An in-camera comparison of the most popular SD memory cards and their performance in the M6.
While many top memory card brands perform well in the Canon M6, there are a few clear winners.
If you’re wondering which memory cards to buy for the Canon M6, this guide should help you.
Best Memory Card For The Canon EOS M6
General Performance And Speed Chart
When doing the memory card speed tests with the Canon M6, there were no surprises. All cards performed as expected and the camera functioned flawlessly.
All USB 3.0 tests were performed using CrystalDiskMark on Windows 10 with the Lexar SR2.
| SD Memory Cards | USB 3.0 Read | USB 3.0 Write | Canon M6 Write |
| UHS-II | |||
| Lexar 64GB 2000x | 272.7 MB/s | 244.5 MB/s | 70.26 MB/s |
| Delkin 250 64GB | 245.1 MB/s | 164.6 MB/s | 68.79 MB/s |
| Toshiba 64GB | 258.8 MB/s | 226.5 MB/s | 67.25 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme Pro 300 64GB | 263.2 MB/s | 233.4 MB/s | 66.93 MB/s |
| Transcend 64GB | 290.2 MB/s | 182.1 MB/s | 65.13 MB/s |
| Sony M 64GB | 253.2 MB/s | 91.62 MB/s | 65.13 MB/s |
| Delkin 100 64GB | 273.3 MB/s | 97.3 MB/s | 59.83 MB/s |
| Lexar 64GB 1000x | 147.4 MB/s | 78.4 MB/s | 56.60 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme Pro 280 64GB | 260.5 MB/s | 214.8 MB/s | 38.80 MB/s |
| UHS-I | |||
| Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB U3 | 98.6 MB/s | 90.8 MB/s | 70.02 MB/s |
| Samsung Pro+ 64GB U3 | 97.5 MB/s | 87.3 MB/s | 69.01 MB/s |
| Kingston 64GB U3 | 98.1 MB/s | 90.4 MB/s | 67.61 MB/s |
| Sony 64GB U3 – Old Model | 96.5 MB/s | 84.5 MB/s | 66.36 MB/s |
| Samsung Pro 64GB U1 | 96.3 MB/s | 82.2 MB/s | 65.82 MB/s |
| Delkin 633x 64GB U3 | 98.3 MB/s | 88.7 MB/s | 64.34 MB/s |
| Samsung Pro 64GB U3 | 97.7 MB/s | 78.6 MB/s | 64.31 MB/s |
| PNY 64GB U1 | 96.5 MB/s | 66.5 MB/s | 57.29 MB/s |
| Transcend 64GB U3 | 96.7 MB/s | 68.4 MB/s | 56.52 MB/s |
| Lexar 633x 64GB U3 | 93.3 MB/s | 67.3 MB/s | 56.31 MB/s |
| PNY 64GB U3 | 96.5 MB/s | 66.1 MB/s | 56.00 MB/s |
| Lexar 600x 64GB U1 | 95.4 MB/s | 64.8 MB/s | 55.57 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme Plus 64GB U3 | 99.0 MB/s | 64.4 MB/s | 53.86 MB/s |
| Sony 64GB U3 – New Model | 96.7 MB/s | 56.2 MB/s | 51.57 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme 64GB U3 | 72.43 MB/s | 54.1 MB/s | 47.56 MB/s |
| Samsung 64GB U1 EVO | 47.7 MB/s | 27.3 MB/s | 20.30 MB/s |
Camera Specs
Sensor: APS-C 24.2MP CMOS / Processor: DIGIC 7
SD Memory Card Type: UHS-I
Video: 1080p 60fps
Continuous Burst: 9fps
Est. Size of Buffer: 500MB
Uncompressed Shots Till Buffer Fills: 19
Est. Time Taken To Clear Buffer: 8.5 seconds
Recommended SD Memory Cards For The M6
Since the Canon M6 does not support UHS-II cards, you’ll see no speed benefit when using them in-camera. Because of this, I recommend the SanDisk Extreme Pro cards. They perform great and are very reliable. The next best option would be to use Samsung cards.
Fastest UHS-II Memory Cards
Although the Canon M6 doesn’t support the extra speed of UHS-II memory cards, many people still prefer UHS-II for faster transfers from their cards to their computers. You will need a fast UHS-II memory card reader.
Lexar x2000 UHS-II 64GB – Amazon / Adorama
Delkin 250 64GB – Amazon / B&H
Sandisk Extreme Pro 300 64GB – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto
Fastest UHS-I Memory Cards
UHS-I cards are all around the best for the M6, simply because they perform well and are very reasonably priced.
Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 64GB – Amazon / Adorama / B&H
Samsung Pro+ 64GB U3 – Amazon / Adorama
Kingston 64GB U3 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H
Cards Not To Use
I’ve been told there are issues with Sony cards not working correctly on this camera. For now, stay away from Sony cards when using the Canon M6.
Canon M6 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use microSD memory cards in the Canon M6?
Yes, you can. Some people love the versatility of using microSD memory cards; however, they are much smaller and easier to lose.
I have had some issues with the microSD-to-SD card adapters losing connection, which causes memory card errors. Because of this, I don’t recommend buying microSD cards for your M6; however, if you have a few lying around, go ahead and use them.
What Cards Work Best For Video?
Since the Canon M6 is still only capable of shooting 1080p video, any decent memory card will work just fine.
My Card Isn’t Fast, What’s Wrong?
If you’re having issues with your memory cards, here is a list of a few things that could be causing the problem.
- Sometimes cards are just bad. Try to get it replaced, or contact the manufacturer for warranty information.
- There are a lot of counterfeit cards out there. If you bought one on eBay, chances are you got duped. Stick with BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon or other trusted stores..
- Make sure your cards are clean and undamaged. The same applies to the pins inside the camera.
Do I need a UHS-II memory card?
Since the Canon M6 doesn’t support UHS-II, you won’t get the benefit of using UHS-II cards in-camera. Only buy UHS-II cards if you want high transfer speeds when using a UHS-II card reader.
What Size Memory Card Should I Get, 32GB or 64GB?
I use 32GB cards when I’m just shooting photos, and I rarely fill them. If I’m shooting photos with some videos here and there, I’ll need a 64GB card.
If I’m traveling and shooting on a card that I don’t clear for a few days, I’ll usually fill up a 32GB card.
Best SD Memory Card Canon EOS M6 | Bottom Line
The Canon M6 performs very well in terms of memory card write speeds. It performs better than some cameras that support UHS-II (Like the Panasonic GH5), even though the M6 is only a UHS-I camera. Canon has always been known for building some of the best-performing and dependable cameras in the world, and the M6 is no exception.
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