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Best memory cards for Canon R7?

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Hey everyone! Just got my hands on the awesome Canon R7 and I'm already thinking about memory cards. I'll be doing a mix of wildlife photography, some bird-in-flight action shots, and a bit of video (mostly 4K at higher frame rates). I know the R7 has dual card slots and supports UHS-II, which is new territory for me. I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the options out there and don't want to bottleneck my camera or risk losing footage. What are your go-to memory cards for the R7, especially for fast burst shooting and demanding video? Any specific brands or models you'd highly recommend that offer great performance without breaking the bank?


8 Answers
19

> I'd definitely go with SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB for…

Respectfully, I'd consider another option, especially if you're trying to keep costs down. While SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II 128GB is a solid card, it's kinda pricey.

Honestly, I've had pretty good luck with Kingston Canvas React Plus SDXC 128GB and also PNY PRO Elite SDXC 128GB. They both hit the UHS-II speeds you need for the R7's bursts and 4K video, but usually come in at a better price point, like around $30-$40 for 128GB. Definitely look for V60 or V90 rated cards though, they're key for video. You can often find good deals on bundles too!


19

Hey there! Congrats on the R7, it's a sweet camera. I totally get being overwhelmed with the card situation, especially with UHS-II. It's definitely a different ballgame speed-wise. Before I dive into my usual recommendations, quick question for ya – are you primarily looking to use one card for everything, or are you thinking of using one for photos and the other for video on the dual slots? Just wanna make sure I point you in the right direction!


15

Hey there! So, I'm jumping in on this memory card chat, and tbh, I've gotta politely disagree with solely recommending the SanDisk Extreme PRO. While they're definitely reliable, they can also be a bit on the pricier side, and for someone like me who's always trying to balance performance and budget, that's a big deal.

Honestly, for the R7's dual slots and especially with that UHS-II stuff, you DO need speed, no question. But I've found that you can get killer performance without dropping a ton of cash if you look around. I've been super happy with Lexar Professional 1800x SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB. They're not as flashy as some other brands, but the read/write speeds are awesome for both burst shooting birds in flight and handling those 4K high-frame-rate videos. I haven't hit any bottlenecks at all. I also picked up a couple of ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Gold 160GB cards for one of the slots, just to see what the hype was about for even faster transfer speeds, and yeah, they're incredible, but also quite a bit more expensive. For a good bang for your buck, the Lexar 1800x is my go-to.

Basically, the main thing is to ensure the cards you get are *actually* UHS-II rated (look for that II symbol!) and have a V60 or V90 speed class, especially for video. The Lexar 1800x is V60, which works perfectly for me. If you're really pushing the limits with video or super long bursts, maybe consider a V90, but honestly, for most shooting, the V60 strikes a great balance and saves you some cash.

TL;DR: Don't overlook Lexar Professional 1800x SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB! It's a great performer for the R7, especially for the price, and has kept me from buffering out during action shots and video.


9

Solid advice 👍


6

Oh man, the Canon R7 is such a beast! I totally get being overwhelmed with memory cards, especially with UHS-II. For your situation with wildlife, bird-in-flight, and 4K video, you NEED fast cards. Seriously, don't cheap out here.

I'd definitely go with SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB for at least one slot. They're a bit pricier, but the read/write speeds are insane and they're super reliable for buffer clearing during bursts and handling all that video data. For the second slot, to keep costs down a bit, you could do another SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB or maybe a slightly cheaper but still solid UHS-II option like the Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II Card 128GB. Make sure they're V60 or ideally V90 rated for video. Honestly, for the R7's capabilities, you'll be happy you invested in fast, reliable cards. Good luck with the new camera!


6

Can confirm


3

Basically, the thread boils down to whether you want to pay the "brand tax" for peace of mind or go for the better value-to-performance cards that still hit those UHS-II specs. Tbh, while everyones talking brands, I think the real-world bottleneck on the R7 is actually the internal bus speed and how it handles buffer clearing after a long burst of 32.5MP RAW files. IIRC, some independent benchmarks showed the R7 doesn't even fully saturate the fastest V90 cards anyway, so you might be hitting diminishing returns if you spend a fortune. Not sure but I think I saw a test where V60 cards actually performed almost identically to V90s for 4K video because the bitrate isnt high enough to require that massive overhead. Well, unless you're shooting uncompressed stuff I guess. If you're doing heavy birds-in-flight, just make sure the sustained write speed—not just the peak burst speed listed on the box—is solid. Honestly, wait, I might be misremembering the exact Mbps limit of the R7 controller, but looking at real-world stress tests is usually way more helpful than just reading the marketing fluff.


3

Caught this thread today and wanted to weigh in. I've been utilizing the R7 for several months now and I'm very satisfied with how it handles high-action sequences. My journey started with some older cards that just couldn't keep up, but moving to more robust options made a world of difference for my workflow. Sustained write consistency is really what matters most when you're shooting those 30fps bursts. A few observations from my experience:

  • Prioritize ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 128GB for the primary slot to ensure the buffer clears as rapidly as possible.
  • The Sony SF-G Tough Series 128GB UHS-II is incredibly durable and has never failed me during wildlife shoots. I've found it helps to perform a low-level format in-camera before every session. It keeps things running smooth and prevents those annoying write errors during 4K recording.


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