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These cards may physically look the same, but they'e all very different.

At first, choosing an SD card to go in your camera may seem like an easy task. After all, they all look more or less the same, so picking one should be as simple as going to the store, finding the highest-capacity one that fits in your budget, and putting it in your camera, right?

Unfortunately, that's not quite the case. While that strategy will probably work for most modern cameras, there are some considerations you'll want to take into account if you're using older cameras or if you're shooting video or bursts of photos.

The need for speed SD card labels have a lot of information, but not all of it is relevant.

Looking at the label of a typical SD card can be an assault on the senses. They're often covered with numbers and letters, and while the meaning of some (such as the size) may be obvious, others are less so.

Many cards advertise a write and/or read speed, usually denoted in MBps. You can pretty much ignore this; often the card only shows the read speed, which isn't particularly important for cameras, as you'll mainly be writing to it, and even when it does include a write speed, it's almost always showing the best-case scenario rating, which won't be particularly applicable to real-world shooting.

You can ignore the listed read/write speeds

If that number isn't useful, what should you look at instead? It depends on your use case. If you just plan on taking single photos and maybe a few short video clips, most modern SD cards will work just fine; you don't need to pay extra for a super-fast model, which will often come with labels like V60 or V90.

If you have a high-resolution camera, plan on doing a lot of burst shooting with both Raws and JPEGs, or shooting long 4K60p clips or even 8K video, you'll want to spend the extra money to get one of the high-end cards. If you get a card with a low speed rating like V30 or even no V-rating at all, it could hinder your camera's performance.

What about the other ratings? UHS-I cards (top) have fewer pins than UHS-II ones (bottom).

The SD standard has had several speed ratings over the years, enough that it could be its own separate article. If you're using an older camera, it may be worth checking if it recommends a certian C or U-rating, but nowadays the most important spec will be the card's UHS rating. Most cards you're likely to run into are UHS-I or UHS-II. It's easy to tell the difference between the two, as UHS-II cards have a second row of pins on the back.

If you have an older or lower-end camera, it'll likely have a UHS-I slot, and you won't get any benefit from a UHS-II card. It'll likely still work with your camera, but it'll only be able to run at the slower UHS-I speeds. Likewise, UHS-I cards will work in cameras with UHS-II slots, but as we noted in the speed section, they may bottleneck your camera's performance if your usage is particularly demanding.

Can an SD card have too much storage? Some cameras won't be able to accept larger cards.

While high-capacity SD cards are always getting less expensive, there are situations where you may need to avoid getting the one with the most storage. For example, if you're using an older camera, it may not work with larger cards.

If you look closely at your card, you may notice that it has a few letters after "SD," such as "SDHC" or "SDXC." These actually denote different generations of cards, and while most newer cameras will be able to use any of them, older cameras may not be compatible with newer generations of cards.

Some cameras have a printed or engraved indicator that shows which version of SD they support; if not, that information should be available in the manual, or online. If your camera says "SDHC," for example, you'll probably only be able to use it with cards that are 32GB or smaller. Cameras that just support "SD," meanwhile, are limited to cards that are just 2GB or less, which can be difficult to find new.

SD eXtended Capacity, or SDXC, was introduced in 2009 and supports cards up to 2TB, so this will mainly be a concern for cameras released around that year or before, though some lower-end cameras from the 2010s may also lack SDXC support.

microSD vs SD

While it's not particularly common, a few cameras use microSD cards instead of full-size ones. The name makes the difference obvious: microSD cards are SD cards, but much smaller. The speed ratings and classes will all be the same, so the advice for buying a microSD card is much the same as it is for full-size ones; figure out how big and fast a card you need, and go from there.

If your computer only has a full-size SD card reader or you want to be able to use your card in a variety of cameras, fear not: microSD to SD adapters are widely available, and may even be included when you buy a microSD card. This only goes one way, though; you can't gracefully fit a full-size SD card into a microSD slot.

What is SD Express?

