Video cameras that can make full use of a removable SDHC memory card are among the fastest expanding marketplaces in consumer electronics. Before recently camcorders could just use SDHC storage cards for still photographs. In slightly older models, hard disk drives, DVD player, as well as video tape drives were usually the gadgets employed to store video recordings.

“SD” stands for Secure Digital. “HC” means High Capacity. Aside from Sony, all the other brands utilize a SD or SDHC storage device for their flash memory video cameras (Sony features its own exclusive design). Sandisk, a major manufacturer of flash storage cards, has even begun marketing certain SD and SDHC flash memory cards as “video” cards.

All memory cards really aren’t created equal. Regardless of whether it’s branded a video card or an SDHC memory card, there are some distinctions among SDHC flash memory cards you should know about before buying one.

SDHC Memory Card Interoperability

A camcorder which says it functions with SDHC memory cards always works with an SD card too; however, it doesn’t apply the other way around. If the video camera declares it works with SD cards, then that is all it functions with; it can’t be utilized using a SDHC storage device. That is the exceptional case. The majority of modern video cameras perform with either.

Some of the low-priced video cameras won’t work with all SDHC memory card sizes. Just because your current video camera is SDHC compatible doesn’t mean it functions using sizes in the top ranges. You would have to look at the instructions to make certain it works with 16GB SDHC class 10 or under or 32GB SDHC class 10 and under

SDHC Memory Card Capacities

SD memory cards top out at 2GB of memory size. An SDHC memory card can range from 4GB to 32GB in capacity. More capacity means you can store more videos and photographs. If you have one of the new high definition camcorders you will need to get an SDHC memory card. If you have a standard definition camcorder you can most likely get by using an SD memory card.

SDHC Memory Card Classes

Slow SD or SDHC flash memory cards might not be able to keep up with the massive amount of data a high definition digital camcorder can feed into the flash memory card. If your SDHC memory card is just too slow your video camera might not be able to record anything at all.

To understand this, an SD or SDHC flash memory card is designated one of four classes to indicate its nominal speed: classes 2, 4, 5, and 10. The higher the class designation, the faster the flash memory is. The class indicates the absolute minimum megabytes per second (MBps) of the flash memory card; the rate at which it can accept and store video recording data. Class 4 is rated at 4 MBps, class 6 is rated at 6 MBps, etc. You can expect to be charged a correspondingly higher price for a high class numbered SDHC flash card.

Often the actual speed of a SDHC flash memory card surpasses its class rating. Likewise, camcorder makers, along with manufacturers of other SDHC based devices, can design devices which require higher rates of speed than the nominal rate indicated by the class designation. As a result of this it is best to think about class general category for comparison purposes, however, you should certainly check with the particular specifications of your device before purchasing a specific SDHC flash memory card. Don’t rely solely on class.

Some manufacturers list the speed of the video camera prominently on the outside of the package while some might stuff it in to the fine print of the documentation. No matter where it happens to be, you should check this essential specification before purchasing a SDHC flash memory card.

If you have a standard definition video camera, either a SD or SDHC memory card of class 2 speed ought to do the task. The highest quality video you can record plays very well using this class of SDHC flash card.

Your best choice for a high definition video camera will likely be a class 6 SDHC memory card. A class 10 SDHC flash card should do the job, based on how tolerant to specification limits your video camera and SDHC memory card are designed. Make sure your video camera can go that speed before you pay the extra money it costs for a class 10 card.