6d max memory card size

[cidd47]

Don't know if there is an answer to this question. I see others asking also, what is the Maximum memory card size that will work reliably in the 6D?

I have checked the manual, I have checked store descriptions, no one seems to know the answer to this question.

Has anybody on here ever used a 64g or 128g card in the 6D? What were your results?

TIA,

Craig

[RobertTheFat]

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@cidd47 wrote:

GOT AN ANSWER FROM CANON. I thought you might be interested in:

Thank you for contacting Canon product support regarding the maximum size of memory card that can be used in the EOS 6D.

This depends entirely on the type of card being used.  For very old original "SD" cards, the limitation of the specification was 2GB.  For SDHC cards, the specification tops out at 32GB.  For SDXC cards, the specification tops out at a theoretical 2TB, though no cards this size exist at this time.  The camera is also compatible with the UHS-I high speed transfer specification, but not the UHS-II specification.  You should be able to use any SDXC card currently on the market or that will be released on the market for several years to come.  However, you will very rapidly run into a point of diminishing returns, where larger cards provide you with no additional benefit. 

For instance, a currently available 512GB SDXC card can hold approximately 87,000 Large/Fine JPEG images from this camera, or 22,000 RAW images, or over 37 hours of 1080p HD video.  Most people will never shoot that many images before downloading them to their computer.  If you do, then in my professional opinion you may be inviting disaster.  You could easily lose all of those images to an inadvertent button press or accidental corruption of the file system.  There's an old adage about "not putting all of your eggs in one basket" that you may want to take into consideration.  A theoretical 2TB card would hold over 349,000 JPEG images, or approximately 3.5x the rated life expectancy of the shutter mechanism in your camera.  You would be nearly half way through the expected life span of your fourth shutter mechanism before you would fill the card. 

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your EOS 6D. Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Dirk
Technical Support Representative

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I think Dirk is intelligent, witty, well informed, and a credit to Canon's Technical Support group. 

[cidd47]

FYI - For the Canon 6D, firmware 1.1.6 is now available since 12-16-14

[Skirball]

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@cidd47 wrote:

GOT AN ANSWER FROM CANON. I thought you might be interested in:

Thank you for contacting Canon product support regarding the maximum size of memory card that can be used in the EOS 6D.

This depends entirely on the type of card being used.  For very old original "SD" cards, the limitation of the specification was 2GB.  For SDHC cards, the specification tops out at 32GB.  For SDXC cards, the specification tops out at a theoretical 2TB, though no cards this size exist at this time.  The camera is also compatible with the UHS-I high speed transfer specification, but not the UHS-II specification.  You should be able to use any SDXC card currently on the market or that will be released on the market for several years to come.  However, you will very rapidly run into a point of diminishing returns, where larger cards provide you with no additional benefit. 

For instance, a currently available 512GB SDXC card can hold approximately 87,000 Large/Fine JPEG images from this camera, or 22,000 RAW images, or over 37 hours of 1080p HD video.  Most people will never shoot that many images before downloading them to their computer.  If you do, then in my professional opinion you may be inviting disaster.  You could easily lose all of those images to an inadvertent button press or accidental corruption of the file system.  There's an old adage about "not putting all of your eggs in one basket" that you may want to take into consideration.  A theoretical 2TB card would hold over 349,000 JPEG images, or approximately 3.5x the rated life expectancy of the shutter mechanism in your camera.  You would be nearly half way through the expected life span of your fourth shutter mechanism before you would fill the card. 

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your EOS 6D. Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Dirk
Technical Support Representative

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I would say that's a pretty good summary of what we said.

FYI, the limitation on the SD and SDHC cards aren't a 6D thing, or even a Canon thing; it's the limit for those technologies, and what lead to making the next generation device.