Best Canon Rebel T3I SD Memory Card

SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are able to be used in the Canon T3I. Video and burst shooting need memory cards with high card write speeds.

You can reduce the overall performance of your camera by using the wrong memory card.

If you’re in a rush, here’s the best memory card you can buy for the Canon T3I:

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.

Memory cards are now much less expensive than when the camera was newly sold.

Seeing as how inexpensive costs are, it doesn’t be sensible to pick anything but a pro-level SD card.

SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have excellent transfer rates and reliability. I have never experienced a card become inoperable or unusable data with those SD cards.

Every last issue I have encountered has been due to cheap unbranded SD memory cards. Hoping to save around a buck is not worthwhile if your T3I is going to experience trouble.

A smart way to save money is to opt for a lower storage capacity SD card from a quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you’ll not have to be worried about the photographs stored on the SD 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 with the Canon T3I. Check to make sure you have the latest firmware installed on your camera for the best functionality.

The newest cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), can not be used with the T3I.

There are four separate specifications of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should be aware of. SD memory cards can be told apart from the storage size of the SD card.

  • 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

Here’s an estimation of just how many large JPEGs photographs you can expect to be stored on a memory card:

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

Speed ratings of an SD memory card is determined by the sequential write and read transfer speeds. Card file write speed is very important for clearing the buffer for continuous shooting and recording video.

Slows cards can cause a drop in the number of continuous photos the Canon T3I can take. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the card fast enough.

When recording video, a slow SD card can cause a sudden end to the recording. The video file might also be corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is critical the SD card you use meets the requirements of the T3I.

Read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will decrease the transfer time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The continuous write speed of an SD memory card is the criteria for the Class rating. Cards that have a minimum write speed of 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 name-brand SD memory card that you can find for sale today will be rated Class 10. To determine the class rating of a card, look for a number inside of the C on the front label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is available in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. The UHS bus cards to achieve faster read and write speeds.

There are three separate specifications. They are called UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the card to determine the rating of a memory card. If the memory card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the label.

  • 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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