Best Memory Cards Canon T8i

The Canon T8i now shoots 4k at 120Mbps with a 7fps mechanical shutter, which means you will need to buy the better U3 UHS-I cards to get the most reliable performance.

Here is everything you need to know about memory cards for the Canon T8i. Use this guide to find the best memory cards for your style of shooting.

Best Memory Cards Canon T8i

What you need to know – The Canon T8i features a single UHS-I memory card slot. This means you will not see any improvement in performance by going with a UHS-II card. You can still buy UHS-II cards and they will work, but only do so if you want faster transfer speeds from your card to your computer using a UHS-II reader. This is nice for video shooters.

The Canon T8i has a memory card capacity of any size. So you can throw a 512GB memory card in the camera if you need to. However, you should still backup your cards to your computer regularly.

Recommended Memory Cards Canon T8i

A lot of the UHS-I memory cards produce very similar results in Canon cameras, but there are a few brands that have proven to be a little more reliable than others, especially in Canon cameras. Sandisk has always my go-to brand for UHS-I cards, but the Kingston, Sony and Delkin cards also perform very well.

I’m going to add two cards to the list that are UHS-II, just in case you want a tougher build quality or faster transfer speeds. Those two cards are the Sony Tough or Sony E card. The Sony E cards are optimized for UHS-I cameras but can still write quickly with UHS-II tech. The Sony Tough M cards I still like for their superior build quality, and they aren’t that much more expensive than UHS-I cards.

If you’re just shooting casually, the Sandisk Extreme U3 cards also perform very well and might save you a little more money and also work for 4k video.

What Size Memory Card To Get

64GB are great for casual shooting. If you’re not shooting a lot of video and mostly shoot stills, then a 64GB card will get you through a few days.

If you like to shoot video, the Canon T8i has a pretty good 4k bitrate of 120Mbps. This is better than a lot of the competition, and this will eat through some cards pretty quickly. In that case, I would go for a 128GB card. They are very inexpensive now.

It’s also nice to have a 128GB card for those few times a year when you might shoot a big event or something. While I rarely need more than a 64GB card, a few times a year I do and it’s nice to have those 128GB cards in those situations.

Best Memory Cards For 4k Video

If you’re planning on shooting 4k video for the Canon T8i, there are a few things you need to know. The camera has a bitrate of 120Mbps, which is equivalent to 15MB/s. This means you should buy cards that have a U3 rating. U3 ratings guarantee a 30MB/s data stream whereas U1 cards only guarantee 10MB/s. 

U1 cards can work, but there is no guarantee you will get consistent performance throughout the life of the card.

Test For Counterfeit Cards

The next thing you need to know is regarding counterfeit memory cards. They are everywhere and they are a problem. Make sure you buy your cards from a trusted source that has a good return policy. Avoid auction sites.

To test to see if you’re cards are counterfeit, the best thing you can do is max out their capacity right when you get them. If the cards don’t fail, and they don’t have any issues, then you’re likely good to go.

To max out your cards, you can transfer files to them from your computer, or just record video. The T8i does have a 30-minute record limit though, so you’ll likely need to engage record a few times to max your card.

Best Memory Cards Canon T8i Conclusions

I’ve listed you the best UHS-I and a few UHS-II options for the Canon T8i. Other cards will work great if you want to save money. For example, any of the Sandisk Extreme Pro or even Extreme cards that are U3-rated will give you great results and could save you even more money.

Buy what you need depending on the performance you require. The Canon T8i has some pretty cool specs so I think the camera is worthy of having the nicer higher-end cards and I’ve listed for you what I would personally buy.