Best Canon PowerShot SD790 IS SD Memory Card

The Canon SD790 IS requires SD memory cards. 32GB is the maximum capacity SD card that is compatible with the SD790 IS.

MMCplus and MultiMediaCard (MMC) can also be used. However, they are no longer produced. 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 labeled as SDUC or SDXC are not going to function correctly in the SD790 IS. These cards will be At least 64GB or larger, so they are easy to avoid.

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 SD790 IS SD Cards

Below are memory cards that are compatible with the SD790 IS. With all of the cards below, you will not have to worry about card failure or reduced capabilities.

• 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

Be sure to choose a card from a brand name with a rock-solid reputation, particularly SanDisk or Lexar. Cut-rate no-name brands should be avoided.

Bargain-priced cards are more likely to encounter data corruption, meaning you can lose all of your shots saved on the card. A minimal amount of decrease in price is not worth the decrease in level of quality.

The smart way to save money is to purchase a card with a smaller sized capacity. They generally are a tad cheaper and you won’t have to be worried about the SD card losing your shots.

Always bear in mind, SD card issues are unlikely to occur. Only only two cards have become unusable out of the dozens I have owned over many years. Both of the memory cards were used third party cards that were bundled along with the purchase of pre-owned digital cameras.

Canon SD790 IS SD Card Compatibility

The Canon SD790 IS is limited to only using SD memory cards. There are 4 separate specs of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. The benefit is that there is an improvement in the max storage capacity and read/write speeds with the release of each 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 card reader in the Canon SD790 IS is only compatible with the first two SD card specifications. SDXC or SDUC memory cards will not work.

• Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the SD790 IS.
• Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the SD790 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.

Canon SD790 IS Memory Card Full Error

Trying to use an SD card that is 64GB or larger in the SD790 IS will cause the point and shoot camera to display an error message.

Use a card with a capacity of 32GB or smaller to rectify the error.

If you have an SD memory card that has a storage capacity less than 32GB, and the card is not functioning correctly, try to format the memory card in the camera.

Speed, Class, & Capacity

SD Card Image Capacity

This is an estimate of how many large JPEGs you can expect to keep on an SD card.

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

Memory Card Speed

The speed rating for SD cards is determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD memory card is important in cases where many shots need to be written or read from the memory card.

SD Card Speed Class Rating

The Class speed rating of an SD memory card is determined by the sustained write speed of the SD memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the memory card can maintain a write speed of at least 2MB per second.

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

The best rating an SD card can be given is Class 10. There are cards that are a good deal faster than 10MB/s. Those cards use other solutions, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which have a separate rating criteria.

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

SanDisk and Siemens AG released the MultiMediaCard technical standard in 1997. MMC cards appear to be a slimmer SD card.

Only the earliest two versions of MMC cards are going to work correctly in the Canon SD790 IS. Suitable cards will be branded as MMC or MMCplus. Later generations are not going to function correctly in the Canon SD790 IS

I would not advise ordering any MMC memory cards. No one is at this time making MMC cards that will function with the SD790 IS. Because of that, they are overpriced as well as being really difficult to find pre-owned.

Conclusion

Buy an SD memory card for the Canon SD790 IS 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.