For many, like myself, the best part of flying a drone is getting to see all the precious memories and videos that you’re able to capture from the sky. I’ve been flying for years and have caught some fantastic shots on my Mavic Air 2. Although, I’ve also lost a few…
In my opinion, no loss is more significant than shooting some incredible footage to have it accidentally deleted or lost due to a lack of SD storage space. If you’ve also experienced this tragedy, you know the importance of a sound and reliable SD card. The best Mavic Air 2 SD card on the market is the SanDisk Extreme MicroSD. It stands out for its ample storage space and high writing speed.
This article will closely examine four different SD cards and the many features and benefits that each one offers. If you’re looking to purchase the best Mavic Air 2 SD card, keep reading to learn about my top choice based on hours of research and experience.
Best SD Card For Mavic Air 2: SanDick 128GB Extreme
It has excellent reading speeds of up to 160M/Bs and write speeds of up to 90 M/Bs.
Its fast speed ensures that all heavy footage quickly flies over onto your monitor for some processing.
In addition, the SD card has accelerated transferring speeds for switching media between drones.
This comes in handy if you run out of space and need to make some room.
Let’s start this review with the overall best Mavic Air 2 SD card that can be purchased today. The SanDisk Extreme MicroSD card is an excellent choice for any drone enthusiast looking to protect their valuable footage. It is compatible with DJI camera drones and can hold 128GB of pictures and videos.
In addition, the SanDisk card delivers 4K Ultra HD and full HD video recording and playback. As a result, it will be capable of holding any high-quality footage captured on your drone’s flight. A sound SD card should have high writing and reading speeds to ensure the footage is clear and smooth. The SanDisk Extreme MicroSD has a writing speed of 90 MB/s and a reading speed of 160 MB/s, making it fast enough to accommodate full HD and 4K recordings.
The card is built to last and can hold its own under extreme weather conditions. This is especially important if you foresee yourself flying in colder or wetter climates. The card is temperature-proof, waterproof, shockproof, and Xray proof. You can never be sure if your drone will be in an accident, and having an SD card with extra protection is worthwhile. The SD card will also have an adapter compatible with several other devices. If you’re a beginner or veteran flyer, then the best Mavic Air 2 SD card is the SanDisk Extreme MicroSD, and it only costs $29.
Best SD Card For Mavic Air 2: PNY 128GB Pro Elite
This particular SD card has a reading speed of 100 M/Bs and a writing speed of 90 M/Bs.
It also comes with an adaptor that is compatible with smartphones, tablets, video cameras, and laptops, in addition to drones. This way, you won’t need to worry about finding a way to transfer the footage taken from your drone and SD card onto your desired device.
The SanDisk extreme might be the overall best Mavic Air 2 SD card, but the PNY 128 GB Pro Elite is the cheapest option on this list. It can be purchased for less than $20 and still offers 128 GB of storage.
As mentioned previously, the reading and writing speed of your SD card is an important feature to look for before making a purchase.
Despite the low price, the Pro Elite SD card is highly durable and capable of withstanding some rougher conditions. It comes with a magnet-proof, shockproof, temperature-proof, and water-proof guarantee!
It is an excellent choice for adventurers looking for an affordable SD card that offers protection from potential accidents. If that still isn’t enough, the SD card comes with a lifetime guarantee in case the card is defective! Therefore, if you’re looking for the cheapest and best Mavic Air 2 SD card, the Pro Elite is an option worth looking into.
Best SD Card For Mavic Air 2: Lexar 256GB Micro SD Card
If you’re a professional photographer or videographer looking for a high-quality and trustworthy SD card, the Lexar Micro SD is an excellent choice.
This card comes with 256GB of storage space, which is an ample amount for any avid videographer. In fact, it can store up to 12 hours of 4K video or over 75,000 photos!
The Lexar SD card has phenomenal data transfer speeds and supports up to 150 M/Bs reading speeds and 90 M/Bs writing speeds. As a result, it can handle full HD and 4K video and photos. So, you can expect clear and smooth video quality of any footage uploaded.
Like the others, the Lexar SD also comes with an adaptor capable of connecting several devices. You won’t need to worry about finding a way to upload any footage to your laptop. If you’re an avid traveler or adventurer, you can be confident that the SD card will keep up with your thrill-seeking activities. It is waterproof for up to 30 minutes and in 1 meter of water depth. In addition, it is shockproof and X-ray-proof, so traveling ad airport security shouldn’t be an issue.
This SD card is the perfect choice for professionals looking for excellent storage capacity and high-speed performance. However, some users have encountered that the card breaks when improperly removed, so proceed cautiously when taking it out of the drone.
The card has up to 98MB/s reading speed and lets you move up to 1,000 photos in a minute. It has A1-rated performance and high-speed loading times, so you’ll be able to see your videos ad photos sooner.
A unique benefit to this card is its access to a personal SanDisk Memory Zone app for easy photo management.
The best Mavic Air 2 SD card for small memory size is the SanDisk 16GB Ultra microSDHC. It may sound counterproductive to purchase a small memory-size SD card, but not everyone needs tons of storage and high-processing speeds. So, for a small investment of only $10, you can pick up one of these excellent cards.
