Camcorder Memory Cards: SanDisk Intros 32GB SDHC Card

When it comes to camcorder memory cards, the speed of the card is a frequently overlooked angle. But it's actually quite important. Buy a camcorder flash memory card that's too slow, and it may not work with your camcorder (especially if you have a high definition camcorder and set it to its highest quality setting). Buy a camcorder memory card that's too fast, and you're paying for performance you don't need.

Into this second category falls SanDisk's newly announced 32GB Extreme III SDHC memory card. The card offers a write speed of 30MBps (or 240Mbps). That's fast! Indeed, too fast for HD camcorders. High definition camcorders that record in the AVCHD format (from Sony and Canon, among others) clock in at a top data recording speed of 24Mbps (or about 3.4MBps). So the SanDisk card at 30MBps far exceeds the requirements of a 3.4MBps HD camcorder. Instead, these cards are better suited to owners of high-end digital SLR cameras.

To understand what camcorder data rates are and why they're important, see this Beginner's Guide to Camcorder Bit Rates. To learn more about camcorder memory cards, including what kind you'll need for both standard and HD camcorders, see this Guide to SD/SDHC Camcorder Memory Cards.