Canon R5 II Recommended Memory Cards for the R5 Mark II

[Tim Mayo]

I've just finished testing over 60 memory cards in the Canon R5 Mark II.

The R5 II isn't writing to the CFexpress slot much faster than around 490 MB/s when shooting RAW + JPEG L at 30 FPS. So because the vast majority of CFexpress Type B cards can sustain this speed and more, they mostly perform the same in-camera. There were only four cards that dropped below these speeds, which increased the buffer clearing times for these cards.

The Prograde Digital Iridium 4.0 (400 GB) memory card is underperforming badly in the R5 II, writing roughly 10-20 seconds slower than I would expect. Oddly it performs as it should the first time the camera is turned on, but all subsequent bursts are extremely slow. I 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 my card is showing EFLU92.2. I'm waiting to hear back from Prograde about this.

If anyone here is using one of the Prograde Digital Iridium 4.0 Type B cards in the R5 II it would be great to hear if you are seeing similar speed issues or if everything is working fine.

There is definitely no in-camera benefit to using the newer CFexpress 4.0 cards over the 2.0 cards, but you will benefit from faster transfer speeds when using a 4.0 reader.

If you are only shooting in CRAW or JPEG then it doesn't matter if you use a CFexpress or a fast UHS-II SD V90 card because they both allow you to capture the same number of images and clear the buffer in the same time.

There is more of a variation in performance when it comes to UHS-II SD cards and shooting RAW, so pick carefully. If you need to shoot to both cards at the same time, then you will always be restricted by the speed of the SD card, so it's best to go with a fast one!

It would be great to hear what cards people are choosing to use in your own R5 II. Also if you have any issues with any cards, please do let me know.

Full details can be found in the blog post here:

Tested in Camera: The Best Canon R5 II Memory Cards - RF Shooters

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...

rfshooters.com

 

[PKM-UK]

Hi Tim,

I've just picked up a Lexar Professional 256GB CFexpress Type B Silver (nice tip!) which is much faster than my existing Integral 128GB CFexpress card.

SD card-wise (for our R5 II and R7) we use Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB and SanDisk Extreme PRO SD 128GB or 64GB cards (both @ 300MB/s).


(We don't tend to go nuts with burst mode but, all being well, we'll be giving the new Lexar card its first real life trial at Chester Zoo this coming weekend).

Phil

 

[Tim Mayo]

Hi Tim,

I've just picked up a Lexar Professional 256GB CFexpress Type B Silver (nice tip!) which is much faster than my existing Integral 128GB CFexpress card.

SD card-wise (for our R5 II and R7) we use Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB and SanDisk Extreme PRO SD 128GB or 64GB cards (both @ 300MB/s).


(We don't tend to go nuts with burst mode but, all being well, we'll be giving the new Lexar card its first real life trial at Chester Zoo this coming weekend).

Phil

Hey Phil. I hope you, Karen and Frank are healthy and 2026 is treating you well so far.

Yes the Lexar Silver 256GB works well and performs just as well as much more expensive cards when pushed, I also bought one and tested it. Unless you are going crazy with the bursts then the faster UHS-II cards also work well.

So it sounds like you are all set for your next adventure We have been tempted to take the kids to Chester Zoo but Christ it's not cheap! Then again nothing is today.

 

[PKM-UK]

Hey Phil. I hope you, Karen and Frank are healthy and 2026 is treating you well so far.

Yes the Lexar Silver 256GB works well and performs just as well as much more expensive cards when pushed, I also bought one and tested it. Unless you are going crazy with the bursts then the faster UHS-II cards also work well.

So it sounds like you are all set for your next adventure We have been tempted to take the kids to Chester Zoo but Christ it's not cheap! Then again nothing is today.

Hi Tim,

So far, so good (mind you, it's only January... ). Frank is enjoying having a new side door cable (if I told you the cost, you'd weep - we did! ).

Plans for 2026 are 'fluid' as we're supporting a close family member through a traumatic illness (limitations which also applied to the latter part of 2025).

We're still aiming to get out there and relate to plenty stuff, but we may need to wind our original ambitions in a fair bit. Tis life...


Trust all is well with you and yours...

Chester Zoo is wonderful (we're members, which - kind of - softens the entry angst). We'd also recommend the Yorkshire Wildlife Park (plus Hex Hotel).

Phil

 

[StevenAunan]

I have two CFexpress Type B cards, but I almost always have the R5II configured with SD for photo and CFe for video. I reverse that when necessary.

• Silicon Power 256GB, PCIe 3.0 x2 Bus, Max Write 600 MB/s. $79 one year ago, today $119.
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB, Max write 1400 MB/s. $139 in 2024, $159 today. (This one is on your test list.)

If most cards are writing at around 490 MB/s then reliability would be the only reason to pay top dollar. Right now at B&H, 256GB CFe cards are priced between $99 and $549. But seriously, I doubt that a $500 card is 5X more reliable than a $99 card...

 

[Tim Mayo]

I have two CFexpress Type B cards, but I almost always have the R5II configured with SD for photo and CFe for video. I reverse that when necessary.

• Silicon Power 256GB, PCIe 3.0 x2 Bus, Max Write 600 MB/s. $79 one year ago, today $119.
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB, Max write 1400 MB/s. $139 in 2024, $159 today. (This one is on your test list.)

If most cards are writing at around 490 MB/s then reliability would be the only reason to pay top dollar. Right now at B&H, 256GB CFe cards are priced between $99 and $549. But seriously, I doubt that a $500 card is 5X more reliable than a $99 card...

There are a couple of CFexpress cards that write much slower than 490 MB/s. The ProGrade Digital Gold 2.0 (128 GB) has a maximum write speed of 260 MB/s, all of the V90 SD cards I tested are faster than this and even a couple of the V60 cards. The most expensive cards are using pSLC memory which has much better endurance, but even the TLC based cards offer enough endurance for the vast majority of photographers. pSLC based cards have also become ridiculously expensive with the recent price increases, I'm just guessing because that type of NAND memory is being snapped up by all the AI hyperscalers. A Delkin Devices Black 512GB VPG 400 card used to cost around £200 in the UK, it's now listed at £579. It sounds like there are more price increases incoming as well.