Sony A5000 Memory Card Compatibility

The Sony A5000 is able to use two different types of memory cards. SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards are compatible and in addition Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo memory.

The A5000 only has a single memory card slot. You will have to make a choice between a PRO Duo or SD card.

Sony is the owner of the PRO Duo format. SD memory cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD cards are appreciably faster plus less expensive.

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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 manufacturers that make high-quality SD cards. The best memory cards I have owned have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro cards.

That does not mean you need to buy a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A5000. Look for cards with cool names. That will mean you get fast transfer rates, water resistance, and more features.

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

When I have encountered problems with SD cards has been when cheap generic brands were used. A low cost card increases the possibility of corrupted data or card errors.

If you want to save money, don’t buy a generic card. You will be better off buying a high-quality memory card with a reduced 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 can be used by the Sony A5000. Use a card to get the maximum overall performance out of the camera.

The latest SDUC cards are not supported by the A5000.

Currently, there are four specs of SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. New card specifications increase tech that provides for increased memory capacity as well as noticeably increased 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. Card continuous write speed is very important for continuous shooting as well as video.

A slow SD card can cause a reduction in the number of continuous frames the Sony A5000 can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write to the SD card fast enough.

When recording video, a slow memory card can cause recording to stop. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you are going to shoot video, it is essential the SD card you use meets the required continuous write speed for video.

Read speed is important for file transfers to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a memory card with a fast read speed will cut down on the transfer time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A SD card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained write speed of the memory card. Class 10 is the maximum rating, even though cards exist that are a whole lot faster.

Here are all of the Class ratings and their corresponding minimum read/write speeds:

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

Virtually any SD card worth picking out for the Sony A5000 will be a Class 10 SD memory card. In the short time since the camera was released, Cards have gotten so much faster.

UHS-I Rating
UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus comes in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS makes it possible offers a way to improve file transfer rates.

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

Look at the front of the card to figure out the rating of a SD memory card. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the front 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

The Sony A5000 can use one PRO-HG Duo or PRO Duo memory 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 cards are quite often more expensive than an SD memory card. I would not recommend purchasing a PRO Duo memory card to use with your A5000 due to the fact 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

There is no more you need to learn about PRO Duo and SD cards.