We test over 60 memory cards in the 45-megapixel full-frame Canon R5 II, measuring real-world in-camera performance versus the maximum write speeds found on most card labels.
But first, just in case you are unaware, the Canon R5 Mark II features two memory card slots.
Slot 1 is compatible with CFexpress Type B (2.0 & 4.0) cards and slot 2 is compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II / UHS-I) cards.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Introduction
- Best CFexpress Type B Memory Cards
- Best UHS-II SD Memory Cards
- SANDISK Extreme PRO UHS-II V60 SDXC 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB Still Image Problems
- All File Types 30 FPS (Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
- All File Types 15 FPS ( Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
- All File Types 12 FPS (Mechanical Shutter) Buffer Tests
- About Our Tests
- Supported Memory Cards
- Recording to Multiple Cards
- Recording Separately
- Memory Cards for Recording Video
- Types of NAND Memory
- Summary
- Canon R5 II Guides & Resources
- FAQs
Canon R5 / R5 II Forum & Facebook Group
If you are looking for further help and advice on the Canon R5 / R5 Mark II or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our friendly Forum. If you prefer Facebook then we also run the Canon R5 & R5II Shooters Group.
Introduction
The write speeds found on card labels don’t really help with understanding how a particular card will perform when used in-camera, especially with many manufacturers displaying the maximum speeds rather than sustained speeds.
Many memory cards are also capable of speeds faster than the R5 II is is actually capable of writing at, so buying the fastest card based on label speeds alone is often a waste of money.
We have tested over 60 memory cards in the Canon R5 Mark II to see how they actually perform when used in-camera.
Occasionally cards can also underperform in a particular camera, whilst working fine in another. So testing them in-camera helps to identify any problem cards.
Best CFexpress Type B Memory Cards
In the below table you will find all of the CFexpress Type B cards that we have tested so far in the R5 II by shooting RAW + JPEG L at 30 FPS to push the cards as hard as possible.
You will also find tests for other file types whilst shooting at 15 FPS and 12 FPS a little further down this article.
Because their in-camera performance is so similar, we have grouped them by brand. Except for the slowest four cards that you’ll find at the bottom of the table.
Our results are only valid for the card capacities tested. It’s not always the case, but sometimes write speeds can vary by capacity.
Swipe left on mobile to view the entire table.
| CFexpress Type B Memory Card | Shots to Fill Buffer * | Approximate Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds | Video Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 Delkin Devices BLACK 4.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Delkin Devices BLACK 4.0 (1 TB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 (1 TB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Delkin Devices POWER G4 2.0 (160 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Delkin Devices BLACK 4.0 (325 GB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Novachips Express 2.0 (1 TB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Nextorage NX-B2 PRO Series 4.0 (165 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Nextorage NX-B3 AE Series 4.0 (500 GB) B&H Photo | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Nextorage NX-B3 SE Series 4.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Nextorage NX-B2 SE Series 2.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 ProGrade Digital Gold 4.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Prograde Cobalt (325 GB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 SanDisk PRO-CINEMA 2.0 (320 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 SanDisk PRO-CINEMA 2.0 (256 GB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 SanDisk Extreme PRO 2.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional DIAMOND 4.0 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Lexar Professional GOLD 4.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional GOLD 2.0 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional GOLD 2.0 (2 TB) B&H Photo | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional DIAMOND 2.0 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | VPG400 |
 Lexar Professional SILVER 2.0 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional SILVER 2.0 (256 GB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Lexar Professional SILVER 4.0 (1 TB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 OWC Atlas Pro 4.0 (256 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | VPG200 |
 OWC Atlas Ultra 2.0 (325 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Sony TOUGH CEB-G 2.0 (128 GB) Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Exascend Essential Series 2.0 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 9.5s | NA |
 Angelbird AV PRO SE 4.0 1 (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 11s | NA |
 Sony TOUGH CEB-G 2.0 (240 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 88 | 13.5s | NA |
 ProGrade Digital Iridium 4.0 (400 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 82 | 20-30s | VPG400 |
 ProGrade Digital Gold 2.0 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 88 | 29s | NA |
Note 1: The Prograde Digital Iridium 4.0 (400 GB) memory card is underperforming badly in the R5 II, writing roughly 10-20 seconds slower than we would expect. Oddly it performs as it should the first time the camera is turned on, but all subsequent bursts are extremely slow. We have tested this card in the Canon R6 Mark III and it exhibits the same problem, but in the R5 Mark I it performs without issue. This implies that there is possibly a specific compatibility issue with the R5 II / R6 III that can hopefully be addressed via firmware update with Prograde’s Refresh Pro Software. The firmware version for this card is EFLU92.2. We are waiting to hear from Prograde about this.
