by If you’re new to using a camera and don’t know much more about memory cards, this guide will come in handy. Because there are numerous memory cards available on the market, selecting the correct one is extremely difficult. Choosing between UHS-I and UHS-II cards, in particular, is difficult because each has distinct advantages and disadvantages.
So, in this article, we’ll go over some pointers to help you find the best memory stick for your needs.
What are UHS-I memory cards?
The UHS-I (Ultra High-Speed Phase-I) bus interface for SD cards was introduced in 2010 as the first iterative process of the Ultra-High-Speed bus interface. UHS-I can theoretically support an optimum bus pace of 104 MB/s.
You should not confuse the bus speed with the real read/write speed provided by SD cards because there are numerous factors that influence real-world speeds.
SDR104 mode allows for a clock rate of 208Mhz and a bus speed of 104 MB/sec. In the case of DDR (Dual Data Rate), four bits are transmitted during a half-clock cycle, that is, when the clock signal rises.
In the second half of the clock cycle, four more bits are transferred. As a result, one byte is transmitted during each clock cycle. A 50Mhz clock, for example, can lead to a data transfer rate of 50 megabytes per second.
The UHS-I specification states that it is consistent with two card types: UHS50 and UHS104. A host device that can hold a UHS-I SD card should allow additional operation modes in order to get the needed data transfer speed.
A host, for example, can only achieve a bus pace of 104 MB/s if it continues to support the SDR 104 mode and the SD card it is using is of the UHS104 type.
In terms of older systems, a UHS SD card will work on host devices that do not support the UHS bus, but the pace and compatibility will be restricted to what the host device supports.
What is a UHS-II SD Card?
UHS-II is obviously the successor to UHS-I. The UHS-II increases the conceptual bus pace to 312 MB/s, which is a threefold increase over UHS-I. UHS-II was introduced as part of the SD Requirement Specification Version 4.0 in 2011.
SD and microSD card numbers now have an additional row of pins to support the UHS-II interface. The transmissions for the Default Speed, High Speed, and UHS-I devices are handled by the upper row.
FD156 (156 MB/s, 52 Mhz, 0.4 V) and HD312 (312 MB/s, 52 Mhz, 0.4 V) are two additional operation modes added to the pictures in addition to the UHS-I modes.
In the case of HD312 mode, the higher speed is achieved by using two low bandwidth lanes, each of which offers 156 MB/s. However, the half-duplex mode only enables one side to send data at a time. Both sides can send information at the same time using one of the information lanes in full-duplex mode.
In contrast to UHS-I, the UHS-II only supports one card type, UHS156. The card form can even be without HD312 transfer mode support. A UHS156 card without HD312 mode has a bus speed of 156 MB/s. In addition, the host device must support UHS-II modes.
What’s the difference between UHS-I Vs. UHS-II cards?
UHS-II cards provide faster throughput and are intended for camera operators who need to start writing and backup large amounts of data.
UHS-I cards offer slower but are significantly less expensive to purchase. These are primarily intended for still photographers.
Until recently, the majority of memory cards were UHS-I. However, as data requirements and transfer speeds for video have become more common, a new option was needed. UHS-II was quickly developed, offering considerably quicker read and write velocities.
On the back of UHS-I cards, there is a solitary row of pins. There are two rows in UHS-II.
How do you find the difference between the two cards?
UHS-II cards have a back row of pins, especially in comparison to UHS-I so that they can be much faster, all else being equal, BUT your camera must have a slot(s) with the back row of pins, and their firmware must be able to take full advantage of UHS-III to reap the benefits.
How can you choose the best memory card for your camera?
Choosing the best memory card for your camera is essential as it has several types available. So, it becomes tough to select the right one. A card comes with the following criteria; type, speed, price, capacity.
And choosing the best while thinking about other things is a really difficult task. So, to sort out your problem today, we are sharing some of the tips to choose the best memory card for your camera.
Capacity
This is the foremost thing to consider while choosing the best memory card. A 32GB memory card can store approximately 1000 RAW photographs. Supposing that one RAW file is 30MB in size, a Canon 5D MKIII will generate a RAW file between 25 and 35MB in size.
Similarly, a 16GB card can hold up to 500 photographs, and so on. If you shoot in jpeg, a 32GB card can hold approximately 3200 photographs, assuming your jpeg settings are fine in detail and large in file size. On a Canon 5D MK III camera, a jpeg file with that setting will be approximately 10MB in size.
