# Secure Digital Card Speeds **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [November 20, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457 "2006-11-20T19:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/1 "2006-11-20T19:46:14Z")
Quick question on secure dugital media. I have a canon SD400 camera…I currently have a 2GB SD card which when I try to save video on…it gives me a write error…I think the card is fucked up because I bought it on ebay. It saves pics just fine but video that is 3 minutes+ it fails. Best Buy has a deal right now on a PNY card. [http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7387017&st=2gb+sd&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1124432966022](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7387017&st=2gb+sd&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1124432966022) My question is…what determines how long the video can be? The write speed of the card? I have a generic 1GB card and it saves 3+ minute vids no prob…I wonder if there is anything I should know before I buy this…no specs listed…not even on PNY’s website. TIA. ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/2 "2006-11-20T20:11:17Z")
> [@Marcus](#): > > what determines how long the video can be? The size of the card and the quality of the video. So unless you screw with the video settings to lower the quality, a bigger card is the only way to take a longer movie. So with all the settings the same on the same camera, your empty 2GB should hold twice the video as your empty 1GB card. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/3 "2006-11-20T20:13:55Z")
> [@BikerFry](#): > > The size of the card and the quality of the video. So unless you screw with the video settings to lower the quality, a bigger card is the only way to take a longer movie. Yes, I know. I guess my question is does it matter on the speed of the card whether you can shoot a 5 minute movie or not? I am referring to sequetial read/write…does it matter? ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/4 "2006-11-20T20:16:07Z")
Eh, wait for someone who knows for sure to step in but I’d be stunned if your camera can write faster than the card can take it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/5 "2006-11-20T20:17:46Z")
> [@BikerFry](#): > > Eh, wait for someone who knows for sure to step in but I’d be stunned if your camera can write faster than the card can take it. yeah, you may be right. I think I will buy the card…try it out and if it doesnt work like I expect it to…I can always return it 😉 The camera at 30fps wites at 20mbps or very close to this…and the longer the movie…the longer it takes to write…know what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/6 "2006-11-20T20:19:36Z")
are you talking about with the camera… what determines how long of a video you can take? thats the buffer of the camera ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/7 "2006-11-20T20:23:53Z")
A bit of reading, here in particular: > **[Secure Digital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card)** > > Secure Digital (SD) is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. > The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDisk, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric) and Toshiba as an improvement over MultiMediaCards (MMC), and has become the industry standard. The three companies formed SD-3C, LLC, a company that licenses and enforces intellectual property rights associated with SD memory cards and SD host and ancillary pro... Is suggesting that you better check your camera specs. See what SD spec it meets (1.01 is most common at a max write speed of 66x but there is also the 1.1 spec at 133x and some cards can write as high as 150x) and check and see if your camera even supports a 2GB card. It might not… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/secure-digital-card-speeds/20457/8 "2006-11-20T20:29:54Z")
> [@BikerFry](#): > > A bit of reading, here in particular: > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure\_Digital\_card](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card) > > Is suggesting that you better check your camera specs. See what SD spec it meets (1.01 is most common at a max write speed of 66x but there is also the 1.1 spec at 133x and some cards can write as high as 150x) and check and see if your camera even supports a 2GB card. It might not… definately supports 2gb because I currently have a 2gb sandisk card.