Best memory card for rebel T3i

I just upgraded from Rebel xTi to T3i. What is the best memory card for photo and video?

In my T3i, I have the 16GB SanDisk Extreme. Class 10.

Make sure any memory card you get is class 10. Makes for smooth videos.

Your camera's manual specifies at least class 6 for HD video. The bit stream for your camera's video recording is at 5.5MB/s. Class 6 (6 MB/s) is sufficient. Class 10 gives you a bit of performance margin, but won't actually work any better than a properly operating Class 6 card in recording video.

Also, your camera will either record "smooth" video or it will stop recording. It won't record "jumpy" video to a card that is too slow; it will merely stop recording.

If you play back the video on your computer directly from the card, the speed of the card can affect how smoothly the video plays back (but this is read speed, which the Class-rating system does not specify; however, read speed is typically the equal to or faster than the write speed). The video files your camera records can have playback problems on PCs. Search the forum for suggestions on video player applications that work best with the Canon video files and a Windows PC (if that is what you have).

LucasxOB wrote in post #13682543
In my T3i, I have the 16GB SanDisk Extreme. Class 10.

Make sure any memory card you get is class 10. Makes for smooth videos.

That sounds like the same card that I've just got, it works a treat in my 600D

RTPVid wrote in post #13684643
Your camera's manual specifies at least class 6 for HD video. The bit stream for your camera's video recording is at 5.5MB/s. Class 6 (6 MB/s) is sufficient. Class 10 gives you a bit of performance margin, but won't actually work any better than a properly operating Class 6 card in recording video.

Bold my emphasis.

And that's the rub: some "class 6" cards are not quite up to snuff, and sometimes reliable and repeatable test results are hard to find on the interwebz, so moving up to a Class 10 generally assures you that the card is going to be fast enough, even if not a Sandisk.

IMHO, YMMV,

shinksma

shinksma wrote in post #13687120
Bold my emphasis.

And that's the rub: some "class 6" cards are not quite up to snuff, and sometimes reliable and repeatable test results are hard to find on the interwebz, so moving up to a Class 10 generally assures you that the card is going to be fast enough, even if not a Sandisk.

IMHO, YMMV,

shinksma

Good point, and at present prices, going with Class 10 is not that much of a price hit (and in fact, can be none at all). HOWEVER, Class 10 Sandisk are among the "problem children" of the counterfeiters, so caveat emptor (know your merchant).

But, I was responding to the comment: "Make sure any memory card you get is class 10. Makes for smooth videos." You don't need to make sure it is class 10, but you do need to make sure the brand is reputable (Kingston, Lexar, Sandisk) and is at least a Class 6. And, card speed as nothing to do with "smooth video" being recorded. As I said, the camera will just stop recording as soon as the buffer fills with a card that is too slow.

LucasxOB wrote in post #13682543
In my T3i, I have the 16GB SanDisk Extreme. Class 10.

Make sure any memory card you get is class 10. Makes for smooth videos.

The same card im using..
30MB/s great card!

I've got both 8GB and 16GB Transcend Class 10 cards off Amazon for my T3i. Quite affordable and I've had no problems to date.

Don't go overboard pre-emptively buying way more than you need; in 6 months you'll probably be able to buy 50% more space for the same price if you need it then. Prices just keep dropping and dropping on memory. Weird to think that 10 years ago, I was thrilled to get a 128MB CF card for "only $210".

Is there anything to the "write speed?" I see 20X and 30X....is 30 really better?

bonnie27clyde wrote in post #13693128
Is there anything to the "write speed?" I see 20X and 30X....is 30 really better?

Well, if it is labeled that way by a reputable manufacturer, 30X is 50% faster than 20X.

The "X" method of stating speed is an older (and more complicated to understand) method than the "class" rating. The "X" rating is what you typically see on CF cards; not so much on SD cards.

"X" refers to "times faster than the original recordable CDs". 1X = 150KB/s.

Class 6 = 40X.

Class 10 = 66X.

So, you wouldn't want to buy either a 20X or a 30X card intending to record video with your T3i.

I went with the cheap Transcend 8Gb's on Amazon. They work fine. I don't do lots of burst mode shooting so I never have an issue. You can get about 300 RAW images on 8Gb. I chose the 8Gb and bought 4 instead of one 32Gb. I don't want to put all my eggs in on basket. If one fails while I'm out the field I'm only going to lose up to 300 pics and maybe a days shooting where as losing 1200 & a day on a 32Gb would be worse. Also, 300 images download a lot faster than 1200.

baj2k wrote in post #13695642
I chose the 8Gb and bought 4 instead of one 32Gb.

Do this. The cards are flimsy and do eventually break. I broke another just today, it cracked apart at the corner near the contacts (prob due to the extreme cold here) and the camera won't recognize it now. If you have just one card, and it breaks, you can't shoot until you buy another.

OfficeMax this week happens to have Lexar Platinum II SDHC cards at very attractice prices. I'm puzzled however because the 8 GB (Lexar #LSD8GBBSBNA100) is stated on the actual card as a Class 6. The price is $13 sale and $35 list. In contrast, the 16 GB card (Lexar #LSD16GBSBNA100) is stated on the actual card as a Class 10. The sale price is $22 vs. the list of $55.

I also have a problem on 32 gb class 10 transcend cards. When I record an 1080p video on Canon t3i it stops automatically. it won't last a minute. I am planning to buy 8 gb or 16gb sandisk class 10.

do cameras have a limit on how big of a card they can accept? no reason a 32GB Sandisk SDHC would not work on a T3i?