A lot of advice about memory cards quietly assumes unlimited budgets. That’s not reality - and it definitely isn’t mine.
I’m a 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:
- D500:
They’re not identical cards. They weren’t bought at the same time. And that’s absolutely fine. And yes, one is 512GB but it was on special offer!
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 “quietly 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
- 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 / 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 the point.
Dual slots give you flexibility, not rules.
Will a cheaper card slow the other one down?
Not in the way people fear. 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.
You’ll might have noticed a few affiliate links in this post. 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 promote products I genuinely use and like myself.