Choosing the Right SD Card for Your Needs

SD cards are generally divided into two types: ‘SD cards,’ which are used in devices like digital cameras and camcorders, and ‘microSD cards’, which are typically used in smartphones, gaming consoles (such as the Nintendo Switch), and action cameras.

The SD card is about the size of a postage stamp, while the microSD card is even more compact.

microSD cards can also be used in devices that require SD cards by using a conversion adapter. Most of SUNEAST’s microSD products come with an SD card conversion adapter.

SD Cards and microSD Cards:
Formal Names by Capacity

The formal names of SD/microSD cards differ depending on their capacity. They are categorized as ‘SD/microSD,’ ‘SDHC/microSDHC,’ and ‘SDXC/microSDXC.’

	〜 2GB	4 〜 32GB	64GB 〜
SDカード	SD	SDHC	SDXC
microSDカード	microSD	microSDHC	microSDXC

	type	detail
UHS Interface	UHS – I	UHS-I is a standard defined by the SD Association in 2010, which increased transfer speeds by enhancing the clock frequency while maintaining the 9-pin interface of conventional SD cards. In SDR104 mode, UHS-I achieves a maximum transfer speed of 104MB/s, while in DDR200 mode, it can reach up to 200MB/s.
	UHS – II	UHS-II, introduced by the SD Association in 2011, increased the number of pins from 9 to 17, drastically enhancing transfer capacity while maintaining compatibility with existing SD cards. In FDR156 mode, UHS-II achieves a maximum transfer speed of 156MB/s, and in HD312 mode, it can reach up to 312MB/s.
UHS Speed Class		The UHS Speed Class is a speed standard set for products using the UHS bus interface by the SD Association. “UHS Speed Class 1” guarantees a minimum write speed of 10MB/s, and “UHS Speed Class 3” guarantees 30MB/s. To achieve the guaranteed speed, both the SD card and the device must support the UHS Speed Class.
Minimum Guaranteed Video Speed Class		The Video Speed Class ensures the minimum write speed for memory cards used in video recording. V10, V30, V60, and V90 guarantee 10MB/s, 30MB/s, 60MB/s, and 90MB/s, respectively, making it easier to select the appropriate card for the desired video size based on the guaranteed speed.

Application Performance Class

With the increasing use of SD memory cards for installing apps and storing app data on smartphones, particularly for Android devices with insufficient built-in memory, the need for enhanced random and sequential read/write performance has grown.

As a result, the SD Association has introduced the Application Performance Class to address these needs.

Application Performance Class	Minimum random read speed	Minimum random write speed	シーケンシャル Minimum sequential speed
	1500 IOPS	500 IOPS	10MB / 秒
	4000 IOPS	2000 IOPS	10MB / 秒

When shooting at high speeds or recording large video files, the speed class of the card becomes essential.

Video Speed Class	minimum transfer speed	UHS Speed Class	8K Video	4K Video	Full HD Video
	90MB/s		○	○	○
	60MB/s		○	○	○
	30MB/s			○	○
	10MB/s				○

Approximate Data Storage Capacity on an SD Card

	64GB	128GB	256GB	512GB	1TB
20 million pixels JPEG Approximately 20MB	Approximately 3,270 photos	Approximately 6,550 photos	Approximately 13,100 photos	Approximately 26,210 photos	Approximately 52,420 photos
20 million pixels RAW Approximately 50MB	Approximately 1,310 photos	Approximately 2,620 photos	Approximately 5,240 photos	Approximately 10,480 photos	Approximately 20,970 photos
FULL HD（1920×1080@30fps） 50Mbps	2 hours and 55 minutes	5 hours and 50 minutes	11 hours and 39 minutes	23 hours and 18 minutes	46 hours and 36 minutes
4K（3840×2160@30fps） 100Mbps	1 hour and 27 minutes	2 hours and 55 minutes	5 hours and 50 minutes	11 hours and 39 minutes	23 hours and 18 minutes