# What SD card to use with GoPro HD?



## jrob1775 (Sep 30, 2008)

I just got a GoPro Hero HD for Christmas and it did not come with a SD card. I know some people have had trouble with certain cards and I am wondering what is the best card for the money (brand and size) that will work well. I have seen 32gb cards ranging from $75 to $400???

Thanks,
Jeff


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

I just ordered the slightly less problem prone contour HD. Just search the threads and on line support forum---I remember it being mentioned somewhere which brands had been officially tested. I thought maybe Kingston is one of them.

I sent a email to VIO and received a reply today that HD is definately "in the works", that they are paying attention to customer feedback, but development and timeline has not been cast yet....argh...could be a year, could be 3 years---they're holding their cards close.



jrob1775 said:


> I just got a GoPro Hero HD for Christmas and it did not come with a SD card. I know some people have had trouble with certain cards and I am wondering what is the best card for the money (brand and size) that will work well. I have seen 32gb cards ranging from $75 to $400???
> 
> Thanks,
> Jeff


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## webative (Mar 3, 2006)

Now using a Patriot 16GB SDHC Class 6 and a Maxflash 4GB SDHC Class 6 with no issues. Had trouble with Transcend 16GB SDHC Class 6.


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## Jesterrider (Feb 22, 2004)

I am using a Kodak 8GB 2 class without issue and ordered a Kingston 16GB 4 class.
I also used a Kodak 4 GB 4 class and had no issues - I'm not sure what the class differences mean in terms of actual camera performance. 
a 16GB card can be had on Amazon for less than $40 with free shipping. 32GB cards will outlast your battery and you can get 2 16's for less $$. That way if 1 card fails, you have a backup.

What are some of the issues being reported with SD cards? Aren't they all the same except class?


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## lgoats (Apr 29, 2007)

I may have a defective unit, or old firmware, but so far my experience has been problematic.

The freebie MaxFlash SDHC 4GB class 6 card would only record 3 minutes or so worth of video at a time. Admittedly, the video was very nice at the 960p setting.

I thought the memory card was at fault, so I ordered the Kingston Ultimate 133x 16GB SDHC. With this card, I could not even get the camera to record video. When I initiated the video, it would simply beep and immediately stop. After inspecting the file system on the PC, no video files were created. I know the card works because I can copy files back and forth with the camera plugged into the USB port.

I'm waiting to hear back from GoPro, but I'm starting to wonder if a lot of these memory card issues might actually be operating system glitches with the camera rather than hardware related.


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## BobRocket (Jul 19, 2004)

This "SD CARD INCOMPATIBILITY" issue is turning out to be a royal PITA!!!

I had issues with a card that works perfectly in several devices I own and then in the GoPro HD it recorded 1 video then nothing. I reformatted and still nothing. This is a GOPRO issue that appears to be a problem they are working on with a firmware update. Luckily I remembered I had a SD card in my cell phone and used it with success on a recent ride in a GoPro HD. 

I feel really bad for people that are spending good money on quality memory cards only to find out that their camera finds it incompatible.

So to contribute to the list of cards that actually work in the GoPro HD camera I can confirm that the following card is GOOD.

Core Micro - Micro SD HC 4GB Class 6 (Micro SD Card used in an adapter within the GoPro HD)


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## El Salt (Oct 18, 2004)

I will add to the "so far, so good" cards. Just got my GP HD today and did some testing. So far I'm impessed. I have the GP Wide and liked that, but the HD is very nice. So far, have only used a SanDisk Extreame III 4gb / class 6 and have had not problems while testing (shooting several times to a full card).


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## ebarker9 (Jul 10, 2006)

Definitely don't seem to be having much luck with a 16GB Transcend card. The first video attempt on power-up results in a few seconds of what appears to be video recording, but nothing actually gets saved to the card. After that, any shutter click just causes three beeps and the number on the front indexes by one. Off in search of a Kingston card...


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## singlespeedstu (Jul 6, 2006)

I'm using a Kingston 8 GB SDHC card.

It works well.


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## One_Speed (Aug 3, 2007)

adata class 6 8 gb works fine. 24.99 at fry's electronics


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## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

No problem with my Kingston 16GB SDHC class 4. Bought for £25 on ebay.


