Top Deals From the Weekly Email
Cheapest Memory cards
Read the email this appeared inMost modern gadgets store their data on tiny little memory cards. Yet buy these on the high st and you'll pay a premium, so it's an area where it truly pays to shop online. This is a rundown of all the cheapest flash memory around, covering all the most popular types.
If you've spotted a better deal on any of those I've listed, please use the 'suggest deals' link below to report them in the discussion, and I'll check them out and add them in to this note.
The standard, postage-stamp size SD card is common in many cameras, and other gadgets which need expandable storage, but don't put such a premium on space.
Note that buying from Amazon Marketplace isn't the same as buying from Amazon itself, as items are sold by third-party sellers. Often this means increased postage costs, though in the case of the cards included here, delivery is free.
- 2GB Transcend SD £2.65 from Amazon Marketplace
- Twin pack of 1 GB own-brand SD £5.99 at Play
- Twin pack of 2 GB own-brand SD £9.99 at Play
SDHC cards.
If you want an SD card bigger than 2GB, you'll need an SDHC version (The HC stands for High Capacity). However, check it'll work in your camera first; many older ones won't accept them due to older software, which can't recognize more than 2GB of space.
- 4GB Toshiba SDHC £6.49 at 7dayshop
- 4GB Panasonic SDHC with free 2GB SD £7.99 at Play
- 8GB Dane-Elec SDHC £9.49 at 7dayshop
- 16GB own-brand SDHC £16.99 at Play
- 16GB Dane-Elec SDHC £16.99 at 7dayshop
Micro SD cards.
This is the miniature version of the SD card. All of those below are supplied with an adaptor, which makes them fit slots designed for regular SD cards
Micro SDHC cards.
As above, if you want a Micro SD card bigger than 2GB, check compatibility first, to ensure it'll actually work. It should tell you in the gadget's manual.
The cards above are fine for regular snaps & storing media etc, but they're not exceptionally fast. If you want to record video, or shoot fast-action photo sequences, this'll be an issue, and you'll need one with faster read/write times to keep up. The Sandisk cards below have great feedback for doing exactly that, though they cost a bit more.
- 2GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card £9.99 at Play
- 4GB Sandisk Extreme III with MicroMate USB card reader £12.49 at Play
MMC (MultiMediaCard)
This slightly older type of card has been all but superseded by the SD cards above, but some devices still rely on it, and MMCs work in many of the devices that take SD (all can theoretically read them, but they need to have compatible software).
As there are various types of MMC, be sure to check compatibility before you buy.
- 1GB own-brand MMC Mobile (miniaturized version) £5.99 at Play
- 1GB Transcend MMC Plus (regular size) £4.98 from Amazon Marketplace
- 2GB Transcend MMC Plus £5.99 from Amazon Marketplace
xD picture card
xD cards are predominantly used in cameras made by Olympus and Fujifilm. Various types are available; those below are type M, which is the most widely compatible. Note though that these versions don't support the Panoramic photo function found on some Olympus cameras.
Memory Stick Pro/Duo/Micro (M2)
Sony's memory stick format comes in various sizes, much like SD, with adaptors to fit them in different-sized slots. As a proprietary format, they're used in all Sony cameras, MP3 players, PDAs and phones which support expandable memory.
However, as with SD, many older gadgets don't support those over 2GB in size due to software, so check first.
Memory Stick Pro Duo
- 1GB Sandisk Memory Stick Pro Duo £7.99 at Play
- 2GB Sandisk Memory Stick Pro Duo £9.99 at Play
- 4GB Sandisk Memory Stick Pro Duo £12.99 at 7dayshop
Memory Stick Micro (M2)
CompactFlash
The oldest type of flash memory covered here, CompactFlash is still the format of choice for higher-end Digital SLR cameras due to its longevity and durability. There are two types of CompactFlash, type 1 and 2, and the only difference is in their thickness.
I've only listed the thinner type 1 cards, as these are by far the most commonly used nowadays.
As with the SD cards above, more demanding applications will require cards that can be read and written quicker. Again, the Sandisk Extreme range has some of the best feedback possible:
Views Today: 0
Total views: 104,266
Seen a cheaper deal? Please post it in the discussion above and I'll add it in.
I need more!
If you're planning to buy more than a couple of cards, you may get a better overall price buying from 7dayshop, which offers discounts for bulk purchases.
It's also worth checking prices at Amazon, MyMemory & Ebuyer to make sure you get the best deal.
Don't know which card you need?
If you're unsure of which type of flash memory your gadget takes, try MyMemory's Memory Selector tool, or Crucial's Flash Card Advisor. They're not comprehensive, but they're fairly detailed. Alternatively, just google the name of the product; you should be able to find it on a product description somewhere.
Got a Micro SD card but a Memory Stick Pro Duo-based gadget? Get an adaptor.
It's always annoying if you've built up a stash of memory cards, then you get a new camera/mobile which uses a different type. In the case of Micro SD and Sony Pro Duo cards though, this needn't be an issue, since you can cheaply buy card adaptors which'll bridge the gap between formats, making micro SD cards sit happily in Memory Stick devices. What's more, they're only £3.99 each at MyMemory (note that they aren't compatible with Micro SDHC).
1 of
5 