Note 2: The ProGrade Digital Gold 2.0 (128 GB) is the slowest card that we have tested but is performing as we would expect for a card that has a maximum write speed of 260 MB/s and a sustained write speed of 250 MB/s, this is slower than many UHS-II V90 SD cards. We wouldn’t expect the 256 GB version to perform much better because this card has a sustained write speed of only 300 MB/s.
Best UHS-II SD Memory Cards
In the below table you will find all of the CFexpress Type B cards that we have tested so far in the R5 II by shooting RAW + JPEG L at 30 FPS to push the cards as hard as possible.
You will also find tests for other file types whilst shooting at 15 FPS and 12 FPS a little further down this article.
Unlike the CFexpress cards there is much more variance in performance with the SD cards, we have therefore ranked them by buffer clearing time.
Our results are only valid for the card capacities tested. It’s not always the case, but sometimes write speeds can vary by capacity.
Swipe left on mobile to view the entire table.
| UHS-II SD Memory Card | Shots to Fill Buffer * | Approximate Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds | Video Speed Class |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nextorage NX-F2 PRO (256 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 21s | V90 |
 Sony SF-G Tough (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 21s | V90 |
 SanDisk Extreme Pro (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Delkin Devices BLACK (64 GB) B&H Photo | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Delkin Devices POWER (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 ProGrade Digital V90 Iridium (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Integral UltimaPro X2 (64 GB) Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 OWC Atlas Ultra (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 PNY EliteX-PRO 90 (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Ritzgear Video Pro (64 GB) Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Kingston Canvas React Plus (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Lexar Professional 2000X (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Lexar Professional 2000X (256 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Transcend SD 700S (64 GB) B&H Photo | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 ProGrade Digital V90 300R (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 85 | 22s | V90 |
 Exascend Catalyst (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 85 | 23s | V90 |
 Lexar ARMOR Gold (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 28s | V60 |
 Lexar Professional 1800X (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 28s | V60 |
 Nextorage NX-F2 SE (512 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 30s | V60 |
 Sony SF-E (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 32s | V60 |
 Lexar ARMOR Silver Pro (128 GB) Amazon | 81 | 37s | V60 |
 ProGrade V60 (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 42s | V60 |
 Lexar Professional Silver Pro (128 GB) Amazon | 81 | 46s | V60 |
 SanDisk Creator (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 55s | V60 |
 Delkin Devices PRIME (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 55s | V60 |
 Angelbird AV Pro MK2 V60 (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 55s | V60 |
 Lexar Professional 1667X (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 55s | V60 |
 SanDisk Extreme Pro (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 55s | V60 |
 Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 60s | V90 |
 Sony SF-M Tough (128 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 66s | V60 |
 Sony SF-M (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | 81 | 66s | V60 |
 Sony SF-E (64 GB) B&H Photo | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK | 81 | 74s | V30 |
Note 1: The Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (64 GB) cards are under performing in a big way. We have tested two of these cards in 8 different R Series cameras and they both perform well below where they should be for a V90 card with a 260 MB/s sustained write speed. Yet the cards work perfectly in the Sony cameras we have tested them in. The 128GB version appears to perform as it should. Both cards were purchased from authorized sellers in around 2023. We have purchased another 64 GB card in Dec 2025 and this one appears to be working as it should. So there is either a quality control issue, or the cards have been updated and the issue resolved. Either way, we would recommend avoiding the 64 GB card.