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## patrul (May 27, 2009)

Kingston 16GB Class6: Only records about 4GB on r5 1080

I'm looking for class4 on ebay


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

SD Cards seem to be hit and miss, my Transcend 16GB has worked like a charm? I wouldn't bother with a 32GB unless you have 2 battery packs.

Note: all of the sport cameras will only record at a max of 4GB files, and then they start a new segment/file, so if you are recording constantly you will see files like this...3.84GB, 3.83GB, 3.84GB, etc.


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## helexia23 (Jul 26, 2006)

What kind of batteries are you guys using with the GoPro?


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## fux (Oct 21, 2006)

gopro hd comes with its own rechargeble.


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## helexia23 (Jul 26, 2006)

fux said:


> gopro hd comes with its own rechargeble.


I won mine in a contest so I'm not really sure what model it is. There is no reference to model name anywhere on it, or the packaging.

It did come with a surfboard mount and I know it takes AAA batteries. I took a minute long test video and it seems to be a standard aspect camera (no wide-screen, no hd).

Also I had an extra 8GB SD card lying around from my Canon camera and that worked fine. I thought this camera can only use 2GB according to their website.


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## sluflyer06 (Jun 30, 2009)

I only use Sandisk SDHC cards in my GoProHD and my Nikon D90 and have never had a issue in either camera with any of my 5 cards.

I use the Sandisc Extreme 30MB/s cards. they're Class 10. One thing I've found over the years is the higher end brand name flash memory products whether it be a USB stick CF, or SDHC are more reliable.


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## BATMANs (Feb 19, 2007)

I got the 16GB card that expires at around 2.5 hrs of recording time on a single battery charge.

Make sure it's at least a class 4 card or the video can be choppy.

Class 6 is more ideal and 10 is the best.


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## BobRocket (Jul 19, 2004)

sluflyer06 said:


> I only use Sandisk SDHC cards in my GoProHD and my Nikon D90 and have never had a issue in either camera with any of my 5 cards.
> 
> I use the Sandisc Extreme 30MB/s cards. they're Class 10. One thing I've found over the years is the higher end brand name flash memory products whether it be a USB stick CF, or SDHC are more reliable.


Please post the specifics of the cards. Size of the card is extremely important for your info to be of any use.

I'm not trying to be a prick, but its all about the details and its the details that GoPro forgot to check that is causing us consumers these 'issues'.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

helexia23 said:


> I won mine in a contest so I'm not really sure what model it is. There is no reference to model name anywhere on it, or the packaging.
> 
> It did come with a surfboard mount and I know it takes AAA batteries. I took a minute long test video and it seems to be a standard aspect camera (no wide-screen, no hd).
> 
> Also I had an extra 8GB SD card lying around from my Canon camera and that worked fine. I thought this camera can only use 2GB according to their website.


You have the original HERO (non HD), and as far as I know that have been no reported SD card issues. Here is a picture of the model difference. Besides the size and back battery area, the most obvious thing is that the HD does not have a viewport.


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## mightymouse (Sep 15, 2009)

*class 4, 6, etc.*

Is there really a difference in video quality when you use a class 4, class 6, or faster data rate card? Does GoPro specifically state to not use a card below a specific data rate?


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

No there is no difference in video quality between a class 4 and class 6. (as long as your video plays back smoothly)

A class 4 means SD card has a minimum write Speed of 4 MByte/s and a class 6 = 6 MByte/s.

As the maximum rate of Gopro is 960P at 13min/gb (according to Gopro specs) then a class 4 is more than enough.


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## mightymouse (Sep 15, 2009)

luap said:


> No there is no difference in video quality between a class 4 and class 6. (as long as your video plays back smoothly)
> 
> A class 4 means SD card has a minimum write Speed of 4 MByte/s and a class 6 = 6 MByte/s.
> 
> As the maximum rate of Gopro is 960P at 13min/gb (according to Gopro specs) then a class 4 is more than enough.


I'm seeing 15Mbit/sec as the maximum write speed for the GoPro, meaning class 4 (4Mbyte/sec = 32Mbit/sec) is over 2x faster than required. So, why would the video playback ever be choppy if you recorded using a class 4 card?


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## ebarker9 (Jul 10, 2006)

I have now tried a Transcend 16GB Class 6, Kingston 32GB Class 4, and Sandisk 16GB Class 10. 

