Best Memory Cards Canon G1X Mark III

An in-camera speed comparison between memory cards in the Canon G1X III. This guide will show which memory cards perform best and are the fastest in the Canon G1X Mark III.

Fastest Memory Cards For The Canon G1X III

The Canon G1X III supports UHS-II memory cards, but the hardware will not take advantage of the extra speed they offer, so I would recommend using UHS-I cards.

Kingston, Samsung, and Sandisk Extreme Pro are the top-performing cards for this camera. Of the three, I recommend the Kingston and the Sandisk Extreme Pro. Delkin, Transcend, and Sony cards also perform well, but Canon does not recommend using Sony cards (probably because they compete in the camera space).

One thing I’ve always loved about Canon cameras is their consistently great memory card performance and very good compatibility. Any top-brand memory card will work great with this camera.

Here are my top UHS-I memory card recommendations.

Canon G1X Mark III | The Speed Test

A speed test to measure the performance of each memory card and how it performs in the Canon G1X III. Tests are shot in RAW at ISO 100 with a shutter speed of 1/100 in continuous burst mode.

USB 3.0 speeds are measured using CrystalDiskMark in Windows 10.

Memory Cards	USB 3.0 Read	USB 3.0 Write	Canon G1X III
UHS-II
Lexar 2000x	272.7 MB/s	244.5 MB/s	63.22 MB/s
Delkin V90	271.4 MB/s	231.3 MB/s	62.67 MB/s
Toshiba Exceria Pro	258.8 MB/s	226.5 MB/s	62.42 MB/s
Adata V90	256.5 MB/s	231.7 MB/s	62.35 MB/s
Transcend	290.2 MB/s	182.1 MB/s	62.31 MB/s
Fujifilm Elite II	294.0 MB/s	181.6 MB/s	62.15 MB/s
Sony M	253.2 MB/s	91.62 MB/s	62.05 MB/s
Sony G	269.3 MB/s	234.5 MB/s	62.01 MB/s
Hoodman Steel 2000x	268.7 MB/s	183.9 MB/s	61.64 MB/s
Lexar 1000x	153.4 MB/s	84.30 MB/s	61.51 MB/s
Delkin 1900X	273.3 MB/s	97.3 MB/s	61.30 MB/s
Sandisk Extreme Pro 300	273.9 MB/s	238.9 MB/s	60.80 MB/s
Sandisk Extreme Pro 280	260.5 MB/s	214.8 MB/s	60.79 MB/s
UHS-I
Kingston U3	98.1 MB/s	90.4 MB/s	61.92 MB/s
Samsung Pro U3	97.7 MB/s	78.6 MB/s	61.74 MB/s
Sandisk Extreme Pro U3	98.6 MB/s	90.8 MB/s	61.71 MB/s
Samsung Pro+ U3	97.5 MB/s	87.3 MB/s	61.40 MB/s
Sony U3 – Old Model	96.5 MB/s	84.5 MB/s	61.13 MB/s
Samsung Pro U1	96.3 MB/s	82.2 MB/s	60.83 MB/s
Delkin 633x U3	98.3 MB/s	88.7 MB/s	60.66 MB/s
Transcend U3	96.7 MB/s	84.9 MB/s	60.30 MB/s
Sandisk Extreme Plus U3	99.0 MB/s	64.4 MB/s	57.61 MB/s
PNY Elite Performance U1	96.5 MB/s	66.5 MB/s	55.49 MB/s
Sandisk Extreme U3	72.43 MB/s	54.1 MB/s	54.93 MB/s
Lexar 600x U1	95.4 MB/s	64.8 MB/s	53.95 MB/s
Lexar 633x U3	93.3 MB/s	67.3 MB/s	55.30 MB/s
Sony U3 – New Model	96.7 MB/s	56.2 MB/s	53.30 MB/s
PNY Elite Performance U3	96.5 MB/s	66.1 MB/s	53.21 MB/s
Samsung U1 EVO	47.7 MB/s	27.3 MB/s	27.81 MB/s
Sandisk Ultra U1	99.3 MB/s	36.1 MB/s	25.50 MB/s

Canon G1X III Stats

Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
Video: Full HD 1080p 60 fps
Continuous Shooting: 9 fps Continuous Shooting
Estimated Buffer Size: 500MB
RAW Shots Until Buffer Fills: 19
Time To Clear Buffer: 6 seconds

Canon G1X III – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Best Accessories Canon G1X Mark III

 

Frequently Asked Questions

A list of some topics that hopefully will answer any questions you have.

Should I use USH-I or UHS-II, and what’s the difference?

For the Canon G1X III, there is no reason to buy UHS-II memory cards, as they offer no performance improvement when inside the camera. If you need faster transfer time between your card and your computer, you can use UHS-II memory cards with a UHS-II memory card adapter, but it’s not going to make that big of a difference if you’re just a casual shooter.

What do all the numbers and letters on the memory cards mean?

All the numbers and letters on memory cards refer to speeds, like UHS-II or UHS-I, as well as minimum speeds.

If you see U1 or U3, it means the card can run at a minimum speed of 10MB/s with U1 or 30MB/s with U3. They’re now starting to use V30, V60 and V90 as a new format for listing these speeds.

To learn more, see the ultimate guide to memory cards.

What size memory card do I need?

64GB memory cards are the way to go for most photographers. You can go bigger, but you’re unlikely to fill a 64GB card in a single day of shooting unless you’re also shooting a lot of video.

The memory card isn’t working. What should I do?

Check your cards when you buy them, and if they have any issues, return them. Most memory cards also have a three-year warranty, so take advantage of it.

Clean your contact points, and check the camera’s pins for bent or obstructed pins.

Last, don’t buy memory cards off eBay; they are likely scams.

 

Best Memory Cards For The Canon G1X III | Bottom Line

The Canon G1X III is a very cool little camera with great performance. Throw in a good card and this camera can do just about anything a casual photographer needs, especially for travel or street photography. With 9 fps continuous shooting speeds, you’ll also find the camera can pass for amateur sports and action photography, especially since the buffer clears in only 6 seconds.