Is there really a difference between SDHC brands?

Q: There are many brands of SDHC memory cards available. Is there really any difference?

A: Let me tell you about one of my coworkers who writes a hobby blog. She frequently takes pictures and videos of events to use with her updates. She also uses the cheapest SDHC card she can find (and she should know better). She told me, if she lost the content on the cards or the data became corrupted, she’d be upset but not heartbroken. "It's a hobby site," she said shrugging her shoulders. It's a calculated risk and one she's willing to make.

Ask yourself, would you be heartbroken, even devastated if you lost the content on your SDHC card? If you answered “yes,” you should stick with a professional-quality, brand-name SDHC card.

The primary difference among SDHC memory cards is their controllers. The controller is the traffic cop that directs where the data is written on the flash card. A good controller will reduce the likelihood that any one sector will wear out prematurely, so the life of the card is maximized and you come home (or to your office) with your photos or video content in tact.

SanDisk is known as being one of the high-end, professional-grade SDHC cards you’ll want to purchase. They are one of the few manufacturers to make their own controllers. SanDisk is so well respected, in fact, there are certain online auction sites that are rife with counterfeits. So, where you purchase your SDHC cards is important, too. Buy from a trusted reseller: someone with a phone number, someone who’s been around for a while, someone like Polyline.