SanDisk Extreme vs Extreme Pro – Which One to Buy?

Deciding which is the better option when it comes to the SanDisk Extreme vs the SanDisk Extreme Pro is no easy task!

• Is the added cost worth it for the “pro” label?
• How much do these SD cards actually differ?

In this article, we put the SanDisk Extreme up against the Extreme Pro to really determine which of these SD cards is best.

We’ve tested the quality, performance, and reliability of both these cards. Covering all the bases to help you find the best fit for your needs.

Specifications

	SanDisk Extreme Pro	SanDisk Extreme
Card Name:	Extreme Pro	SanDisk Extreme
Card Type:	SDXC	SDXC
Storage Capacity:	128 GB	128 GB
Bus Type:	UHS-I	UHS-I
UHS Speed:	U3	U3
Speed Class:	Class 10	Class 10
Video Speed:	V30	V30
Max Read Speed:	170MB/s	150MB/s
Max Write Speed:	90MB/s	70MB/s
Durability:	Water / Shock / X-Ray Proof	Water / Shock / X-Ray Proof
Write-Protect Switch:	YES	YES
Price on Amazon:	$23.05	$19.99

Things that the SanDisk Extreme and the Extreme Pro have in common:

• Both share V30 Video Speed Class.
• Both share U3 Ultra-High-Speed Class.
• Both share Class 10 speed.
• Both are waterproof and shockproof.
• Both share the same Bus Type UHS-I.

Speed

Memory card speed is confusing, as it is specified and advertised in different ways. The Read and Write speeds are different, NOT the same number (the camera writes, your computer reads). To simplify things, let’s focus on the three main parts of the ranking.

1- “Class 10” means a minimum of 10MB per second, which indicates that the slowest speed for Read or Write will be at least 10 megabytes per second.

2- Ultra-High-Speed (UHS) is the new generation bus interface for SD cards. Succeeding the regular high-speed specification, UHS was recently designed to support devices with higher capacity and speed requirements.

3- The new Video Speed Classes feature a range of performance grades, defined primarily by the card’s minimum sustained transfer speeds in megabytes per second. This means that V30 has a minimum sequential write speed of 30 megabytes per second.

Capacity

One of the most-asked questions is: How much storage capacity do I need? Should I buy the 128GB or minimize my investment and buy the 32GB? To be honest, there is no right answer to this question. It all comes down to your needs, My personal preference is to get 4 x 32GB instead of 1 x 128GB.

To help you decide, here is a table from SanDisk.

Megapixels	File Size	16GB	32GB	64GB	128GB
8MP	2.4MB	5722	11444	22888	45776
10MP	3MB	4577	9155	18310	36620
12MP	3.6MB	3814	7629	15258	30516
14MP	4.2MB	3269	6539	13078	26156
16MP	4.8MB	2861	5722	11444	22888
22MP	6.6MB	2080	4161	8322	16644
50MP	17.8MB	916	1832	3664	7328

Megapixels	File Size	16GB	32GB	64GB	128GB
8MP	24MB	572	1144	2288	4576
10MP	30MB	457	915	1830	3660
12MP	36MB	381	762	1524	3048
14MP	42MB	326	653	1306	2612
16MP	48MB	286	572	1144	2288
22MP	66MB	208	416	832	1664
50MP	178MB	89	179	359	719

To summarize this and give you an example, if you are like me, shooting with a full-frame camera with a 50MP sensor, capturing JPEG + RAW, your files will be one JPEG (17.8MB) and one RAW file (178MB), which brings the total to 195MB/shoot.

This means that the 64GB will record only 328 photos.

Format	Recording speed	32GB	64GB	128GB
4K	400MB/s	10 Minutes	20 Minutes	40 Minutes
	150MB/s	27 Minutes	55 Minutes	110 Minutes
UHD	400MB/s	10 Minutes	20 Minutes	40 Minutes
	150MB/s	27 Minutes	55 Minutes	110 Minutes
2K	200MB/s	20 Minutes	40 Minutes	80 Minutes
	100MB/s	40 Minutes	80 Minutes	160 Minutes

Comparison

SanDisk Extreme vs Extreme Pro

Both of these cards were engineered using SanDisk proprietary technology that allows them to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, but ultimately, max speed depends on your device.

Burst Shooting

Burst mode, also called continuous shooting mode, sports mode, or continuous high-speed mode is a shooting mode in which several photographs are captured in quick succession by either pressing the shutter button or holding it down. This is used mainly when the subject is in successive motion, such as with sports photography.

To effectively test this for both cards, I will be using the Canon 6D set on a burst mode and shooting both RAW and Large JPG for 1 minute continuously. Then I will compare the number of photos that were recorded on both cards.

Extreme 

From the start of the 1-minute period, the speed was constant; it took around 1.5 photos per second. At the 12-second mark, it accelerated and started taking 3 photos per second for 10 seconds, then went back to normal. When I hit the 34-second mark, it started lagging a bit and stopped completely for 2 seconds at the 49-second mark.