It's not particularly likely, but you may come across cards labeled as "SD Express." If you do, we don't recommend buying it, as there are currently no cameras on the market that support the standard. While SD Express cards are backwards compatible with standard SD slots, they'll only run at UHS-I speeds, so you'll be paying for a high-speed card without any benefit at all.

Wait, this isn't SD at all! Higher-end cameras may have a CFexpress slot alongside an SD one... or even two CFexpress slots!

While SD cards have been the industry standard for years, if you buy a vintage point-and-shoot, you may wind up with something that doesn't take them. Unfortunately, there may not be much you can do about that, as finding obsolete cards such as xD or the original Memory Stick is increasingly difficult. In some cases, you may be able to find an adapter that will let you use SD or microSD cards in other slots, and some older formats like Compact Flash are still around, but generally it's best to stick to cameras with SD card slots.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are high-end modern cameras, which may use standards like CFexpress Type B. While most people won't have ended up with one of these cameras by accident, if you see a port that's far too big for an standard SD card, that may be what it's meant for.

When in doubt...

If you bought a new camera and are unsure what card to use with it, check the manual. Most come with recommendations for specific SD cards that the manufacturer knows will let you get the most out of your camera. Cards not on the list will almost certainly work with it, but if you want to be sure you're not getting something that will slow your camera down, it's a good place to start.

Image: Rollei

Rollei Analog may have something new coming for analog shooters, according to its first Instagram post in four years. The company shared "We are back" on its account this week, with hints that something is coming.

The Instagram account rollei_analog hadn't posted since October 14, 2021. This week, though, it shared a post with a Zebra and text saying "We are back" and "be prepared and stay tuned!" The caption of the post said it has "big plans, new projects and analog inspiration." It isn't clear if it's simply an announcement that the Instagram account will be active again, or if there will be new products coming.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rollei Analog Official (@rollei_analog)

Hans O. Mahn GmbH & Co. KG manages the Rollei Analog brand, which specializes in film, photo chemicals and photographic papers. It last shared news on its website in 2020, so even that platform has been quiet for a while. You can still buy Rollei-branded film; however, it's not produced in-house by Rollei and is repackaged from other major manufacturers.

Over the past year, we've also seen the Rollei name pop up on other products, including a mirrorless lens and the Rollei 35AF film camera. However, those products are the result of licensing deals, with other companies obtaining the rights to use the Rollei branding on their products. The lens looked as though it was likely a re-branded 7Artisans offering. The revival of the iconic Rollei 35 in an autofocus format was a project by Mint Camera, which licensed the Rollei name from Rollei GmbH & Co. KG.

Rollei Analog's cryptic post leaves a lot to the imagination, and the comments are peppered with requests. We'll just have to wait and see what it means by "big plans," though.

One of the most critical parts of photography is getting the right exposure. Unfortunately, mastering that process isn't always straightforward. Tricky lighting conditions like backlighting or high-contrast scenes can complicate things, whether you're using automatic or manual exposure settings. The key is to master metering modes, settings that tell your camera how to measure light in a scene.

Metering modes can be confusing, though, especially since each brand uses slightly different names. In this article, we'll break down the most common modes and provide examples of when you should use each.

What are metering modes?

Before exploring the different settings, it's important to know what metering modes are. Digital cameras are able to measure light within a scene. The camera uses that information to suggest how bright or dark your photo should be, helping you get an accurate exposure.

We'll have more on how to use that light meter later, but for now, what's key to understand is that you can adjust how your light meter reads the scene, allowing you to tell the camera what's most important in terms of exposure. For example, you may want it to evaluate the entire scene for a balanced exposure, or the center of the frame could be what matters most.

Changing the metering mode will affect how your camera determines a proper exposure. This is vital in automatic or priority modes, but it's also helpful if you're using manual mode. After all, if the meter reads the wrong part of the scene, you may end up with an image that is far too dark (underexposed) or bright (overexposed).

Evaluative metering This scene doesn't have any particularly challenging light, so evaluative metering mode handles the metering nicely.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Evaluative metering is the default setting for most cameras. Canon and Sigma call this mode Evaluative, and it's labeled as Matrix on Nikon, Multi on Sony and Fujifilm and Digital ESP on OM System.

