Which SD cards are fast enough for the Canon EOS R100?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on the Canon R100 for my trip to Tokyo next month and I am honestly so hyped to get back into photography after a few years of just using my phone. Ive been shooting on Canons for over a decade, started with a Rebel T3i back in the day, so I thought I knew exactly what I was doing when I grabbed my old stack of SD cards from the drawer. But man, things have changed or maybe this little camera is more demanding than I expected? I was playing around with the 4K video settings today and the recording just cut out after like twenty seconds with that annoying message saying it stopped automatically. I figured it was the card speed since these are just basic Class 10 cards I used for 1080p back in 2017.

Then I tried doing a burst of RAW files and the buffer took forever to clear. I literally could not take another photo for like five seconds while the red light was blinking. Its kind of frustrating because I want to catch the fast trains and street scenes in Shinjuku without the camera locking up on me. I know the R100 is an entry level body and only supports UHS-I but I'm seeing all these different labels now like V30, V60, and V90 and the prices are all over the place. I dont want to spend $100 on a V90 card if the camera cant even utilize those speeds, but I also dont want to buy something too cheap and have it fail during the once-in-a-lifetime trip. My budget is probably around $40-50 for a couple of good cards since I already spent most of my fun money on the actual body and a nifty fifty lens.

Does anyone know the actual write speed limit for the R100 slot? Like is a SanDisk Extreme Pro V30 enough for consistent 4K and burst shooting or do I really need to look at something faster? I really just need something that wont choke when I am trying to film some high-res clips of the city...

AbstractAlias · Accepted Answer

Just saw your post. Dont sweat the V90 stuff, it is total overkill for the R100 since that slot cant even hit those speeds anyway. Ive been super happy with the Kingston Canvas Go! Plus 128GB SDXC UHS-I V30 lately. It handles 4K video on my mirrorless setup without a single stutter and the buffer clears way faster than those old cards you have. Another solid choice if you want a reliable brand is the Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB SDXC UHS-I V30. These have been basically bulletproof for me over the years and they usually fit right into that $40 budget for a pair. Quick question tho... how much 4K footage are you planning to dump onto these cards every day? Tokyo is huge and if youre recording a ton of street scenes you might want to grab three 128GB cards instead of two just to be safe. It would be a bummer to run out of space halfway through Akihabara.

sandra.long · Answer

You are going to have the absolute best time in Tokyo! It is seriously the perfect place for street photography and the R100 is such a fantastic choice because it is so light for all that walking. Since you are on a budget but want total reliability, honestly just stick to V30 cards. That camera slot literally cannot go faster than UHS-I speeds, so anything more is just burning cash you could spend on ramen or a cool vintage lens in Akihabara! I have been using the Samsung PRO Plus 128GB SDXC UHS-I V30 for a while now and it is amazing for burst shots. It handles 4K video like a champ and is super reliable for the price. Another solid choice that wont break the bank is the PNY Elite-X 128GB SDXC UHS-I V30. These usually go for around $20 or so each, so you can easily grab two for your $50 budget and have plenty of storage for the whole trip. Just a pro tip from years of shooting... make sure you format the cards in the R100 menu as soon as you pop them in. It helps prevent those weird recording stop errors you were seeing with your old cards! Definitely dont skip that step. You are gonna love the photos you get from that nifty fifty, it is such a classic combo. Have an incredible trip and take tons of pics!

fidifinance · Answer

You definitely dont need to waste money on V90 cards. Ive been super happy with the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB UHS-I V30 for 4K video and it works well for clearing the buffer. Since the R100 is just UHS-I, those higher speeds are basically useless.

SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB UHS-I V30

Samsung PRO Plus 128GB UHS-I V30 Both are super reliable and wont fail you in Tokyo.