Best Sony NEX-5 Memory Card

The Sony NEX-5 can use 2 different kinds of memory cards. SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards can be used as well as Sony PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo memory.

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

Sony developed and owns the PRO Duo card format. As a result, SD cards are a better value and can 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 produce high-quality SD cards. The best SD cards I have owned have been SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards.

You do not need to purchase a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-NEX-5. Look for cards with cool names. That will make sure you get fast transfer rates, water resistance, and more professional features.

I have not run into problems with PNY Elite Performance or Lexar Professional SD cards.

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

If you are looking to spend less money, don’t buy a cheap card. You will avoid problems by purchasing a professional-quality card with a smaller storage capacity.

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 in the Sony NEX-5. Use a memory card to get the maximum overall performance from the NEX-5.

The latest SDUC memory cards will not be useable in the NEX-5.

Currently, there are four different specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards. Newer card specifications increase tech that allows for more memory capacity and increased read/write rates.

  • 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. Memory card speed is very important for clearing the buffer for continuous shooting as well as recording video.

Slows memory cards can reduce the number of continuous frames the Sony NEX-5 can take. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write to the SD card quickly enough.

When shooting video, a slow card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is essential the SD card you use meets the requirements of the camera.

Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to finish.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A memory card is assigned a Class rating based on the sustained continuous data write speed of the memory card. Class 10 is the top rating, even though cards are made that have a higher read/write speed.

Here is a list of the Classes and associated lowest transfer rates:

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

Any memory card worth picking for the Sony NEX-5 will be a Class 10 memory card. In the time since the announcement of the camera, SD memory cards have gotten a good deal faster.

UHS-I Rating
UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus can be found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS allows provides a way to increase file transfer rates.

Three separate specs exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

You can find the UHS rating of a memory card by looking at the front of the SD card. The presence of aRoman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD memory card, that is going to be the UHS rating of your memory 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

The Sony NEX-5 is able to use either a PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo cards. What PRO-HG signifies is that the memory card has a minimum read speed of 50mb/s and a 15mb/s minimum write speed.

Sony Pro Duo memory cards are in most cases double the cost of an SD memory card. I would not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo card to use with a NEX-5 because of the cost increase.

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 key features you need to understand about SD and PRO Duo memory cards.