While each brand might have its own nuance, it's typically more than just a basic average of the entire scene on modern cameras. Broadly speaking, this mode divides the scene into zones and assesses the brightness of every zone. The camera may also factor in color and the location of the focus point. That information is all processed using an algorithm that suggests a balanced exposure for the entire setting.

Evaluative metering is the default because it works well in most situations. It is useful for landscapes, portraits, wildlife and many other everyday scenarios.

Center-weighted metering My subject was right in the middle of the frame, making center-weighted metering a useful choice.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Center-weighted metering (also called Center-weighted Avg. on Canon and Center on Sony), as the name suggests, prioritizes the center of the frame. It doesn't completely disregard the edges of the frame, but the camera will make sure the center is correctly exposed, even if that means the edges will be a little too dark or bright.

Center-weighted metering is useful for any situation where you know the subject will be centered. Portraiture is a great example, as it typically involves the subject in the center of the frame.

Spot metering High contrast scenes, like a black dog on a snowy field, can benefit from spot metering.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Spot metering is the most precise metering option. This mode calculates exposure based on a small area of your selected focus point. Each system is different in the size of the area it references, with most using just 1-5% of the frame. In addition to Spot metering, Canon also offers what it calls 'Partial' metering, which is similar but uses a larger section that covers 6-10% of the frame.

This mode is ideal when your subject is on a very dark or bright background. Situations like backlit portraits, a dark subject against a snowy backdrop or the moon in the night sky are good candidates for Spot metering.

Highlight-weighted Backlighting is a great example of when you might want a highlight-weighted metering mode, if you have it available. In this case, the highlights were more important to me than the rest of the scene.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Highlight-weighted metering is less common, but is available on some Nikon models. Sony also offers a similar mode called Highlight. As the name suggests, it prioritizes highlights in the image to ensure bright areas aren't overexposed. It uses the same information as evaluative metering, but instead of balancing the exposure, it calculates what's necessary to retain highlight detail.

Highlight metering mode is useful in bright or high contrast situations where you want to pay particular attention to highlights. In such situations, you may be willing to underexpose the image to retain highlight detail with the intention of lightening the shadows when editing. Capturing a sunset, photographing in the snow or documenting someone on a stage with spotlights are good examples of when you may want to use this setting.

Final thoughts on metering modes

Metering modes aren't something you need to change for every image. Most situations will call for one mode the entire time, and the default mode is a safe option that works for a wide range of scenarios. However, if you notice that your images are consistently darker or lighter than they should be (or than you want), it's worth assessing whether the lighting conditions may call for a different metering mode than what you have set, and adjusting accordingly.

Image: Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design has dramatically reduced prices for its Ursa Cine camera kits. The move is surprising, given that most products have seen increased prices in the past few years. It also follows a price increase of some Blackmagic cameras for US customers earlier this year.

In April, Blackmagic announced that it was increasing the prices of most products in the US because of tariffs. That included the Blackmagic Pyxis 12K and Ursa Cine 17K. In a statement to DPReview at the time, Blackmagic explained that "in general, it’s a bit in flux as developments are happening with the tariffs." However, the company also said it would be "moving production of some products to help lower costs for customers from what we had previously raised them to since the tariffs went into effect."

Blackmagic said that since it released the Ursa Cine line last year, it has been working to reduce the cost of production and pass the savings along to customers. It appears that some of Blackmagic's production adjustments are starting to have an impact, and the price cuts to the Ursa Cine line are substantial. The Ursa Cine 12K LF previously retailed for $14,995 and is now priced at $9,495. The Ursa Cine 12K LF with EVF dropped from $16,495 to $10,995. The higher-end 17K 65 with and without the EVF is $7,000 less than the previous price.

While the decreased prices are certainly a welcome change, Blackmagic specifies they exclude duties. As a result, prices in the US will be higher because of tariffs, though they will still be lower than the original prices of the Ursa Cine lineup.

Image taken with the Google Pixel 10.

