Dash Cam Memory Cards

Why a Quality Memory Card is needed for A Dash Cam

When considering a dash cam memory card most people just consider the highest capacity card for the lowest price.

Is this really the best choice ?

This is not to say this card is a “bad card” (as it clearly isn’t), but is it really what you should be using in your dash cam ?

Memory Card Types

Memory cards come in various types – some are suitable for photo / file storage, others are more suited to video recording and some also have power off protection and are more  hardened for constant writes / re-writes.

How long does a memory card last ?

All memory cards have a finite lifespan for write / read cycles and will eventually wear out when files are added, read or deleted. It will be necessary to consult the manufacturer data for how long this may be – this varies enormously by manufacturer and card type. When using them in a dash cam the lifespan can be dramatically reduced if the wrong type is selected.

What happens when the card is in the dash cam ?

Memory cards have a hard life – when the camera is in use data is constantly being written to and read from the memory card. Eventually this will cause any memory card to “fail”. In reality “failure” can simply mean the card has exceeded the amount of times that it can be written to / read from.

What card should I pick ?

Obviously, price is important but this is not the only consideration. Card speed also plays a part, so best to use a class 10 or above. There are specific cards aimed at “action cam” users and others that have sudden power off protection.

Best advice is to look for a card with the following features:

• Class 10 or above (other lower speed cards may still work but may not keep up with higher fps).
• Action camera / dash cam rated.
• Sudden power loss protection (though some cameras, such as Thinkware have this built in).
• Pick a known manufacturer with a quality assurance programme.