
The Canon S5 IS needs SD memory cards. The largest capacity SD card that can be used in the S5 IS is 32GB. MultiMediaCards (MMC) can also be used.
SD memory cards described as SDUC or SDXC won't work correctly in the S5 IS. These cards will be 64GB or bigger, so they are simple to avoid.
If you're in a hurry, here's the best memory card you can buy for the Canon S5 IS:
- Best value for the money.
- Read speeds of up to 95MB/s; write speeds of up to 90MB/s.
- Shock-proof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and x-ray proof.
- UHS speed Class 3 (U3) and UHS video speed Class 30 (V30).
64GB or larger cards are not compatible with the camera.
Table of Contents
Recommended S5 IS SD Cards
Below are some possibilities to choose from that are compatible with the S5 IS. With any of the cards listed below, you won't have to stress out over sluggish capabilities or SD memory card failure.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB SDHC UHS-I
- Best value for the money.
- Read speeds of up to 95MB/s; write speeds of up to 90MB/s.
- Shock-proof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and x-ray proof.
- UHS speed Class 3 (U3) and UHS video speed Class 30 (V30).
- 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.
Lexar Professional 633X 32GB SDHC UHS-I
- High-speed, Class 10 performance.
- UHS-I technology for a read transfer speed up to 633x (95MB/s).
- High-speed file transfer from card to computer to dramatically accelerate workflow.
Best SD Cards
Make sure to choose a card from a brand name with a strong reputation, such as SanDisk or Lexar. Avoid ordering cards from cheap no-name brands.
Cut-rate cards are more inclined to have data corruption, meaning that you'll lose all of your shots saved on the card. The decrease in quality is not worth the tiny savings.
Buying a smaller sized capacity card is a good way to save money. They usually are a tad less expensive and you won't have to be worried about the SD card becoming corrupted.
Always bear in mind, SD card issues are an uncommon experience. Just only two cards have become unusable out of the many I have possessed over many years. Age may have played a role, as the SD cards were bundled with previously owned digital point & shoots.
Canon S5 IS SD Card Compatibility
Currently, 4 separate specifications of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards are currently being manufactured. The Canon S5 IS uses SD memory cards. The benefit is that there is a boost in the max capacity and read/write speeds with the release of every updated technical spec.
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 S5 IS's card reader can only read the original two SD card standards. 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 S5 IS.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the S5 IS.
- 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.
Memory Card Full Error

Attempting to use a memory card that has a capacity of 64GB or larger in the S5 IS results in the digital point and shoot camera to show an error.
Get a memory card which has a storage capacity of 32GB or smaller to resolve the problem.
If you have a memory card that has a storage capacity less than 32GB, and the card is not working, format the SD card while it is in the camera.
Speed, Class, & Capacity
SD Card Image Capacity
The following is a quick estimation of the total quantity of large JPEGs you will be able to keep on an SD card.
- 4GB - 1920 images
- 8GB - 3840 images
- 16GB - 7680 images
- 32GB - 15360 images
Memory Card Speed
Speed ratings for SD cards are determined by sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD card is important for when many photographs need to be written or read from the card.
SD Card Speed Class Rating

The Class speed rating of an SD memory card is dependant on the sustained write speed of the SD card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the SD 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 top rating an SD card can attain is Class 10. There are cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those memory cards use other solutions, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which use a different rating standard.
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 revealed by Siemens AG and SanDisk in 1997. MMC cards are similar in dimensions to an SD memory card, but they are just a bit thinner.
Only the original MMC cards are going to function correctly in the Canon S5 IS. The second-gen MMCplus cards won't function.
It isn't a good idea to buy an MMC card. Compatible MMC cards for the S5 IS are not at this time being built. For that reason, they are unaffordable and extremely hard to buy pre-owned.
Conclusion
The best SD memory card for the Canon S5 IS is the SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB SD Memory Card. However, the Lexar Professional 32GB SD Memory Card offers the best value.