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Memory Card Buying Guide

Memory Card Buying Guide

Massive megapixels, higher quality images and cameras with HD movie recording capabilities are increasing the need for larger and faster memory cards.

Choosing the right one for your needs can be a daunting task, so we've separated the various types to make choosing the right card for your needs a little simpler.

Extreme - the preferred choice for ultimate performance
Perfect for RAW shooting and capturing high definition video, Extreme cards are shock and vibration tested under extreme conditions, from Arctic cold to jungle humidity. They also enable faster shooting and downloading with extremely quick read/write speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second.

Ideal for... Digital SLRs and top end compacts.

Ultra - for the photography enthusiast
Ultra is Jessops' most popular and most compatible memory format for digital cameras, offering fast read/write speeds to capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot. A highly reliable choice for the enthusiast, even in hot, cold or humid working conditions.

Ideal for... Today's performance cameras

Everyday - for entry level compacts and digital frames
These great value for money memory cards are just the job for everyday use with a digital compact camera and digital photo frames.

Ideal for... Entry level cameras and digital photo frames

Video - ideal for flash based camcorders
SanDisk HD video memory cards have solid reliability and are optimised with high speed and high capacity to record HD videos, so you can get the most from your memory card camcorders.

Sandisk Extreme
Memory card makers SanDisk are setting new, lightning-fast standards for professional photographers and enthusiasts with their exceptional SanDisk Extreme and Extreme Pro ranges.

Designed to be the fastest, most rugged and durable memory card, the Extreme Pro offers up to 90 MB/second transfer speeds - cutting image download times drastically.

Better still, the entire Extreme range is shock and vibration tested and put through the rigors of freezing cold, heat and humidity to make sure your memory won't give up before you do!

Compact Cameras

Digital SLR Cameras (Using RAW Format)
PHOTOS VIDEOS YOU NEED PHOTOS VIDEOS YOU NEED
220 PLUS 50 min 4 GB 150 PLUS 20 min 4 GB
440 PLUS 1.4 hrs 8 GB 300 PLUS 40 min 8 GB
600 PLUS 2.8 hrs 16 GB 620 PLUS 1.2 hrs 16 GB
1200 PLUS 5.6 hrs 32 GB 1230 PLUS 2.4 hrs 32 GB
2460 PLUS 5.2 hrs 64 GB
Compressed (JPEG 100% quaility) images per card. Note: The following assumptions were made to calculate the number of images per card. 1MP = 1,000,000 pixels, 1MB = 1,000,000 bytes, 1GB = 1,000 MB. JPEG 100% quality=visually lossless jpeg compression with 1:10 ration of RAW image. Some of the llisted capacity is used for formatting and other functions. Approximation: actual number of images may vary based on camera, resolution and compression.

Speed ratings explained

MB/s
The cards maximium data transfer speed. faster speeds mean less time waiting for the camera between shots and quicker downloads on your computer.

Class 6
If you're shooting HD video, the card has to be able to maintain a minimum write speed, which is where Class ratings are used. Class 6 (6MB/s) cards are the minimum for HD.

Class 10
A higher maximum speed rating of 10MB/s means that Classs 10 cards easily exceed the minimum standard needed for full HD movies.

UHS-Class 1
The highest speed rating for memory cards, designed for very high-speed, high resolution cameras and professional quality Full HD movies.