Want to take amazing photographs with your digital camera? First, you need to outfit yourself with a memory card (or two or three). Memory cards vary by physical size, technical design and storage capacity. They are also used by other digital devices, like audio recorders and dashcams.

Some large cameras, like many DSLR cameras and some mirrorless cameras, call for CompactFlash memory cards. These are among the largest memory cards. If you choose a camera designed for shooting video at 4K or 8K resolutions, your device may benefit from a CFexpress card or the older XQD card, both of which are designed to handle particularly fast processing.

Meanwhile, many digital cameras and camera drones utilize either the basic SD card or the very slim micro SD card. In each of these categories, there has been a significant update in recent years. The original SDHC format has been upgraded to what is called SDXC.

Choosing the best memory card for your device should always start with identifying compatibility. Cameras and camcorders, including action cameras and 360-degree cameras, often offer multiple slots for memory cards. This means you have a variety of card options, but not an endless variety.

In terms of SDHC/SDXC compatibility, you will find that many newer devices accept both. They can record on the older SDHC and microSDHC cards as well as the faster and higher capacity SDXC and microSDXC models. However, older devices will not work with the new SDXC design. So, you cannot always upgrade your 32GB SD card or 64GB SD card to a 128 SDXC card.

Once you have chosen the right design, speed and capacity for your needs, make sure you are ready to transfer your data to a computer or other device with a memory card reader. Then, you can enjoy refining your work with photo editing software or video editing software.