This is where almost everyone goes wrong. You buy a good camera and put in the card that was in the drawer, the old one from your phone. Within a few months the camera starts to play up, stops recording, or —worst of all— still looks like it's recording and the day something happens there's nothing there.
Why a phone microSD won't do for a camera
Think about what each was designed for. Your phone's card writes when you take a photo or record a video: a while a day, in odd bursts. A security camera writes non-stop, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and overwrites on top when it fills up. It's brutal use for the memory.
Flash memory has a limited number of write cycles. A normal card, in a camera, burns through them in months. That's why High Endurance cards exist: same size, same look, but with memory built for continuous writing and to withstand heat and humidity, which is what's inside a camera on the wall in August.
The price difference is a few euros. The difference in lifespan is years.
How many days does each card record?
It depends on the resolution and whether you record continuously or only on motion detection. As a rough guide, with a 5MP camera:
- 64 GB — a few days recording continuously, or several weeks if you only record on motion. Enough for a camera at home.
- 128 GB — double. It's the one we recommend if you want continuous recording or if the camera is somewhere busy.
When it fills up, the camera overwrites the oldest. It never stops recording because it's full.
A legal note worth knowing: Spanish law requires you to delete recordings within a month, unless they serve to prove an offence. So you don't need a huge card: you need a reliable one.
Card or recorder?
The card is the solution for a single camera: at home, in the garage, in a small venue. Each camera stores its own footage.
If you have several cameras, an NVR recorder with a hard drive suits you better: it centralises them all, stores weeks of video and lets you search by time in one place instead of going camera by camera.
Many customers use both: a recorder for the business and a card in the camera at the front door of the house.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the card that came with my old phone?
You can, but it won't last long and won't warn you when it dies. If you're putting up a camera for peace of mind, don't build it on a card that's going to fail.
What does High Endurance mean?
That the memory is designed for continuous recording, with many more write cycles and better heat tolerance. It's the type of card used by dashcams and surveillance cameras.
64 or 128 GB?
If you record only on detection, 64 GB is plenty. If you record continuously or the camera sees a lot of movement, go for 128 GB.
Does it need formatting?
Yes, the first time you format it from the camera's own app. It's a couple of taps and the app guides you. If you get stuck, we'll help.
Will it work with any camera?
With all of ours, yes. If you have a camera from another brand, tell us which and we'll confirm the maximum capacity it takes.
Not sure which one you need?
Tell us what camera you have and how you use it, and we'll tell you which card you need. Message us on WhatsApp or call 622 872 311.
Go back to the security camera guide, or see the cameras for the home, bars and restaurants or shops.