It still boasts a reading speed of 98 MB/s, making it more than capable of handling HD video and 4K photos. In addition, the SD card comes with A1-rated and high-speed loading times. This is a great benefit because you won’t need to wait long for your captured footage to be ready for viewing.
However, the best benefit of this SD card is that it comes with access to the SanDisk Memory Zone app. The app offers easy file management to ensure you aren’t losing track of any photos or videos uploaded. As an individual with a highly disorganized desktop screen, this is a benefit that shouldn’t be ignored! On top of this, with a purchase of the SanDisk 16GB, you will get a 10-year limited manufacturer warranty in the unlikely case that your SD card is defective.
Mavic Air 2 SD Card Buying Guide
What to look for in the best SD card for Mavic Air 2?
when buying an SD card it is important to look for certain features. Take a look below to see which ones to pay attention to and why.
Card Capacity
The first thing to think about when looking to buy an SD card is the total storage capacity that it offers. Generally, a beginner won’t need much more than 32 GB, but I would claim the gold standard is to pick up a card with 126GB of storage. That way, you can be confident that the card will hold all the footage taken on any exciting adventures. For example, in this list, the best Mavic Air 2 SD card has 126 GB of storage.
Read and write speeds
This is the speed at which an SD card can read and write data. To clarify, read speed is important because it affects how fast the SD card can get data out. In contrast, write speed is responsible for ensuring the photos and videos being taken are correctly read and written onto your SD card.
For example, a flyer that wants to record or photograph wildlife and sporting events will wish to have an SD card with a higher writing speed to record the images without much data loss correctly, whereas if your card’s speed is too low for the footage being recorded than your chance to get poor-quality video and pictures as the final product.
Extreme conditions resistance
If you like to hike and capture footage of glaciers, mountains, or places with hotter or wetter climates, your SD cards might be exposed to less-than-ideal circumstances; therefore, if this sounds like you, opt for an SD card capable of withstanding challenging weather conditions.
Some of the features you might look for in a sound SD card include:
- X-Ray Proof: Protect your SD card from x-ray machines at the airport or elsewhere.
- Shock Proof: Keep your SD card safe from accidental damage when transporting it.
- Heat Proof: Accidents happen! If you are prone to forgetting your SD card in a hot car, then heatproof protection could be a lifesaver.
- Waterproof: Protect your SD card from rain or mist when flying in various weather conditions.
How to protect SD cards?
No SD card is invincible, even if you’ve purchased one that offers a collection of protective features. So, here are some tips on ways you can protect your SD card and any footage you’ve saved on it!
Purchase a dedicated storage case
A storage case is an easy way you can keep your SD card safe from damage and from being lost. Fortunately, SD storage cases are easy to come by and can be purchased online or from local electronic stores for a reasonable price.
If you want a good case, keep your eye out for one that also comes with shockproof and waterproof features. This added level of protection is worth the potential extra cost and allows you to leave the card stress-free in your bag when hiking or moving about.
Backup regularly
One of the biggest mistakes that beginner and amateur flyers make is forgetting to back up their SD card after shooting with a drone. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gone on some incredible adventures while capturing fantastic footage, only to forget to back it up on my computer. Don’t make this same mistake!
I strongly advise that you regularly back up your footage onto a laptop or hard drive after each session. The peace of mind of knowing that your footage is safe is worth the extra time it might take to upload everything.
FAQs About Mavic Air 2 SD Cards
What is the maximum card capacity for the Mavic Air 2?
The best Mavic 2 SD card for storage capacity will have 256GB. This is the maximum amount of storage the drone will be able to handle.
Does the Mavic Air 2 come with an SD card?
The Mavic Air 2 has an internal storage capacity of 8GB; you will need to purchase an SD card separately for an additional price. I recommend the SanDisk Extreme MicroSD as the best Mavic Air 2 SD card.
What will happen if the incorrect SD card is installed?
If you happen to insert the wrong SD card into your Mavic Air 2, then you will likely get an error message, or the card won’t fit in general. The next step is to either determine if the card is compatible with your drone through a quick google search or check to make sure no damage has been done to the SD card while it was being used.
Will the wrong SD card affect my drone’s video quality?
Yes, the camera on a Mavic Air 2 is quite advanced, and if you insert the wrong-sized SD card with a reading and writing speed that is too slow, then the card will not be able to match your camera’s speed and can lead to a loss of data and video that will stutter.
Final Thoughts On The Best Mavic Air 2 SD Card
In my quest to discover the best Mavic Air 2 SD card, I’ve concluded that the greatest overall option is the SanDisk Extreme microSD Card with 128GB of storage and 90 MB/s write speed. Making it capable of processing full HD and 4K recordings.
In addition, it has shockproof, X-ray, and waterproof protection for flyers worried about potentially damaging the card during exciting adventures or due to unfriendly weather conditions. The card costs an affordable $29, with an adaptor that pairs with a selection of other devices. The excellent price point might even leave some extra money in the budget to invest in a sturdy case for some additional levels of protection
It has excellent reading speeds of up to 160M/Bs and write speeds of up to 90 M/Bs.
Its fast speed ensures that all heavy footage quickly flies over onto your monitor for some processing.
In addition, the SD card has accelerated transferring speeds for switching media between drones.
This comes in handy if you run out of space and need to make some room.
