All of the same specifications of SD cards apply to MicroSD cards, with the same nomenclature. Both UHS-I and UHS-II microSD cards are available, ranging from V30 to V90 — though only Delkin Devices and Kingston produce V90 cards, so the selection is significantly thinner than SD for high-speed options. There are three main types of SD card: SD, SDHC (high capacity) or SDXC (extended capacity). SD cards typically offer 128MB to 2GB in storage capacity, too small for today’s modern cameras with higher resolutions. SDHC bumps this up from 4GB to 32GB, useful for most photographers and videographers. SDXC cards, meanwhile, range from 64GB to 2TB and are aimed at professional-level users who require more memory. The microSD is the smallest version. You might have also seen it referred to as TransFlash or abbreviated as a TF card. MicroSD cards, as the name implies, are physically tiny and came about predominantly to be used in smartphones that would benefit from a much smaller card.

In short: faster is better, but only if you have a camera capable of making use of it. Many mid to high-end cameras feature one or even two UHS-II slots, while some feature one UHS-II slot and one UHS-I slot, or even just a single UHS-II slot. Some lower-end cameras use UHS-I exclusively. There is a proprietary UHS-I extension, called DDR200, originally created by SanDisk that increases transfer speed further to 170MB/s. Unlike UHS-II, it does not use additional pins. It achieves this by using the 208MHz frequency of the standard SDR104 mode, but using DDR transfers. [85] [86] This extension has since then been used by Lexar for their 1066x series (160MB/s), Kingston Canvas Go Plus (170MB/s) and the MyMemory PRO SD card (180MB/s). Integrated USB connector – The SanDisk SD Plus product can be plugged directly into a USB port without needing a USB card reader. [134] Other companies introduced comparable products, such as the Duo SD product of OCZ Technology and the 3 Way (microSDHC, SDHC, and USB) product of A-DATA, which was available in 2008 only. A SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) card is an extension of the SD specification to cover I/O functions. SDIO cards are only fully functional in host devices designed to support their input-output functions (typically PDAs like the Palm Treo, but occasionally laptops or mobile phones). [ citation needed] These devices can use the SD slot to support GPS receivers, modems, barcode readers, FM radio tuners, TV tuners, RFID readers, digital cameras, and interfaces to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and IrDA. Many other SDIO devices have been proposed, but it is now more common for I/O devices to connect using the USB interface. [ citation needed] By the time the version 2.0 (SDHC) specification was completed in June 2006, [166] vendors had already devised 2GB and 4GB SD cards, either as specified in Version 1.01, or by creatively reading Version 1.00. The resulting cards do not work correctly in some host devices. [167] [168] SDSC cards above 1 GB [ edit ] 4GB SDSC cardTypes of SD Cards Explained. There are several different types of SD cards, as well as multiple speed rating systems and cryptic codes. Here’s a rundown of what the differences are. Under a disclaimers agreement, the simplified specification released by the SDA in 2006 – as opposed to that of SD cards – was later extended to the physical layer, ASSD extensions, SDIO, and SDIO Bluetooth Type-A. [170] UHS-II is the newer, and potentially faster, system but adoption is still not widespread. And a UHS-II isn’t necessarily guaranteed to be faster than every UHS-I card in practice. While it wasn’t always true initially, the current fastest SD cards are UHS-II (when used with a UHS-II compatible host, that is). Compatibility

The standard was introduced in August 1999 by SanDisk, Panasonic (Matsushita) and Toshiba as an improvement on MultiMediaCards (MMCs). [1] SDs have become an industry standard. The three companies formed SD-3C, LLC, a company that licenses and enforces intellectual property (IP) rights associated with SD memory cards and SD host-and-ancillary products. [2] The power consumption of SD cards varies by its speed mode, manufacturer and model. [ citation needed]

Understanding U class and V class memory card ratings

On such SD cards, standard utility programs such as Mac OS X's " Disk Utility" or Windows' SCANDISK can be used to repair a corrupted filing system and sometimes recover deleted files. Defragmentation tools for FAT file systems may be used on such cards. The resulting consolidation of files may provide a marginal improvement in the time required to read or write the file, [159] but not an improvement comparable to defragmentation of hard drives, where storing a file in multiple fragments requires additional physical, and relatively slow, movement of a drive head. [ citation needed] Moreover, defragmentation performs writes to the SD card that count against the card's rated lifespan. The write endurance of the physical memory is discussed in the article on flash memory; newer technology to increase the storage capacity of a card provides worse write endurance. [ citation needed] In April 2012, Panasonic introduced MicroP2 card format for professional video applications. The cards are essentially full-size SDHC or SDXC UHS-II cards, rated at UHS Speed Class U1. [28] [29] An adapter allows MicroP2 cards to work in current P2 card equipment. [30] CFexpress Type B offers an excellent blend of value, capacity, quality, and — particularly — speed. While the insanely fast read and write speeds are of little value to photographers who don’t shoot sports or wildlife, they still aren’t too offputtingly expensive, especially if your second slot is UHS-II SD. Commonly found on the market are mislabeled or counterfeit Secure Digital cards that report a fake capacity or run slower than labeled. [144] [145] [146]