Best Canon Digital Rebel SD Memory Cards
The Canon Digital Rebel uses Compact Flash memory cards. 8GB is the max card capacity that can be used.
A card over 8GB will not be recognized or the Digital Rebel will display an error. Additionally, a CF card will need to be formatted by the camera or with the FAT32 file system.
Recommended CF Cards
Transcend 8GB CompactFlash Card
- Up to 50 MB/s Read; 20 MB/s write.
- MLC NAND flash memory.
- Supports up to Ultra DMA transfer mode 4.
- Ideal for entry-level DSLRs.
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Verbatim 4GB CompactFlash Card
- High Performance controller for demanding applications.
- Rugged - withstands up to 2000 g’s operating shock.
- Low power consumption - Extends battery life.
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SanDisk Ultra 8GB CompactFlash Card
- Up to 30MB/sec read/write speeds.
- Operating shock rating of 2,000 Gs, equivalent to a 10-foot drop to the floor.
- Low power consumption.
- Minimum of 15 MB/second** sequential read speed.
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Compact Flash Card Types
CF Memory cards come in two different sizes. The cards are referred to as Type I or Type II.
The difference between the types of cards is how thick they are. The width and length of the cards are the same.
- Type I - 3.3mm thick
- Type II - 5mm thick
The Type II spec were thicker so Microdrives could be used in the Canon Digital Rebel. A Microdrive was a tiny mechanical harddrive.
When CF cards were initially introduced they had high prices and very small storage capacities. Microdrives were the only solution to get large amounts of storage.
Microdrives are no longer being produced. Because they were mechanical, failure came from prolonged use or age. So they are nearly impossible to find used.
SD to Compact Flash adapters also use Type II slots. There are adapters that will allow you to use Micro SD or SD cards in a Compact Flash slot.
Card Reader
The UGREEN 4-in-1 card reader is what I use with my CF cards.
The UGREEN card reader is USB 3.0 compatible. Using the card reader will provide transfer speeds that are much faster than what the Canon Digital Rebel can achieve.
The card reader can read these memory card types:
- CompactFlash Cards
- SD, SDHC, & SDXC Cards
- Memory Stick (MS), MS Pro, MS PRO-HG, & MS XC DUO
- MicroSD, Micro SDHC, & Micro SDXC Cards
Avoiding Card Read Errors
A frequent problems with cameras that use CF cards are bent card slot pins. If a pin is bent, you could see a ‘unable to use card’ error.
To avoid bent pins, don’t force a CF card into the Canon Digital Rebel. The extra space for a Type II card allows a Compact Flash memory card to be aligned incorrectly.
If the compact flash card won’t effortlessly slide into the slot, remove it and check the alignment of the memory card. Also, check to see if these is any damage to the memory card.
If it looks fine, carefully align the compact flash card and make another attempt.