The Transcend would not allow the camera to record in 960 mode. Kingston and Sandisk have been working fine in all modes. One thing to note...I thought I was having huge framerate issues with the Kingston recording in 1080p, but it was, in fact, down to the QuickTime playback and its weird hardware acceleration issues. Played back using Media Player Classic and it's nice and smooth. Cool!


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## crashdad (Sep 14, 2008)

*SD cards and old PC*

Just something I discoverd about SD HD cards and Go pro.

I was having issue with my maxiflash 16 g that I got from point of view cameras
the video was choppy and sound was off. They replaced the card, but the problem was still there.

what it turned out to be was more my PC and the mpeg-4 file type.:madman:

My PC being a few years old . this solved the problem

http://webvideouniversity.com/blog/2009/10/16/how-to-fix-choppy-playback-from-avchd-video-cameras/

If you plan to edit your Go -pro videos, sony vegas 9 does have the ability down downgrade if not for a better word. After conversion. sound and video were perfect.
I sure there are other software that can also do this. but for me and My older pc. this program is not a hugh memory hog.:thumbsup:

I did buy a kingston 16 g class 4 card though. I will have to do some more testing to see if there is a differance.


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## cyclocommuter (Dec 15, 2009)

No problems here regarding 16 GB MaxFlash micro SD (plus adapter) class 4 that came with my camera ordered from PointOfViewCameras.ca. I also have no problems with a 16 GB Kingston class 4 card I ordered from Newegg.ca.

I do my HD Video editing on Adobe Premier Elements 8. My initial problems (crashing, freezes) turned out more to be issues caused by incompatible Nvidia video drivers, buggy CODEC packs, as well as failing to install Quicktime which I guess Adobe Premier uses when loading GoPro videos into PRE8.


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## guc32 (Nov 24, 2009)

I use a 32gb Topram from ebay. Forget what i paid for it. Under 100 if i recall.

No issues with it. Great memory.


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## billybaru13 (Jul 13, 2009)

I just picked up a HD GoPro and have a SD6/16GB Kingston SD card that wont take video on settings 3-5

Weak!

Any know if GoPro has figured this out yet?


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## patrul (May 27, 2009)

I just receive the Kingston 16GB Class4 and it works perfect. Before I had the Kingston 16GB Class6 and only records 4GB and mode3 didn't work. 

Now I'm very happy


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

I just got my HD Hero in the mail. I ordered the Kingston 16GB Class 4 card that they had on their website along with the camera. You would think they would sell cards that worked well with their products - I hope I am right on this.


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## ebarker9 (Jul 10, 2006)

Lawson Raider said:


> I just got my HD Hero in the mail. I ordered the Kingston 16GB Class 4 card that they had on their website along with the camera. You would think they would sell cards that worked well with their products - I hope I am right on this.


That's what I've been using without issue. Shouldn't have any problems.


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## oldman54 (May 2, 2009)

SanDisk Ultra, SDHC Card, 32 GB works with my GoPro HD with no issues. It is a class 4 card but can take up to 15MB/s


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## 8664 (Oct 17, 2005)

my kingston clas6 16gb dont work. can i charge the aku of my gopro hd with charger where need HTC hd2 PDA 220volt switzerland?
edit: i have now a sandisk class4 16gb and the recording works up to 1hours than the card is full...


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## Radioface (Jun 22, 2010)

just got my GoPro HD Hero through overstock. I did a google search for the best card to use and this thread was the top hit (MTBR is a useful resource). Was curious if anyone had any updates to this ~ year-old thread. seems like a good deal of inconsistency. was thinking about picking up a sandisk ultra 32 like oldman has.


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## webative (Mar 3, 2006)

GoPro recently updated the firmware which seems to have greatly improved card compatibility. They (GoPro) recommend a kingston class 4, but you would probably be fine with the sandisk. Keep in mind that the 32GB will outlast your battery (by far) and you might find that the 16GB are a bigger bang for your buck.


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## Radioface (Jun 22, 2010)

cool. thanks for the heads up. I was thinking 32gb bc I might want to run it off USB power for an extended time lapse or something. I think everyone would love to see a sped up 10 hour video of me sitting at my desk eating bonbons wishing i was on a trail somewhere


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## webative (Mar 3, 2006)

Ah, in that case you would need a bigger card. Make sure to speed that 10 hours up to about 2 minutes - most peoples attention span


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## drago22 (Jun 29, 2011)

*Run a hero go pro cam(1080p) on an hold computer*

Hi guys,
i just bought a hero go pro(1080p) camera but for the moment i have an hold computer. I wonder if i'm able to record on 720p or 960p settings and play it on my old computer for the moment. I want to be able to run the camera on my computer

Maybe next year i'll buy a new one, so i will be able to view it on 1080p.

