What are the best SD cards for the Zoom H1n?
1. Sandisk Ultra 32GB
If you are looking to buy an SD card to exclusively use on your Zoom H1n, then you should consider this card. It’s a basic microSDHC card with 32GB capacity. Has up to 48MB/s Read Speed, though I rarely achieve speeds of more than 15MB/s with mine.
It’s rated to a minimum sustained write speed of 10MB/s, which is more than enough for the Zoom H1n.
Here’s why.
The highest bitrate audio the Zoom H1n can record is 96kHz/24bit stereo WAV recording. That equates to 96,000 Hz X 24 bit X 2 channels = 4,608,000 bps, which is equivalent to 0.576MB/s (that’s MegaBytes per second!).
So, the minimum write speed of this card is approximates 20 times more than what you’ll ever need when using the H1n.
Good choice, especially if you can get it on offer or discount. Click here to check its price on Amazon.
2 Sandisk Ultra 32GB A1
This microSD card is the faster brother of the previous card. It’s rated for up to 120MB/s read speed. If you have the right adapter and connect it to a fast USB port, you can very quickly transfer your recording from your card to your computer.
The other advantage of this card is that it has an A1 rating. So, you can use it on your phone and store music or load apps. Its A1 performance is 1500 read IOPS, 500 write IOPS.
Normally this card is a little bit more expensive that its non-A1 rated cousin, but the price difference is usually less than a dollar. If you want a microSD card that you can also use with a video camera, look out for the Sandisk Extreme version of this card. For H1n, the Extreme version is overkill.
Personally, I really like this SD card and it’s my go to microSDHC card. Buy this microSD from amazon.
3. Samsung Evo Select 32GB
The Samsung Eve Select is a fast microSDHC card with read & write speeds up to 95MB/s & 20MB/s respectively. Though its rated 10MB/s minimum write read which, as we have seen, is more than adequate for the Zoom H1n.
Other than that, it’s a basic microSDHC without the phone and video capabilities. Very similar to the Sandisk Ultra. The cheapest place I have found this card is on the Samsung online store where it retails for $7.49. But it’s never in stock! Samsung, have you halted the production of this microSD?
Currently its available for more than double that price on Amazon. Wouldn’t recommend it for that price, but pricing does tend to change so check it’s current price on Amazon.
Choosing a microSD card for the Zoom H1n.
If you are looking for a SD card exclusively for use with the Zoom H1n, then all you need to care about is compatibility, and escape the dreaded invalid SD card error. And that leads us to a discussion about…
SD vs. SDHC vs. SDXC
A memory card’s compatibility is determined by the SD standard. Not the (maximum) capacity. There are 3 SD Standards:
SD (Secure Digital) cards are the oldest, and least used, and are limited to 2 GB of storage.
SDHC (High Capacity) cards can store 2GB up to 32 GB of data.
SDXC (Extended Capacity) cards can store 32GB up to 2 Terabytes (2000 GB).
The Zoom H1n is compatible with SD and SDHC microSD card. It is NOT compatible with SDXC microSD cards.
If you insert a microSD card into the Zoom H1n and you get the Invalid SD card error, it’s probably because you have inserted a microSDXC card. Formatting the card using the Zoom H1n won’t resolve the error.
However, you can format your microSDXC card using a windows computer, turning it into a SDHC card, and it will work on the Zoom H1n.
Zoom H1n SD Card Compatibility List
| Name | Capacity | Manufacturer | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk Ultra | 32GB | Western Digital | Check Price on Amazon |
| SanDisk Extreme | 32GB | Western Digital | Check Price on Amazon |
| PNY Elite Class | 32GB | PNY | Check Price on Amazon |
| Micro Center | 32GB | Inland | Check Price on Amazon |
| Samsung Evo Plus | 32GB | Samsung | Check Price on Amazon |
| Canvas Select Plus | 32GB | Kingston | Check Price on Amazon |
| Lexar | 32GB | Lexar | Check Price on Amazon |
| Verbatim Premium | 32GB | Verbatim Americas | Check Price on Amazon |
| Patriot LX Series | 16GB | Patriot Memory | Check Price on Amazon |
If you buy an SDHC microSD card from a reputable seller, it will work with the H1n. If you want to learn more about microSD cards, including a super tip on how to turn your SDXC card into a SDHC card, check out this post.
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