Using the DJ Drive Tool, we and others have tested and compiled real-world media performance data. Having this data makes buying decisions for your media needs easier.
| Card Type | Manufacturer / Model | Capacity | Read Speed | Write Speed | Latest Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD Card | PNY Elite Performance 128GB 95MB/s | 124.7GB | 93.8MB/sec | 75.9MB/sec | $ 19.99 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 128GB 633x 95MB/s | 128.0GB | 85.8MB/sec | 71.7MB/sec | $ 19.98 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 256GB 1667X SDXC UHS-II/Y3 | 256.1GB | 239.9MB/sec | 120.9MB/sec | $ 68.99 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 128GB 667X 100MB/s | 126.4GB | 93.1MB/sec | 81.0MB/sec | $ 22.99 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 256GB 1667X SDXC UHS-II/U3 | 256.1GB | 203.4MB/sec | 108.6MB/sec | $ 63.19 | Buy | |
| SD Card | SanDisk Ultra 128GB 80MB/s | 127.9GB | 93.9MB/sec | 57.6MB/sec | $ 25.62 | Buy | |
| SD Card | SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-1 Card 170MB/sec | 127.9GB | 87.2MB/sec | 85.1MB/sec | $ 37.99 | Buy | |
| SD Card | SanDisk SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC | 63.9GB | 87.1MB/sec | 80.3MB/sec | $ 19.29 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 128GB 1000x 150MB/s | 128.0GB | 144.4MB/sec | 74.9MB/sec | $ 36.26 | Buy | |
| CFast Card | Transcend CFX650 256GB | 256.1GB | 248.0MB/sec | 199.5MB/sec | $ 312.35 | Buy | |
| SD Card | SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB 95MB/s | 31.9GB | 86.5MB/sec | 73.3MB/sec | $ 16.48 | Buy | |
| CFast Card | Transcend CFX650 128GB | 128.0GB | 248.7MB/sec | 200.7MB/sec | $ 181.86 | Buy | |
| SD Card | SanDisk Extreme Pro | 32.1GB | 141.8MB/sec | 200.0MB/sec | $ 53.95 | Buy | |
| USB Flash Drive | Super Talent USB 3.0 Express RC4 32GB | 30.0GB | 115.4MB/sec | 171.2MB/sec | $ 46.76 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Lexar Professional 64GB 2000x 300MB/s | 64.1GB | 193.9MB/sec | 138.8MB/sec | $ 84.15 | Buy | |
| USB Flash Drive | Kingston DTSE9 G2 64GB USB 3.0 | 62.9GB | 59.2MB/sec | 16.9MB/sec | $ 12.99 | Buy | |
| SD Card | Samsung 128GB EVO MicroSD | 128.6GB | 43.8MB/sec | 18.9MB/sec | $ 30.79 | Buy | |
| USB Flash Drive | SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.1 | 123.0GB | 51.1MB/sec | 11.9MB/sec | $ 18.91 | Buy | |
| USB Flash Drive | Kingston DataTraveler SE9 16GB USB 2.0 | 15.6GB | 17.5MB/sec | 4.1MB/sec | $ 5.49 | Buy | |
| USB Flash Drive | Lexar JUMPDRIVE M45 | 124.6GB | 277.8MB/sec | N/A | $ 27.66 | Buy |
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Manufacturers of SD, Compact Flash, CFast, and other media don't often advertise the write speeds of their cards. But in the video production world, sustained write speed is the most important metric. We need to know that cards are going to be able to write data as fast as our cameras and other recorders generate it.
Short answer? Get a card as fast as your budget allows, as long as it is fast enough for your production workflow.
Longer answer? Get cards with write speeds in the above table higher than your recorder's required minimums.
Data rates vary quite a bit, based on the codec, resolution, frame rate, and even image quality of the camera. For example, at DJP we use the Hyperdeck Studio Mini from Blackmagic Design for most of our recording needs, and shoot in formats from 1080p24 up through 2160p30, usually in ProRes. Cards which are capable of writing at rates of 100MB/sec usually work well for this. Our cameras needs are more modest, where 40 MB/sec is plenty for 2160p30 in XAVC-S.
Use the DJ Drive Tool to perform disk testing and submit card performance data to this site.
We recommend using the 'Refresh' mode to perform both read and write testing.