At the beginning of this article, I would like to make a point: for the average user, the importance of read speed is actually greater than that of write speed. Even for the D810’s uncompressed RAW (about 70MB per image), writing to a slower standard card (20MB/s) takes about 3 seconds, and with the camera’s built-in buffer, the data can be written during the user’s operation and composition, almost eliminating any lag.
However, when you finish shooting and place the storage card in your computer to read, a slow read speed can make the preview and operation speed feel painfully sluggish. This is especially true for photographers who prefer to process images directly on the card instead of exporting RAW files (especially professional photographers who do not have enough hard drive space to store every RAW file from each shoot), making the read speed of the storage card even more critical. Of course, if you have needs for video shooting or high-speed continuous shooting, then without hesitation, choose a model with a faster write speed.
The tests were conducted using a Kingston (kingston) USB 3.0 card reader (FCR-HS3) connected to a USB 3.0 port. The testing software used was ATTODiskBenchmark, version v2.47. The red bar indicates write speed, the green bar indicates read speed, and the numbers on the right are in KB/s.
▲ Kingston 32GB Standard SD Card
The read and write speed performance of this storage card is consistent with its price, showing no remarkable performance. It can be considered by users who do not have high requirements for read and write speeds but need a low-cost, high-capacity product.
▲ Kingston 32GB 100x SD Card
The Kingston Class 10 SD card is rated for a maximum read and write speed of 100x (15MB/s). The actual maximum read speed exceeded the rated value, while the write speed also exceeded the rated value, but it felt unsatisfactory compared to its read speed.
▲ Kingston 32GB 266X CF Card
The read speed exceeded 100MB/s, while the write speed remained at a relatively low level. However, considering the low actual price of this storage card, it is still a worthwhile choice.
▲ Transcend 32GB Class 10 SD Card
This card performs similarly to the Kingston standard card, excelling in being cheap and large, making it suitable for average users.
▲ Transcend 32GB 300X SD Card
Compared to the standard Transcend 32GB storage card, the read speed has significantly improved, while the write speed remains low.
▲ Transcend 32GB 400X CF Card
The read speed is at a high level among 400x CF cards. The write speed does not show significant highlights, remaining at an average level.
▲ Transcend 32GB 1000X CF Card
The Transcend “luxury gold” 1000x CF storage card has significantly improved write speed, suitable for users who require high write speeds for RAW sequence output using Magic Lantern firmware, video shooting, and high-speed continuous shooting.
▲ SanDisk 64GB 200X TF Card
Currently, mobile storage devices such as smartphones have certain performance requirements for storage cards, especially since some products are capable of playing 4K video. Pairing with a good storage card helps achieve a smooth audio-visual experience. However, the downside is the low write speed; at this speed, copying a 10GB high-definition source to this card would take nearly 10 minutes.
▲ SanDisk 16GB TF Card
The 20MB/s read speed can only meet general mobile storage needs. However, with a low price and a lifetime warranty, it is a good choice for average users.
▲ SanDisk 16GB 30MB/s SD Card
One of SanDisk’s popular products, the speed performance has not reached the rated 30MB/s for both read and write.
▲ SanDisk 32GB 80MB/s SD Card
The 80MB/s model’s read and write speeds basically reached the rated value. However, aside from the small difference in read and write speeds, there are no other highlights.
▲ TianShuo 16GB 400X CF Card
TianShuo’s storage cards have always been known for being cheap and large. This product maintains a low price while being comparable in speed to Lexar’s products, making it a good choice.
▲ Lexar 32GB 400X CF Card
In terms of random small data read and write performance, it is superior to TianShuo’s corresponding model, but this advantage is hard to notice in our daily imaging applications.
▲ Toshiba 32GB 1000X CF Card
Toshiba’s Exceria series SD cards are currently one of the high cost-performance SD card choices, and their high-end CF card products are equally competitive.
▲ Felix 64GB 1000X CF Card
This product performed the best in this comparison, accompanied by a high price and limited stock.
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