How to spot fake SD cards before they ruin your photos

[EventHorizon25]

Fake SD cards are still a real problem, especially with large capacity cards sold at prices that look too good. A fake card may show the right capacity on your computer but fail when it fills up, corrupt files, or write much slower than advertised. Buying known cards such as the SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC card, Samsung PRO Plus Full Size 128GB SDXC Memory Card, or Lexar Professional 1667x SD Card 128GB from a trusted seller is the first step. The second step is testing every new card before using it for important photos or video. I always format the card in the camera, run a full capacity test on a computer if possible, and avoid using a brand new card for a once in a lifetime shoot.

[DotEXE]

The full capacity test is boring, but it is better than finding out during a wedding or holiday.

[Connor82]

I never trust marketplace bargains for memory cards anymore. The saving is not worth the risk.

[FairDos72]

Formatting in the camera has solved a few odd errors for me, especially after using the card in a laptop.

[NightOwl]

I keep old cards for noncritical stuff once they start acting strange. For important shoots they get retired.