So, Am i better to return it (hero pro 1080p) to buy a basic model go pro (960) or simply keep it and enjoy next year the features of a 1080p.

Thanks in advance


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## Yazafoo (Jun 23, 2011)

Already had a sandisk 16gb class 10 card. It is overkill for the cam but works great.


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## WanderingBob (May 10, 2011)

Yazafoo said:


> Already had a sandisk 16gb class 10 card. It is overkill for the cam but works great.


What Sandisk are you using? What speed, name?

Thanks


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## Yazafoo (Jun 23, 2011)

WanderingBob said:


> What Sandisk are you using? What speed, name?
> 
> Thanks


SanDisk 16GB Extreme. Class 10 HD Video SDHC
30MB/Sec Read Write Speed.


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## WanderingBob (May 10, 2011)

Yazafoo said:


> SanDisk 16GB Extreme. Class 10 HD Video SDHC
> 30MB/Sec Read Write Speed.


Thanks. Read that you should have a Class 4 or better, which was written when there were only Class 4 and 6 available. Was told by a resaler that the GPH did not like the Class 10's.

My next DLSR will have SD cards so was trying to get the latest for dual application.

I'm wondering if the 32GB would work or if that would be pushing it too much? Anyone using a Class 10 32GB?


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## titaniuM3 (Dec 5, 2011)

*1 more data point*

tried a Centon 32GB class 10 card (purchased at Fry's) in my HD Hero and no functions would work on the GoPro.

I used an 8GB class 2 sandisk SDHC card and had no problems.

just another data point.


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## xtreme6669 (Aug 3, 2009)

Go pro seems to recommend the ScanDisc 16/32gb class 10 cards on their website:

16GB SD Memory Card (Class 10)
SanDisk 32GB SD Memory Card (Class 10)

I ended up going with a Kingston 16GB class 6 card.. Still waiting for it to come in.


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## NOCSUCOW (Aug 18, 2011)

titaniuM3 said:


> tried a Centon 32GB class 10 card (purchased at Fry's) in my HD Hero and no functions would work on the GoPro.
> 
> I used an 8GB class 2 sandisk SDHC card and had no problems.
> 
> just another data point.


I have one of these from woot.com

I have a feeling my GoPro(1)1080 is deffective because the quality started as jaw dropping and is now grainy.

I just picked up another card, the mentioned Sandisk 16GB class 10 during my lunch break and am going to see if this helps.

Anyone experience this? I got it from performancebike's website about 2 months ago. Talked to the local performancebike and they said i could exchange/refund it through them via mail out from the store. Problem is, they are sold out and the credit card I think I purchased it with was cancelled out for a newer one.


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## electrik (Oct 22, 2009)

Zombie thread. 


Class 10 for the new HD 2, i've tried pny and sandisk they work fine with no difference. You can skip the 32gb one unless you're carrying a second battery as you'll likely only come close to writing 16gb of recording with one charge.


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## dmassey (Dec 5, 2007)

*Memory card*

Tried a few brands of cards, had many problems on playback with recordings. Switched to Sandisk Extreme 16gb class 10. Camera(Gopro 960) now works perfectly.


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## paokarakost (Feb 2, 2012)

Hello,
just bought Go Pro Hero HD with a kingston 32GB class 6 card. It turns out that camera cannot record more than about 3 GB of video 1080p resolution. Any idea? Do you think is camera's problem or sd's?

BR


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## webative (Mar 3, 2006)

I believe the issue you are experiencing applies to all cards. There is usually around a 4GB file size limit. It should continue to record and you can stitch those files back together in an editor without any loss.


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## paokarakost (Feb 2, 2012)

Apologies for not being clear...I mean it cannot record video*s* for more than 3 GBs. So after recording several videos equal to around 3 Gigabytes, then MP4 files are recorded but look corrupted. I did not manage to watch any of those. Tried several programs "repairing" MP4 files but nothing. All videos after those 3 GBs are corrupted and only solution is to format the SD card...any ideas?


