11 Best and Cheapest SD Cards for Photographers

If you will talk to people, many will describe photography as a costly affair. Most people believe that purchasing the photography gear is costly and that it can burn a hole in your pocket. But this is not true, not entirely at least. Where we agree that photography equipment doesn’t come cheap, we also say that if you make smart choices and only purchase items that are actually of use to you and which are necessary for your work, then you can save money. Plus, some research before purchasing the item can also prove helpful in coming across gear options that are both cheap and good.

So, today in order to help people who are working in photography or real estate photo editing field with this feat, we have prepared a list of the best and cheapest SD cards that might be of use for you. So, here you go!

So, today in order to help you with this feat, we have decided to minimize your research work for the best and cheapest SD cards and so, we have created a list that will be of use for you. Here it is!

Which are the best options available in SD cards?

SD cards are an important component of your camera. They are not just needed to increase the storage capacity of your equipment, but they play a significant role in speeding up your data transfer too. But the problem is that these cards come in a variety of options and they differ in features also. Hence, in order to help you with the task of determining the right SD card for your camera, we have prepared a list of the best and cheapest cards that photographers use. Go ahead, have a look!

1. Lexar Professional Class 10 UHS-II 2000X

This card has been the preferred choice of photographers who love high speed for a very long time. So, if your profession requires you to carry around a camera that can shoot fast, then the Lexar UHS-II tech that offers up to 300 MB/s read speed and up to 260 MB/s write speed will be a perfect fit for you. Hence, no matter if you are recording a 4k video, full HD video, or high-resolution raw file, this card will make your work easy. Moreover, its capacity of 128 GB will provide you high storage capacity too.

2. SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II

This SDXC (extended storage) card offers available storage ranging between 32 GB to 128 GB. It works at a brisk speed that is even better when compared to the speed offered by UHS 1 Pro version. That card comes with a lifetime limited warranty and will offer you 300 MB/s read speed along with 260 MB/s write speed. These features make it the best choice for photographers who work in sports, wildlife, or news reporting sections.

3. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II SDHC

This SD card is a good choice for people who work in rugged situations as it has both water and dust resistance. The card is designed to survive extreme conditions and it can guard against bends, extreme temperatures, drops, etc. The card offers the photo enthusiasts 299 MB/s write speed that is even good for 8k video. In simple words, this means that down the line you won’t likely need updates for many years.

4. Lexar 1 TB professional 633x UHs-I SDXC

If you want to buy an SD card that can offer you a large storage space, then this card is a good choice for you. It is because in this card you can get the storage capacity of 1 TB that will solve your problem of carrying around a bulky external hard drive. However, its read and write speed is not excellent but is only a respectable 95 MB/s and 70 MB/s that is enough for working a 4k video, 3D video, and large files.

5. SanDisk Extreme PRO CompactFlash

Compact flash cameras may be old news, but this doesn’t mean that this SD card cannot offer users enough speed and capacity to satisfy the DSLR users. This card comes with a 160 MB/s reading 150 MB/s writing sped. It is suitable for both photography and recoding of 4k videos, and it offers useful capacity options from 16 GB to 256 GB. This means no issues for you regarding swapping cards.

6. Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3

If your work involves shooting raw files, then you must be looking for an SD card that can handle sequential bursts of HQ imagery and which has enough storage to not volunteer swap of cards every few minutes. The Transcend card is suitable for this work. This card offers 64 GB capacity along with 285 MB/s read and 180 Mb/s write speed which is impressive. Plus, this card is also X-ray and shockproof.

7. SanDisk Extreme SD UHS-I Card

Sandisk’s extreme range of SD cards comes in two versions- Pro and standard version. Now, where the pro version in this case is a little costly, the standard version can easily fit your budget. Now, feature-wise, this card has up to 256 GB capacity, and it offers a reading speed of 90 MB/s and a writing speed of 40 MB/s. These are good numbers for most photography needs. Plus, it also comes with a lifetime warranty period.

8. Sandisk Extreme Pro

What makes this SD card a liked choice among professional photographers is its high speed and durability. The card offers a capacity of 16 GB to 512 GB and is available at decent rates. The Extreme card can write files at 90 MB/s, while it offers a reading speed of 95 MB/s which is enough for working 4k videos and RAW bursts of photos. Another plus point, that lures buyers in to purchase it, is its ability to withstand, water, shock, extreme temperatures, and X-rays.

9. Samsung Pro Endurance

If you are looking for a micro SD card to use for your camera then the Samsung Pro Endurance is a good option. This is because this card offers a whooping capacity of up to 128 GB, and it has a reading speed of 100 MB/s and a writing speed of 30 Mb/s. This card is a good option because it can stand rough temperatures and harsh environments. So, if your work requires that kind of endurance then you should consider giving this card a chance.

10. Lexar Professional 1000x 128GB microSDXC UHS-II Card

This microSD card comes with the Lexar name which itself grants it the kind of trust that comes with difficulty for other brands. The card has a read speed of 150 MB/s and the write speed of 45MB/s that is perfectly decent. However, the best part about this card that draws customers towards it is its highly competitive price. Plus, this card also comes with a USB 3.0 adapter that helps in easy file transfers.

11. Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC

This card which is most suitable for the day to day photographers is available in various capacity alternatives like 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB, etc. Also, another good thing about this microSD card is that it has been designed in red color, which makes it hard for people to lose this card. The card comes with a 10 year-long warranty, and it has been created to be water, temperature, and X-ray proof. However, some photographers might find its reading speed (100 MB/s) and writing speed (30 MB/s) a little disappointing.

So, these are some suggestions regarding cheap SD cards available in the market today. Decide wisely!