Over the past twenty years, the market for external drives has undergone tremendous changes. And here we are talking not only about increasing the amount of memory for storing data, but also about reducing the design itself. Modern classes of MicroSD memory cards can fit on your fingertip.
Of course, it's too early to refuse relatively massive flash drives, but progress is evident, and very soon they will sink into oblivion. The modern computer technology market offers a lot of options for MicroSD memory cards for Gb (gigabytes), and sometimes even Tb (terabytes) of information. And it is quite easy to get confused in all this heap. And if professional users can still somehow decide on a purchase, then beginners simply shrug their shoulders and rely entirely on consultants in the store.
We will try to understand this topic and identify the most popular MicroSD memory cards, which are distinguished by their quality component and a lot of positive feedback from users. First, let's deal with manufacturers, and continue with specific models of drives.
Producers
Many companies are engaged in the release of MicroSD memory cards, but not all of them get really worthwhile andquality products in many respects. As such, the backbone of manufacturers has been formed for a long time, and impudent newcomers on pedestals are not favored, and they are not allowed to. The competition here is very intense, and brands understand that any, even a non-critical oversight can lead to the loss of a client, as well as loss of money with a reputation.
Best MicroSD Card Manufacturers:
- Transcend (Taiwan).
- SanDisk (USA).
- Samsung (South Korea).
- Sony (Japan).
- Kingston (USA).
- ADATA (Taiwan).
Choosing external drives from these brands, you can be sure of the quality and reliability of the products. Reviews about the above manufacturers are mostly positive, and users do not trace any critical shortcomings in their products. MicroSD memory cards from famous brands are used in all related areas: mobile gadgets, desktop computers, laptops, photo and video cameras and other areas.
Next, consider specific models that are enviably popular in both professional and amateur environments.
Kingston SDC 4/8 Gb
If you don't load your smartphone or tablet with high-resolution videos and videos, but prefer to work with photos and music, then Kingston's budget memory card will be the best and most reliable option for storing information.
The drive does not have a high data transfer rate - only 4 Mb / s (class 4), but the cost of the card is, in general, anddoes not contribute. For ordinary needs, this is an excellent solution: high-quality, reliable and with a long operating period.
The average cost in stores is about 300 rubles.
SanDisk Ultra MicroSD/HC Class 10 UHS-I
This Class 10 MicroSD memory card (10-48 Mb/s) will come in handy on board a smartphone with a Full HD screen resolution. The 1920 by 1080 pixels format has already become the standard, and to cope with the video sequence in such a layout, you will need a full-fledged 10th class.
This MicroSD UHS-I memory card works quietly at speeds of 10 Mb / s, so Full HD video will go without delay and the way the creator intended. Also in the pluses of the drive you can add a decent amount of 32 GB and a convenient adapter for connecting to a PC and fastidious cameras.
The average cost in stores is about 600 rubles.
Samsung MicroSD/HC EVO Plus
Samsung's MicroSD memory cards are considered among the best in this segment. In addition, unlike other "Samsung" gadgets for drives, the brand does not break the price, which sensitive consumers could not help but notice.
Performed extremely high quality and with decent capacity, Samsung's 32 GB MicroSD memory card is significantly cheaper than competing counterparts, and offers users more attractive features. In the media read mode, the speed reaches 95 Mb / s, which is very, very good. Parallel indicator in data transfershowed more modest characteristics - only 20 Mb / s, but this is considered more than an acceptable norm.
The card is used in mobile gadgets, registrars, as well as in advanced and professional photo and video equipment.
Average price at points of sale is about 800 rubles.
Transcend Premium 300X
If you need a drive that works on the principle of "set it and forget it", then this model will become the very option. The card is distinguished by an increased margin of safety and a high data transfer rate that fully meets class 10.
The drive comes in 16, 32 and 64 GB versions, which means it can be used to store video files, not just photo and audio content. The manufacturer prudently included an excellent adapter with a memory card for connecting to personal computers and working in tandem with cameras or video recorders.
The average cost in stores is about 900 rubles.
