Sony A5100 Memory Card Compatibility
The Sony A5100 is able to use 2 types of memory cards. SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards can be used as well as Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo cards.
Only one memory card can be in the camera at a time. You’ll need to choose between an SD or PRO Duo memory card.
Sony is the owner of the PRO Duo memory card format. SD cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD cards are considerably faster in addition to being cheaper.
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- 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.
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are brands that make the best Memory cards. The best memory cards I have used have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards.
That does not mean you need to buy a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A5100. Look for SD cards with impressive names. That will make sure you get fast transfer rates, shock resistance, and other professional features.
I have not run into problems with Lexar Professional or PNY Elite Performance cards.
The problems I have had with memory cards has been when I have used inexpensive no name brands. Not having a brand name increases the chance of card errors or corrupted data.
If you would like to spend less, don’t buy a cheap card. You will avoid problems by buying a high-quality memory card with a smaller capacity.
Recommended SD Cards
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Sony A5100 SD Card Compatibility
SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are compatible with the Sony A5100. Use a card to get the best overall performance from the A5100.
The brand new SDUC memory cards will not be useable in the A5100.
There are four different types of SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. Newer card specifications add more features that provides for greater storage space and 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.
SD Card Speed
The speed rating of an SD memory card is based on the sequential read and write speeds. The write speed of a memory card is essential for video in addition to continuous shooting.
A slow memory card can reduce the number of continuous images the Sony A5100 can take. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write data to the card fast enough.
When recording video, a slow card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file might also be corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is essential the memory card you use meets the minimum requirements of the camera.
Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a SD card with a fast read speed will cut down on the amount of time it takes the transfer to complete.
Speed Class Rating
A SD card is labeled with a Class rating based on the continuous data write speed of the memory card. Class 10 is the maximum rating, even though cards are made that have a faster read speed.
Here is a list of the Class ratings and their associated 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 choosing for the Sony A5100 will be a Class 10 SD memory card. In the time since the announcement of the camera, SD memory cards have gotten much faster.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS memory cards to achieve faster transfer rates.
There are 3 different specifications. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
To find the UHS rating of a memory card, look on the label. 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
Sony A5100 PRO Duo Card Compatibility
One PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo cards can be used in the Sony A5100. PRO-HG signifies the memory card may have read speeds up to 50MB/s and a 15MB/s minimum write speed.
PRO Duo memory cards are consistently double the cost of an SD card. I would not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo card for your A5100 on account of the increase in cost.
Image Capacity
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
Related Cameras
That goes over all of the key features you need to learn about about SD and PRO Duo memory cards.