Best Canon Rebel T2I SD Memory Card

The Canon T2I can use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Having fast write speeds is a critical aspect for burst shooting and video.

The SD memory card you get is a big effect on the functionality of your camera.

Just want to have the best? Listed below is my recommendation on the SD card to use with your Canon T2I:

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

SD memory cards are now significantly cheaper than when the camera was newly made available.

Since prices are so cheap, it doesn’t make sense to get anything but a professional-quality SD memory card.

The best memory cards I have used have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have under no circumstances suffered from a card failure or data errors with any of those memory cards.

Every trouble I have encountered has been because of low-cost unbranded SD memory cards. Seeking to save around a dollar is not worth the cost if your T2I will not function as expected.

A great way to save money is to get a lower storage capacity SD card from a quality company. That way, you will not have to fret about the shots stored on the SD memory card.

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

You are limited to using SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards in the Canon T2I. For best performance, check that your camera has the most up to date firmware.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) cards, can not be used in the T2I.

You need to be aware of the 4 different kinds of Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be found. They are separated by capactiy.

  • 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.
SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

The following is a fast estimation of how many maximum-quality JPEGs photographs you can expect to save on a SD card:

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

The speed rating of an SD card is classified by the sequential write and read transfer speeds of the card. SD memory card write speed is very important for continuous shooting as well as video.

A slow memory card can reduce the number of continuous photos the Canon T2I can take. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write to the memory card fast enough.

With video, a slow SD card can cause a sudden end to the recording. The video file might also end up being corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is important the memory card you use meets the minimum requirements of the T2I.

Card read speed is important for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to finish.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The Class rating of an SD memory card is based on the continuous write speed. Memory cards that have a minimum write speed of at least 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 memory card that you can get today will be rated Class 10. You can discover the class rating of a SD memory card by finding a number inside of a C on the front label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS cards to have faster transfer rates.

Three separate versions have been specified. The three are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

To find the UHS rating of a card, look at the front of the card. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD card, that is going to be the rating of the memory card.

  • 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

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