Kingston SD/XC 10/64Gb
A 64 GB microSD memory card from a well-known brand has a lot to offer its owner. The manufacturer was able to fit in this baby with a thimble and a solid volume, and excellent speed, fully corresponding to the 10th class. It is also worth noting the extremely low heating of the drive even under the most intense loads and long-term operation.
The average speed of writing to the media varies within 45 Mb/s, and reading - about 90 Mb/s. Characteristics inspirerespect, and the card has found its application not only in the amateur, but also in the professional environment. This drive is a frequent guest on board of cool DSLRs and cameras from the venerable brands Nikon and Canon.
Average price at points of sale is about 2,300 rubles.
ADATA Premier MicroSD/XC Class 10 UHS-I U1
Drives from this manufacturer are distinguished by affordable price tags along with high quality. The brand managed to combine in this model both a relatively high speed of operation, which corresponds to class 10, and excellent performance.
The drive turned out to be reliable and in demand both in professional and amateur environments. He is often seen on board mobile phones and DVRs. Users speak positively about the memory card and do not note any critical shortcomings.
The average cost in stores is about 2500 rubles.
SanDisk Extreme MicroSD/XC V30 Class 10
This is one of the few hard drives optimized for intensive use that can work anywhere from simple smartphones to advanced cameras. It is also worth noting that the manufacturer offers the consumer a lifetime warranty, and this says a lot. The drive adequately fulfills all scenarios and does not heat up even at the highest possible loads.
The memory card can easily store information up to 128 GB. Innovative technologies have made it possible toleast increase the speed of the device. Recording to the media occurs at a speed of 60 Mb / s, and reading - 90 Mb / s. In addition, experienced users note that this is far from the limit for this card, and with an additional setting that is different from the standard one, you can “overclock” it even more.
This is mostly a professional solution, and it is not very reasonable to use it in ordinary smartphones or middling recorders. This model will look out of place on board some advanced device such as a demanding photo or video camera.
Users leave positive feedback about the device. The drive fully justifies the financial investment and works out the money.
Average price at points of sale is about 3,000 rubles.
Samsung MicroSD/XC EVO Plus 80 Mb/s
Another representative of the EVO series, but with more attractive features. This is perhaps the best that this segment has to offer. The card is distinguished by its reliability, a large number of rewriting cycles, high speed, but most importantly - a record-breaking 128 GB of memory for this class.
Full compliance of the drive with class 10 allows you to use it anywhere and for any purpose, be it a mobile gadget or a pretentious camera from Canon or Nikon. In addition, this memory card is comfortable with intensive, as well as prolonged loads without regard for overheating or failures.
This is already a purely professional solution, and forthe drive is unlikely to fit ordinary needs. The expediency of buying this model for an average smartphone or camera is a big question.
The average cost in stores is about 6,500 rubles.
Summing up
When choosing drives of such a plan, it is necessary to take into account a number of critical characteristics. First you need to decide on the amount of memory. Of course, the higher this figure, the better. But here it is important to know that, for example, the same photos can be stored in different formats. And if JPEG encodes an image at 3-4 MB, then the voracious RAW is already at 15-30 MB. The same goes for video codecs.
Professional technique uses more advanced formats that are designed for further specific processing in powerful photo or video editors. So here it would be useful to clarify the working formats of the device for which you are buying a memory card.
A similar situation with the recording speed. If you are the owner of a modest smartphone with HD, and not Full HD resolution, then chasing the 10th class is not practical. In this case, 6 or even 4 classes will be enough, which will calmly pull HD-sampling at 30 frames per second. Grade 10 is again a professional level, and on budget gadgets it simply will not reveal its potential and will work at half strength.
It is also clearly useful to focus your attention on the protection indicator of the memory card. Micro SD is one of the most fragile form factors. In addition to the fact that you can accidentally step on the drive, bend it or dip it in water, it is also afraidx-rays (hello to airports and other checkpoints) and temperature changes.
The above manufacturers are trying to provide their devices with the maximum level of protection. Of course, it is higher for premium drives than for budget models. But if you use a memory card in only one device and do not fiddle with it with or without reason, then you should not pay extra for excessive protection either.
