FAQ about SD Cards

We provide some common SD card related issues that you can refer to according to your specific situation.

• How to choose a suitable SD card;
• Inserting the SD card for the first time;
• The SD card not recognized;
• How to format the SD card on a computer;

This article introduces the recommended and not recommended SD card models and reasons, and how to choose a suitable SD card according to your camera performance and needs.

Recommended SD cards and models

• Do not use Micro SD or SD adapters. You need a standard-size (full-size) SD card. Micro SD cards and SD adapters may reduce the read and write speed and stability, affecting the shooting effect and data security of the camera.

• It must be Class 10, not Class 10 U1, at least Class 6. Class 10 is one of the speed grades of SD cards, indicating a minimum write speed of 10MB/s. Class 10 U1 cards are not fast enough, because they can only guarantee a minimum speed of 10MB/s, not the average speed. Class 6 cards have a write speed of 6MB/s, which may cause video recording interruption or frame loss.

• The faster the transmission speed, the greater the impact on the camera transmission quality. Low transmission speed may cause the camera to shoot high-quality videos and images that cannot be transmitted or data loss. The transmission speed depends not only on the speed grade of the SD card, but also on the UHS (Ultra High Speed) grade of the SD card. The UHS grade indicates the maximum bus speed of the SD card, divided into U1 (maximum 50MB/s) and U3 (maximum 104MB/s). For trail cameras, U3 grade becomes very important, because it requires at least 90MB/s write speed to achieve the best shooting effect.
• It is recommended to use SDHC/SDXC cards of more reliable brands such as SanDisk, Kingston, Toshiba, Samsung, etc. in the camera to obtain the best and stable performance. These brands of SD cards have passed strict quality tests and certification, and can ensure compatibility and durability with the camera. In order to achieve the best balance between cost and performance, we recommend using SanDisk 32GB Class10 SDHC cards.
• SD card (not included): SanDisk SD C10 U1 card (capacity up to 512GB). 

Not recommended SD cards and models

• Do not use Micro SD or SD adapters. You need a standard-size (full-size) SD card. Micro SD cards and SD adapters may reduce the read and write speed and stability, affecting the shooting effect and data security of the camera.
• 
• Do not use low-speed, low-capacity or low-quality SD cards. These SD cards may cause the following problems:
  • Low speed: The speed grade or UHS grade of the SD card is lower than Class 10 or U3, resulting in insufficient write speed, unable to support HD or 4K video recording, or causing slow or failed data transmission.
  • Low capacity: The capacity of the SD card is less than 8GB, resulting in insufficient storage space, unable to save enough videos and pictures, or need to frequently replace or empty the SD card.
  • Low quality: The brand of the SD card is unknown or the quality is not good, causing read and write errors, data loss, damage or unrecognizable, or affecting the normal operation of the camera.
• Do not use the following models of SD cards, because they have been proven to have compatibility or performance issues with the camera:
  • SanDisk SD C10 U1 card (capacity up to 512GB).

When using the SD card with the camera for the first time, there will be three situations:

• The SD card is read normally, and there is no prompt of “Please insert SD card”, “SD card loading failed” or “Unable to recognize SD card”. You need to format the SD card using the “Format SD Card” menu option in the camera settings before starting to use the camera.
• The prompt “Please insert SD card” is displayed. Sometimes the SD card may be damaged or unstable, please carefully clean the contact surface of the SD card plug, and repeatedly pull out the SD card. If it still does not work, please use an SD card reader or computer slot to try to access and check whether the SD card is working properly. If it still does not work, please buy a new card, it is recommended to replace the SD card and test.
• The prompt “SD card loading failed” or “Unable to recognize SD card” is displayed. This means that your SD card may be incompatible with the camera. (This is caused by historical technical reasons, some SD cards may not have partitions, or the SD card has been used in other devices, such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, broadcast recorders, set-top boxes, etc., and the SD card partition and file system are incompatible with the camera.) Therefore, you need to format the SD card using the “Format SD Card” menu option in the camera settings before starting to use the camera.

SD card previously worked fine on the same device, but now it is not recognized

Sometimes the SD card may become damaged or unstable. Please use a clean tissue to carefully clean the contact surface of the SD card plug, ensuring that every contact surface is cleaned, and repeatedly remove the SD card.

If it still does not work, please use an SD card reader or computer slot to try to access and check whether the SD card is working properly. 

If it still does not work, please buy a new SD card, it is recommended to replace the SD card and test.

SD card previously worked fine on other devices, but now it is not recognized

This means that your SD card may be incompatible with the camera. (This is caused by historical technical reasons, some SD cards may not have partitions, or the SD card has been used in other devices, such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, broadcast recorders, set-top boxes, etc., and the SD card partition and file system are incompatible with the camera.) 

Therefore, you need to format the SD card using the “Format SD Card” menu option in the camera settings before starting to use the camera.

The “Format SD Card” in the GardePro camera settings interface can complete the formatting of the SD card in any situation. But if you need the detailed steps of formatting on a computer, here are the detailed instructions for formatting:

How-to-fix-SD-card-issues-v1.pdf

If your problem still cannot be solved, please contact us.