Best Canon PowerShot A3100 IS SD Memory Card

The Canon PowerShot A3100 IS can use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Fast write speeds are a critical factor for video and continuous shooting.

The SD memory card you go with is a large impact on the performance of your camera.

Want to skip the technical specs? This is my recommendation on the memory card for use in your Canon PowerShot A3100 IS:

• UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
• Excellent choice for photos.
• Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
• Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
• Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

Best SD Cards

Cards have dropped in cost since the launch of the Canon PowerShot A3100 IS.

With costs staying so affordable, it doesn’t make sense to pick anything other than a pro-level memory card.

SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have great speed and dependability. I have not encountered a card physically fail or data errors with any of those cards.

All the trouble I have dealt with has been with generic unbranded cards. Attempting to save a small amount of money is not worth the cost if your PowerShot A3100 IS is going to experience problems.

A sensible way to spend less money is to get a smaller capacity card from a quality manufacturer. By doing this, you will know your images are safe on the SD card.

Recommended SD Cards

• UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
• Excellent choice for photos.
• Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
• Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
• Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

• UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
• Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
• Larger capacity cards are available.
• Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.

• Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
• UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
• Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
• Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.

Canon PowerShot A3100 IS SD Card Compatibility

The only memory cards that can be used with with the Canon PowerShot A3100 IS are SDXC, SDHC, and SD. Check to be sure that you have the most up-to-date firmware installed on your camera for the best compatibility.

The newest memory cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), are not able to be used with the PowerShot A3100 IS.

You need to know of the four different types of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards that exist. They can be recognized from the size of the memory card.

• SD (Secure Digital) - 128MB to 2GB.
• SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) - 4GB to 32GB.
• SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) - 64GB to 2TB.
• SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) - 4TB to 128TB.

Image Capacity

The following is a quick approximation of the volume of maximum-quality JPEGs shots you can be expecting to save on a card:

• 16GB - 4,640 images
• 32GB - 9,280 images
• 64GB - 18,560 images
• 128GB - 37,120 images

Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings

Card Speed

The speed rating of an SD card is based on the sequential read and write transfer speeds. The transfer speed of a SD memory card is essential for video as well as continuous shooting.

Slows cards can cause a reduction in the number of continuous photos the Canon PowerShot A3100 IS can take. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write data to the SD card fast enough.

With video, a slow SD card can cause recording to stop. The video file may also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is essential the memory card you use meets the requirements of the PowerShot A3100 IS.

Card read speed is important for file transfers to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a card with a fast transfer speed will cut down on the transfer time.

Speed Class Rating

The continuous write speed of an SD memory card is the factor that determines the Class rating. Cards that have a minimum write speed of 10MB/s will be rated Class 10.

• Class 2 - 2MB/s
• Class 4 - 4MB/s
• Class 6 - 6MB/s
• Class 8 - 8MB/s
• Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster

Every brand-name card that you can find for sale online will be rated Class 10. You can find the class rating of a SD memory card by looking for a number inside of the C on the label.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus can be gotten with SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS cards to have increased transfer rates.

There are 3 separate specifications. They are called UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the card to find the UHS rating of a SD card. If the SD card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be seen on the memory card label.

• UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
• UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
• UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s