Learn more about memory cards

You are also intrested in the technology behind memory cards? Great! We will add more and more articles over time, ranging from our test procedure to SD card nomenclature like speed classes.

Compatibility list: SD cards for RAW video with Magic Lantern

Magic Lantern is firmly linked to the rise of "DSLR filmmaking". Initially, the firmware extension on Canon EOS cameras allowed functions that are now usually found ex works, such as switching off automatic gain control (AGC) or making time-lapse recordings. But the range of functions has grown rapidly since then. Magic Lantern is now available for many cameras with Canon's 4th and 5th generation DIGIC image processor, adding functions that even...

Is Gigastone selling counterfeit SD memory cards?

Counterfeit memory cards are old hat. But advertised directly in the web store of the supplier, a stock listed company, with fancy marketing material? As part of our usual search for new, potential test candidates, we once again became aware of the Gigastone brand - and became suspicious. But from the beginning. How did we come across Gigastone? We have been testing memory cards for ValueTech for about 10 years, the author of these lines for 13...

Online SD Card CID Decoder

What does CID mean? Every SD memory card has internal registers in which important metadata about the card is stored. For example, the serial number (PSN), date of manufacture (MDT) and also who actually produced the memory card is written in the unique CID or Card Identification Number. More precisely, there are two specifications for the producer: The Manufacturer ID (MID) and OEM/ODM/Application ID (OID). Both are only described with a two-di...

Our test procedure

We always try to cover as wide a range of brands and models as possible. However, in practice it is impossible to test all available memory cards or card readers. On the one hand, we have decided not to test any noname products. Apart from the sometimes questionable legality of such offers (Tax evasion etc.), there are big question marks behind the warranty and guarantee services (shipping from abroad) as well as the reproducibility of the test ...

SSDs & SD cards for CinemaDNG with the Sigma fp (L)

The Sigma fp and fp L do not only stand out with their unique form factor. The ability to record RAW video internally in CinemaDNG format is also something you don't see every day. But CinemaDNG and Sigma's fp cameras are quite demanding. If you want to use the internal SD card slot, a maximum of Full HD with 12 bits per channel and 59.94 fps is possible. In 4K Ultra HD, you even have to settle for a maximum of 25 fps and 8 bit color depth, whic...

The Ultimate Guide: Format or erase memory cards? And how?

Should you format your (SD) memory card after every use? Do you risk defective pictures and broken videos if you delete data instead of formatting the memory card? And if you format, how and where? You see: A supposed trifle like deleting photos and videos from a memory card is hotly debated all over the internet - including a lot of hearsay and outdated technical background. We want to answer the most important questions and dispel some myths. ...

UHS-II: Camera list and short explanation

Even we who write about and work with SD memory cards almost daily sometimes having problems with keep track of all new standards and technologies. Below is a brief explanation on the subject of UHS-II and a list of system cameras (DSLR and DSLM) that have at least one UHS-II memory card slot. What is UHS-II basically? UHS stands for Ultra High Speed and is the name of a comprehensively defined interface for SD memory cards. The first revisio...