The result was 208 Photos, both RAW and L JPG, with a total size of 2.13GB.

Extreme Pro 

It started very fast, taking around 3 photos per second for about 5 seconds. Then it went to around 1.5 photos per second for the rest of the minute without lagging or stopping at any time 

The result was 210 Photos, both RAW and L JPG, with a total size of 2.14GB.

At the end of the test, it looked like both cards were almost similar in terms of speed. However, I would recommend the Extreme Pro, as it didn’t lag or stop in the middle.

Transfer Speed

After you are done with your photos, you need to copy them to start the editing process. As you know, shooting in 4K video or RAW files takes up memory faster and file sizes are much larger. Have you ever waited for hours to finish copying your files? Also, keep in mind that the host device can greatly affect the transfer speed of a storage product.

Long story short, I connected both of the cards to my Mac and copied 2GB of data to and from each of them, using a stopwatch.

Extreme 

• Read Speed 2GB in 24.30 sec.  
• Write Speed 2GB in 29.76 sec.

Extreme Pro

• Read Speed 2GB in 24.19 sec.  
• Write Speed 2GB in 27.13 sec.

No surprises here, as the Extreme Pro has a better read and write speed of 170MB/s and 90MB/s versus the 150MB/s and 70MB/s for the Extreme. 

Commonalities Between These Two Cards

Both of these cards are SD Extended Capacity (SDXC™), with capacities ranging from 64GB to 2TB. SDXC uses a different file system called exFAT and works differently than standard SD cards. Also, keep in mind that almost all devices built after 2010 support this file system. They both support UHS-I and 4K UHD.

Both cards have the same class ratings (Class 10, U3, and V30). Unlike card write speeds that measure maximum performance, class ratings measure the minimum sustained speed required for recording an even rate of video onto the card.

Speed Class is a minimum speed based on a worst-case scenario test, which means that both of these cards will guarantee a minimum of 10Mb/s. Compared to high-megapixel photography, video doesn’t need as big of a data pipe because the video format is a smaller “fixed stream” that uses only a portion of the data pipe. Also, your camera’s specifications should state the minimum Class Rating required.

UHS Speed Class was introduced in 2009 by the SD Association and is designed for SDHC and SDXC memory cards. This, again, means that both of these cards will guarantee a minimum of 30Mb/s in the worst-case scenario. If you use a UHS memory card in a non-UHS host, it will default to the standard data bus and use the “Speed Class” rating, which in this case is Class 10, instead of the “UHS Speed Class” rating, which is U3. UHS memory cards have a full higher potential of recording real-time broadcasts, thereby capturing large-size HD videos and extremely high-quality professional HD.

Video Speed Class or “V Class” was created by the SD Association to identify cards that can handle higher video resolutions and recording features. This speed class guarantees minimum sustained performance for recording video. This means that both of these cards will guarantee a minimum sustained speed of 30Mb/s

Both of them offer the same Durability, which is “Waterproof”, “Temperature Proof”, “Shock Proof”, and “X-Ray Proof”.

Also, both cards come with a two-year subscription to SanDisk’s RescuePro Deluxe. However, I have to say that while I did download and install it, my Mac refused to run the software; it said that the software needed to be updated. Maybe it’s only me or maybe something is wrong with my Mac.

What Alternatives Are Out There?

1- Lexar Professional Class 10 UHS-II 2000X Speed

Card Type: SDHC and/or SDXC | Capacity: Up to 128GB | Read Speed: Up to 300MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 260MB/s | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty | Suitable for: Both photography and video (including 4K)

2- SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II

Card Type: SDXC | Capacity: Up to 128GB | Read Speed: Up to 300MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 260MB/s | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty | Suitable for: Pros wanting to shoot swift bursts of high-res stills and video

3- Sony SF-G Tough SDXC

Card Type: SDXC | Capacity: Up to 128GB | Read Speed: Up to 300MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 299MB/s | Warranty: Manufacturer’s | Suitable for: High-speed burst photography and video (including 4K)

4- Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3

Card Type: SDXC | Capacity: Up to 64GB | Read Speed: Up to 285MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 180MB/s | Warranty: Five-year limited warranty | Suitable for: Pros shooting rapid-fire high-res Raw stills and high-quality 4K video

5. PNY Elite Performance SDXC

Card Type: SDXC | Capacity: Up to 512GB | Read Speed: Up to 95MB/s | Write Speed: Not specified | Warranty: Lifetime (limited) | Suitable for: High-speed burst photography and video (including 4K)

Conclusion

With a few differences between both of these cards, it all comes down to your needs, if you are shooting mainly video, or if you shoot mainly in a studio tethered to a computer, I would personally recommend going for the cheaper option, which is the Extreme. However, if you are concerned about the transfer rate or if you depend on burst shooting, I would definitely recommend the Extreme Pro simply because it didn’t lag during the test.

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