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## webative (Mar 3, 2006)

Can't help with repairing corrupt videos but you might want to make sure you have the latest firmware on the camera. Also, see if you can borrow a 8GB or bigger card from someone to see if it's the camera or the card.


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## paokarakost (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks for replies!
How can I check firmware level?
BR


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## dmassey (Dec 5, 2007)

*SD card*

I switched to a Sandisk card & it corrected all my problems. I was having the same corrupted files issue.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

paokarakost said:


> Hello,
> just bought Go Pro Hero HD with a kingston 32GB class 6 card. It turns out that camera cannot record more than about 3 GB of video 1080p resolution. Any idea? Do you think is camera's problem or sd's?
> 
> BR


Is it starting a new file? The SD Cards are formatted with a FAT 32 partition, which has a 4GB file size limitation. While recording, a new video file will be created once the currently recording one reaches appropriately 3. 84GB, due to the FAT limitation, so you will need to piece the files together in an editor to have a full timeline.


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## PointOfViewCameras (Sep 15, 2009)

Since we sell Gopros we get asked quite a few questions about SD cards. Here is the short answer based on our cumulative questions.

Most SDHC cards class 4 or higher are suitable for use in the HD HERO cameras.

GoPro recommends SanDisk, Kingston, or Patriot brands but other brands including MaxFlash and Mustang cards are found to work as well.

For the HERO2 model, you will need a class 10 card to use the 10 photo burst mode.

If there are any problems with reading a new SD card, formatting the card through the camera's settings menu will fix that issue.


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## dmassey (Dec 5, 2007)

*Card*

I have a Lexar class 10 card that will not work beyond 3gb, even formatted in camera a number of times.


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## paokarakost (Feb 2, 2012)

Thank you all for replies!
I am now trying a different SD card. 
If it works I will just switch to a Sandisk SD as well!
The one that I have is Kingston 32GB class 6 and I guess this is included in the recommended GoPro Hero SDs...

only thing is that Sandisk extreme is quite expensive...

Best Regards
Kostas


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## paokarakost (Feb 2, 2012)

pastajet said:


> Is it starting a new file? The SD Cards are formatted with a FAT 32 partition, which has a 4GB file size limitation. While recording, a new video file will be created once the currently recording one reaches appropriately 3. 84GB, due to the FAT limitation, so you will need to piece the files together in an editor to have a full timeline.


Hi,
No, we are talking about multple files. When it exceeds the total of 3GBs for multiple files, rest become corrupted!

BR
Kostas


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## earthwindnwater (Feb 8, 2012)

I use TEAM Class 6 SD Cards in my HD HERO1 and TEAM Class 10 SD Cards in my HERO2


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## ridonkulus (Sep 5, 2011)

I have 2 16gb sdhc extreme Sdhc card with 45mb/s data transfer rate. It's a class 10 and it is waterproof which is great in case you drop it in the snow when swapping cards out. The class makes a big difference after I got the Hero2 I used to have a shameful class 2 sandisk 8 gb card that worked fine for every use with the Hero 1 but with the 10 shot burst on the Hero 2 some picture on the 8gb card would turn out kinda purple but others would be fine and 1 or 2 was even half normal half prurple. The class 10 never does this with the faster transfer rate. I got a deal at costco for $25 a piece and $50 for a pair , what a steal


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## ridonkulus (Sep 5, 2011)

paokarakost said:


> Thank you all for replies!
> I am now trying a different SD card.
> If it works I will just switch to a Sandisk SD as well!
> The one that I have is Kingston 32GB class 6 and I guess this is included in the recommended GoPro Hero SDs...
> ...


I found th sandisk extreme 16gb at Costco for $25 and if you have 2 16gb you have more flexibility especially if you have multiple cameras


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## Alpha-Q (Oct 31, 2011)

paokarakost said:


> Thank you all for replies!
> I am now trying a different SD card.
> If it works I will just switch to a Sandisk SD as well!
> The one that I have is Kingston 32GB class 6 and I guess this is included in the recommended GoPro Hero SDs...
> ...


Purchased my bnew gopro 960 with a used kingston 32gb class 6.

All my video captured mtb yesterday were all corrupted with error 2048.

What a piece of crap!

Bought a sandisk 16gb class 4 and so far everything runs smoothly


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