Note 2: Both the Sony SF-M Tough (128 GB) and the Sony SF-M (64 GB) are also underperforming. They should clear the buffer about 20 seconds faster than they are, they also work we we would expect in other cameras that we have tested them in.
SANDISK Extreme PRO UHS-II V60 SDXC 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB Still Image Problems
There are some compatibility issues with the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II V60 SDXC 256GB, 128GB, and 64 GB cards and the R5 II. Newer versions of these cards feature an updated firmware that fixes the issues. For further details please see this SanDisk Article. The 64GB card that we tested featured the newer firmware and appeared to work as we would expect.
All File Types 30 FPS (Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
We don’t test every single file type for every single card because we would soon lose the will to live.
But if you are interested, then here are the approximate figures for all file types shooting at 30 FPS when using the Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 (512 GB) CFexpress Typer B card and the Delkin Devices Power UHS-II V90 (64 GB) SD card.
| File Type | Shots to Fill Buffer (CFexpress) * | CFe Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (CFexpress) | SD Shots to Fill Buffer (SD) * | SD Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG L | 211 | 14s | 213 | 14s |
| HEIF L | 211 | 14s | 213 | 14s |
| RAW | 103 | 7s | 88 | 16s |
| CRAW | 202 | 13.5s | 202 | 14s |
| RAW & JPEG L | 88 | 9.5s | 85 | 23s |
| RAW & HEIF L | 80 | 15s | 73 | 20s |
| CRAW & JPEG L | 178 | 18s | 170 | 26s |
| CRAW & HEIF L | 162 | 30s | 168 | 33s |
All File Types 15 FPS ( Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
Here are the approximate figures for all file types shooting at 15 FPS when using the Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 (512 GB) CFexpress Typer B card and the Delkin Devices Power UHS-II V90 (64 GB) SD card.
| File Type | Shots to Fill Buffer (CFexpress) * | CFe Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (CFexpress) | SD Shots to Fill Buffer (SD) * | SD Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG L | 373 | 12s | 373 | 12s |
| HEIF L | 434 | 14s | 434 | 14s |
| RAW | 164 | 6s | 103 | 15s |
| CRAW | 356 | 12s | 356 | 12s |
| RAW & JPEG L | 111 | 8s | 99 | 24s |
| RAW & HEIF L | 107 | 16.5s | 99 | 24s |
| CRAW & JPEG L | 220 | 15s | 202 | 25s |
| CRAW & HEIF L | 212 | 32s | 212 | 32s |
All File Types 12 FPS (Mechanical Shutter) Buffer Tests
Here are the approximate figures for all file types shooting at 12 FPS when using the Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 (512 GB) CFexpress Typer B card and the Delkin Devices Power UHS-II V90 (64 GB) SD card.
Please note that we don’t shoot more than 300 images when testing the mechanical shutter because this is not very camera friendly. At 12 FPS, 300 images is around 25 seconds of continuous shooting.
| File Type | Shots to Fill Buffer (CFexpress) * | CFe Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (CFexpress) | SD Shots to Fill Buffer (SD) * | SD Buffer Clearing Time in Seconds (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG L | 300+ | 4.5s | 300+ | 4.5s |
| HEIF L | 300+ | 4.5s | 300+ | 4.5s |
| RAW | 300+ | 5s | 101 | 12.5s |
| CRAW | 300+ | 5s | 300+ | 5s |
| RAW & JPEG L | 154 | 7s | 89 | 19.5s |
| RAW & HEIF L | 97 | 13s | 89 | 19.5s |
| CRAW & JPEG L | 300+ | 15s | 213 | 22s |
| CRAW & HEIF L | 223 | 30s | 223 | 30s |
About Our Tests
All of these tests were carried out with the Canon R5 II and firmware 1.2.0.
