Fastest Memory Cards For The Canon SL2 (EOS 200D)

An in-camera test of all the most popular UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards to determine which card is fastest in the Canon the Canon SL2 / EOS 200D.

Use this guide to find the best memory cards for your needs and your budget.

Camera Specs

Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C / Processor: DIGIC 7

SD Memory Card Type: UHS-I

Video: 1080p 60 fps

Continuous Burst: 5 fps

Est. Size of Buffer: 150MB

Time Taken To Fill Buffer: 1.25 sec

Uncompressed RAW Shots Till Buffer Fills: – 6-7 Shots

Est. Time Taken To Clear Buffer: 4.5 seconds

Canon SL2 / EOS 200D – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Must Have Accessories For The Canon SL2

Canon SL2 First Impressions

Best Memory Card For The Canon SL2 / 200D

General Performance And The Speed Chart

Since the Canon SL2 has a very small buffer, it’s important to get as fast of a memory card as you can if you plan on doing a lot of continuous burst photography.

Canon SL2 Memory Card Speed Chart

On this chart, only the column with the Canon SL2 speeds effect the in-camera performance of the card.

Cards typically perform differently in different cameras compared to how they perform with windows or a mac.

The Canon SL2 does not take advantage of UHS-II memory card speeds, so there is no reason to spend the extra money on UHS-II cards.

All USB 3.0 tests done using CrystalDisk – Windows 10, with the Lexar SR2.

I tested only 64GB cards, but the 128 and 256 variants should see very similar performance.

Recommended Memory Cards For The Canon SL2

Fastest UHS-II Memory Cards

UHS-II memory cards have no speed benefit over UHS-I cards in the Canon SL2 / 200D, so I wouldn’t recommend spending the extra money on these cards.

You’ll also want to buy a fast UHS-II memory card reader.

• Sony 64GB 300MB –Amazon
• Delkin 100  64GB – Amazon
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 300 64GB – Amazon

Fastest UHS-I Memory Cards

The best cards were the Sandisk Extreme Pro and PNY U1, but in real world testing they all pretty much performed the same except the few cards at the bottom of the chart. With Sandisk Ultra and Samsung EVO you could clearly tell they were slower.

In other words, buy whatever card you like that performs at around 30MB/s+ and you won’t be able to notice the difference. I personally buy Sandisk.

• Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 64GB – Amazon
• PNY 64GB U1 – Amazon
• Samsung Pro 64GB U3 – Amazon

Canon SL2 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Micro SD Memory Cards in the Canon SL2?

Yes, you can. I don’t test Micro SD cards in DSLRs, but I do have almost all of them and do use them in other cameras from time to time with no real consequence. The only issue I’ve seen is the micro card wiggling loose inside the adapter causing a connection error. Changing out the adapter usually fixes this.

What Cards Work Best For Video?

Since the Canon SL2 doesn’t have any real significant video requirements or features, any of the cards listed here will work. I tested them all at 1080p 60.

My Card Isn’t Fast, What’s Wrong?

If you’re having some issues with your memory cards, here is a list of a few things that could be your problem.

• Sometimes cards are just bad. You can usually get them replaced without hassle and many have really good warranties. 
• There are a lot of counterfeit cards out there. If you bought of Ebay, chances are you got duped. Stick with BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon or other trusted stores.
• Make sure the cards and connection pins are all clean and undamaged.

What Size Memory Card Should I Get, 32GB or 64GB or 128GB?

I use 32GB cards if I’m just shooting photos casually and I rarely fill the cards. 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.

If you’re only shooting JPEG you’ll probably be fine with a 32GB card. That way after a few weeks the card will fill up and you’ll be forced to clear it off and back it up, instead of putting all your eggs in one basket with a 128GB card.

Best SD Memory Card Canon SL2 / 200D | Bottom Line

The Canon SL2 doesn’t have a very big buffer and it doesn’t have a very fast continuous shoot speed. This means you can burst off about 6 RAW shots before filling the buffer, which happens in about a 1.25 seconds, then it takes about 4.5 seconds to clear that buffer. Different cards will perform slightly different but it’s not very noticeable.

This means most any modern card you buy will perform just fine. But if you want the absolute best performance then the Sandisk Extreme Pro beats them all.