Taking dynamic landscape photos requires a keen photographic eye and the right gear. If you’re looking to master landscape photography, memory cards are a vital piece of the equation and are often overlooked. That’s why today we are going to focus on them to help you get the best possible results. Keep in mind that you’ll also want to choose your camera body, lenses and filters accordingly.
It is highly recommended to shoot landscape images in the raw format so that you will have full editing control. Raw allows you to avoid data compression, but this also requires a lot of memory. Therefore, you need to maximize your storage capacity for landscape photography. Without the right card type, you’ll spend more time swapping cards than filling them with beautiful photos.
DSLR cameras are typically compatible with SD memory cards while many are equipped to take CFC (compact flash cards). These cards come in a variety of styles, including SD, SDHC and SDXC. There are pros and cons to all of these types, but the SD option is the least functional for capturing raw images because it can only hold 2 GB of data. This would be fine for JPEG snapshots, but it’s going to be cumbersome for landscape photos.
SDHC cards offer a significant storage increase, which makes them suitable for most hobbyists. However, if you are serious about taking your photography to the next level and prefer to keep everything on one memory card, you may wish to upgrade to the SDXC. We do advise against using only one card for an important shoot because any corruption or accidental damage could destroy every photo. Ultimately, our recommendation is for multiple SDHC cards instead of using SD or SDHX.
Now that you’ve learned about the best landscape photography memory cards, it’s time to get some great pictures. Steinberg Photography offers workshops and photo tours that are taught by landscape photographer Jim Steinberg. Everyone from beginners to professionals are welcome. Learn more by visiting our homepage!
