A practical example, because life is expensive.
A lot of advice about memory cards quietly assumes unlimited budgets. That’s not reality, it definitely isn’t mine.
I’m a self-employed single mum. I buy what I can afford, when I can afford it, and I make it work.
What’s actually in my cameras right now
At the moment, my card setup looks like this 👇
D750:
- SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB (UHS-I, V30, up to 200MB/s)
- SanDisk Extreme 128GB (UHS-I, V30, up to 180MB/s)
D500:
They’re not identical cards. They weren’t bought at the same time. And that’s absolutely fine. Yes, one is 512GB but it was on special offer 😄 (read further down for why I don’t think biggest is best).
The important thing is that they’re all UHS-I, all V30, and from a brand I trust.
In real-world use, I’ve never hit a bottleneck or a moment where one card held me back.
You don’t need perfectly matching cards for a dual-slot camera to work well.
Yes, you can save RAW to one slot and JPEG to the other
The Nikon D750 has two SD card slots. In the menu you can choose how they behave 👇
- RAW to Slot 1, JPEG to Slot 2 – handy if you want instant shareable files
- Backup – same files to both cards
- Overflow – uses the second card when the first fills up
This is one of those brilliant features that doesn’t get enough attention. It’s useful for reducing risk (two cards, not one), having JPEGs available when you don’t want to edit straight away, and keeping your RAW files separate and safe.
Using mixed cards in a dual-slot camera
My D750 has two card slots, which gives me options.
Right now I’m running two 128GB cards, one Extreme and one Extreme PRO. Different labels, slightly different headline speeds, but the same UHS-I and V30 standard.
That means I can record RAW to one card and JPEG to the other, use the second card as an overflow, or set it as an instant backup.
I haven’t fully settled on one correct setup yet, and that’s kind of the point. Dual slots give you flexibility, not rules.
Will a cheaper card slow the other one down?
Not in the way people think. The camera writes to each slot independently.
The important thing is that your cards are fast enough for what you’re doing. For most stills work, a reputable V30 card is a strong baseline.
Why I don’t automatically buy the biggest card
Bigger isn’t always better. If one massive card corrupts mid-shoot, you lose the lot.
Smaller cards can be more practical 👇
- Less risk, not all eggs in one basket
- Natural swap points during the day
- Easier organisation when you get home
Size matters less than speed (especially for bursts)
If you’re choosing between a huge but slower card and a smaller but faster card, choose speed every time. You’ll feel it when your camera clears the buffer quicker.
What I’d suggest for beginners
- Buy a reputable brand like SanDisk
- Choose a sensible baseline like V30
- Use two cards if your camera supports it
- Don’t feel pressured into the most expensive option
Photography shouldn’t be gated by disposable income. A good setup is the one that works reliably within your budget.
Photography budgets are real
I didn’t buy all of these cards in one go.
I bought what I could afford at the time, upgraded when it made sense, and repurposed older cards rather than replacing them. That’s how most real photography kits grow, gradually, thoughtfully, and within real budgets.
If you’re choosing between a good card now or waiting months for the perfect one, buy the good one.
The best memory card is the one that lets you stop thinking about memory cards and get on with taking photos 📸
This post contains affiliate links marked with product names above. If you choose to use them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I’m self-employed, and it genuinely helps support my work, my family, and the cats who believe they run the place 🐱 I only link to products I genuinely use and like myself. #ad
Series: Photography Basics Without the Gear Snobbery
- Part 1: SD Cards Without the Panic
- Part 2: My Nikon D750 Card Setup
