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Sony A6100 Memory Card Compatibility

     1152 words  6 minutes 
Don't overpay or get a slow memory card for your Sony A6100. SD or PRO Duo cards can be used, but one is a far better choice.

The Sony A6100 is able to use two types of memory cards. Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo can be used with in addition to SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards.

The camera only has a single card slot. You will have to choose between a PRO Duo or SD memory card.

PRO Duo cards are a proprietary memory card format owned by Sony. SD memory cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD memory cards are much faster as well as more affordable.

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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 SD cards I have used have been SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards.

You do not need to buy a card from SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A6100. Make sure the name sounds impressive. That will ensure you get fast read/write speeds, shock resistance, and more professional features.

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

When I have encountered problems with cards has been when inexpensive no name brands were used. A low cost card increases the chance of card errors or corrupted data.

If you are looking to save money, don’t buy a cheap card. You will avoid problems by purchasing a professional-quality memory card with a reduced storage 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.

SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are compatible with the Sony A6100. Use a SD memory card to get the maximum overall performance from the camera.

The brand new SDUC cards are not supported by the A6100.

Currently, there are four types of SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. New memory specs increase tech that allows for greater storage capacity as well as improved data transfer 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 write and read speeds. SD card write speed is essential for continuous shooting in addition to video.

A slow memory card can reduce the number of continuous photos the Sony A6100 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write to the card fast enough.

With video, a slow memory card can cause a sudden end to shooting. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is critical the card you use meets the requirements of the camera.

Card read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a SD card with a fast read speed will save you time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A SD memory card is labeled with a Class rating based on the continuous write speed of the memory card. Class 10 is the maximum rating, even though SD memory cards exist that have a higher transfer rate.

Here are all of the Classes and the corresponding lowest 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

Practically every memory card worth buying for the Sony A6100 will be a Class 10 card. In the time period since the camera was introduced, SD cards have gotten a good deal faster.

UHS-I Rating
UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus can be found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. The UHS bus memory cards to have faster transfer rates.

There are three different specifications. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

To figure out the rating of a SD card, look on the label. If the memory card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the front of the 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 memory cards can be used in the Sony A6100. What PRO-HG signifies is that the memory card has a minimum read speed of 50mb/s and a 15mb/s minimum write speed.

You will have to pay twice as much to purchase a PRO Duo memory card than a similar SD memory card. Considering the price difference, I will not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo card for use in a A6100.

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 goes over all of the significant specifications you need to check about SD and PRO Duo memory cards.

Updated on 2022-10-11
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