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Even if your camera comes with 4K video recording capability, there are chances of getting limited to recording 1080 pixels due to the speed of the SD storage. The following SanDisk Ultra vs Extreme explores the speed and capacity differences between these cards and which might suit your camera better.
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SanDisk Ultra and Extreme are some of the most popular memory cards for both beginner and professional cameras. They are a part of the SanDisk memory cards of three options: Ultra, Extreme, and Extreme Pro.
However, the Extreme Pro, the flagship model, is less common than the other two. Although Extreme and Ultra memory cards don't have the same speed, they are fast, making them the storage of choice for most photographers and videographers.
SanDisk Ultra is a memory card from SanDisk designed for low-end and entry-level cameras, launched in 2020. Since this memory card is generally meant for beginners, it is the most popular worldwide. Ultra can read and write photo and video files like the other SanDisk memory cards in the lineup.
SanDisk Extreme is a memory card from SanDisk meant for high-end and professional mirrorless and DSLR cameras that shoot high-resolution photos and videos. SanDisk Extreme can be considered to be in the middle in terms of performance, having a better performance than the SanDisk Ultra yet sluggish compared to the SanDisk Extreme Pro.
Although the two SanDisk memory cards might look the same and seem to perform the same when shooting photos and videos using a low-end camera, SanDisk Extreme is more advanced, resulting in the performance following similarities and differences.
Although the Extreme model has a higher performance than the Ultra model, the two memory cards are products of SanDisk with similar design and operational features, making them similar.
Even if the two memory cards have the same storage format, their read and write speed differences result in the following performance differences.
Usually, it is advisable to shoot real estate photos in RAW format so you can edit and improve their looks using a photo editing application such as Lightroom. Keeping in mind that a RAW file contains unprocessed and uncompressed data captured by the camera sensor, a single raw photo can be up to 45MB.
The memory card's write speed refers to the rate at which the camera can save the image or video data in the memory card. The SanDisk Ultra comes with a maximum write speed of 80MB/s.That means the camera can take more than one second to save two raw files of 45 MB each.
On the other hand, the SanDisk Extreme comes with a higher write speed of up to 90MB/s. That means this memory card can save two 45 MB raw files in one second. This speed is key when shooting raw files in continuous shooting mode, as the camera might need to save multiple files in one second.
Keeping in mind that the aim of getting a memory card is to equip your camera with storage where it can store recorded videos and photos, the storage capacity is one of the key features to consider. Generally, the Ultra model offers more storage options than the Extreme model, including:
On the other hand, SanDisk extreme offers the following storage capacity options:
The read speed is the rate at which the memory card can retrieve the image data from the storage for opening and displaying it. Although read and write speeds are not the same, they are closely related, and a card with a higher write speed also tends to have a higher read speed.
The SanDisk Ultra comes with a maximum read speed of 120MB/s. On the other hand, the SanDisk Extreme comes with a maximum read speed of 160MB/s. If you have a large collection of photos, you'll be able to open and view them much faster when using the SanDisk extreme.
The major distinguishing factor between SanDisk Ultra and SanDisk Extreme is their video speed class. Typically, the sequential write speed dictates the video resolution a memory card can write. The video speed class is indicated by V, followed by a number representing the actual speed.
A memory card without a V label uses the default video class speed. The SanDisk Extreme comes with a V30 label, which means it can record videos at 30MB/s. This speed is high enough to record higher resolution videos, such as 4K, using high-end mirrorless cameras and DSLR cameras.
On the other hand, the SanDisk Ultra doesn't come with any V label, which means it uses the default video class speed of 10MB/s. As a result, the Ultra model can't be used when recording videos with a higher than the full HD resolution of 1080 pixels.
Considering that the Ultra model is more popular worldwide and comes with a wider range of storage capacity options, it's the best option to use in the following conditions.
Since the Extreme model is more advanced with a better read and write speed, it's the best storage under the following circumstances.
SanDisk Extreme is generally better for professional real estate photographers and videographers due to its higher video speed class that allows you to record videos in 4K resolution.
The higher write speed also allows you to capture multiple photos quickly, ensuring you don't miss out on the best composition when shooting a moving subject using the continuous shooting mode.
The above SanDisk Ultra vs Extreme guide reveals the high read and write speeds of the Extreme model and how they benefit the continuous shooting mode, the compatibility, and storage versatility of the Ultra, and how they benefit beginner photographers who plan to use the SD on multiple devices.