The figures presented here are based on our test conditions. If you are testing this yourself, you will most likely see slightly different results because a different scene will generate different file sizes.
Even slightly different exposures of the same scene can result in different sized files, and therefore different buffer and clearing time figures. Our RAW files were 49.1 MB and JPEG L files 21.9 MB.
It’s hard to give an exact figure but the R5 II is probably only writing to the fastest CFexpress cards at an average speed of around 490 MB/s when shooting RAW + JPEG L at 30 FPS.
When shooting RAW alone this drops to around 460 MB/s. With CRAW it’s around 200 MB/s, with JPEG L it’s around 220 MB/s and CRAW + JPEG L is around 310 MB/s at 30 FPS.
Supported Memory Cards
The Canon EOS R5 Mark II features two memory cards slots. Slot 1 supports CFexpress Type B Memory Cards (2.0 & 4.0) and Slot 2 supports SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I & UHS-II) memory cards.
Here are the theoretical maximum speeds of each type of card:
- CFexpress Type-B: theoretical maximum transfer speeds of up to 2000MB/s (2.0), 4000MB/s (4.0).
- SD UHS-II: theoretical maximum transfer speeds of up to 312MB/s
CFexpress 4.0 cards are compatible with the R5 II because the standard is backwards compatible with 2.0 devices, but you won’t see any improvement in the buffer clearing times versus 2.0 cards because the R5 II is not using PCIe Gen 4 hardware.
Recording to Multiple Cards
If you select the record option in the menu “Rec. to Multiple” then the same image type will be written to the memory card in both slot 1 and slot 2.
Unfortunately the write speed will always be limited by the slowest card, so you will be limited by the speed of the UHS-II card that you choose for slot 2.
Recording Separately
If you select the record option in the menu “Rec. Separately” then you can write a different image type to slot 1 and slot 2.
We recommend recording the larger RAW or CRAW images to the faster CFexpress Type-B card in slot 1 and JPEGs to a UHS-II card in slot 2 and not the other way around.
With the setup you can write 88 RAW images to slot 1 and 88 JPEG L to slot 2 before hitting the buffer. The buffer then clears in around 10 seconds.
If you were to write the RAW images to slot 2 and JPEG L to slot 1, then this would take around 15 seconds to clear the buffer after taking 84 shots, this is why we don’t recommend doing it this way.
Memory Cards for Recording Video
The Canon R5 II is capable of recording 8K RAW at up to 60p, this is approximately 2600 Mbps which is around 325 MB/s.
If you want to shoot 8K RAW you will need a CFexpress Type B card with a minimum sustained write speed of 325 MB/s or above and Canon recommends 400 MB/s if you want to shoot in this recording format.
Cards with the VPG400 certification guarantee a minimum sustained write speed of 400 MB/s and help to make the decision a lot easier.
That said, many CFexpress Type B cards can sustain 400 MB/s and above write speeds, they just haven’t paid for the VPG certification.
For further details on card compatibility for recording video please refer to the specification section of the Canon R5 II Product Manual.
What Size Memory Card Do You Need?
The size of memory card that you choose will depend on how and what you are shooting.
For Stills Shooters
We would recommend a minimum of 256GB if you shoot a lot of continuous bursts. If you don’t shoot continuous bursts then a 64GB or 128GB will probably be sufficient.
Here are the number of shots available when shooting with a 325GB card:
- RAW: 6540
- CRAW: 15210
- JPEG L: 23710
- HEIF L: 24290
- RAW + JPEG L: 5120
- CRAW + JPEG L: 9260
- RAW + HEIF L: 4860
- CRAW + HEIF L: 8420
For Video Shooters
The size of card for shooting video really depends on the movie recording format and frame rate that you will be recording in.
Recording times can be found in the specification section of the Canon R5 II Product Manual. This should help you to determine the correct size of card.
