Memory cards and card readers definitely are not the sexiest subjects to discuss in photography, but nonetheless, nearly every camera uses a memory card and I’d dare say that it is one of the MOST important items in your camera bag. Without a card, you have no images. Therefore, educating yourself on memory cards and knowing which one is right for you and for your camera is fairly important. What brands are the best? Does speed matter? Does it matter what type of card reader I buy? Should you format the card or erase all images?
[REWIND: 6 KEY MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN HANDLING SD CARDS TO MINIMIZE DATA LOSS]
In the beginning of my career, I would go to Costco, choose the memory card that was on sale at the moment and that’s the one I’d use. For a reader, I would do the same thing, but at Best Buy. I was told that Sandisk and Lexar were good, reputable, cards and so that was what I went with. Through the years, I’ve learned a bit more about memory cards and picked up some better cards through sales at B&H and Adorama, but I’ll admit I still have a lot to learn. The following video from B&H is one of the more through videos I’ve seen on the subject and will teach you everything you need to know (and perhaps not want to know) about memory cards and readers.
A word of warning, the presentation is quite long, so this almost hour long video might be good to run in the background while you’re editing, but by the end of it, you’ll definitely know all you ever wanted or needed to know about memory cards and readers. Photographer Jeff Cable, presents a ton of information, even showing a video on how memory cards are made. Since Jeff is the head of marketing at Lexar, all the cards are from his company, but the information can be used across the board. You’ll be well versed on the topic of memory cards, and know exactly what you need and what to look for when shopping for them.