Types
There are numerous memory card types available on the market, including Micro SD cards, SD cards, CF cards, and M2 cards (from sony). However, in photography, only three types of cards are commonly used: Secure Digital cards, Eye-fi cards, and Lite Flash (CF) cards.
Secure Digital card (SD card)
This type of card is widely used in digital photography, mainly in point-and-shoot cameras and, to a lesser extent, in professional cameras. The card’s capacity is the limitation in using it.
When it was first introduced in 1999, the high capacity was only 2GB. However, as time and technology progressed, a later version known as SDHC was introduced in 2006 with a higher capacity of 64GB. SDXC cards were introduced as the third iteration of SD cards in 2009. This type of card has a storage capacity of up to 2TB and a faster transfer rate.
The eye-fi card
These are one-of-a-kind SD cards with built-in WiFi. This enables you to directly transfer the data to your computer, a cloud-based service, or even your Smartphone, allowing you to erase the memory as you shoot without replacing the memory card. It is also possible to geolocate your photos using the obtainable wireless service, albeit with less accuracy.
Micro SD memory card
Micro SD cards are a mini version of SD cards designed for use in mobile phones. This card has ability and transfer speed limitations. As a result, it is primarily used in Smartphones to store music and apps, as well as other less active data.
Compact Flash card (CF card)
CD cards are fast and have a large capacity. This is why CF cards are used as the main card slot in camera systems. Although SD cards now match the speed and performance of CF cards, camera companies are not abandoning CF cards just yet.
They frequently include roster spots for both an SD and a CF card, but some photogs wish they had two SD card slots rather. This frees up some space inside the camera and saves the photographer money. Hopefully, in the near future, they will prioritize SD cards.
Speed
All memory cards, whether mentioned or not, have a speed. Speed in this context refers to both learning to write. The top speed the card can read is indicated on the card, but the most significant element is the write speed.
The read speed is the time it takes to read data from the card, and the write speed is the time it takes to write data to the card. Simply put, read speed is used when transferring data from the card, while write speed is used when shooting. In general, the write speed of SDHC cards is about half that of the read speed. In a few other cards, the peruse and write velocities are roughly equal.
Price
All memory cards, whether mentioned or not, have a speed. Speed in this context refers to both learning to write. The top speed the card can read is indicated on the card, but the most significant element is the write speed.
The noticed speed is the time it takes to read data from the card, and then start writing speed is the time it takes to write data to the card. Simply put, read speed is used when data transfers from the card, while write speed is used when shooting. In general, the write speed of SDHC cards is about half that of the read speed. In a few other cards, the peruse and write velocities are roughly equal.
Closing thoughts
When choosing a memory card, keep your phone’s capacity and budget in mind. Look for a card that has the fastest read and write speeds as well as the most data storage ability for your needs.
If you’re a beginner photographer, your camera is probably not cutting-edge. You might want to go with a less expensive memory card rather than a more expensive top-of-the-line card.
Begin modestly, and then progress as your experience grows and your camera’s quality improves.
- If you use two cards with different speeds, the burst is determined by the card with the lowest speed. For example, if you use a CF card with a capacity of 90 MB/sec in one slot and an SD card with a capacity of 45 MB/sec in the other, you will lose the advantage of 90 MB/sec and risk missing the shot. You must use all card numbers at the same time.
- In a few cases, SD cards outperform CF cards in terms of speed. For example, the SanDisk Extreme Pro pace is 280 MB/sec, but the maximum speed of a CF card from the same producer is 160 MB/sec.
How to tell if a memory card is UHS-I or UHS-II?
All respectable SD and microSD cards must clearly state if they are UHS-I or UHS-II on the front sticker. I’d be wary of using your card if it doesn’t have a manufacturer’s sticker on the front. However, if you’re in a hurry, there was another way of telling the two formats apart.
Turn the card over. This is a UHS-I card if there is only one row of contact points. It’s UHS-II if there are two rows of contact points.
Conclusion
We made sure that this article included every detail you might need to know about UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards. With the help of it now you must have understood which card you have to choose for your camera.
As we have discussed nearly everything about memory cards, their specification, comparison, how to find the difference among the cards, and how to choose the best card for your camera.
If you have a specific camera that you are looking for a memory card, we are sure that one of our other articles might have a list of memory cards that are compatible with your camera. You can always refer to that, but we are sure this article will give you an insight into what kind of memory card you should purchase.
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