Canon write speeds

Before buying a memory card for your Canon camera you should know the maximum write speed your camera is able to use. Of course you can choose the biggest and fastest card, but then you will also pay more than you need. In some cases, faster cards are even slower with the wrong camera. For example a 6D that uses UHS-I will be slower with a SanDisk UHS-II card due to compatibility mode.

When you choose your memory card, search for the fastest write speed of the card. Normally only the read speed is written on the card.

Magic Lantern and the benchmark module has been used to get the maximum write speed for some of the cameras. Also the page camera memory speed has been used, but the webpage only shows average write speed.

Write speed for some Canon cameras

  • D30 – 1,2 MB/s
  • D60 -1,8 MB/s
  • 300D – 1,4 MB/s
  • 10D – 1,4 MB/s
  • 1Ds – 2 MB/s
  • 1D – 3,3 MB/s
  • 20D – 6 MB/s
  • 350D – 6 MB/s
  • 30D – 6 MB/s
  • 40D – 11 MB/s
  • 60D – 21 MB/s
  • 600D – 21 MB/s
  • 550D – 21 MB/s
  • 500D – 21 MB/s
  • 1100D – 21 MB/s
  • EOS M – 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 69 MB/s)
  • EOS M2 – 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 69 MB/s)
  • 1200D – 44 MB/s
  • 100D – 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 71 MB/s)
  • 650D- 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 71 MB/s)
  • 700D -44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 71 MB/s)
  • 70D – 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 71 MB/s)
  • 6D – 44 MB/s (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 71 MB/s)
  • 1D IV – 66 MB/s
  • 50D – 70 MB/s
  • M50 – 80 MB/s
  • 5D II – 85 MB/s
  • 750D – 90 MB/s
  • 760D – 90 MB/s
  • 800D – 90 MB/s
  • 77D – 90 MB/s
  • 80D – 90 MB/s
  • 7D – 90 MB/s
  • 1Dx – 120 MB/s
  • 7D II – 120 + 90 MB/s (CF+SD)
  • 5D III – 120 + 21 MB/s (CF+SD) SD card write speed will limit CF slot write speed if you use CF + SD at the same time.  (Overclocked at SDR104 @ 160MHz: 51 MB/s)
  • 5Ds – 120 + 90 MB/s (CF+SD)
  • 5D IV – 130 + 90 MB/s (CF+SD)
  • EOS R – 200 MB/s

If you find this article usefull you may also would like to read about how you will get the shutter count for your Canon camera. There is also an article about troubleshooting a Canon camera or just how to create a lens correction profile.