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Canon PowerShot Memory Cards: Check Your Model Before You Buy

Canon PowerShot card compatibility varies by model. Check the exact camera row for supported formats and capacity, then verify video speed needs.

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The right memory card for a Canon PowerShot depends on the exact camera model. Many use full-size SD-family cards, but older cameras may support fewer card types or use CompactFlash, while the PowerShot PICK takes microSD-family cards. Check Canon’s compatibility row for your camera before buying, then confirm any video speed requirements in its manual or model-specific support page.

How to find the card that fits your PowerShot

  1. Identify the full camera model. Include suffixes and version names such as IS, HS, Mark II, or Mark III; similar-looking models can support different formats.
  2. Check Canon’s model-by-model compact-camera compatibility table. Find the exact model row and compare the supported card-format columns. Canon’s legend uses a mark for supported and a dash for unsupported.
  3. Match both format and capacity. A card’s SD, SDHC, or SDXC label is not enough on its own: the camera must support that format and capacity.
  4. For video, check the recording mode. Consult the camera’s manual or its Canon support page for the required card speed for the quality and mode you intend to use.

Canon’s compatibility table was updated October 21, 2025. It covers PowerShot A, G, SX, S, N, D, and other series, as well as formats including CompactFlash, SD-family cards, microSD-family cards, and UHS-I. Use the exact model row rather than assuming every PowerShot takes the same card.

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SD, SDHC, and SDXC capacity ranges

Canon lists these general SD-family format ranges:

  • SD: up to 2GB
  • SDHC: 4GB–32GB
  • SDXC: 32GB–2TB

These are format capacity ranges, not a promise that every PowerShot accepts every card in each range. The camera’s model-specific compatibility information determines what works.

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Why PowerShot models differ

The compatibility table shows meaningful differences even among cameras in the same series. For example, Canon lists the G7 X Mark III and G7 X Mark II for SD, SDHC, and SDXC, with UHS-I support; the G1 X is listed for those SD formats without UHS-I. The older G6, G5, G3, G2, and G1 are listed for CompactFlash Type I, with Canon noting that Type II is also supported.

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Capacity support can differ between nearby models, too: Canon lists the PowerShot A2000 IS for SD and SDHC but not SDXC, while the A4000 IS is listed for SD, SDHC, and SDXC. These examples are a reason to look up the complete model name, not a substitute for checking your camera’s row.

Notable format exceptions

PowerShot V1

Canon’s V1 FAQ, updated February 20, 2025, lists SD, SDHC, and SDXC support regardless of capacity, along with UHS-II, UHS-I, UHS Speed Class, and SD Speed Class. For video, Canon says card performance must suit the selected recording quality: a card with slow write performance can cause recording problems, and slow read performance can affect playback. Canon advises formatting a new card, or one formatted in another camera or a computer, in the V1. See the PowerShot V1 support FAQ.

PowerShot PICK

The PICK uses microSD-family cards, not a full-size SD card. Canon’s FAQ, updated November 19, 2021, specifies microSD up to 2GB (FAT12/FAT16), microSDHC 4GB–32GB (FAT32), and microSDXC 64GB–2TB (exFAT). It lists SD Speed Class and UHS-I support. Video modes have different minimum SD Speed Class requirements, so consult the FAQ rather than applying one speed rating to every mode. Canon recommends formatting a new or externally formatted card in the camera and warns that formatting deletes all card data. See the PowerShot PICK support FAQ.

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Format the card safely

When Canon recommends in-camera formatting for your model, first copy any files you want to keep to another device. Formatting erases the card’s data. Then use the camera’s format control, following the instructions for that specific model; menu names and steps can vary.

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Canon’s general memory-card FAQ directs PowerShot and IXY users to the model-by-model compatibility table. It also notes that a “write protected” or “card locked” warning may indicate that the card is physically locked; such a message does not by itself establish that the card format is incompatible.

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Before you buy: a quick checklist

  • Confirm the complete camera model and its exact row in Canon’s compatibility table.
  • Check the card format and capacity against what that row supports.
  • For video, verify the speed requirement for your intended recording mode in the camera’s manual or model-specific Canon support page.
  • If the camera recommends in-camera formatting, back up the card before formatting it.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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