Cards
- UHS‑I U3/V30 or better; avoid no‑name brands.
- Format in‑camera regularly; retire cards that misbehave.
Readers & Cables
- USB‑C SD reader for modern iPhones; official adapters for Lightning.
- Short, high‑quality cables reduce transfer errors.
Performance Tips
- Keep iPhone above 20% battery to avoid throttling during long copies.
- Disable background app refresh to reduce random interruptions.
- Copy before previewing; some apps trigger slow background transcodes.
After Import
Compress with HEVCut to keep your iPhone responsive and iCloud uploads quick—even on limited hotel Wi‑Fi. Typical targets: 4K30 at 20–35 Mbps, 4K60 at 35–50 Mbps. Preview one clip, then batch the rest.