Photo: Dale Baskin

When Google unveiled the Pixel 10 last week, it touted the 48MP main camera, and yet, it can only produce 12MP photos. The story is the same with last year's Pixel 9 and its 50MP main camera. This has led some users to complain that Google's spec sheets are misleading; why would Google advertise a resolution that Pixel owners can't actually use? However, there's likely more going on than meets the eye.

Spec differences

On paper, the specs of the Pixel lineup seem pretty straightforward. The Pixel 9 features a 50MP main camera, and the new Pixel 10 uses a 48MP one. Yet in reality, neither phone produces images near that size, with every shot capped at 12MP.

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL also, by default, take 12MP images with their 50MP sensors. However, the Pro models give users the option to change the resolution and turn on a Hi-Res setting. With that turned on, the phone will output 50MP files, which is the promised resolution. Unfortunately, the standard Pixel doesn't offer such a setting, so there is no opportunity to change to the full resolution.

Technology at play The Quad Bayer design (right) uses an oversized version of the conventional Bayer pattern (left). Each color patch extends over four photodiodes; each has its own microlens in front of it.
Image: adapted from Sony Semiconductor illustration

So why put a higher-resolution sensor in the phone only to output a quarter of the resolution? There may be a few factors. First, the phone uses a Quad Bayer sensor, which differs from a traditional Bayer sensor by having each color patch extend over four photodiodes instead of one.

While each photodiode has a microlens that allows it to be used as an individual pixel (with a heavy helping of interpolation), there are other ways to use the data from a quad Bayer sensor. One is to bin the four photosites behind each color patch, which will reduce read noise and give you a resulting image that's 1/4 of the sensor's full resolution. This method comes at the cost of some detail, but gives you a cleaner image, especially in low-light situations.

Image taken with the Google Pixel 10.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Another readout mode lets you retain more information in the highlights, again at the cost of outputting a file that's only a 1/4 of the resolution compared to if you used each photosite as a single pixel. In high contrast scenes, this allows for better HDR results.

Essentially, you can choose between having the maximum amount of detail captured, the minimum amount of noise or the maximum dynamic range. Or, rather, the phone manufacturer can; while the Pro models let you choose resolution over low-light performance, the standard model simply doesn't offer that option.

"There are other ways the phone may be using the extra pixels, even if they don't show up in the final output in the form of higher resolution."

It's also important to note that there are other ways the phone may be using the extra pixels, even if they don't show up in the final output in the form of higher resolution. Smartphones rely heavily on computational enhancements to produce better image quality than their tiny sensors would otherwise allow. It's possible that, somewhere in Google's imaging pipeline, it may be using a 48MP readout from the sensor in addition to the other modes, even though the end result is a lower-resolution file.

The Pixel 9 and 10's spec sheets aren't incorrect; they use 50MP and 48MP sensors, respectively. But it's also understandable why some users feel misled when they can't actually get files that match those resolutions. The phones may be taking full advantage of the sensors in the background, just in a way most don't necessarily expect.

A photo taken in 50MP mode on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Of course, it likely doesn't help that Google only gives people who buy the Pro models the option to capture as much detail as possible with a full-res photo. That's especially true since other manufacturers, like Apple, don't divide their regular and Pro models along the same lines (though Apple's 48MP option is buried in the settings app).

It's an interesting situation because the spec sheets seem designed for people who assume that the more megapixels a sensor has, the better. But the same people will likely feel betrayed by the fact that they can't actually get that full resolution, even if their images will be better in most situations without it.

"At this time, the user cannot create a 48MP image from Pixel 10."

We reached out to Google for clarification on this difference between hardware specs and output. A representative for Google shared the following: "The Pixel 10 main/wide camera is a 48MP sensor. We include a clarifying footnote about resolution because even though the hardware is a 48MP sensor, Pixel Camera app configures the sensor in binning mode. At this time, the user cannot create a 48MP image from Pixel 10."

The footnote that Google is referring to states, "Reflects megapixels for camera sensor. Camera image resolution output may be less when using default settings." The use of "may" in that footnote is where Google is putting itself in a bind, since on the Pixel 10, it is always less, no matter what.