We don’t recommend using 32GB or smaller SDHC cards (either UHS-I or UHS-II) because they use the FAT 32 file system and your video files will be broken up into 4GB chunks.
Memory Card Readers
A lot of the time mixing different memory card and reader brands work fine, but occasionally compatibility problems can arise.
We therefore strongly recommend matching your card reader to your memory cards to minimize any compatibility issues.
So if you are using Prograde memory cards, we would recommend a Prograde reader. If you are using Delkin cards, we would recommend a Delkin reader etc…
The maximum transfer speeds will always be limited by either the reader or the maximum cards speeds. So don’t be tricked into buying a reader that advertises faster transfer speeds than the cards it supports.
You will see figures like 10 Gb/s, 20 Gb/s or 40 Gb/s. These are the maximum bus speeds for the device. It’s important to note the lowercase b which indicates that this figure is Gigabits per second and not Gigabytes per second.
CFexpress Type B 4.0 Readers
These CFexpress readers support the faster CFexpress Type B 4.0 speeds, they are also backwards compatible with CFexpress Type B 2.0 cards.
| CFexpress Type B 4.0 Card Reader | * Max Transfer Speed | Price Check |
|---|---|---|
| ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B USB 4.0 | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Novachips CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | Amazon |
| Lexar Professional Workflow CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Nextorage NX-SB1PRO CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo |
| Delkin Devices DDREADER-60 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Angelbird Performance CFexpress Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| OWC Atlas CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo |
| Exascend Nitro CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 4000 MB/s | B&H Photo |
CFexpress Type B 2.0 Readers
These CFexpress readers support CFexpress Type B 2.0 speeds, they compatible with CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards but will only transfer data at 2.0 speeds.
| CFexpress Type B 2.0 Card Reader | Max Transfer Speed | Price Check |
|---|---|---|
| Sony MRW-G1 CFexpress Type B/XQD | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| SanDisk PRO-READER CFexpress Type B | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Delkin Devices CFexpress Type B | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Nextorage CFexpress Type B | 2000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Angelbird PKT CFexpress 2.0 Type B | 2000 MB/s | B&H Photo |
| Transcend RDE2 CFexpress Type B | 2000 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Exascend CFexpress Type B | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo |
CFexpress Type B 2.0 + SD Dual Slot Readers
These dual readers support CFexpress Type B 2.0 cards, they compatible with CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards but will only transfer data at 2.0 speeds. They also support SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II / UHS-I) memory cards.
| CFexpress Type B 2.0 + UHS-II SD Card Reader | * Max Transfer Speed | Price Check |
|---|---|---|
| ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B & UHS-II SDXC | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B/SD | 1050 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Delkin Devices CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Wise Advanced CFexpress Type B / UHS-II SDXC | 1250 MB/s | B&H Photo |
| OWC Atlas Dual CFexpress + SD Card | 1033 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
UHS-II SD Card Readers
These card readers only support SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II / UHS-I) memory cards.
| UHS-II SD Card Reader | * Max Transfer Speed | Price Check |
|---|---|---|
| Lexar Professional Workflow Dual-Slot | 312 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| SanDisk Extreme Pro SD Card USB Type-C | 312 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Kingston Mobilelite Plus | 312 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
| Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II SD Memory Card Reader | 312 MB/s | B&H Photo | Amazon |
Types of NAND Memory
CFexpress and SD cards use what is called NAND memory, which is a type of non-volatile flash memory.
Generally the cheapest cards are using QLC NAND, next up is 3D TLC NAND, then MLC NAND, while the more expensive cards use pSLC NAND. True SLC memory is normally only found in industrial spec cards.
But this isn’t always strictly the case, and only a handful of manufacturers publish the type of memory that they use.
The most expensive cards that are using pSLC memory offer better performance and also much better endurance, but you won’t notice this in the R6 III because it’s not pushing the cards that hard.
NAND endurance is measured in program/erase (P/E) cycles, which is how many times each cell can be written before it wears out. It can also be measured in Terabytes Written (TBW).
