Sony A6000 Memory Card Compatibility

The Sony A6000 is able to use 2 types of memory cards. Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo can be used with in addition to SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards.

There is only one card slot in the A6000. You will need to make a decision between a PRO Duo or SD memory card.

Sony engineered and is the owner of the PRO Duo card format. SD cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD cards are appreciably faster plus cheaper.

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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 Memory cards. The best memory cards I have used have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards.

You do not need to buy a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A6000. Look for memory cards with cool-sounding names. That will make sure you get fast transfer rates, shock resistance, and other professional features.

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

When I have had problems with memory cards has been when I have used cheap generic brands. A low cost card increases the possibility of data corruption or card errors.

If you would like to spend less, don’t buy a generic card. You will be better off buying a professional-quality card with a reduced 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.

SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards are compatible with the Sony A6000. For the optimal performance, use a card.

The most recent SDUC cards won’t work with the A6000.

There are four different specifications of SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. New memory specs add features that provides for larger memory capacity and noticeably increased 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.

The speed rating of an SD memory card is determined by the sequential write and read speeds. SD memory card write speed is essential for continuous shooting as well as video.

Slows cards can cause a drop in the number of continuous frames the Sony A6000 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the card quickly enough.

With video, a slow SD card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file could also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is crucial the memory card you use meets the requirements of the camera.

Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast read speed will decrease the transfer time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A SD memory card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained continuous data write speed of the card. Class 10 is the best rating, even though SD memory cards are for sale that have a higher write speed.

Here you can see a list of the Classes and their corresponding 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

Any memory card worth picking for the Sony A6000 will be a Class 10 card. In the short time since the camera was launched, Memory cards have gotten much faster.

UHS-I Rating
UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus can be found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS cards to achieve faster read and write speeds.

There are three separate versions. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the SD card to find out the rating of a SD memory card. The presence of aRoman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the 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

The Sony A6000 may use one PRO-HG Duo or PRO Duo cards. PRO-HG signifies the memory card may have read speeds up to 50MB/s and a 15MB/s minimum write speed.

Sony Pro Duo cards are almost always double the cost of an SD card. I would not recommend purchasing a PRO Duo card to use with a A6000 due to the increase in expense.

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

At this point you know pretty much everything about PRO Duo and SD cards.