/s minimum write speed
Class 6: 6MB/s minimum write speed
Class 10: 10MB/s minimum write speed
UHS Speed Class 1 (UHS-I): 10MB/s minimum write speed

Note that the card type (SD, SDHC or SDXC) is different from the card speed class (Class 2, 4, 6, etc.).

Hope this is helpful

Originally by user56211. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user56211

9y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For burst shooting, the key spec is write speed, because the camera has to clear image data from its buffer onto the card.

From the markings mentioned:

Class 10 = minimum sustained write speed of 10 MB/s
U1 (the 1 inside a U) also indicates a 10 MB/s minimum write speed
UHS-I (Roman numeral I) refers to the card’s bus/interface, not necessarily its actual real-world write speed
90MB/s is often a headline speed and may be read speed, not write speed
600x is another marketing speed label and is less useful than an actual write-speed spec

Based on the answers, the left card is likely the better choice for burst shooting, because the extra markings and the 90MB/s label suggest it is a higher-performance card, and one answer notes it may write significantly faster than a basic Class 10 card. But the card’s label alone does not always tell the full story.

Also, your camera’s own write speed and buffer matter. A faster card only helps if the camera can take advantage of it.

How can I tell which SD card is better for burst shooting?

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