Best Canon Rebel XS SD Memory Cards

The Canon Rebel XS uses SD memory cards. 32GB is the maximum capacity SD card that can be used in the Rebel XS.

SD memory cards described as SDXC or SDUC won’t work in the Rebel XS. These cards are easy to avoid as they are 64GB or larger in size.

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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.

Below are a few options to choose from that will function correctly with the Rebel XS. With all of the cards outlined below, you won’t have to be worried about card failure or poor performance.

PNY Elite 32GB SD Memory Card
PNY Elite 32GB SD Card
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  • 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

SanDisk Ultra 32GB UHS-I SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 32GB SD Card
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  • 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.

Samsung EVO Plus 32GB SD Memory Card
Samsung EVO Plus 32GB SD Card
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  • 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.

High-quality memory cards are made by both Lexar and SanDisk. Avoid buying cards from bargain-priced third party brands.

Cheap cards are more liable to have data corruption, meaning you can lose all of your shots stored on the card. The decrease in build quality is not worth the slight savings.

Buying a reduced capacity memory card is a good way to save a little bit of money. They should be a tad less expensive and you won’t need to be worried about the SD card failing.

Even then, SD card failures are not common. Just two cards have become unusable out of the dozens I have owned over time. Age could have added to the failure, as the SD cards were included with used cameras.

Currently, four separate technical specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards are currently being made. The Canon Rebel XS can only use SD memory cards. Every updated memory card spec improves the transfer rates and max storage capacity when compared to the previous standard.

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 Rebel XS’s card reader is only compatible with the original two SD card technical specs. SDUC or SDXC memory cards will not work.

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

Attempting to use a memory card that is 64GB or larger in size in the Rebel XS will result in the digital point and shoot camera to show an error.

Get an SD card that has a capacity of 32GB or smaller to prevent the problem.

If you have an SD memory card that is 32GB or smaller, and the card is not working, format the SD card in the camera.

This is an estimation of the total quantity of large JPEGs you can expect to store on an SD card.

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

Speed ratings for SD memory cards are determined by sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the card is important in the event that many pictures need to be written to the card.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The Class speed rating of an SD card is determined by the sustained write speed of the SD card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the memory 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 maximum rating a card can have is Class 10. There are SD memory cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those memory cards use other technology, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which have a different rating standards.

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.

Buy an SD memory card for the Canon Rebel XS 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.