Video cameras that can make full use of a removable SDHC memory card are some of the fastest growing markets in electronic products. Before recently video cameras could only use SDHC storage cards for still images. In slightly older models, hard drives, DVD player, as well as video tape drives were usually the equipment used to store video recordings.

“SD” refers to Secure Digital. “HC” stands for High Capacity. Besides Sony, all the other makers work with a SD or SDHC storage device for their flash memory card video cameras (Sony features its own proprietary design). Sandisk, a major maker of flash memory cards, has even begun marketing certain SD and SDHC flash memory cards as “video” cards.

All memory cards are not created equal. Regardless of whether it’s branded a video card or an SDHC memory card, there are distinctions among SDHC flash memory cards you ought to know about before buying one.

SDHC Memory Card Interoperability

A video camera that says it functions with SDHC memory cards will always work with an SD card as well; on the other hand, it does not 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 used using a SDHC memory card. That, however, is the exceptional case. Most modern camcorders can work using either.

Some of the low-cost video cameras won’t work with all SDHC memory card sizes. Because your current camcorder is SDHC compatible doesn’t mean it works using sizes in the higher ranges. You would need to look at your manual to be certain it functions with 16GB SDHC class 10 and lower or 32GB SDHC class 10 and lower

SDHC Memory Card Capacities

SD memory cards max out at 2GB of memory size. An SDHC memory card can vary from 4GB to 32GB in capacity. Higher capacities mean you can hold more videos and images. If you’ve got one of the new high definition camcorders you’ll want to get an SDHC flash memory card. If you have a standard definition camcorder you could most likely make do with an SD flash memory card.

SDHC Memory Card Classes

Slow SD or SDHC flash memory cards probably are not able to keep track of the large quantity of data a high definition digital video camera can feed into it. If your SDHC flash memory card is just too slow your camcorder might not be able to record anything.

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

Quite often the exact speed of the SDHC flash card exceeds that of its class. Similarly, camcorder manufacturers, in addition to makers of other SDHC based equipment, can design devices that require faster rates of speed than the nominal rate indicated by the class designation. Because of this it is advisable to consider class broad classification for comparison purposes, however, you should certainly consult the particular specifications of your device before buying a specific SDHC flash card. Don’t depend entirely on class.

Some brands advertise the speed of the camcorder prominently outside the box while some might bury it into the fine print of your manual. No matter where it is, you should check this important specification before choosing a SDHC flash card.

If you have a standard definition camcorder, either a SD or SDHC flash card of class 2 should do the job. The highest quality video you can record plays effectively using this class of SDHC flash card.

Your best choice for a high definition camcorder will likely be a class 6 SDHC memory card. A class 10 SDHC flash card ought to do the job, depending on how tolerant to specification limitations your video camera and SDHC memory card are made. Make sure your camcorder can go that fast before you pay the extra money it will cost you for a class 10 flash card.