High-speed memory cards are designed to enhance your cameras performance by increasing the speed images are captured, which is great for photographers who need to shoot photos in quick succession. They also offer faster transfer rates which means images can be downloaded quicker from the memory card with the right card reader.

What does the speed rating mean?

The speed rating refers to the speed the camera or data is written to the card.

Most cards are speed rated and come in standard speeds such as 40x, 80x, and 133x. The X represents the transfer rate, and 1x means the card can perform data transfer at 150 KiloBytes (KB) per second.

High Speed cards are a brilliant investment for any photographer. Besides enhancing in-camera functions and greatly reducing photo transfer time, you get the added enhancements of security and memory features that make selecting a high-speed memory card an easy choice. If you're not using a speed-rated memory card, now's the time to make the switch!

Listed below are the Top Rated Cards at MyMemory

Lexar 300X Professional UDMA Compact Flash
Maximum high-speed UDMA performance and reliability
Dramatically improves transfer speeds from card to computer
Includes Image Rescue 3 software to recover lost or deleted files
Write speed 45MB/sec
Limited lifetime warranty

Kingston 133X Elite Pro Compact Flash
Read Speed: 25MB/sec
Write Speed: 20MB/sec
Plug-and-play
Auto-sleep mode preserves system battery life
Lifetime warranty

Kingston 266X Ultimate Compact Flash
Read Speed 45MB/sec
Write Speed 40MB/sec write
Data recovery software from MediaRECOVER (Windows/Mac compatible)
Economical: autosleep mode preserves system battery life
Lifetime warranty

SanDisk Extreme III Compact Flash

Exclusively designed for the demanding speed/performance requirements of serious professional photographers
Flawless operation in the most severe shooting environments
Built to perform in the most extreme environments and temperatures from -10? C to 85? C
Read/Write Speed 30MB/sec
Comes with RescuePRO software for data recover
Durable, reliable and thoroughly tested?temperature tested (heat and cold); shock and vibration tested (industrial-grade RTV included for CompactFlash)
Lifetime warranty

MyMemory PRO Compact Flash

Read Speed: 20MB/sec
Write Speed: 9MB/sec
Data retention - 10 years
Lifetime Warranty

Getting the best out of your memory card

Buy the fastest memory card you can afford. Fast cards mean you are less likely to miss action shots while the image is being written to the card. Faster cards also offer faster download times.
Test your new cards out before going on holiday. Its best to check a new memory card before a shooting trip as chances are, if it will fail, it will fail early in its life. So format the card in your camera and take a few test shoots.
Format your cards after each download. Cards work best when reformatted, as reformatting cleans up the file structure.
Be careful when loading cards into the camera. Don't force cards into the camera upside down and backwards. This will most likely results in damage to the camera contacts rather than to the memory card. It is usually more expensive sending a camera back to be fixes than buying a new card.
Make sure that your camera has the most recent firmware updates. This is important if you are using older camera models. Some older models may not be compatible with newer cards, so be sure to check your camera's compatibility. Firmware updates are usually available from the camera manufacturers website.
Get a good memory card reader. This can mean the difference between a quick, easy and reliable download and a slow, difficult one. Spend a little more and get a decent memory card reader. Cheaper readers may wear out earlier than those with quality made components.