- QLC NAND = 500 – 1,000 P/E cycles
- 3D TLC NAND = 1,000 – 3,000 P/E cycles
- MLC NAND = 3,000 – 10,000 P/E cycles
- pSLC NAND = 10,000 – 30,000 P/E cycles
- SLC NAND = 50,000 – 100,000 P/E cycles
This video offers a nice explainer if you are really interested in the technology behind NAND memory.
In reality, even 3D TLC NAND will provide more than enough performance and endurance for 99% of photographers and film makers.
But if you only want the best, then these are the cards that we know are using pSLC NAND memory:
- Nextorage NX-B2 PRO CFexpress 4.0 Type B
- Novachips Extreme CFexpress 4.0 Type B
- Delkin Devices Black CFexpress 4.0 Type B VPG 400
- Lexar Professional DIAMOND 4.0 Type B
- Nextorage NX-F2 PRO Series UHS-II SDXC V90
- Integral ULTIMAPRO X2 UHS-II SDXC V90
- Prograde SDXC UHS-II 300R V90
Summary
By now you hopefully realise that by selecting a memory card for your R5 II based on the speeds advertised on the label is akin to throwing money down the drain.
All bar four of the CFexpress Type B cards that we have tested performed very similar in-camera when shooting at 30 FPS.
So with the performance of the CFexpress cards being so similar, you might simply just want to go with your favorite brand such as Delkin Devices, SanDisk, Prograde or Lexar etc..
The only real exception here is if you are filling your cards and formatting them on a daily basis, then selecting one of the more expensive pSLC based cards such as the Delkin Black Series or Lexar Diamond Series might make sense.
The performance of the UHS-II cards varies a lot more that the CFexpress cards tested. If you are an action shooter then it makes sense to go with one of the faster V90 cards. If however you will only ever be shooting single shots and rarely continuous bursts, then a V60 UHS-II card will probably be sufficient for your needs.
If you plan to write to both the CFexpress card and an SD card at the same time, please make sure you go with one of the faster SD cards to make sure the buffer clears as quickly as possible.
If you only shoot CRAW or JPEG then there is no in-camera speed benefit to using a CFexpress card over an SD V90 UHS-II card, they both allow you to shoot the same number of shots and clear the buffer in the same time.
There are a few companies that we think deserve mentioning that you might not have heard of.
Nextorage are a Japanese company run by former Sony employees and their cards and support are very good.
Novachips are also not very well known but offer some brilliant cards with great prices, they are a South Korean company.
We are a big fan of the Delkin Devices cards. They have excellent lifetime warranties and their BLACK cards also come with a 48-hour replacement guarantee in addition to their limited lifetime warranty policy. They also have US and European based support teams.
If you can share any feedback on the cards we have tested or any cards that we haven’t, please do drop a comment a below.
Thanks for reading!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Introduction
- Best CFexpress Type B Memory Cards
- Best UHS-II SD Memory Cards
- SANDISK Extreme PRO UHS-II V60 SDXC 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB Still Image Problems
- All File Types 30 FPS (Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
- All File Types 15 FPS ( Electronic Shutter) Buffer Tests
- All File Types 12 FPS (Mechanical Shutter) Buffer Tests
- About Our Tests
- Supported Memory Cards
- Recording to Multiple Cards
- Recording Separately
- Memory Cards for Recording Video
- Types of NAND Memory
- Summary
- Canon R5 II Guides & Resources
- FAQs
Canon R5 II Guides & Resources
FAQs
SDHC cards use the FAT32 file system and can store up to 32 GB of data, while SDXC cards use the exFAT file system and can store up to 2 terabytes (2000 GB). If you shoot video with a SDHC card your video file will be broken up into 4GB chunks, it will save you work in post to use an SDXC card instead.
Two memory card slots. Slot one supports CFexpress Type-B Cards and Slot 2 supports SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards.
CFexpress Type-B cards in Slot 1 and SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards in Slot 2.
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