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Best Sony NEX-3 Memory Card

     1158 words  6 minutes 
Avoid problems or reduced performance in your Sony NEX-3 by choosing the best memory card. You can choose between SD and PRO Duo, but one is more expensive.

Two different kinds of memory cards can be used in the Sony NEX-3. Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo are compatible with and in addition SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards.

Only one card can be in the slot at a time. You’ll have to make a choice between an SD or PRO Duo memory card.

PRO Duo cards are a proprietary memory card format that is held by Sony. Because of that, SD cards are more cost-effective and frequently have greater performance than PRO Duo memory cards.

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SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are brands that make high-quality SD cards. The best memory cards I have used have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards.

That does not mean you need to buy a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-NEX-3. Look for memory cards with cool names. That will make sure you get fast transfer rates, shock resistance, and more professional features.

I have not had errors with Lexar Professional or PNY Elite Performance SD cards.

The problems I have experienced with memory cards has been when cheap no name brands were used. Not having a brand name increases the possibility of card errors or corrupted data.

If you would like to spend less money, don’t buy a generic card. You will be better off purchasing a name brand card with a reduced capacity.

Affiliate Advertising Disclosure

Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH and Adorama. More can be found on the Affiliate Discolsure page.

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
  • Larger capacity cards are available.
  • Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
  • UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
  • Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.

SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards are usable with the Sony NEX-3. Use a card to get the maximum performance out of the NEX-3.

The most recent SDUC cards won’t work with the NEX-3.

Currently, there are four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards. Newer memory specifications add more tech that provides for increased storage space and improved data transfer speeds.

  • Secure Digital (SD) - 128MB to 2GB.
  • Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - 4GB to 32GB.
  • Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - 64GB to 2TB.
  • Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - 4TB to 128TB.

Speed ratings of an SD memory card is determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The transfer speed of a card is very important for video and continuous shooting.

A slow card can cause a decrease in the number of continuous photos the Sony NEX-3 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write to the card quickly enough.

When shooting video, a slow memory card can cause a sudden end to the recording. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to capture video, it is critical the card you use meets the required continuous write speed for video.

Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will save you time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A SD card is given a Class rating based on the sustained continuous transfer rate of the card. Class 10 is the highest rating, even though memory cards exist that have a improved read/write speed.

Here are all of the Classes and associated minimum transfer rates:

  • Class 2 - 2MB/s
  • Class 4 - 4MB/s
  • Class 6 - 6MB/s
  • Class 8 - 8MB/s
  • Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster

Nearly every SD memory card worth deciding to buy for the Sony NEX-3 will be a Class 10 SD card. In the time period since the introduction of the camera, Memory cards have gotten so much faster.

UHS-I Rating
UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS allows offers a way to improve data transfer rates.

Three different specifications exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the SD card to determine the rating of a SD memory card. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the memory card, that is the rating of the SD card.

  • UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
  • UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
  • UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s

One PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo cards can be used in the Sony NEX-3. PRO-HG signifies the memory card may have read speeds up to 50MB/s and a 15MB/s minimum write speed.

You’ll have to spend double the amount to get a hold of a Sony PRO Duo memory card than a similar SD card. Considering the price difference, I will not recommend purchasing a PRO Duo memory card for use in a NEX-3.

SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

Below is an approximate estimation of how many large JPEG images you can expect to store on each size of SD card.

  • 16GB - 4,640 images
  • 32GB - 9,280 images
  • 64GB - 18,560 images
  • 128GB - 37,120 images
  • 256GB - 74,240 images

That covers all of the fundamental specifications you need to find out about PRO Duo and SD cards.

Updated on 2022-10-11
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