Best Canon PowerShot A480 SD Memory Card

The Canon A480 requires SD memory cards. The biggest capacity SD card that is compatible with the A480 is 32GB.

MMCplus and MultiMediaCard (MMC) can also be used in the camera. However, they are no longer made. If you have one, you can use it. If you don’t have one, don’t buy one, they will cost more than an SD card.

SD memory cards that satisfy the SDXC or SDUC requirements are not going to work properly in the A480. These cards are easy to avoid as they are 64GB or larger in capacity.

The SDHC format was announced in 2006. All 32GB cards that are currently being produced will have almost identical performance. You cannot go wrong buying the cheapest class 10 name brand card. At the time of writing this, the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card has the best price.

Recommended A480 SD Cards

Listed below are some choices to choose from that will work correctly in the A480. With all of the cards listed below, you will not have to worry about poor functionality or SD card data corruption.

• Sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s
• Class 10, U1 rating delivers speed and performance for full HD photography and HD videography.
• V10 video speed rating to capture uninterrupted HD video at 1920x1080 format
• Compatible with point & shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, standard & advanced HD-enabled video cameras, and more
• Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof

• Quick transfer read speeds up to 90MB/s.
• Write speeds are not capable of recording 4k video.
• Class 10 rating for Full HD video (1080p).
• Waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray Proof, magnet-Proof, and shockproof.

• UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) supports Full HD video and burst shots. 130MB/s transfer speeds1 let you upload footage to your PC in an instant.
• Built to survive tough conditions and heavy usage, whether you’re at home, outside, or on the go. Backed by 10-year limited warranty.
• Highly durable with comprehensive 7-proof protection.
• Backed by a 10 year warranty.

Best SD Cards

Lexar, PNY, Samsung, and SanDisk both manufacture first-class memory cards. Low-priced generic brands should be avoided.

Memory card problems, for instance a complete loss of all of your shots caused by file corruption, is more likely to happen with low-cost cards. A minuscule amount of decrease in price is not worth the reduction of construction quality.

The smart way to save money is to just buy a card with a reduced capacity. They commonly are a bit lower in price and you won’t need to fret about the SD card having data failure.

Even then, SD card failures are infrequent. Only 2 cards have become corrupted out of the loads I have owned over many years. Age could have contributed to the failure, as the SD cards were bundled with used cameras.

Canon A480 SD Card Compatibility

4 different specifications of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards are currently being manufactured. The Canon A480 is limited to using SD memory cards. Each new memory card spec increases the transfer rates and max capacity when compared to the previous standard.

Secure Digital memory card readers are backward compatible. A card reader built into a digital camera that can use SDXC cards will also be able to use SDHC and SD memory cards.

The Canon A480’s card reader is only compatible with the original two SD card specifications. SDUC or SDXC memory cards are not going to work.

• Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the A480.
• Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the A480.
• Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 64GB to 2TiB.
• Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4TiB to 128TiB.

Canon A480 Memory Card Full Error

Attempting to use an SD card that has a capacity of 64GB or larger in the A480 will cause the digital point and shoot camera to show an error message.

Use an SD memory card with a storage capacity of 32GB or smaller to avoid the problem.

If you have an SD memory card that is 32GB or smaller, and it is not functioning correctly, try to format the SD card in the camera.

Speed, Class, & Capacity

SD Card Image Capacity

Here is a quick estimation of the quantity of large JPEGs you will be able to save on an SD memory card.

• 4GB - 1920 images
• 8GB - 3840 images
• 16GB - 7680 images
• 32GB - 15360 images

Memory Card Speed

The speed rating for SD memory cards is determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the memory card is important for when many pictures need to be written to the memory card.

SD Card Speed Class Rating

The Class speed rating of an SD card is related to the sustained write speed of the memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the SD memory card can sustain a write speed of more than 2MB per second.

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

The highest rating an SD memory card can obtain is Class 10. There are SD cards that are a lot faster than 10MB/s. Those SD cards use other technology, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), that have a separate rating specifications.

Sustained write speeds of 2MB, 4MB, 6MB, or 8MB per second means the card has a speed class of 2, 4, 6, or 8. Cards that have write speeds of 10MB/s or faster are rated as Class 10.

MultiMediaCard Compatibility

The MultiMediaCard specification was unveiled in 1997 by SanDisk and Siemens AG. MMC cards resemble a slimmer SD card.

MMC cards that are going to work correctly in the Canon A480 consist of the 1st 2 generations. Suitable cards will be branded as MMCplus or MMC. Later generations won’t work correctly with the Canon A480

It is not a smart choice to buy any MMC memory cards. Compatible MMC cards for the A480 are not actively being made. Because of that, they are pricey as well as being troublesome to find pre-owned.

Conclusion

Buy an SD memory card for the Canon A480 based on price. An expensive card isn’t going to improve performance. As long as it is a speed class 10 card, you will be fine. My recommendation is the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card.