Best Canon PowerShot SX120 IS SD Memory Card

The Canon SX120 IS requires SD memory cards. The maximum capacity SD card that can be used in the SX120 IS is 32GB.

MMCplus and MultiMediaCard (MMC) can also be used. 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 be more expensive than an SD card.

SD memory cards described as SDXC or SDUC are not going to work in the SX120 IS. These cards will be 64GB or bigger, so they can easily be avoided.

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 SX120 IS SD Cards

Listed below are some possibilities to select from that can be used with the SX120 IS. With any of the cards below, you will not have to stress out over SD memory card failure or sluggish performance.

• 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 select a card from a brand name with a good reputation, such as SanDisk or Lexar. Avoid ordering cards from bargain-priced house brands.

Low-cost cards are more inclined to encounter data corruption, meaning you can lose all of your photos saved on the card. The decrease in construction quality is not worth the slight cost savings.

The smart way to save a small amount of money is to just buy a memory card with a smaller sized capacity. They probably will be slightly lower in cost and you will not have to worry about the SD card having data failure.

Bear in mind, SD card issues are rarely experienced. Throughout the years, I have only suffered from a couple of cards fail. Both memory cards were used third party cards that were bundled along with the purchase of pre-owned digital point & shoots.

Canon SX120 IS SD Card Compatibility

The Canon SX120 IS is limited to using SD memory cards. There are currently 4 separate specifications of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. The benefit is that there is a boost in the maximum capacity and transfer rates with the release of every new 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 SX120 IS is only compatible with the first and second SD card technical specs. SDUC or SDXC SD memory cards will not function correctly.

• Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the SX120 IS.
• Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the SX120 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 SX120 IS Memory Card Full Error

Trying to use an SD memory card that is 64GB or larger in size in the SX120 IS will result in the point and shoot camera to show an error message.

Get a card that has a storage capacity of 32GB or smaller to prevent the error.

If you are using an SD memory card that is 32GB or smaller, and the card is not working correctly, format the memory card while it is in the camera.

Speed, Class, & Capacity

SD Card Image Capacity

The following is an estimation of how many large JPEGs you can expect to fit on an SD card.

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

Memory Card Speed

The speed rating for SD memory cards is established by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD card is important in the event that 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 determined by the sustained write speed of the SD memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the SD memory card can maintain 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 best rating a card can obtain is Class 10. There are memory cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those memory cards use other technologies, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), that 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

The MultiMediaCard technical standard was established in 1997 by SanDisk and Siemens AG. MMC cards look like a slimmer SD memory card.

MMC cards that will work in the Canon SX120 IS consist of the 1st 2 generations. Compatible cards will be labeled as MMC or MMCplus. Later versions are not going to work with the Canon SX120 IS

It is not advisable to buy any MMC memory cards. Suitable MMC cards for the SX120 IS are not currently being built. Due to this fact, they are extremely hard to purchase used as well as being not cheap.

Conclusion

Buy an SD memory card for the Canon SX120 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.